Baby's First Christmas Dinner Tips
Thankfully, Christmas dinner for babies is fairly straightforward! There are only a few things you need to consider when feeding them at Christmas.
Mamamade Top Tips for Baby’s First Christmas
- Have your little one join you at the table. Babies learn how and what to eat by copying their parents. Family mealtimes are a great way to help develop your baby’s eating and social skills.
- Try and stick to your usual routine, if you have one. Don’t forget nap times!
- Schedule in some downtime in amongst the excitement. Christmas is a sensory explosion for babies (music, lights, smells), it can be very overwhelming so try and find some calmness among the celebrations.
- Take lots of photos and videos throughout the day! These will be wonderful to look back on in years to come.
What should I include in my baby’s first Christmas dinner?
Our first tip is to always prioritise the veg. That goes for any meal for weaning babies!
Vegetables are the perfect first foods for weaning babies. This is why our whole range of baby food is plant-based. Luckily, there’s a lot of veg traditionally served with Christmas dinner, so it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce your little one to some new seasonal veg!
How do I serve my baby’s Christmas dinner?
How you choose to serve your baby’s Christmas dinner depends on what stage of weaning they’re at. We’ve offered suggestions below on how to serve different elements of your baby’s Christmas dinner to suit their age and weaning stage! Remember, you can always puree your baby’s Christmas dinner by mixing in some of their usual milk or warm water.
Babies and toddlers only have little tummies, so they don’t need a big 3-course meal like adults! Give them a taste of some Christmas foods throughout the day, but don’t try and get them to eat a full Christmas meal - there will be plenty of time for that when they’re older!
Foods to avoid feeding babies at Christmas
There are some Christmas foods which just aren’t healthy for babies. Pigs in blankets are far too salty for a baby, as is gravy and most stuffing mixes. Cranberry sauce, mince pies and Christmas pudding are all too high in sugar. Your mother-in-law or Great Aunt Karen may want to offer baby a 'Christmas treat', but just say 'no thanks'. You can, and should, skip these bits!
It’s a good idea to take your baby’s portion of your Christmas dinner out of your saucepans before adding any salt, butter, sugar or gravy. That way you can be sure they’re only going to eat the nutritious bits!
Remember that your baby has never tasted gravy, salt or pigs in blankets before, so they’re not missing out. Don’t feel guilty!
Baby’s First Christmas Dinner Ideas
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a Christmas staple packed full of goodness! They’re low in calories and high in fibre and vitamin K which helps blood to clot. They’re also a great source of folate and vitamins A and C.
6 to 12 months: You can boil or steam your sprouts and turn them into a baby food puree (try adding some peas!) or finely shred them. Serve as soft as possible.
12 to 24 months: You can cook your sprouts in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, roast them, or you can boil or steam them until soft. Let them cool and cut into quarters for older babies and toddlers to enjoy as finger food.
Brussels sprouts can be a choking hazard when served whole or not cooked enough, so it’s best to cook them until soft and to slice into small quarters or shred.
Roasted or Mashed Potato
Crispy roast potatoes are the pinnacle of any roast at Christmas. Mashed potato can also be a a great accompaniment a weaning baby’s first Christmas dinner.
Potatoes are a carbohydrate which provides your baby with energy to keep active. They’re also a good source of potassium and vitamin C.
Traditionally white potatoes are served with Christmas dinner, but you can choose to offer your baby sweet potatoes instead in you prefer.
6 to 12 months: Mash the potato to your baby’s desired consistency. Feel free to add a small amount of your baby’s usual milk to make it smooth, but don’t add any salt or butter. You can also add some crushed garlic for some extra flavour!
12 to 24 months: Who doesn’t love roasties? Parboil and chop up your chosen potatoes, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and roast for 30-45 mins until cooked! Remember not to add any salt. Allow to cool and chop in half or 'smash' slightly with a fork before serving.
Carrots and parsnips
No Christmas dinner is complete without some roasted root veg! Both carrots are parsnips are ideal for babies and toddlers too.
Carrots are a fantastic source of fibre and are the single richest vegetable source of alpha and beta-carotene, which convert to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for eye development, helps to support your baby’s immune system and also regulates cell growth.
Parsnips are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K and folate. They've got a wonderfully nutty sweetness for your baby or toddler to enjoy!
6 to 12 months: For younger babies new to weaning, they’re also great when boiled or steamed and mashed or blitzed into a puree. Try adding some garlic and rosemary for extra flavour! Or, you can grate them and serve them raw.
12 to 24 months: Chop the up into sticks, drizzle with some olive oil and honey (only if baby is 12 months or older!) and roast in the oven for 40 mins. Allow to cool and serve as finger food.
Why not try our Carrot, Cauliflower & Cumin Baby Meal for Christmas dinner?
Cabbage
Braised red cabbage is a Christmas dinner staple, but it’s best to offer your baby cabbage without added wine and sugar.
6 to 12 months: Slice the cabbage and steam for your baby to eat, and then mash or puree into any veg mix for flavour.
12 to 24 months: Serve cooked in any form, or offer shredded raw cabbage on its own - cabbage has a fun crunch to it, great for chewing practice! You can also add a pinch of cinnamon to the red cabbage for some Christmassy flavour!
Cauliflower
“Pass the cauliflower cheese!’
Mmm, it’s a popular guilty pleasure at Christmas! Usually, you either love it or hate it.
Whilst the cheese topping may not be the healthiest choice, cauliflower (much like broccoli) itself is a highly nutritious vegetable with an interesting texture that is fun and easy for babies to eat.
Cauliflower contains very high levels of vitamin C which helps us to absorb iron. It’s also a fantastic source of vitamin K, B vitamins, antioxidants and fibre. It’s great for supporting your baby’s organ function and immune system.
6 to 12 months: You can steam until they’re soft, then allow to cool slightly before serving to your baby. You can also add steamed or boiled cauliflower to baby puree mix.
12 to 24 months: As your baby is developing their pincer grip they’re probably enjoy grasping small, bite-sized pieces of cauliflower. This can be boiled, steamed or roasted with a drizzle of olive oil.
Why not try our White Beans, Cauliflower & Rosemary Baby Meal this Christmas?
Turkey
Turkey is a lean meat and a great source of protein and iron. It also contains B-vitamins, iron, selenium and zinc which helps to support your baby’s immune system.
6 to 12 months: If your baby has just started weaning, you can add a small amount of turkey into your baby food mix with other veg, and whiz it up.
12 to 24 months: If you have a slightly older baby or toddler, you can offer them a slice of turkey as finger food.
Cranberries
Cranberry sauce, whether it’s homemade or bought from a shop, often contains added sugar which isn’t good for babies or toddlers. Cranberry juice and dried cranberries are also high in sugar.
Fresh cranberries are a wonderful way to introduce a tart flavour to your baby. They contain more than 24 antioxidants, are high in fibre and contain vitamins C, E and K.
6-12 months: Fresh cranberries can be added to baby food puree, or stewed and mashed.
12-24 months: Fresh cranberries are best served stewed and mashed. They can be a choking hazard, so it’s best not to serve whole. If you want to serve them raw and your baby is ready, then smash them between your fingers slightly first.
Any of the above ingredients can be blended in a food processor to make a delicious Christmas meal for your baby!
Can I feed my baby Christmas leftovers?
As long as it doesn’t contain added salt, sugar, butter or gravy, then go ahead. Just make sure the food was properly refrigerated, and also reheated until piping how and allowed to cool to reduce any risk of harmful bacteria growing.
-
Try Mamamade for your baby’s first Christmas
Mamamade offer a huge range of 100% organic, plant-based baby meals delivered straight to your door. From breakfast bowls, to chunky lunch mixes and finger foods, we cover all stages of weaning.
Save time and stress prepping homemade baby food and join Mamamade today.
