Acorn Squash

With Autumn in the air, it's so nice to eat with the seasons and enjoy acorn squash. Another easy to prepare veggie, acorn squash is similar to butternut squash in texture and flavor, though it is slightly nuttier than butternut squash. Dark green in color, often with yellow patches, and similar in appearance to an acorn, acorn squash is prepared in a similar method to butternut squash. It is high in potassium and vitamin C, and a good source of fiber.

One large acorn squash makes enough to fill an ice cube tray for freezing for baby and a small pot of acorn squash soup for two.

Baby's Age: 6 months and up, adding more flavors as baby gets older

Consistency: pureed

Baked Acorn Squash

1 large acorn squash

butter (optional)
salt (optional)
maple syrup (optional)
brown sugar (optional)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Sharpen a large knife and cut the acorn squash in half down the middle. Set squash flesh side up in a glass or ceramic dish. If making for a young baby, there is no need to add anything to the squash. If making for a slightly older baby (11 months+) or toddler, you may want to dot with butter, drizzle with maple syrup, or sprinkle with brown sugar or salt, or any combination of these, keeping in mind that young taste buds are very sensitive to flavor, so use toppings conservatively! Cover the squash very lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until butter knife inserted into flesh of squash slides in easily.

Allow squash to cool before pureeing, adding water to thin as necessary.

I typically use half the squash for making baby food and the other half for making soup for me.

To make soup of the remaining squash, scoop the flesh of the squash into a blender. Add 3/4 to 1 can of chicken broth and 1/4 to 1/2 cup half-and-half, to taste. Blend for a few minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper. This soup makes a great meal starter.

The Incredible, Edible Egg!

The egg is such a miraculous food. It is both delicious and nutritious, and eggs are especially great for growing babies and toddlers. They contain the highest quality of protein called biological value protein and are loaded with good fats. Eggs are also high in riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and folate. They will fill a toddler up and keep him or her going strong all morning.

But, even more importantly, the yolk contains nutrients that are important to the brain and eye. Carotenoids, which are more readily available in egg yolk than in plant sources, protect the human macula from oxidative stress and ultraviolet light. Choline, a neurotransmitter and a key component of many fat-containing structures in cell membranes, abounds in egg yolks. Choline provides flexibility and integrity to fat-like molecules that makes up a large percentage of the brain's mass, making choline critical for brain function and health. As a neurotransmitter, choline carries messages from nerve to nerve, and is the principal chemical messager between muscles and nerves.

When choosing eggs at the grocery store for baby, look for free range, vegetarian eggs that come from chickens that have not been fed antibiotics or hormones. If you would like to feed your baby or toddler runny yolks, but are concerned about salmonella, looks for pasteurized eggs at the grocery store. They are pasteurized for food safety, yet still in a raw state, meaning that the yolk and albumen are runny. No matter which egg you choose, the albumen, or white of the egg, should always be cooked. The whites contain a protein called avidin. It binds the eggs' biotin (a water-soluble vitamin) thereby preventing it from absorption. Cooking the egg or egg whites changes avidin, making it easier to digest and unable to interfere with biotin absorption.

Baby's Age: around 11 months and up

Consistency: runny egg on crunchy toast

Fried Egg for Baby and Me

1 smidgen of butter
1 large egg
1 slice of white or wheat bread, toasted

In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt the smidgen of butter. Crack the egg into the pan and cover it with a lid. A glass lid works well, so you can keep an eye on the egg's progress. When the white is cooked, move egg to a plate and cut the white part off. Place the intact yolk on the toast and break the yolk so it runs onto the toast. Cut the toast into bite-sized pieces for baby.

At around 11 months, my daughter can eat about 2/3 of the toast with egg yolk. I eat the rest with the whites!