What did babies eat before the advent of modern blenders?
Modern baby foods are commonly made using various strengths of blender, but what was used before then? I assume something like a potato masher, but that would only work for a few foods. So what was predominately used for baby food in the past?
food everyday-life children babies
New contributor
add a comment |
Modern baby foods are commonly made using various strengths of blender, but what was used before then? I assume something like a potato masher, but that would only work for a few foods. So what was predominately used for baby food in the past?
food everyday-life children babies
New contributor
23
It's worth noting that the idea of making food specifically for babies is a relatively new one. Mothers are biologically well suited to feeding very young babies and the blended food is really a stop-gap between milk and solid food. It's not strictly necessary for the baby's survival.
– AJFaraday
23 hours ago
5
I'm surprised by the premise of this question. None of my kids had blended food, be it home-made or purchased.
– Martin Argerami
14 hours ago
add a comment |
Modern baby foods are commonly made using various strengths of blender, but what was used before then? I assume something like a potato masher, but that would only work for a few foods. So what was predominately used for baby food in the past?
food everyday-life children babies
New contributor
Modern baby foods are commonly made using various strengths of blender, but what was used before then? I assume something like a potato masher, but that would only work for a few foods. So what was predominately used for baby food in the past?
food everyday-life children babies
food everyday-life children babies
New contributor
New contributor
edited 13 hours ago
New contributor
asked yesterday
Tanzanite Dragoness
21216
21216
New contributor
New contributor
23
It's worth noting that the idea of making food specifically for babies is a relatively new one. Mothers are biologically well suited to feeding very young babies and the blended food is really a stop-gap between milk and solid food. It's not strictly necessary for the baby's survival.
– AJFaraday
23 hours ago
5
I'm surprised by the premise of this question. None of my kids had blended food, be it home-made or purchased.
– Martin Argerami
14 hours ago
add a comment |
23
It's worth noting that the idea of making food specifically for babies is a relatively new one. Mothers are biologically well suited to feeding very young babies and the blended food is really a stop-gap between milk and solid food. It's not strictly necessary for the baby's survival.
– AJFaraday
23 hours ago
5
I'm surprised by the premise of this question. None of my kids had blended food, be it home-made or purchased.
– Martin Argerami
14 hours ago
23
23
It's worth noting that the idea of making food specifically for babies is a relatively new one. Mothers are biologically well suited to feeding very young babies and the blended food is really a stop-gap between milk and solid food. It's not strictly necessary for the baby's survival.
– AJFaraday
23 hours ago
It's worth noting that the idea of making food specifically for babies is a relatively new one. Mothers are biologically well suited to feeding very young babies and the blended food is really a stop-gap between milk and solid food. It's not strictly necessary for the baby's survival.
– AJFaraday
23 hours ago
5
5
I'm surprised by the premise of this question. None of my kids had blended food, be it home-made or purchased.
– Martin Argerami
14 hours ago
I'm surprised by the premise of this question. None of my kids had blended food, be it home-made or purchased.
– Martin Argerami
14 hours ago
add a comment |
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
Many babies were indeed fed mashed food, typically of cooked vegetables and fruits. While it's true that not all foods can be prepared like this, keep in mind that pre-modern families rarely have access to the kind of dietary diversity as modern developed economies anyway. So this was likely not a realistic concern for most.
Nonetheless, there is a variety of other historical baby foods. A common method of preparation is to soften food with liquid. For example, since antiquity European babies have been fed bread soaked in honey water, milk, soup, or even wine. Other, probably more familiar examples include what's basically oatmeal or porridge.
At around six months the child would begin a mixed diet of breast milk and cereal [that has been] soaked in milk or hydromel, soup or eggs. At six months the doctors ordered that the child should be given sweet wine or wine sweetened with honey, or water . . . or else bread soaked in wine.
Rousselle, Aline. "The Bodies of Children", in Porneia: on Desire and the Body in Antiquity. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013.
Likewise, in Asia, infants and toddler were - and continues to widely be - fed congee. This dish is cooked simply by boiling rice in too much water, and has been prepared since time immemorial. No blender or other advanced kitchen appliances required.
One of the first meals fed to a baby is “congee", a broth and rice mixture of the consistency of oatmeal. This dish is usually prepared with meat, fish, or vegetables, but foods other than rice might be removed and not served to the child.
Morris, Heather M., et al. "Cultural brokering in community health." The Canadian Nurse 95.6 (1999): 28.
Finally, there's pre-chewed food. Humans actually come equipped with a kind low powered biological blenders: their own teeth, with which most foods can be rendered viably pureed for feeding babies.
Another acceptable method suitable for meat was for the parents or wet nurse to pre-chew some food and then feed it to baby with their fingers. One text describes the individual servings of pre-chewed food as being morsels the size of an acorn.
Newman, Paul B. Growing up in the Middle Ages. McFarland, 2007.
Premastication has been documented throughout human history and likely dates from the depths of prehistory - it is even observed in our biological cousins such as the orangutans.
2
I now retroactively feel slightly infantilised by the mother of my ex who served me rice congee for breakfast every morning when we visited her… (Also, giving babies bread soaked in wine seems a bit strange. Firstly because I assume alcohol fairly rough on a baby’s digestive system, but also because I’m assuming that wine was historically a fairly expensive item compared to wine, and wasting it on an infant that doesn’t really appreciate it seems wasteful.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
22 hours ago
16
@JanusBahsJacquet Historically, there would have been various different strengths of wine - such as a"normal drinking" wine, and a "party wine" - because the important aspect was that the alcohol and the process of making wine would kill off bacteria, making it safer to drink than plain water. Especially for a baby with a weaker immune system than an adult
– Chronocidal
22 hours ago
8
@JanusBahsJacquet There are varying grades of wine. The reason people often mixed wine with honey or mulled it with spices is because their wine was usually really bad. So while there were fine luxury wine for the upper class, there were also simple, rubbish wine (e.g. from the last pressing) for the peasants. The Venetian Republic, in fact, provided shipyard workers with free wine daily.
– Semaphore♦
21 hours ago
5
@JanusBahsJacquet you have to consider location: in Northern Europe small beer was a common mildly alcoholic and reasonably clean drink (and had some nutritional value) but grapes are less efficient/reliable than barley. In warmer climates grapes grow better, and we might expect something like piquette to be used instead.
– Chris H
19 hours ago
2
@ChrisH I only just now noticed that quote is from a book on antiquity. I had read it as relating more or less to Mediaeval England, for some reason (perhaps I only read the attribution in the last quote). Naturally in Rome or Athens wine would be a more readily available choice than in England or Norway.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
19 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
Mother's milk was typically a major part of a baby's diet for much longer than we now think of, overlapping with more solid food. Babies develop physically very rapidly around the time they're ready to start weaning, so from around 6 months they can start getting some nutrition from properly solid foods rather than mash, especially if milk is still available. If however you're trying to replace milk with other foods from 4 months, babies will struggle with even soft solids.
The modern version of this is called baby-led weaning, essentially providing foods that the baby can eat with their fingers (this is actually becoming increasingly recommended by health authorities . Raw fruit and veg cut into grabbable pieces, stewed veg/meat, even bread (though that's rather salty). None of these are new - in fact some of them are among the earliest foods known to humans. Of course other primate species don't have blenders and wean onto things like ripe fruit (see First molar eruption, weaning, and life history in living wild chimpanzees, TM Smith et al.)
Further interesting reading:
Isotopic evidence of weaning in hunter-gatherers from the late holocene in Lake Salitroso, Patagonia, Argentina. (a long paper, search for "weaning foods" for some discussion relevant to my first paragraph)- From the ape's dilemma to the weanling's dilemma: early weaning and its evolutionary context, G.E.Kennedy
New contributor
1
Anecdotal example: my daughter started on solids by grabbing cucumber off her mother's plate
– Chris H
yesterday
1
Just to add. We did baby lead weaning. The kids were breast feed for a long time but at 6 month they were given normal food to taste. No need to spoon feed them.
– the_lotus
21 hours ago
@the_lotus similar here. We just reduced the (already small) amount of salt in our food as developing kidneys can't handle much, and gave her what we ate
– Chris H
21 hours ago
add a comment |
Methods for making fruit and vegetable purees existed long before the modern electric blender.
A mechanical food mill is usable on most cooked fruits and vegetables with very good results. I don't know about early historical times, but these things were very typical throughout the 20th century in locales where blenders were not common, for example in Eastern Europe.
Mothers would also use a special kind of grater, with four star-like pips on each hole, to create a slightly rough puree from either raw or cooked plants.
Then there are also meat grinders, also a post-industrial-revolution tool, but quite good at making a mash-like substance out of many foods.
And if you are looking for truly ancient tools, a mortar and pestle have been used for tasks like flour making thousands of years before mills were invented. They are not only usable with raw grains, but with most other foods, and are the preferred preparation method for many traditional recipes, even outside of baby food.
Of course, all of these tools require a much longer preparation time than using a blender. But spending that kind of time on food preparation was the norm, and people just did it.
I cannot give you data on which society used which tool in what proportion, or what was the actual ratio of using pureed foods versus foods which are soft for other reasons. But as you see, humans have always been able to puree food, independently of electric appliances.
add a comment |
Vegetables, fruits can be pureed. Meat is very easy to grind, or cooked meat can be chopped fine pieces. Carbohydrate sources like noodles, potatoes or rice are generally very easy to cook to a soft mash. Blender is not a must, even nowadays.
add a comment |
Usually mashed food usually vegetables and fruits. I've personally seen babies being fed mashed potatoes and mashed banana.
New contributor
Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.
6
I actually have 0 doubt this is correct. However we generally want more than just the poster's say-so that historical statements of fact are valid.
– T.E.D.♦
21 hours ago
@T.E.D. While this is a historical question, due to the fact that 99% around the planet know and apply these "ancient techniques", I think we can relax on "pic or didn't happen" stance.
– Greg
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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5 Answers
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Many babies were indeed fed mashed food, typically of cooked vegetables and fruits. While it's true that not all foods can be prepared like this, keep in mind that pre-modern families rarely have access to the kind of dietary diversity as modern developed economies anyway. So this was likely not a realistic concern for most.
Nonetheless, there is a variety of other historical baby foods. A common method of preparation is to soften food with liquid. For example, since antiquity European babies have been fed bread soaked in honey water, milk, soup, or even wine. Other, probably more familiar examples include what's basically oatmeal or porridge.
At around six months the child would begin a mixed diet of breast milk and cereal [that has been] soaked in milk or hydromel, soup or eggs. At six months the doctors ordered that the child should be given sweet wine or wine sweetened with honey, or water . . . or else bread soaked in wine.
Rousselle, Aline. "The Bodies of Children", in Porneia: on Desire and the Body in Antiquity. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013.
Likewise, in Asia, infants and toddler were - and continues to widely be - fed congee. This dish is cooked simply by boiling rice in too much water, and has been prepared since time immemorial. No blender or other advanced kitchen appliances required.
One of the first meals fed to a baby is “congee", a broth and rice mixture of the consistency of oatmeal. This dish is usually prepared with meat, fish, or vegetables, but foods other than rice might be removed and not served to the child.
Morris, Heather M., et al. "Cultural brokering in community health." The Canadian Nurse 95.6 (1999): 28.
Finally, there's pre-chewed food. Humans actually come equipped with a kind low powered biological blenders: their own teeth, with which most foods can be rendered viably pureed for feeding babies.
Another acceptable method suitable for meat was for the parents or wet nurse to pre-chew some food and then feed it to baby with their fingers. One text describes the individual servings of pre-chewed food as being morsels the size of an acorn.
Newman, Paul B. Growing up in the Middle Ages. McFarland, 2007.
Premastication has been documented throughout human history and likely dates from the depths of prehistory - it is even observed in our biological cousins such as the orangutans.
2
I now retroactively feel slightly infantilised by the mother of my ex who served me rice congee for breakfast every morning when we visited her… (Also, giving babies bread soaked in wine seems a bit strange. Firstly because I assume alcohol fairly rough on a baby’s digestive system, but also because I’m assuming that wine was historically a fairly expensive item compared to wine, and wasting it on an infant that doesn’t really appreciate it seems wasteful.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
22 hours ago
16
@JanusBahsJacquet Historically, there would have been various different strengths of wine - such as a"normal drinking" wine, and a "party wine" - because the important aspect was that the alcohol and the process of making wine would kill off bacteria, making it safer to drink than plain water. Especially for a baby with a weaker immune system than an adult
– Chronocidal
22 hours ago
8
@JanusBahsJacquet There are varying grades of wine. The reason people often mixed wine with honey or mulled it with spices is because their wine was usually really bad. So while there were fine luxury wine for the upper class, there were also simple, rubbish wine (e.g. from the last pressing) for the peasants. The Venetian Republic, in fact, provided shipyard workers with free wine daily.
– Semaphore♦
21 hours ago
5
@JanusBahsJacquet you have to consider location: in Northern Europe small beer was a common mildly alcoholic and reasonably clean drink (and had some nutritional value) but grapes are less efficient/reliable than barley. In warmer climates grapes grow better, and we might expect something like piquette to be used instead.
– Chris H
19 hours ago
2
@ChrisH I only just now noticed that quote is from a book on antiquity. I had read it as relating more or less to Mediaeval England, for some reason (perhaps I only read the attribution in the last quote). Naturally in Rome or Athens wine would be a more readily available choice than in England or Norway.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
19 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
Many babies were indeed fed mashed food, typically of cooked vegetables and fruits. While it's true that not all foods can be prepared like this, keep in mind that pre-modern families rarely have access to the kind of dietary diversity as modern developed economies anyway. So this was likely not a realistic concern for most.
Nonetheless, there is a variety of other historical baby foods. A common method of preparation is to soften food with liquid. For example, since antiquity European babies have been fed bread soaked in honey water, milk, soup, or even wine. Other, probably more familiar examples include what's basically oatmeal or porridge.
At around six months the child would begin a mixed diet of breast milk and cereal [that has been] soaked in milk or hydromel, soup or eggs. At six months the doctors ordered that the child should be given sweet wine or wine sweetened with honey, or water . . . or else bread soaked in wine.
Rousselle, Aline. "The Bodies of Children", in Porneia: on Desire and the Body in Antiquity. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013.
Likewise, in Asia, infants and toddler were - and continues to widely be - fed congee. This dish is cooked simply by boiling rice in too much water, and has been prepared since time immemorial. No blender or other advanced kitchen appliances required.
One of the first meals fed to a baby is “congee", a broth and rice mixture of the consistency of oatmeal. This dish is usually prepared with meat, fish, or vegetables, but foods other than rice might be removed and not served to the child.
Morris, Heather M., et al. "Cultural brokering in community health." The Canadian Nurse 95.6 (1999): 28.
Finally, there's pre-chewed food. Humans actually come equipped with a kind low powered biological blenders: their own teeth, with which most foods can be rendered viably pureed for feeding babies.
Another acceptable method suitable for meat was for the parents or wet nurse to pre-chew some food and then feed it to baby with their fingers. One text describes the individual servings of pre-chewed food as being morsels the size of an acorn.
Newman, Paul B. Growing up in the Middle Ages. McFarland, 2007.
Premastication has been documented throughout human history and likely dates from the depths of prehistory - it is even observed in our biological cousins such as the orangutans.
2
I now retroactively feel slightly infantilised by the mother of my ex who served me rice congee for breakfast every morning when we visited her… (Also, giving babies bread soaked in wine seems a bit strange. Firstly because I assume alcohol fairly rough on a baby’s digestive system, but also because I’m assuming that wine was historically a fairly expensive item compared to wine, and wasting it on an infant that doesn’t really appreciate it seems wasteful.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
22 hours ago
16
@JanusBahsJacquet Historically, there would have been various different strengths of wine - such as a"normal drinking" wine, and a "party wine" - because the important aspect was that the alcohol and the process of making wine would kill off bacteria, making it safer to drink than plain water. Especially for a baby with a weaker immune system than an adult
– Chronocidal
22 hours ago
8
@JanusBahsJacquet There are varying grades of wine. The reason people often mixed wine with honey or mulled it with spices is because their wine was usually really bad. So while there were fine luxury wine for the upper class, there were also simple, rubbish wine (e.g. from the last pressing) for the peasants. The Venetian Republic, in fact, provided shipyard workers with free wine daily.
– Semaphore♦
21 hours ago
5
@JanusBahsJacquet you have to consider location: in Northern Europe small beer was a common mildly alcoholic and reasonably clean drink (and had some nutritional value) but grapes are less efficient/reliable than barley. In warmer climates grapes grow better, and we might expect something like piquette to be used instead.
– Chris H
19 hours ago
2
@ChrisH I only just now noticed that quote is from a book on antiquity. I had read it as relating more or less to Mediaeval England, for some reason (perhaps I only read the attribution in the last quote). Naturally in Rome or Athens wine would be a more readily available choice than in England or Norway.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
19 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
Many babies were indeed fed mashed food, typically of cooked vegetables and fruits. While it's true that not all foods can be prepared like this, keep in mind that pre-modern families rarely have access to the kind of dietary diversity as modern developed economies anyway. So this was likely not a realistic concern for most.
Nonetheless, there is a variety of other historical baby foods. A common method of preparation is to soften food with liquid. For example, since antiquity European babies have been fed bread soaked in honey water, milk, soup, or even wine. Other, probably more familiar examples include what's basically oatmeal or porridge.
At around six months the child would begin a mixed diet of breast milk and cereal [that has been] soaked in milk or hydromel, soup or eggs. At six months the doctors ordered that the child should be given sweet wine or wine sweetened with honey, or water . . . or else bread soaked in wine.
Rousselle, Aline. "The Bodies of Children", in Porneia: on Desire and the Body in Antiquity. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013.
Likewise, in Asia, infants and toddler were - and continues to widely be - fed congee. This dish is cooked simply by boiling rice in too much water, and has been prepared since time immemorial. No blender or other advanced kitchen appliances required.
One of the first meals fed to a baby is “congee", a broth and rice mixture of the consistency of oatmeal. This dish is usually prepared with meat, fish, or vegetables, but foods other than rice might be removed and not served to the child.
Morris, Heather M., et al. "Cultural brokering in community health." The Canadian Nurse 95.6 (1999): 28.
Finally, there's pre-chewed food. Humans actually come equipped with a kind low powered biological blenders: their own teeth, with which most foods can be rendered viably pureed for feeding babies.
Another acceptable method suitable for meat was for the parents or wet nurse to pre-chew some food and then feed it to baby with their fingers. One text describes the individual servings of pre-chewed food as being morsels the size of an acorn.
Newman, Paul B. Growing up in the Middle Ages. McFarland, 2007.
Premastication has been documented throughout human history and likely dates from the depths of prehistory - it is even observed in our biological cousins such as the orangutans.
Many babies were indeed fed mashed food, typically of cooked vegetables and fruits. While it's true that not all foods can be prepared like this, keep in mind that pre-modern families rarely have access to the kind of dietary diversity as modern developed economies anyway. So this was likely not a realistic concern for most.
Nonetheless, there is a variety of other historical baby foods. A common method of preparation is to soften food with liquid. For example, since antiquity European babies have been fed bread soaked in honey water, milk, soup, or even wine. Other, probably more familiar examples include what's basically oatmeal or porridge.
At around six months the child would begin a mixed diet of breast milk and cereal [that has been] soaked in milk or hydromel, soup or eggs. At six months the doctors ordered that the child should be given sweet wine or wine sweetened with honey, or water . . . or else bread soaked in wine.
Rousselle, Aline. "The Bodies of Children", in Porneia: on Desire and the Body in Antiquity. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013.
Likewise, in Asia, infants and toddler were - and continues to widely be - fed congee. This dish is cooked simply by boiling rice in too much water, and has been prepared since time immemorial. No blender or other advanced kitchen appliances required.
One of the first meals fed to a baby is “congee", a broth and rice mixture of the consistency of oatmeal. This dish is usually prepared with meat, fish, or vegetables, but foods other than rice might be removed and not served to the child.
Morris, Heather M., et al. "Cultural brokering in community health." The Canadian Nurse 95.6 (1999): 28.
Finally, there's pre-chewed food. Humans actually come equipped with a kind low powered biological blenders: their own teeth, with which most foods can be rendered viably pureed for feeding babies.
Another acceptable method suitable for meat was for the parents or wet nurse to pre-chew some food and then feed it to baby with their fingers. One text describes the individual servings of pre-chewed food as being morsels the size of an acorn.
Newman, Paul B. Growing up in the Middle Ages. McFarland, 2007.
Premastication has been documented throughout human history and likely dates from the depths of prehistory - it is even observed in our biological cousins such as the orangutans.
edited yesterday
Community♦
1
1
answered yesterday
Semaphore♦
74k14280323
74k14280323
2
I now retroactively feel slightly infantilised by the mother of my ex who served me rice congee for breakfast every morning when we visited her… (Also, giving babies bread soaked in wine seems a bit strange. Firstly because I assume alcohol fairly rough on a baby’s digestive system, but also because I’m assuming that wine was historically a fairly expensive item compared to wine, and wasting it on an infant that doesn’t really appreciate it seems wasteful.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
22 hours ago
16
@JanusBahsJacquet Historically, there would have been various different strengths of wine - such as a"normal drinking" wine, and a "party wine" - because the important aspect was that the alcohol and the process of making wine would kill off bacteria, making it safer to drink than plain water. Especially for a baby with a weaker immune system than an adult
– Chronocidal
22 hours ago
8
@JanusBahsJacquet There are varying grades of wine. The reason people often mixed wine with honey or mulled it with spices is because their wine was usually really bad. So while there were fine luxury wine for the upper class, there were also simple, rubbish wine (e.g. from the last pressing) for the peasants. The Venetian Republic, in fact, provided shipyard workers with free wine daily.
– Semaphore♦
21 hours ago
5
@JanusBahsJacquet you have to consider location: in Northern Europe small beer was a common mildly alcoholic and reasonably clean drink (and had some nutritional value) but grapes are less efficient/reliable than barley. In warmer climates grapes grow better, and we might expect something like piquette to be used instead.
– Chris H
19 hours ago
2
@ChrisH I only just now noticed that quote is from a book on antiquity. I had read it as relating more or less to Mediaeval England, for some reason (perhaps I only read the attribution in the last quote). Naturally in Rome or Athens wine would be a more readily available choice than in England or Norway.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
19 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
2
I now retroactively feel slightly infantilised by the mother of my ex who served me rice congee for breakfast every morning when we visited her… (Also, giving babies bread soaked in wine seems a bit strange. Firstly because I assume alcohol fairly rough on a baby’s digestive system, but also because I’m assuming that wine was historically a fairly expensive item compared to wine, and wasting it on an infant that doesn’t really appreciate it seems wasteful.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
22 hours ago
16
@JanusBahsJacquet Historically, there would have been various different strengths of wine - such as a"normal drinking" wine, and a "party wine" - because the important aspect was that the alcohol and the process of making wine would kill off bacteria, making it safer to drink than plain water. Especially for a baby with a weaker immune system than an adult
– Chronocidal
22 hours ago
8
@JanusBahsJacquet There are varying grades of wine. The reason people often mixed wine with honey or mulled it with spices is because their wine was usually really bad. So while there were fine luxury wine for the upper class, there were also simple, rubbish wine (e.g. from the last pressing) for the peasants. The Venetian Republic, in fact, provided shipyard workers with free wine daily.
– Semaphore♦
21 hours ago
5
@JanusBahsJacquet you have to consider location: in Northern Europe small beer was a common mildly alcoholic and reasonably clean drink (and had some nutritional value) but grapes are less efficient/reliable than barley. In warmer climates grapes grow better, and we might expect something like piquette to be used instead.
– Chris H
19 hours ago
2
@ChrisH I only just now noticed that quote is from a book on antiquity. I had read it as relating more or less to Mediaeval England, for some reason (perhaps I only read the attribution in the last quote). Naturally in Rome or Athens wine would be a more readily available choice than in England or Norway.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
19 hours ago
2
2
I now retroactively feel slightly infantilised by the mother of my ex who served me rice congee for breakfast every morning when we visited her… (Also, giving babies bread soaked in wine seems a bit strange. Firstly because I assume alcohol fairly rough on a baby’s digestive system, but also because I’m assuming that wine was historically a fairly expensive item compared to wine, and wasting it on an infant that doesn’t really appreciate it seems wasteful.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
22 hours ago
I now retroactively feel slightly infantilised by the mother of my ex who served me rice congee for breakfast every morning when we visited her… (Also, giving babies bread soaked in wine seems a bit strange. Firstly because I assume alcohol fairly rough on a baby’s digestive system, but also because I’m assuming that wine was historically a fairly expensive item compared to wine, and wasting it on an infant that doesn’t really appreciate it seems wasteful.)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
22 hours ago
16
16
@JanusBahsJacquet Historically, there would have been various different strengths of wine - such as a"normal drinking" wine, and a "party wine" - because the important aspect was that the alcohol and the process of making wine would kill off bacteria, making it safer to drink than plain water. Especially for a baby with a weaker immune system than an adult
– Chronocidal
22 hours ago
@JanusBahsJacquet Historically, there would have been various different strengths of wine - such as a"normal drinking" wine, and a "party wine" - because the important aspect was that the alcohol and the process of making wine would kill off bacteria, making it safer to drink than plain water. Especially for a baby with a weaker immune system than an adult
– Chronocidal
22 hours ago
8
8
@JanusBahsJacquet There are varying grades of wine. The reason people often mixed wine with honey or mulled it with spices is because their wine was usually really bad. So while there were fine luxury wine for the upper class, there were also simple, rubbish wine (e.g. from the last pressing) for the peasants. The Venetian Republic, in fact, provided shipyard workers with free wine daily.
– Semaphore♦
21 hours ago
@JanusBahsJacquet There are varying grades of wine. The reason people often mixed wine with honey or mulled it with spices is because their wine was usually really bad. So while there were fine luxury wine for the upper class, there were also simple, rubbish wine (e.g. from the last pressing) for the peasants. The Venetian Republic, in fact, provided shipyard workers with free wine daily.
– Semaphore♦
21 hours ago
5
5
@JanusBahsJacquet you have to consider location: in Northern Europe small beer was a common mildly alcoholic and reasonably clean drink (and had some nutritional value) but grapes are less efficient/reliable than barley. In warmer climates grapes grow better, and we might expect something like piquette to be used instead.
– Chris H
19 hours ago
@JanusBahsJacquet you have to consider location: in Northern Europe small beer was a common mildly alcoholic and reasonably clean drink (and had some nutritional value) but grapes are less efficient/reliable than barley. In warmer climates grapes grow better, and we might expect something like piquette to be used instead.
– Chris H
19 hours ago
2
2
@ChrisH I only just now noticed that quote is from a book on antiquity. I had read it as relating more or less to Mediaeval England, for some reason (perhaps I only read the attribution in the last quote). Naturally in Rome or Athens wine would be a more readily available choice than in England or Norway.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
19 hours ago
@ChrisH I only just now noticed that quote is from a book on antiquity. I had read it as relating more or less to Mediaeval England, for some reason (perhaps I only read the attribution in the last quote). Naturally in Rome or Athens wine would be a more readily available choice than in England or Norway.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
19 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
Mother's milk was typically a major part of a baby's diet for much longer than we now think of, overlapping with more solid food. Babies develop physically very rapidly around the time they're ready to start weaning, so from around 6 months they can start getting some nutrition from properly solid foods rather than mash, especially if milk is still available. If however you're trying to replace milk with other foods from 4 months, babies will struggle with even soft solids.
The modern version of this is called baby-led weaning, essentially providing foods that the baby can eat with their fingers (this is actually becoming increasingly recommended by health authorities . Raw fruit and veg cut into grabbable pieces, stewed veg/meat, even bread (though that's rather salty). None of these are new - in fact some of them are among the earliest foods known to humans. Of course other primate species don't have blenders and wean onto things like ripe fruit (see First molar eruption, weaning, and life history in living wild chimpanzees, TM Smith et al.)
Further interesting reading:
Isotopic evidence of weaning in hunter-gatherers from the late holocene in Lake Salitroso, Patagonia, Argentina. (a long paper, search for "weaning foods" for some discussion relevant to my first paragraph)- From the ape's dilemma to the weanling's dilemma: early weaning and its evolutionary context, G.E.Kennedy
New contributor
1
Anecdotal example: my daughter started on solids by grabbing cucumber off her mother's plate
– Chris H
yesterday
1
Just to add. We did baby lead weaning. The kids were breast feed for a long time but at 6 month they were given normal food to taste. No need to spoon feed them.
– the_lotus
21 hours ago
@the_lotus similar here. We just reduced the (already small) amount of salt in our food as developing kidneys can't handle much, and gave her what we ate
– Chris H
21 hours ago
add a comment |
Mother's milk was typically a major part of a baby's diet for much longer than we now think of, overlapping with more solid food. Babies develop physically very rapidly around the time they're ready to start weaning, so from around 6 months they can start getting some nutrition from properly solid foods rather than mash, especially if milk is still available. If however you're trying to replace milk with other foods from 4 months, babies will struggle with even soft solids.
The modern version of this is called baby-led weaning, essentially providing foods that the baby can eat with their fingers (this is actually becoming increasingly recommended by health authorities . Raw fruit and veg cut into grabbable pieces, stewed veg/meat, even bread (though that's rather salty). None of these are new - in fact some of them are among the earliest foods known to humans. Of course other primate species don't have blenders and wean onto things like ripe fruit (see First molar eruption, weaning, and life history in living wild chimpanzees, TM Smith et al.)
Further interesting reading:
Isotopic evidence of weaning in hunter-gatherers from the late holocene in Lake Salitroso, Patagonia, Argentina. (a long paper, search for "weaning foods" for some discussion relevant to my first paragraph)- From the ape's dilemma to the weanling's dilemma: early weaning and its evolutionary context, G.E.Kennedy
New contributor
1
Anecdotal example: my daughter started on solids by grabbing cucumber off her mother's plate
– Chris H
yesterday
1
Just to add. We did baby lead weaning. The kids were breast feed for a long time but at 6 month they were given normal food to taste. No need to spoon feed them.
– the_lotus
21 hours ago
@the_lotus similar here. We just reduced the (already small) amount of salt in our food as developing kidneys can't handle much, and gave her what we ate
– Chris H
21 hours ago
add a comment |
Mother's milk was typically a major part of a baby's diet for much longer than we now think of, overlapping with more solid food. Babies develop physically very rapidly around the time they're ready to start weaning, so from around 6 months they can start getting some nutrition from properly solid foods rather than mash, especially if milk is still available. If however you're trying to replace milk with other foods from 4 months, babies will struggle with even soft solids.
The modern version of this is called baby-led weaning, essentially providing foods that the baby can eat with their fingers (this is actually becoming increasingly recommended by health authorities . Raw fruit and veg cut into grabbable pieces, stewed veg/meat, even bread (though that's rather salty). None of these are new - in fact some of them are among the earliest foods known to humans. Of course other primate species don't have blenders and wean onto things like ripe fruit (see First molar eruption, weaning, and life history in living wild chimpanzees, TM Smith et al.)
Further interesting reading:
Isotopic evidence of weaning in hunter-gatherers from the late holocene in Lake Salitroso, Patagonia, Argentina. (a long paper, search for "weaning foods" for some discussion relevant to my first paragraph)- From the ape's dilemma to the weanling's dilemma: early weaning and its evolutionary context, G.E.Kennedy
New contributor
Mother's milk was typically a major part of a baby's diet for much longer than we now think of, overlapping with more solid food. Babies develop physically very rapidly around the time they're ready to start weaning, so from around 6 months they can start getting some nutrition from properly solid foods rather than mash, especially if milk is still available. If however you're trying to replace milk with other foods from 4 months, babies will struggle with even soft solids.
The modern version of this is called baby-led weaning, essentially providing foods that the baby can eat with their fingers (this is actually becoming increasingly recommended by health authorities . Raw fruit and veg cut into grabbable pieces, stewed veg/meat, even bread (though that's rather salty). None of these are new - in fact some of them are among the earliest foods known to humans. Of course other primate species don't have blenders and wean onto things like ripe fruit (see First molar eruption, weaning, and life history in living wild chimpanzees, TM Smith et al.)
Further interesting reading:
Isotopic evidence of weaning in hunter-gatherers from the late holocene in Lake Salitroso, Patagonia, Argentina. (a long paper, search for "weaning foods" for some discussion relevant to my first paragraph)- From the ape's dilemma to the weanling's dilemma: early weaning and its evolutionary context, G.E.Kennedy
New contributor
edited yesterday
New contributor
answered yesterday
Chris H
34117
34117
New contributor
New contributor
1
Anecdotal example: my daughter started on solids by grabbing cucumber off her mother's plate
– Chris H
yesterday
1
Just to add. We did baby lead weaning. The kids were breast feed for a long time but at 6 month they were given normal food to taste. No need to spoon feed them.
– the_lotus
21 hours ago
@the_lotus similar here. We just reduced the (already small) amount of salt in our food as developing kidneys can't handle much, and gave her what we ate
– Chris H
21 hours ago
add a comment |
1
Anecdotal example: my daughter started on solids by grabbing cucumber off her mother's plate
– Chris H
yesterday
1
Just to add. We did baby lead weaning. The kids were breast feed for a long time but at 6 month they were given normal food to taste. No need to spoon feed them.
– the_lotus
21 hours ago
@the_lotus similar here. We just reduced the (already small) amount of salt in our food as developing kidneys can't handle much, and gave her what we ate
– Chris H
21 hours ago
1
1
Anecdotal example: my daughter started on solids by grabbing cucumber off her mother's plate
– Chris H
yesterday
Anecdotal example: my daughter started on solids by grabbing cucumber off her mother's plate
– Chris H
yesterday
1
1
Just to add. We did baby lead weaning. The kids were breast feed for a long time but at 6 month they were given normal food to taste. No need to spoon feed them.
– the_lotus
21 hours ago
Just to add. We did baby lead weaning. The kids were breast feed for a long time but at 6 month they were given normal food to taste. No need to spoon feed them.
– the_lotus
21 hours ago
@the_lotus similar here. We just reduced the (already small) amount of salt in our food as developing kidneys can't handle much, and gave her what we ate
– Chris H
21 hours ago
@the_lotus similar here. We just reduced the (already small) amount of salt in our food as developing kidneys can't handle much, and gave her what we ate
– Chris H
21 hours ago
add a comment |
Methods for making fruit and vegetable purees existed long before the modern electric blender.
A mechanical food mill is usable on most cooked fruits and vegetables with very good results. I don't know about early historical times, but these things were very typical throughout the 20th century in locales where blenders were not common, for example in Eastern Europe.
Mothers would also use a special kind of grater, with four star-like pips on each hole, to create a slightly rough puree from either raw or cooked plants.
Then there are also meat grinders, also a post-industrial-revolution tool, but quite good at making a mash-like substance out of many foods.
And if you are looking for truly ancient tools, a mortar and pestle have been used for tasks like flour making thousands of years before mills were invented. They are not only usable with raw grains, but with most other foods, and are the preferred preparation method for many traditional recipes, even outside of baby food.
Of course, all of these tools require a much longer preparation time than using a blender. But spending that kind of time on food preparation was the norm, and people just did it.
I cannot give you data on which society used which tool in what proportion, or what was the actual ratio of using pureed foods versus foods which are soft for other reasons. But as you see, humans have always been able to puree food, independently of electric appliances.
add a comment |
Methods for making fruit and vegetable purees existed long before the modern electric blender.
A mechanical food mill is usable on most cooked fruits and vegetables with very good results. I don't know about early historical times, but these things were very typical throughout the 20th century in locales where blenders were not common, for example in Eastern Europe.
Mothers would also use a special kind of grater, with four star-like pips on each hole, to create a slightly rough puree from either raw or cooked plants.
Then there are also meat grinders, also a post-industrial-revolution tool, but quite good at making a mash-like substance out of many foods.
And if you are looking for truly ancient tools, a mortar and pestle have been used for tasks like flour making thousands of years before mills were invented. They are not only usable with raw grains, but with most other foods, and are the preferred preparation method for many traditional recipes, even outside of baby food.
Of course, all of these tools require a much longer preparation time than using a blender. But spending that kind of time on food preparation was the norm, and people just did it.
I cannot give you data on which society used which tool in what proportion, or what was the actual ratio of using pureed foods versus foods which are soft for other reasons. But as you see, humans have always been able to puree food, independently of electric appliances.
add a comment |
Methods for making fruit and vegetable purees existed long before the modern electric blender.
A mechanical food mill is usable on most cooked fruits and vegetables with very good results. I don't know about early historical times, but these things were very typical throughout the 20th century in locales where blenders were not common, for example in Eastern Europe.
Mothers would also use a special kind of grater, with four star-like pips on each hole, to create a slightly rough puree from either raw or cooked plants.
Then there are also meat grinders, also a post-industrial-revolution tool, but quite good at making a mash-like substance out of many foods.
And if you are looking for truly ancient tools, a mortar and pestle have been used for tasks like flour making thousands of years before mills were invented. They are not only usable with raw grains, but with most other foods, and are the preferred preparation method for many traditional recipes, even outside of baby food.
Of course, all of these tools require a much longer preparation time than using a blender. But spending that kind of time on food preparation was the norm, and people just did it.
I cannot give you data on which society used which tool in what proportion, or what was the actual ratio of using pureed foods versus foods which are soft for other reasons. But as you see, humans have always been able to puree food, independently of electric appliances.
Methods for making fruit and vegetable purees existed long before the modern electric blender.
A mechanical food mill is usable on most cooked fruits and vegetables with very good results. I don't know about early historical times, but these things were very typical throughout the 20th century in locales where blenders were not common, for example in Eastern Europe.
Mothers would also use a special kind of grater, with four star-like pips on each hole, to create a slightly rough puree from either raw or cooked plants.
Then there are also meat grinders, also a post-industrial-revolution tool, but quite good at making a mash-like substance out of many foods.
And if you are looking for truly ancient tools, a mortar and pestle have been used for tasks like flour making thousands of years before mills were invented. They are not only usable with raw grains, but with most other foods, and are the preferred preparation method for many traditional recipes, even outside of baby food.
Of course, all of these tools require a much longer preparation time than using a blender. But spending that kind of time on food preparation was the norm, and people just did it.
I cannot give you data on which society used which tool in what proportion, or what was the actual ratio of using pureed foods versus foods which are soft for other reasons. But as you see, humans have always been able to puree food, independently of electric appliances.
answered 21 hours ago
rumtscho
507312
507312
add a comment |
add a comment |
Vegetables, fruits can be pureed. Meat is very easy to grind, or cooked meat can be chopped fine pieces. Carbohydrate sources like noodles, potatoes or rice are generally very easy to cook to a soft mash. Blender is not a must, even nowadays.
add a comment |
Vegetables, fruits can be pureed. Meat is very easy to grind, or cooked meat can be chopped fine pieces. Carbohydrate sources like noodles, potatoes or rice are generally very easy to cook to a soft mash. Blender is not a must, even nowadays.
add a comment |
Vegetables, fruits can be pureed. Meat is very easy to grind, or cooked meat can be chopped fine pieces. Carbohydrate sources like noodles, potatoes or rice are generally very easy to cook to a soft mash. Blender is not a must, even nowadays.
Vegetables, fruits can be pureed. Meat is very easy to grind, or cooked meat can be chopped fine pieces. Carbohydrate sources like noodles, potatoes or rice are generally very easy to cook to a soft mash. Blender is not a must, even nowadays.
answered yesterday
Greg
82789
82789
add a comment |
add a comment |
Usually mashed food usually vegetables and fruits. I've personally seen babies being fed mashed potatoes and mashed banana.
New contributor
Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.
6
I actually have 0 doubt this is correct. However we generally want more than just the poster's say-so that historical statements of fact are valid.
– T.E.D.♦
21 hours ago
@T.E.D. While this is a historical question, due to the fact that 99% around the planet know and apply these "ancient techniques", I think we can relax on "pic or didn't happen" stance.
– Greg
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Usually mashed food usually vegetables and fruits. I've personally seen babies being fed mashed potatoes and mashed banana.
New contributor
Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.
6
I actually have 0 doubt this is correct. However we generally want more than just the poster's say-so that historical statements of fact are valid.
– T.E.D.♦
21 hours ago
@T.E.D. While this is a historical question, due to the fact that 99% around the planet know and apply these "ancient techniques", I think we can relax on "pic or didn't happen" stance.
– Greg
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Usually mashed food usually vegetables and fruits. I've personally seen babies being fed mashed potatoes and mashed banana.
New contributor
Usually mashed food usually vegetables and fruits. I've personally seen babies being fed mashed potatoes and mashed banana.
New contributor
New contributor
answered yesterday
user36065
111
111
New contributor
New contributor
Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.
Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.
6
I actually have 0 doubt this is correct. However we generally want more than just the poster's say-so that historical statements of fact are valid.
– T.E.D.♦
21 hours ago
@T.E.D. While this is a historical question, due to the fact that 99% around the planet know and apply these "ancient techniques", I think we can relax on "pic or didn't happen" stance.
– Greg
3 hours ago
add a comment |
6
I actually have 0 doubt this is correct. However we generally want more than just the poster's say-so that historical statements of fact are valid.
– T.E.D.♦
21 hours ago
@T.E.D. While this is a historical question, due to the fact that 99% around the planet know and apply these "ancient techniques", I think we can relax on "pic or didn't happen" stance.
– Greg
3 hours ago
6
6
I actually have 0 doubt this is correct. However we generally want more than just the poster's say-so that historical statements of fact are valid.
– T.E.D.♦
21 hours ago
I actually have 0 doubt this is correct. However we generally want more than just the poster's say-so that historical statements of fact are valid.
– T.E.D.♦
21 hours ago
@T.E.D. While this is a historical question, due to the fact that 99% around the planet know and apply these "ancient techniques", I think we can relax on "pic or didn't happen" stance.
– Greg
3 hours ago
@T.E.D. While this is a historical question, due to the fact that 99% around the planet know and apply these "ancient techniques", I think we can relax on "pic or didn't happen" stance.
– Greg
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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23
It's worth noting that the idea of making food specifically for babies is a relatively new one. Mothers are biologically well suited to feeding very young babies and the blended food is really a stop-gap between milk and solid food. It's not strictly necessary for the baby's survival.
– AJFaraday
23 hours ago
5
I'm surprised by the premise of this question. None of my kids had blended food, be it home-made or purchased.
– Martin Argerami
14 hours ago