Spinach Basil Pesto

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Sometimes it takes baby steps.

When we first met I declared that there was no point in baby food. Instead, I suggested that we feed our children the same healthy foods that we eat ourselves. Doing so makes us healthier—we tend to cook better-for-you foods when little ones are sharing—and our babies, too—complex flavors excite developing palates at a critical time in their food preference development. It can feel like a big jump, though, to go from feeding baby bland purees to grown-up foods.

If sharing your food with baby feels like too big a jump, I’ve got a small step that will make a big difference: jazz up your little one’s food using herbs and spices. This little trick makes purees much tastier, stimulates kiddo’s palate with more complex flavors and provides a host of health benefits. A dash of cardamom or pinch of basil can do all that? You betcha.

Big Flavor for Tiny Tots

Making food tasty isn’t an indulgence. Research shows that 85% percent of food preferences are the result of our earliest eating experiences. Starting with delicious, healthy foods leads to a life-long taste for delicious, healthy foods. Starting with overly sweet or overly salty foods (the two categories into which most processed food, including jarred baby food, falls) leads to a life-long taste for these unhealthy flavors.

When you crave tons of added sugar or salt, then bitter, umami (savory flavor), mild sweetness and other naturally occurring flavors become unappetizing. Herbs are a great way to add naturally complex flavor without added sugar or salt. It’s also easy to regulate their intensity. Add a little less when baby is six-months-old, a little more when they are one-year-old.

Let’s do an experiment! Steam carrots (no need to peel, just lightly scrub them clean). Puree half of the carrots plain or, if necessary, with added water. Puree the other half with some ground coriander and coconut milk or, if you prefer something without added fat, coconut water. (Here’s my recipe.) One taste and you’ll get what I’m saying. One taste and you’ll also want to share kiddo’s dinner (hello sautéed halibut on a bed of coconut coriander carrot puree). Sharing, by the way, is no small detail. Research shows that sharing your food with kids increases motivation for them to try new foods.

Herbs for Health

In addition to the benefits that come with making whole foods more delicious, herbs also have health properties. Many cultures have long incorporated herbs in cooking and health care practices to take advantage of the protective qualities that come from the high concentration of antioxidants and other phytochemicals found in herbs. Herbs and many spices also have an anti-inflammatory effect that can have benefits ranging from preventative to mitigating symptoms of chronic illness. All sound a bit heavy for tots? Not really. Most of what herbs have to offer is prevention and that’s good at any age.

Here are just a few examples of commonly found herbs and their health benefits (from 101 Food That Could Save Your Life):

• Oregano has the same antioxidant strength as an apple.
• Cinnamon may reduce blood pressure and contribute to heart health.
• Cloves contain eugenol, a substance that may be helpful for relieving pain, killing bacteria and reducing inflammation.
• Cumin is rich in essential oils associated with blood glucose-lowering effects.
• Garlic contains allicin, a bacteria killer, and saponin which soaks up cholesterol.

Cooking with Herbs

Adding herbs and spices—fresh, dried and ground—is easy to do. Just experiment and use your buds! Favorite combinations become go-to. I love mint with zucchini, which can be turned into a side dish, frittata or tossed with pasta.

Think outside of the box, too. For example, fruit and herbs go great together. Peaches and basil! Pineapple and mint! Grapefruit and cilantro! Figs and cardamom! These fun combinations can be pureed for pops or a yogurt mix-in, chopped into a salad or “snack salsa,” cooked down into a compote or sauce. I’ve used this Apricot, Peach and Basil puree as a straight up baby food, mixed into oatmeal and to make popsicles.

You can even use herbs to infuse anything from drinks to custards.

So get started! Buy some herbs and freshen up your spice rack to enliven your kiddo’s meals. It’ll get their palate excited for healthy foods, provide health benefits and move their meals one baby step closer to yours. (Or maybe it’ll be the other way around!)