Many moms worry that meals without salt will be tasteless and unappealing to babies.
In reality, babies don't perceive food as "good" or "bad." Especially for infants under one year old, taste buds are highly sensitive, so even unsalted food won't seem unpalatable.
However, if you genuinely feel that adding some flavor to your baby's complementary foods is necessary, you can try incorporating naturally savory ingredients into their meals or prepare some natural seasonings for them!
Naturally savory foods include:
First, protein-rich foods.When cooked at high temperatures, these foods produce a special compound that enhances their savory flavor. Examples include meat, eggs, and beef. Certain vegetables like mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, and Chinese cabbage also develop a strong umami taste during cooking!
You can add these ingredients directly to your baby's complementary foods to enhance their natural umami flavor. Alternatively, they can be processed into natural seasonings to mix into porridge or noodles!
Below are a few recommended methods for making natural seasonings!
Salmon Flakes
Ingredients needed: Salmon, lemon, walnut oil.
Method:
First, thoroughly rinse the fresh salmon and cut it into chunks. Slice the lemon and add the slices to the salmon, marinating for 15 minutes. After marinating, boil the salmon chunks in hot water for 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove them, drain well, and mash the fish meat using a mortar and pestle.Place the crushed fish in a pan over low heat. Cook until most of the moisture evaporates. Add a spoonful of walnut oil, then transfer to a food processor and blend into a paste.
Return the paste to the pan and cook over low heat a second time until completely dry. Stir constantly while mashing to ensure all moisture is removed. Store the finished product in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.Chicken Floss Ingredients needed: Chicken breast, ginger. Method: First, wash the chicken breast thoroughly and cut it into small pieces about 1 cm in size. Place the chicken and ginger together in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 40 minutes.It's done when the chicken flakes apart easily when pressed with a spoon.
Remove the cooked chicken, drain well, and let cool for about ten minutes. Place it in a resealable bag and flatten it thoroughly with a rolling pin. If you don't have a rolling pin, a sturdy glass jar works great!
Heat a pan over low heat, brush with oil, and add the flattened chicken breast. Stir-fry for 5 minutes. Don't overcook it during this first stir-fry—just until it's mostly cooked through.
Transfer the stir-fried chicken to a food processor and blend until fluffy. Return the mixture to the pan and stir-fry over low heat for 1-2 minutes without adding oil. Continue until no noticeable moisture remains when touched.