Cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, thyme, basil, mint... As many colours asaromas, spices and aromatic herbs have been known to have many virtues for a very long time. Can they be introduced into baby's diet and if so, when? What do they really do for our health? Do they have a specific nutritional value? Are some to be avoided for the youngest? While giving you numerous associations and tasty and original recipes, I will answer all these questions...
Introduction of spices and herbs
First of all, I recommend that you introduce foods in their original form, i.e. as they are, so that baby can analyse and integrate the taste of each new food. Later on, the introduction of spices and aromatic herbs can help to vary the preparations and even make the baby appreciate a dish that was initially rejected. You should know that it can take up to 10 times before your child accepts a food.
Since salt (sodium chloride) should be limited for the little ones in order to preserve their kidneys, spices and herbs are completely natural flavour enhancers. Even if the baby's dishes seem unsavoury or even bland, for us adults, they already bring a lot of flavour to these new little gourmets. Spices and aromatic herbs can therefore be offered during food diversification, at around 5/6 months of age, when food has been introduced at 4 months of age. However,spicy spices and essential oils of these herbs shouldnot be offered to children. As a reminder, essential oils are not suitable for children under 6 years of age and for pregnant women. You can introduce spices and herbs in small quantities at first, the aim being, again, to diversify the diet. Choose fresh or frozen herbs rather than dried or freeze-dried ones. It is very practical to buy them frozen, they keep very well, can be used in the right quantity, without food waste, and bring a beautiful aroma and freshness to dishes.
Spices
Among the spices, you can introduce cumin for its digestive virtues, cinnamon for its antiseptic properties, its richness in fibre and its action on glycaemia, turmeric for the reinforcement of the immune system, nutmeg for its detoxifying aspect, but also mild curry, a mixture of spices with 1000 virtues, as well as paprika, vanilla and star anise...
Aromatic herbs
Among the aromatic herbs, you can add thyme to baby's dishes for its action on the ENT sphere and on respiratory diseases, parsley for its digestive virtues (stomach and intestine), mint which is an excellent anti-oxidant and tonic while having actions on digestion, chives for their digestive qualities, basil for its relaxing effect, coriander which, beyond its digestive aspect, is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and alsodill, sage, chervil,tarragon, bay leaves,oregano and rosemary.
Interesting food associations and recipe ideas
Basil goes very well with strawberries, melon, tomatoes, oranges, squash, fish and white meats. Mint goes well with courgette, peas, apple, peach, strawberry, tabbouleh, goat's cheese and spinach. You can combine coriander with carrots, parsnips, pumpkin, peas, avocado, chicken, pork, mango and pineapple. Thyme is perfect with ratatouille, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, chicken, apricots and figs.
You can also use these spices and aromatic herbs to make herbal teas, which will be another alternative for hydrating babies, marinades (for red or white meat and fish), compotes (pear purée with verbena, for example), purees (carrots with cumin) and also biscuits (sweet or savoury, such as goat's cheese and thyme biscuits). I'll give you a few more recipe ideas in bulk: chickpea salad with cumin, cauliflower nugget with turmeric, monkfish with coconut curry sauce, semolina with cinnamon or vanilla milk and orange blossom yoghurt...
As you can see, use and abuse these spices and aromatic herbs to transform your dishes into real nutritional and gustatory masterpieces!
Dietician - Nutritionist specialising in paediatrics