Quinoa..how to make it tasty

[batuki05]

HI,

 My son is almost eight months old now. I have been giving him homemade foods so far. i have seen that he loves what we eat, rather than eating What I make for him. So far I have given him:

Apple
banana
avacado
carrot
zuchini
oatmeal
rice
sweetpotato
peas

Of all this he likes only banana. He sometimes eats apple, carrot, avacado, sweetpotato.

I am trying to give him Quinoa. But he hates the taste of it. I tried mixing it with apple banana and etc. Still he does not like it. Sam goes to oatmeal. How can I and more flavor.

Thanx
Rajani

[deb]

To me, quinoa by itself has a sort of bitter taste. Josie (age 4) and I like it with garlic, butter, and tamari sauce, although you might find that combo a little much for only 8 months! (OK, maybe just the garlic! Actually, come to think of it, adding spices to it, like maybe some cinnamon, might be nice. Are you pureeing it? It might be the texture.

How about a more mellow-tasting cereal grain like millet? It does take longer to cook but tastes nice and grainy. I pureed some quinoa together with millet and my last bag of frozen EBM for Natalie and I mix it with whatever I'd mix with any cereal (usually veggies here) and it seems to go down just fine.

[batuki05]

Thanx for your reply Deb
   Yes I too find the taste of quinoa unpleasant. I tried with little bit cumin...I think he liked it better. I usually mix it with EBM and some carrot or avacado. I powder it first and then cook it in water. I will try garlic and see if that helps.
    I will have to buy millet...since I don't have any. And then will mix it together and see.


Rajani

[deb]

I powder it first and then cook it in water. I will try garlic and see if that helps.

I did try powdering the grains first and then cooking, but it never came out nice, always seemed gritty. I've had more success cooking the whole grains and then pureeing them with the water or milk or whatever.

I get my millet at Whole Foods - it's actually fairly inexpensive that way!

[batuki05]

I will try the Whole foods...I have one nearby...thanxs for that info.

Yes quinoa seems to be gritty...Maybe I will try pureing it after cooking it, Hope it helps. But I think spices is what he wants. Because he seemed to like it with little cumin.

Rajani