Baby Food Dish: What's The Most Practical?

It is quite common for babies to receive a baby food dish as gift. These are typically china with little rabbits or teddy bears running round the rim.

When visiting a childless couple they once presented my one year old daughter with biscuits on a piece of Crown Derby! They are pretty, even beautiful, but definitely impractical. The most easygoing baby will one day pick up the dish and throw it. My younger sister was an expert with baby rice. She even got it on the ceiling one day!

A great innovation in baby food dishes is The First Year's one that comes apart in sections.		And then there is the food dish by Sassy for keeping your baby's food warm... particularly handy in cold conditions.

These dishes that break just aren't right for the job.

What's The Best Baby Food Dish?

Kidco's travel baby food dish is a handy and practical choice when you're traveling.

Plastic is more economical, can be washed and sterilized easily  and although the food will still spill if the dish is thrown, at least, there is no broken pieces to pick up.

Some dishes have a means of sticking it by suction to the surface of the baby's tray. Sassy even make ones with special spaces that can be filled with hot water to keep food warm if baby is a slow eater. But be careful using these... the food may become hotter than you intended. Or consider The First Years' one that takes apart in sections!

Kidco makes a baby food dish that comes with a lid and is a good choice for traveling or to keep in the fridge. Mothercare also have a good range including a dish with a fairy on the base that little girls will delight uncover as they eat their lunch.

Sterilizing & Cleaning

Medical advice is that items used to feed babies, whether spoons, bottles or dishes should be sterilized until the baby is about 8 months old. The Mother care web site gives advice if you are unsure how to do this.

Why stop at 8 months? Well by then most babies will be crawling if not, in a few cases, walking holding on to furniture. They will, behind your back of course, be picking up anything they find including the dog biscuits... which is a great source of bacteria.

So, by sterilizing the bottles etc. you are eliminating your baby's intake of bacteria, while behind your back she is doing exactly the opposite. In short, you are wasting your time.

But don't worry. The child who rarely meets any dirt  would be less able to fight disease when it comes and the old adage 'We eat  a peck of dirt before we die' has at least some truth in it  ( a peck is equal to eight quarts).

What do you put in your baby food dish?

Start with such things as baked sweet potato or squash, mashed bananas or avocado. Later, at about 7 or 8 months you can be more ambitious. Look at some Indian baby food sites  - Indian food isn't necessarily hot and spicy. Baby food doesn't have to be totally mild - think of Marmite - babies love it.

Here's one idea for something to start off with...

Vegetable Korma for Baby

• 1tsp olive oil

• 1/2 small onion, chopped

• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced

• 2oz cauliflower, diced

• 2oz peas, fresh or frozen

• 1 small white potato, peeled and diced

• 2tsp tomato puree

• 4fl oz water

• pinch ground ginger

• pinch cumin

• pinch turmeric

• pinch coriander

Cook the onion and carrot in the oil for a few minutes, until tender. Add the tomato puree and the spices and cook while stirring for 2 mins. Add the vegetables and water, then bring to a boil for a minute and then reduce the heat, then simmer, covered, for about 16 mins.
Mash well.

What's The Best Baby Food Dish For My Baby?