4 Spoon-friendly Recipes for Babies 12 to 24 Months Old

When children reach their first birthday, they start to show more independence. One thing they do in their quest for autonomy is try to eat on their own, using their hands.

Diversifying your little one’s food options is an essential part of this new process.

The use of this utensil will help your little one learn to eat solid foods. This involves learning how to hold a spoon and how to move thicker textures around in his mouth.

During the same learning process, your baby will strengthen the muscles in his mouth through chewing. He’ll also develop hand eye coordination .

4 spoon-friendly recipes that your 12- to 24-month-old baby can eat

Here are 4 delicious recipes that your little one will love. We’re sure each spoonful will be an enjoyable experience:

1. Cream of endive

Endive is rich in vitamin K, has coagulating properties, and helps calcium stick to bones. It also contains vitamin B9, which is indispensable in times of growth.

Ingredient

• Salt
• Potatoes
• Endive
• Cream
• Shredded cheese
• Water
• Oil

Preparation

• Wash the endive and cut the base into slices. Cook the slices in a pot with a small amount of oil.
• Then, peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Place them into the hot pan and add a cup of water.
• Cook the mixture for 15 minutes before adding cream and a pinch of salt.
• Scoop the cream of endive onto a plate and add a bit of shredded cheese.

2. Rice and milk with a bit of mango

The following recipe is delicious. What’s more, it gives your child a boost of energy, thanks to the vitamin C in the mango. You can serve it hot or cold, for breakfast, or with lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/3 C rice
• 1/2 mango
• 1/3 C brown sugar
• 3/4 C coconut milk
• Butter

Preparation

• Bring the water to a boil and add rice. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain.
• Place the rice back into the pot. Add both the coconut milk and the sugar.
• Continue cooking until the rice absorbs approximately half of the water. Place in the refrigerator.
• Cut the mango into cubes and toast them in a frying pan with a small amount of butter. Add a spoonful of brown sugar.
• Add the mango to the rice and serve.

3. Vegetable flan

This is another great recipe that your child can enjoy with a spoon. In fact, this is an ideal option for your entire family. It’s a unique and flavorful way to serve vegetables, and can be eaten hot or cold.

 Ingredients

• Egg
• 1 C cream cheese
• 1/4 C cream
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups vegetables of choice (carrots, zucchini, asparagus, tomato, etc)

 Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350° F for 10 minutes.
• Wash the vegetables and cut them into small cubes. If your baby doesn’t eat chopped vegetables, then you should shred them with a cheese grater.
• Bake the vegetables on an oiled baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350°.
• Remove vegetables from the oven and mix with the egg, cream cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Leave the oven turned on.
• Pour the mixture into a mold, and place the mold in an oven-safe bowl with water (Dutch oven).
• Lastly, place the bowl in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

4. Banana cream

This last spoon-friendly recipe will provide your child with plenty of the nutrients he or she needs. Bananas, eggs and cookie crumbs.

You’ll have all you need to make an original gourmet dessert that your little one will be sure to love:

Ingredients

• Sugar
• Banana
• Cookie crumbs
• Egg yolk
• 1/2 C milk

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 450° F.
• Peel the banana and mash it well with a fork.
• Place the banana in a mixing bowl and add the egg yolk, sugar and milk. Beat the 4 ingredients until you have a smooth mixture.
• Pour the batter into a mold or cake pan, and place it in a bowl of boiling water (Dutch oven). Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Sprinkle cookie crumbs over the cooled banana cream

Now that you have some delicious ideas, go ahead and give these recipes a try! We know your baby will enjoy the new challenge of eating with a spoon!