Pasta is a high-carbohydrate Italian classic dish that includes noodles, lasagna, macaroni, and more. Pasta comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Parents may consider pasta for babies since it is regarded as safe when consumed in an age-appropriate way, although it may not be particularly nutritious. Read on to learn about the various types of pasta, their safety for babies, their nutritional value, and how to incorporate them into your baby’s diet.
Is Pasta Safe For Babies?
You can safely feed pasta to your baby once they have started consuming a variety of foods. Traditionally, pasta is made from durum wheat, but it is also made from wheat, rice, barley, buckwheat, legumes, and multigrain. Therefore, you need to know the base ingredient while choosing pasta.
Wheat pasta is safe for babies who have been consuming wheat in their diet. However, it is good to be alert to any signs of gluten intolerance or wheat allergy while introducing pasta to babies. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include bloating, vomiting, rash, and diarrhea. Those who have wheat allergy and/or gluten intolerance should not eat pasta or introduce it much later after consulting with your baby’s pediatrician
If you want to try other varieties of pasta for your baby, then first consult a pediatrician.
Introduce no more than a quarter to half a cup of pasta to your infant in mashed form. You can feed small pieces of cooked pasta as finger food once your baby turns nine months old.
Boil and cook pasta adequately since it is dry food and could be difficult to swallow even for older babies.
When And How To Introduce Pasta To Infants?
Infants above six months of age can be served pasta in a variety of ways. Make sure you serve only cooked, soft, easy-to-swallow pasta that has been cut into small pieces (1). Several pasta varieties are large and broad in shape. Therefore, cutting the cooked pasta into smaller pieces prevents the risk of choking. You can mix pasta with a variety of other foods, such as vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, chicken, eggs, and tofu, to make a nutritious and flavorful meal. You can also make it more enjoyable by choosing various shapes, such as stars, bows, and pasta of different colors.
Nutritional Value Of Pasta
Regular pasta is either prepared from refined wheat flour or whole grain wheat flour mixed with eggs and water. Pasta made from refined flour might be enriched with nutrients, such as iron and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and folate (2). Below is a comparative nutritional composition analysis of 100g of pasta made from wholewheat flour cooked with added salt and enriched pasta cooked with added salt (3) (4) (5) (6). Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, World Health Organization, and National Institutes of Health
Are There Any Benefits Of Pasta For Babies?
Pasta does not hold any specific health benefits per se. But here is why parents might feed pasta to their babies: Whole grain pasta can provide fiber and protein. Do not use pasta as a replacement for more nutritious foods such as whole wheat, rice, pulses, etc.
Precautions To Take While Feeding Pasta To Infants
You may follow these precautions while feeding pasta to babies.
Healthy Pasta Baby Food Recipes
Pasta can be made healthy and nutritious in a variety of ways. All you need to do is select the right ingredients and be creative. Below are some healthy and tasty pasta recipes that can be given to babies and toddlers. Recipes with whole milk can be fed to toddlers older than 12 months.
1. Pumpkin pasta puree
Pumpkin is a nutritious vegetable. This recipe allows you to combine the goodness of pumpkin with the delicious taste of pasta. You will need:
½ cup rice pasta or any organic pasta (cooked) 1 cup pumpkin (cooked) 5 cup milk 100g sweet potato 40g sweetcorn 3tbsp mozzarella cheese (grated) 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
How to: Tip: You can use any other vegetable or fruit puree to customize this recipe. As your baby adjusts to the taste, use multigrain pasta to enhance its overall nutritional value.
2. Pasta with cheesy sauce
A delicious blend of pasta with whole milk and cheddar cheese,this recipe is ideal for babies who have started consuming solids and are trying pasta for the first time. You will need:
½ cup mini shell or orzo pasta (cooked) 1 cup whole milk 100g cheddar cheese ¼ cup butter
How to: Tip: You can improve the nutritional value and color of this preparation by adding vegetable puree, mash, or tiny pieces.
3. Tangy tomato pasta
This vegetable pasta recipe might become your baby’s favorite pasta if they like the tangy taste of tomatoes. You will need:
½ cup wholewheat pasta (cooked) 70g ripe tomatoes (blanched) 1 onion (finely chopped) 1 clove of garlic (crushed) 2tbsp mozzarella cheese (grated) 2tbsp virgin olive oil
How to: Tip: You can add grated veggies, tofu, or chicken into the recipe to intensify its nutritional value.
4. Pasta soup
This recipe is a creative mix of pasta and soup to help your baby get the best of ingredients in an easy-to-consume and easy-to-digest way. You will need:
70g Anelli pasta (cooked) 50g cottage cheese (blended) 70g red lentil 300ml chicken or vegetable stock (low salt) 300ml water 70g carrot (sliced) 1 onion (chopped) 1-2 cloves garlic (crushed) 1tbsp virgin olive oil 1tbsp chive (chopped)
How to: Tip: You can try adding seasonal veggies like spinach, broccoli, corn, peas, and bell peppers, too.
5. Veggie burst Bolognese pasta
Bolognese pasta is prepared by cooking pasta in a meat-based sauce. But this veggie pasta recipe here is a delicious vegetarian alternative to Bolognese pasta. You will need:
1 cup acini de pepe (cooked) 1 26 oz. tomato puree 1 onion (roughly chopped) 1 garlic cloves (crushed) 1 carrots (chopped) 1 rib celery (chopped) ½ cup corn (boiled) ½ cup bell pepper (chopped) ½ cup fresh parsley (chopped) 1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
How to: Tip: Alternatively, you can prepare this recipe by adding meat, chicken, and eggs into the sauce or the final pasta dish.
6. Cheesy zucchini pasta
Zucchini is a healthy food that contains beta-carotene. You will need:
1 cup zucchini/courgette (grated) 2 cups water 1 cup penne pasta or tortellini or any small-shaped pasta (cooked) 1 egg yolk 1tbsp parmesan (grated) 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/4tsp herb mix
How to: Tip: Alternatively, you can prepare this recipe by adding meat, chicken, and eggs into the sauce or the final pasta dish.
7. Pea and pesto sauce gnocchi
Gnocchi is a type of pasta that looks like small shells. It is most suitable for infants honing their weaning skills. You will need:
1 cup gnocchi (cooked) 30g peas (fresh/frozen) 1 onion (finely chopped) 20g parmesan cheese (grated) Handful of basil leaves (chopped) 4tbsp virgin olive oil ¼tsp herb mix
How to: Tip: Gnocchi, like any other type of pasta variety, can be prepared in several ways. You can add different vegetables or try different sauces to customize this classic recipe for your infant.
