Easter Eggs & Babies: Tips for Holiday Meals

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Whether you are celebrating Easter, Good Friday, or the entire week of Semana Santa, there are lots of holiday foods that you can share with babies—and some to avoid. Read on for tips for feeding baby at the family celebration. 

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Tips for feeding baby at the holiday table

How to modify common holiday foods for babies

Asparagus

Asparagus is a staple of spring and one of the first vegetables to be harvested in the growing season, which is probably why roasted asparagus is such a popular dish at Easter meals in the Northern Hemisphere. Offer whole cooked asparagus spears that have been cooked until soft (you can test for doneness by piercing with a fork). If you’d like to maximize consumption, slice cooked asparagus lengthwise and then chop and mix it into scoopable foods like mashed potatoes for baby. And remember, eating asparagus might give a child’s urine a strong odor!

Braised Lamb

Braised lamb can be a wonderful food for baby. Full of important nutrients for baby’s optimal development—like protein, fat, and iron—this tender meat is full of savory flavors for baby to explore and enjoy. For babies in the 6-9 months age range, consider chopping and mixing the meat with mashed potatoes or another soft, scoopable food that can be pre-loaded on a spoon for baby or easily scooped up with their hands. If baby has their pincer grasp and is able to pick up small pieces of food, serve shredded pieces of lamb for baby to practice picking up. 

Braised Lamb Shank

A large shank bone can be a great resistive food teether for baby to explore. Baby won’t consume much, but simply grabbing, holding, and gumming the bone helps baby practice oral motor skills. Plus it keeps baby busy and gives you a breather at the table. To minimize the risk of choking, pick off the meat and any loose gristle, and check that the bone is sturdy with no loose "splinters" that could break off in baby's mouth. Avoid smaller bones that are thin as they can be sharper and more brittle.

Deviled Egg

Eggs are a classic holiday dish around the world. However, hard-boiled eggs can be a choking hazard for babies if not served in an age-appropriate way, and the creamy filling may contain mayonnaise made with raw egg and honey, which increases the risk of foodborne illness. To make these foods safe for baby, consider using store bought or vegan mayonnaise or plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and chop or mash the deviled egg for baby to minimize the risk. Most importantly, make sure that deviled eggs do not stay out of the fridge longer than 2 hours to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Empanadas

Every family has a special way to make empanadas—and good news: plenty of styles can be deconstructed to safely share with babies and young toddlers. Simply remove crusty dough to minimize the risk of choking, and focus on the filling. From braised lamb to crumbled ground beef to fish, many styles of empanada filling can be mixed with a soft, scoopable food like mashed vegetables for baby to scoop up with hands or a spoon. Just make sure the filling ingredients are cut to an appropriate size for baby’s eating ability, and if you have any doubt, simply finely chop the ingredients to minimize the risk. Wait until baby is older to share empanadas with raisins and other dried fruit, which are common choking hazards. 

Fish

Many cultures practice abstaining from meat and eat fish and seafood before and during Easter and Semana Santa. Escovitch, fish empanada, fish curry, stewed fish with beans—there are many preparations of fish that can be shared with baby at the family table. Make sure to remove all bones and skin to minimize the risk of choking, and make sure the fish is thoroughly cooked. Ceviche, lox, and raw fish pose a higher risk of foodborne illness, to which babies and young toddlers are more susceptible. Avoid raw fish for babies and young children.

Ham

Babies can have ham (honey-free) as soon as they’re ready to start solids as long as it’s safely prepared. Like other cuts of pork, ham offers plenty of the nutrients babies need, including protein, zinc, choline, and vitamins B6 and B12. Just make sure it is free of honey, which is associated with a risk of infant botulism.

Rib Crown

Crowns are an important symbol in Christian culture, which is why it’s common to see racks of lamb and pork made into a crown on holiday tables around the world. Pork and lamb are great foods for babies, just make sure the meat is cooked without honey (which carries a heightened risk of infant botulism) and thoroughly cooked to 145 F (63 C). Feel free to generously season the meat with herbs like thyme and rosemary to expose baby to those wonderful flavors. When you are ready to serve, break off a piece of meat from the bone that is about the width of two adult fingers pressed together and let baby munch on it. The rib bone may also be used as a food teether as long as it is on the larger size and sturdy with no splintered bone. Just be sure to remove all loose meat and gristle before offering the bone to baby.  

How to make egg dyes from whole foods

Want to include baby in egg-dyeing activities? Try these natural egg dyes for beautiful, non-toxic Easter eggs to decorate with and, of course, eat! Licking ok!

Step 1: Boil the eggs and let cool.

Step 2: To make different colors, mix and simmer the following ingredients with 1 cup (240 ml) of water until the color is released. Then, let mixture sit for 15-30 minutes (color will intensify over time) until it reaches room temperature:

Step 3: Once the color mixture is cool, strain and save the liquid, then add 1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) of white vinegar and mix well. Transfer liquid into large bell jars and submerge eggs in the colored liquids. Baby can use a whisk to trap the eggs and help you dunk them.

Step 4: Soak eggs in the refrigerator overnight to increase the intensity of the colors. Unless the eggs are cracked, they shouldn't absorb the flavors of the dyes.

Step 5: Dry eggs with a clean cloth and rub them with a small amount of oil afterwards to make them shine.

To Store: Keep eggs in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To Serve: Peel and cut the hard-boiled egg in a way that is safe for baby's age and eating ability. See Egg in the First Foods Database for details, including pictures and videos.