What kind of Chinese food can you feed your baby?

Depends on the age and your baby’s swallowing abilities. Most parents start giving their baby solids around 6 months. It is a good idea to start with purees, as well as congee / rice porridge because it requires almost no chewing, is soft, and easy to swallow. Salmon congee is perfect because the fish is also soft, but very nutritious.

Is salmon congee safe to feed my baby?

Assuming your baby can swallow solids, definitely yes! Both the salmon and the cooked rice are soft and easy to swallow.

Can I put salt in salmon congee?

Most Western medical advice indicates that it is best to avoid added salt to your baby’s food especially toward the beginning. I am not a medical professional, so do your own research before you decide on how to proceed. Many prepared baby foods are bland and tasteless. In my opinion, baby food should be flavorful too. I began putting some salt in my baby’s food around 5 months and by 6 months, I was making her food that was just slightly less flavorful than my own food. Just make sure you give your baby water when you start giving them salt. That should help to balance out the salt concentration in their bodies. It works the same for adult bodies.

Can I put herbs and spices in my baby’s food?

Absolutely yes! Have you tried jarred baby food? Would you eat it? If your answer is no, then what makes you think your baby would like it? You should be asking yourself what you can do to make your baby’s food more tasty and crave-worthy. Babies will eat food that tastes good. End of story. I started using herbs and spices (not chilies of course) right when I started making purees for my baby. I used spices such as thyme, garlic, onion, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, paprika. I also made sure to saute, roast, and bake her food to make it more rich and flavorful. Steamed food can become boring.

For other baby recipes, check out my Garlicky Roasted Zucchini.

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Salmon Congee- Chinese Baby Food

A healthy and delicious salmon congee that doubles as Chinese baby food

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword rice porridge, salmon congee, salmon porridge

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 baby servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp dashi optional
• 1 tsp fish sauce optional
• 2 ounces salmon finely diced
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

• Add rice, rolled oats, chicken broth, water, garlic, dashi, and fish sauce into a large pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low to simmer for 30 minutes until rice has started to cook down. Stir occasionally.
• Add salmon and sesame oil into cooked congee. Allow salmon to cook for 3-5 minutes until just cooked through.
• Allow to cool. Then serve to your baby warm.

For tasty adult recipes involving salmon, please check out my orange glazed miso salmon.