02 Oct Organic Cashew Nut; Coconut; Butternut and Lucuma Super Baby Food

This tasty concoction is a favourite with my son, Cassian. You will need organic cashew nuts; organic lucuma powder; organic coconut milk and an organic butternut.

So apart from their great taste, why have I chosen these ingredients?

The organic coconut milk  is a great source of manganese; copper and vitamin C. It is rich in phosphorus and calcium which help to build strong bones and I bet you may not have known that a cup of coconut milk supplies our bodies with nearly a quarter of the daily value of iron? It is also a great source of fibre, but my absolute top reason for boosting Cassian’s diet with coconut milk is because of its immune boosting properties. It supplies vitamin C to the body and it also provides healthy fats, including lauric acid, a key component of the body’s immune system that’s also found in breast milk.

Organic Lucuma is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins especially beta-carotene, niacin and vitamin C, and also a good source of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and remarkable concentrations of iron. The carotenoids in Lucuma also have powerful antioxidant & immune-enhancing activity and promote proper cell communication.

Organic cashew nuts are added for their great source of iron. Butternut – contrary to popular culture I have been advised not to add root vegetables to my babes diet until he is a year old as they are too grounding and can also be toxic. I usually opt for vegetables that I don’t need to cook, but this is the one exception. The main benefits of butternut are that it is a good source of beta-carotene, which has antioxidant abilities and can inhibit cancer cell development, and in fact carotene is best absorbed by the body when it is cooked and eaten with a little fat, such as that found in the nuts and coconut milk. Since one gets carotene in Lucuma, you could omit the butternut if you wanted to keep this completely raw and add a soft fruit like banana.

What to do? Simple – slowly cook the butternut until it is soft – I usually cook it at 120 degrees. Once it has cooled, add a full butternut; 2 handfuls of cashews; 100ml coconut milk and 8 tablespoons of lucuma to the blender; and blend until soft enough to be enjoyed your baby. Obviously babes is not going to eat all of this at one sitting, so I freeze what is not needed in an ice tray to defrost in the sun at a later stage.

Coming soon – amazing ways to boost your baby’s meals with blueberries.