My baby is not exactly a picky eater, but quickly tires of the same food if served too often. So I not only try to give him a variety of flavor, but also texture. Oriental noodles, pasta, chili, and mung beans are some of his favorites in addition to chicken nuggets (microwaved not deep fried) and chapatti.

We recently discovered what a wonderful and convenient baby food instant couscous can be as well. It’s like corn grits, but made entirely from wheat. We use the Near East brand, bought from the US commissary. All it takes is boiling water. This month I improvised on a recipe for “savoury” couscous, using chicken broth instead of plain boiling water, and adding garlic, onions, and carrots. Yesterday I used one of those cup-of-soup packets, minestrone flavor. I added some tuna flakes and it became my lunch, too. I thought I made enough to last a week (as it usually takes), but my son finished the leftovers the next day.
And it’s so healthy, too. I also tried it with chicken adobo as topping, it was alright.

For snacks he loves to nibble on breadsticks and rice cakes. Of course he also gets Cheerios and wheat biscuits. But I like the fact that breadsticks don’t leave much crumbs, so the Afghan bakeshop that makes these is one of our regular stops on weekends now. And it’s only $1 per dozen.