X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Adding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To Know

4 min read
Adding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To KnowAdding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To Know

Unlike salt and sugar, herbs and spices add flavour to your baby’s food in a healthy way! Here's all you need to know about "spicing up" your baby's food

Making homemade baby food allows you to experiment with different flavours and textures for your baby to enjoy. It also affords you more freedom when it comes to choosing ingredients as opposed to simply going for commercial baby food.

Though the most popular baby food brands offer flavour and nutrients, most of them don’t incorporate herbs and spices. So, if you want to liven up your baby’s food, and expand their palate, adding spices is a delicious way to start!

When to add herbs and spices to your baby’s food

Many paediatricians would agree that it’s best to introduce herbs and spices once your baby is at least 8 months or older.

The main reason behind this is to avoid digestive upsets and not merely to ward off possible allergic reactions. In fact, if your baby doesn’t have a sensitive stomach, then you can go right ahead and add spices and herbs to their meals.

It’s also best to consult a paediatrician when introducing new herbs and spices to your baby’s diet.

If you’re a breastfeeding mum, it’s important to know that your baby is already being introduced to herbs and spices through your breastmilk, which helps them develop a taste for food that’s not bland.

It’s important to remember not to add any sort of flavouring to your breastmilk or formula.

The types of herbs and spices you can add to your baby’s food

Adding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To Know

Image source: iStock

Herbs and spices, whether fresh or dried, are a great way to add interesting flavours to your baby’s food without using salt or sugar.

While many would agree that it’s important not to add salt or sugar to your baby’s food as it might mess up their palate and pose health risks, there’s no harm in “spicing up” their meals.

Here are just a few great herbs and spices you could try.

  • pepper
  • garlic – minced or powdered
  • basil
  • rosemary
  • dill
  • oregano
  • lemon zest
  • ginger
  • cinnamon
  • mint
  • nutmeg
  • anise
  • curry powder (this is fine as long as you monitor your child closely, as some variants of curry or child powder may give your baby a rash)

These herbs and spices would make flavourful additions to recipes your family usually enjoys. These natural flavourings allows your child not to grow up depending on artificial tastes to be able to fully enjoy their culinary experience.

Try these flavourful combinations to add zest to your baby’s—as well as your entire family’s—meals.

Adding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To Know

Image source: File photo

Fruits

Apple (Sauce): add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla*, ginger

Pears: add ginger, cinnamon, a drop of vanilla or even mint

Bananas: add cinnamon, ginger, allspice, vanilla

*It’s important to remember to make sure to use either the vanilla bean or essence of vanilla that’s not labelled “pure”, which has a high alcohol content.

Using pure vanilla isn’t advisable unless you are cooking or baking because this cooks off the alcohol content.

Dairy

Plain Yogurt: add mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, allspice, cardamom

Vegetables

Sweet potato: add nutmeg, cinnamon and/or cardamom

Pumpkin: add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a dash of vanilla

Carrots: add basil and garlic

Partner Stories
The Ultimate Guide For Parents About Newborn Baby Weight Loss And Gain
The Ultimate Guide For Parents About Newborn Baby Weight Loss And Gain
Screen Or No Screen? Here’s Why Your Child Needs More Off-Screen Activities!
Screen Or No Screen? Here’s Why Your Child Needs More Off-Screen Activities!
Montessori Education For Your Child: What You Should Know
Montessori Education For Your Child: What You Should Know
5 Tips For Protecting Your Baby’s Skin And Keeping It Healthy
5 Tips For Protecting Your Baby’s Skin And Keeping It Healthy

Green beans: add garlic powder

Mashed potatoes (white): add dill weed or garlic

Winter Squash (acorn, hubbard, butternut etc.): add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger

Cereals/Grains

Adding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To Know

Image source: File photo

Pasta: add oregano, garlic, or basil

Oatmeal or other cereals: use fruits, cinnamon and nutmeg, a dash of vanilla

Rice (sweet): add cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of vanilla, cardamom, ginger

Quinoa (sweet): add cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of vanilla, cardamom, ginger for sweet

Quinoa (savoury): add garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, basil, oregano and others

Meat

Adding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To Know

Image source: iStock

Chicken or turkey tastes well with…

  • cinnamon and/or coriander
  • garlic powder and basil
  • lemon zest and pepper
  • basil and oregano
  • garlic and pepper
  • sage, rosemary and thyme

Beef goes well with…

  • garlic and pepper
  • onion powder and pepper
  • plain orange zest

Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. 

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Bianchi Mendoza

  • Home
  • /
  • Ages & Stages
  • /
  • Adding Herbs And Spices To Baby Food: What You Need To Know
Share:
  • 5 herbs you should be adding to your kids' food

    5 herbs you should be adding to your kids' food

  • Parents, Here Is What You Need To Know About The Zika virus

    Parents, Here Is What You Need To Know About The Zika virus

  • Boy Goes Blind After Eating Only Fries and Chips for Years

    Boy Goes Blind After Eating Only Fries and Chips for Years

  • Delivery Rider Works 16 Hours a Day for Family, Realises Wife Cheating On Him, Son Not Biologically His

    Delivery Rider Works 16 Hours a Day for Family, Realises Wife Cheating On Him, Son Not Biologically His

app info
get app banner
  • 5 herbs you should be adding to your kids' food

    5 herbs you should be adding to your kids' food

  • Parents, Here Is What You Need To Know About The Zika virus

    Parents, Here Is What You Need To Know About The Zika virus

  • Boy Goes Blind After Eating Only Fries and Chips for Years

    Boy Goes Blind After Eating Only Fries and Chips for Years

  • Delivery Rider Works 16 Hours a Day for Family, Realises Wife Cheating On Him, Son Not Biologically His

    Delivery Rider Works 16 Hours a Day for Family, Realises Wife Cheating On Him, Son Not Biologically His

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.