At the onset of weaning many Kenyan mums battle with the decision on whether they will blend their baby’s first foods or mash them. Blending involves the putting of food items in a food processer and breaking it down to a smooth consistency. In contrast, mashing involves the use of a fork or spoon to break down the food to smaller pieces into a pulp that consists of tiny lumps.
Even so, it is important for mums to understand the benefits of the two food preparation methods so that they can make informed decisions for their babies.
- When using a blender, the food is much smoother and easy to digest for most babies as they do not have to chew. However, with mashed food, the tiny lumps in the food are broken down by the baby’s gums in preparation for teeth.
- Blended baby food does not allow for variety in terms of colour and taste like the food item with the largest amount of either colour or taste will dominate the meal. On the other hand, mashed food maintains the different colours and tastes that can be used to introduce variety to baby’s palette.
- Meal preparation using a blender takes time because you have to prepare the machine for blending and later clean all the components before storing it away. Mashing food only needs a fork to break down the food into tiny pieces on a plate and then feed the baby.
- Blending food is a bit high in terms of cost as you have to purchase the equipment and use electricity to prepare your baby’s food. Alternatively, the most important tool needed for mashing food is an ordinary fork which is quite affordable.
Click here https://www.motherhood101.co.ke/tools to download our solids feeding guide and notes for Mum when introducing complementary foods
