As Leah has been showing more interest in solid foods and drinking a little less formula, I have been thinking more about building meals that give her what she needs, especially iron. Today’s plate came together as a little iron-rich power bowl, using ingredients we had at home. I also like giving her a few different things to explore at each meal, so I included pineapple core as something for her to chew.

Spinach, Green Pea, and Ricotta Cheese Risotto
I always keep cooked peas in the freezer. They are easy to add to dishes and give a nice boost of iron. I prefer to cook peas myself, since canned peas can contain added sugar, salt or preservatives. For today’s risotto, I combined the peas with chopped spinach and oats in a small pot along with a bit of water. I added a bit of chopped green onion for extra flavor, let everything simmer gently, and stirred in a spoonful of ricotta cheese at the end. The texture came out soft and creamy, with just a hint of the green onion. She really enjoyed this one.

Steamed Broccoli
Broccoli is a good source of iron and vitamin C, which helps with iron absorption. I steamed the florets for about 12 minutes until tender and served just the tops. She grabbed a handful and happily ate it all.

Pineapple Core for Teething
To add something for her to chew, I sliced the pineapple core into finger-sized pieces and placed one on her plate. If she picked it up, great. If not, that was fine too. Midway through the meal, it caught her attention. She grabbed it and started chewing with her gums. I have been looking for ways to encourage more chewing, since she sometimes prefers to suck on food or swallow chunks without much chewing. The pineapple core worked really well — firm enough to explore and just juicy enough to keep her interested. After a few minutes, I could see a small piece hanging where she had been working at it. It was a great success.