scratch: new foods: zucchini and chia seeds

We're following the recommended four-day wait between trying new foods, which only gives us the opportunity to experiment with two new foods per week. Sometimes I find this frustrating (when I'm particularly excited about what's coming up next), but other times it's nice because it gives my poor mommy-brain a rest from hatching plans of how to introduce a new ingredient in the most favorable way possible. This week we're trying zucchini and chia seeds. (Incidentally, there is no rhyme or reason as to how I choose the foods each week. I just look at the suggested foods for the month we're in and try to pick something that's in season and/or that I know I can easily find organic.)

G and Q had zucchini for the first time for lunch today. I diced about 1/3 of a small zucchini, leaving the skin on to keep the fiber content high and because I'm trying to incrementally introduce the boys to new textures and slightly chunkier food. After steaming the zucchini, I lightly mashed it with a fork, then mixed it with pea puree, sheep's milk yogurt, and nutritional yeast. The sweetness of the zucchini mixed wonderfully with the peas and yogurt! I'm not sure how we'll try it next; perhaps just some steamed zucchini and tofu cubes stirred into dinner porridge (a mix of brown rice, lentils and quinoa--more on that in a later post) with a little tahini for flavor.

I'm particularly excited about adding chia seeds to our repertoire. Have you tried them yet? On the surface, they look very similar to poppy seeds and have a similarly mild flavor profile and crunch, but wow do they pack way more of a punch in the nutrient department! Incredibly high in fiber and Omega-3s, chia seeds are an ancient super food ...and yes, they are the same seeds used in the ubiquitous Chia Pets. The hubby likes to add them to a glass of water, where they take on an almost tapioca-like texture (which is too much like bubble tea for my liking). I prefer them sprinkled on a bowl of fruit or baked into a sweet bread. I'll give them to the boys as a topper to their morning porridge or lunch-time yogurt.

Bon appetite, babies!

Nutritional Facts

To learn more of about the health benefits of zucchini, click here.