Summer Recipes for Babies, Toddlers and Kids

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Special Summer Drinks:
Desserts- Summer Recipes for Babies
Juices - Summer Recipes for Babies:
Smoothies & Lassi - Summer Recipes for Babies
Milkshakes - Summer Recipes for Babies
Wholesome light meals:
Breakfast/Dinner - Summer Recipes for Babies
Lunch - Summer Recipes for Babies

Summer Care & Summer Food Recipes for Babies, Toddlers and kids

Summer season is here with the scorching heat, and as parents, we started finding ways to take care of our children during this period. Though it is a bit tough for young children and kids, some special summer foods can help keep your baby cool, comfortable, and hydrated over the summer.

Check out 5 simple tips for Baby and Toddler Care During Summer.

Please bookmark this page for future reference, as I will update this post whenever I add summer food recipes to my blog. Click on each thumbnail image or the hyperlink below the recipes' photos. Please refer to the notes section at the post's end for the key points to remember when making these recipes.

Special Summer Drinks:

These special summer drinks are prepared to keep the body cool and healthy.

Choose recipes according to the baby's age. You can give these special drinks weekly once to your baby or toddler.
Start with 2-3 teaspoons and gradually increase the quantity.
Along with the below-mentioned summer drinks, you can also give tender coconut water to your baby (8 months +) and toddler.
If your baby is allergic to any ingredients, remove it from the recipe.

Jal jeera(1 Yr+)

Thandai(1 Yr+)

Almond Milk(1 Yr+)

Barley water(6 M+)

Desserts- Summer Recipes for Babies

Choose recipes according to the baby's age mentioned in the brackets.
Avoid sugar, honey, jaggery, or any sweetener for babies below one year. Instead, I prefer more fruits as a sweetener.
While preparing desserts, avoid whole nuts for babies below three years, as they might pose choking hazards. Prefer finely ground nuts, dry fruits powder, nuts powder or almond powder instead.
If your baby is allergic to any ingredients, remove them from the recipe.
You can give Kheers after 10 minutes of refrigeration if you want it chilled.

Pumpkin Kheer (6 M+)

Kiwi Sorbet (1 Yr+)

Dahi Poha (8 M+)

Fruits Dessert (8 M+)

Fruits Custard (1 Yr+)

Banana Custard (1 Yr+)

Sabudhana Kheer(6 M+)

Poha Kheer (8 M+)

Mango Kulfi (1 Y+)

Strawberry Icecream (1 Y+)

Mango Phirini (1 Y+)

Strawberry Fruit dip (1 Y+)

Juices - Summer Recipes for Babies:

If your baby is allergic to any ingredients, remove them from the recipe.
Breast milk/formula milk should be vital for babies below one year—the maximum you could offer 120 ml of juice per day. Dilute the juice with water for small babies and offer.
I prefer offering juices in a cup over a bottle.
Offer juices only during mealtime to increase iron absorption and avoid them at bedtime.
Skip any sweetener for small babies &toddlers, as the natural sweetness from fruits is more than enough at this stage.
Don't use ice cubes.
Use fresh fruits and vegetables to make juices and serve immediately (maximum 15 minutes from the preparation )and at room temperature.
Make sure to wash the veggies/fruits well.

Pomegranate Juice (6 M+)

Muskmelon Juice(6 M+)

Plum Juice (6 M+)

Watermelon Juice(8 M+)

Grapes Juice (10 M+)

Peach Juice (6 M+)

Fresh Pineapple Juice (10 M+)

Lemon Juice (8 M+)

Smoothies & Lassi - Summer Recipes for Babies

If your baby is allergic to any ingredients, remove them from the recipe.
You could use curd/yogurt, coconut milk, or coconut water to prepare the smoothies for babies below one year.
Make sure your curd is homemade and not sour.
Skip any sweetener for tiny babies & toddlers, as the natural sweetness from fruits is more than enough at this stage.
Don't use ice cubes.
Use fresh fruits to make smoothies or lassi and serve immediately(maximum 15 minutes from the preparation )and at room temperature.
Make sure to wash the veggies/fruits well.

Banana Smoothie(8 M+)

Fruit Lassi(8 M+)

Plain Lassi(8 M+)

Cucumber Lassi(8 M+)

Mango Lassi(8 M+)

Strawberry Lassi(10 M+)

Mango Apricot Smoothie(8 M+)

Milkshakes - Summer Recipes for Babies

If your baby is allergic to any ingredients, remove them from the recipe.
Use whole full cream milk to prepare these milkshakes.
Add less milk for a thicker milkshake; add more milk if your child prefers a thinner milkshake.
Skip any sweetener for small babies & toddlers, as the natural sweetness from fruits, is more than enough at this stage.
The maximum you could offer (350 ml to 400 ml) of cow's milk to your toddler/kid daily includes all dairy, milkshakes, and porridge with milk.
Don't use ice cubes.
Use fresh fruits and vegetables to make milkshakes and serve immediately(maximum 15 minutes from the preparation )and at room temperature.
Make sure to wash the veggies/fruits well.
You could also occasionally give below milkshakes with breast milk or formula for babies less than a year.

Carrot Milkshake(1 Yr+)

Banana Milkshake(1 Yr+)

Strawberry Milkshake(1 Yr+)

Avocado Milkshake (1 Yr+)

Chikku Milkshake(1 Yr+)

Apple Banana Milkshake(1 Yr+)

Wholesome light meals:

Babies might have a poor appetite during summer. Hence the below meal options are preferable, which are light in the stomach and help keep the body cool.

Breakfast/Dinner - Summer Recipes for Babies

Rice Porridge(6 M+)

Rice Porridge(Moong Dal)(6 M+)

Milk Porridge(1 Y+)

Urad Dhal Porridge(8 M+)

Idli(8 M+)

Instant Poha Idli(8 M+)

Steam Dosa(8 M+)

Vegetable Suji Upma(6 M+)

Idiyappam(8 M+)

Moong Dal Dosa(8 M+)

Lunch - Summer Recipes for Babies

Spinach khichdi(10 M+)

Oats Khichdi(8 M+)

Curd Rice(7 M+)

Curd Poha(8 M+)

Curd Oats(8 M+)

Vegetable khichdi(8 M+)

Sabudana Khichdi(8 M+)

Notes :

For babies below one year, Sterilize the bowls and spoons used for feeding your baby in a vessel with hot water for five minutes and keep it immersed in the same container until use.
Never introduce more than one food at a time when introducing solids to your baby.
Check for allergy symptoms when introducing new food to your baby, and stop feeding your baby if you find any signs.
Remove it from the recipe if your baby is allergic to any specific ingredient.
If the recipe calls for more spices, adjust it according to your baby's age and preference.
The information provided here is guidelines and doesn't replace medical advice.
Check with your doctor immediately if your baby has a poor appetite for vomiting or diarrhea, as dehydration leads to dangerous effects. A doctor may help you determine and treat the problem's cause.
Always check with your pediatrician before introducing any new food.
Sugar, salt, cow's milk, and honey are not recommended until one year of age.

UPDATE:

This post was originally published in May 2016 and has been updated now. Summer Tips for babies and kids are moved into a separate post for more comprehensiveness.