Garlic and onion

Garlic and onion are universal seasonings used all around the world. They will give flavour to baby’s dishes but also provide him with a variety of nutriments, necessary for his health.

The advantages of onion and garlic

Onion and garlic belong to the same family, the alliaceae family, and therefore have the same nutritional properties.

They are rich in vitamin B6, for the formation of nerve cells in particular, and in vitamin C, contributing to the development of baby’s bones and teeth. They also have a diuretic effect and help to flush out the system.

How to choose and keep them?

There are many varieties of garlic and onion.

Onions are usually classified according to their colour: white, the milder yellow, red and pink. Choose white onions with green leaves; that proves they are fresh. For yellow onions, the small ones are recommended more for side dishes and the bigger ones for making baby’s soups and purées. Generally speaking, the bigger the onion, the milder its taste and smell.

For garlic, there’s spring garlic (or pink garlic) which keeps for a very long time and then autumn garlic which is purple or white.

You can keep a head of garlic for between three and nine months depending on the variety and if kept away from light and especially from damp. You can only keep garlic for about a week in the refrigerator though.

When and how to cook them?

You can start to introduce cooked garlic and onion once baby is around 8 months old.

It is better to use them cooked because they will have a milder taste than when raw.

The unpleasant thing about preparing onion is cutting it and the tears that follow! Here’s a tip to deal with that: dip the knife blade in water at regular intervals; that will save you from having red eyes after preparing your baby’s meal!

To reduce possible problems of digestion (which will occur especially if the onion is eaten raw), you can add a few drops of lemon whose acid juice will take the bite out of the onion.

As mentioned above, yellow onions are the strongest. They will therefore require lengthy cooking if you still choose to offer them to baby.

Old wives’ tale

Did you know? If baby coughs at night, put a peeled, sliced onion under his cot to relieve the cough. Despite the smell, this remedy is surprising but above all very effective.