Why yes! Yes, he can!
Okra is a nutritious vegetable and, despite whatever our vegetable-hating brain might think, has a slightly sweet taste. The slime can be a turn off for us adults, but it's a great sensory attraction for babies!
Inno examining his okra at tonight's dinner
When To Give To Baby
I don't recommend giving okra as one of your baby's first foods. Depending on how quick your little one learns how to eats and explores his food, I would suggest you try this only when your baby at least 8 months old and you have observed that he has a good gag reflex already.
I gave Inno his first okra when he was 8 months old, and it was so much fun watching him puzzling over what the slimy food thing his mom gave him!
I always do a lot of googling before offering a new food item, but my main holy grail for information is the Wholesome Baby Food website. You can check this website out to see a list of food recommended for each age, and what the recommended method of preparation is. It is mostly based off american diets, though, so okra is listed under their exotic food page. But we both agree - no okra until 8 months!
The site also has a different recommendation for the okra serving sizes for babies. They recommend smaller serving sizes, of mixing the okra into a soup. That's not too bad too. Inno likes kinesthetic activities, so I don't mind giving him longer slices, but some babies might want to go directly to tasting so the smaller pieces would do better.
I gave Inno his first okra when he was 8 months old, and it was so much fun watching him puzzling over what the slimy food thing his mom gave him!
Inno's first okra at 8 months old
How To Prepare It
Just boil it or steam it!
I personally prefer boiling - you can use the remaining water as vegetable stock , and it's a sure shot way to make the okra soft enough for your baby, seeds and all!
After boiling or steaming the okra, cut it up in small chunks just link as if you would use it for pinakbet. About an inch long would be ok, in my opinion. It's long enough for our little' ones' uncoordinated hands to grip, but not too big for his mouth.
If you're cooking for the family, and don't want to have to cook a separate batch for your baby, try cooking laswa. It's a local dish that is also known as bulanglang or diningding/dinengdeng, with variations in the recipe depending on what region your recipe came from. I first learned of this dish from a kapampangan office mate of mine, and have since gotten a great recipe from Nurturers of the Earth/ Breastfeeding Philippines which I use to create my own version. I'll feature the recipe next time I make it for the house.
Make sure to always use young okra though! Tough old okra will be too fibrous for our bundles of joy and might turn him off the vegetable for good.
Are You Sure This Was Safe?
I always do a lot of googling before offering a new food item, but my main holy grail for information is the Wholesome Baby Food website. You can check this website out to see a list of food recommended for each age, and what the recommended method of preparation is. It is mostly based off american diets, though, so okra is listed under their exotic food page. But we both agree - no okra until 8 months!
The site also has a different recommendation for the okra serving sizes for babies. They recommend smaller serving sizes, of mixing the okra into a soup. That's not too bad too. Inno likes kinesthetic activities, so I don't mind giving him longer slices, but some babies might want to go directly to tasting so the smaller pieces would do better.
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