Can Babies Eat Traditional Holiday Foods?

Food is central to the winter holiday season as people and families gather to enjoy food
that speaks to their culture and memories. Each part of the world celebrates the
holidays differently and with different foods and traditions that have been around for
centuries. Many of our traditional holiday foods can be modified in order to be safe for
baby to eat at the table with the family, thus creating new memories. Below, we’ll
highlight traditional holiday foods and beverages and how to make them safe for babies.

Before we begin with individual dishes, here are a few important points to remember:

FOODS

Ensalada de Manzana (Apple salad)

Ensalada de Manzana is a side dish or dessert (depending on what recipe you use and
when you choose to serve it). Ensalada de Manzana is typically made with pieces of
apple, pineapple (either fresh or in syrup), cherries (either fresh or in syrup), chopped
pieces of walnuts, and a sauce made of sweetened condensed milk or mayonnaise,
heavy cream and sugar. Typical ensalada de manzana is not safe for babies, due to the
fact that small pieces of raw apple and pieces of walnuts are choking hazards. In
addition, avoid mayonnaise that has been made with raw eggs. Raw or undercooked
eggs pose an increased risk of Salmonella, a bacterium that can lead to foodborne
illness and symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. 1 Store-bought mayonnaise is
made with pasteurized eggs that are safe to consume. 2 In order to make safe for babies,
we recommend making a “deconstructed” ensalada de manzana, serving a small
amount of raw, shredded apple, fresh pineapple cut for the age of your baby, and fresh
cherries quartered lengthwise. If nuts have been safely introduced, try adding finely
ground walnuts to this mixture. Lastly, if dairy has been safely introduced, we
recommend serving with full fat unsweetened Greek yogurt for added nutrition, instead
of mayonnaise.

Pavo (Turkey)

Turkeys are large birds that originated in the fields and forests of the Americas.
Thousands of years ago, people in Mesoamerica revered the bird’s wild ancestors, not
only as a source of food and medicine, but also for its role in ceremonies and rituals.
Today, the bird still holds significance as a celebratory food at gatherings, holidays, and
weddings worldwide, especially in the Americas, where the majority of domesticated
turkeys are raised. Freshly cooked turkey may be offered as soon as baby is ready to
start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Note that turkey can be a
choking hazard. To minimize the risk, avoid offering turkey meat that has been cut into
cubes and try not to overcook turkey, as this causes the meat to be dry and more
challenging to chew and swallow. You can start by providing a baby from 6-9 months
thin strips of turkey (about the size of two fingers pressed together), with the bone and
skin removed. If this seems too scary, you can provide a large drumstick with all of the
meat, skin and pin bones removed. After 9 months of age (or once baby has developed
their pincer grasp), you can provide shredded turkey. Some individuals with known
allergy to feather and egg also have positive allergy test results to poultry meat.
Lastly, take precautions to minimize the risk of food-borne illness from bacteria like
Salmonella and Campylobacter when preparing turkey. Keep raw turkey in the
refrigerator or freezer and store it separately from produce. Thaw frozen raw turkey in
the refrigerator (never on the counter) and cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165
degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) before serving. Always wash your hands
and any surfaces that come into contact with raw poultry. Lastly, do not wash your
turkey before cooking. Washing raw turkey creates droplets that can contaminate the
kitchen and increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Pozole

Traditional pozole is a rich soup typically made with pork (but other proteins can be
substituted, such as chicken or beef), hominy, and red chiles. Pozole can be served to
babies as long as the protein is shredded and the hominy is flattened. When serving to
baby, we recommend using very little broth, as it can be hard for babies that are just
learning to self-feed scoop broth with a spoon or with their hands. But as you know,
pozole really comes together with the fixings. So, feel free to top with a little finely
shredded cabbage, avocado and cilantro when serving to baby.

Tamales

Though each country may have a different take on exactly how to make a tamal, the
basic ingredients tend to be the same amongst all tamales. They are centered around a
masa made of corn flour (masa harina) and a fat to bind which is typically lard, butter or
oil (depending on the country or origin and type of tamal) and can be filled with a variety
of meats, beans, cheese, vegetables, more corn, etc. Tamales can be introduced as
soon as baby is ready to start solids, (typically around 6 months of age), as long as
common choking hazard ingredients are identified and eliminated. Note that several
meats, hard, small pieces of firm vegetables, kernels of corn, raisins, unpitted olives,
and dry or fried tamales can be choking hazards. Our advice for this holiday season is
to carefully examine all tamales before providing them to baby. If large chunks of meat
are present, shred or remove them. Remove small bones, raisins, unpitted olives, small,
hard vegetables (like cubes of carrots), whole corn kernels, and chunks of cheese.
Flatten garbanzo beans and peas. If buying tamales with cheese, ensure cheese is
pasteurized, especially if using queso fresco. You can serve thin strips of masa (about
the width of two adult fingers) to babies 6-9 months, serve small pieces of tamal to
babies with their pincer grasp (with shredded meats and soft, easily mashable
vegetables served alongside), and large pieces or entire halves or whole tamales to
babies older than 18 months in order to encourage practice with utensils. Top tamales
with salsa or Greek yogurt to soften the masa.

Beverages

Coquito

Coquito is a beverage made of coconut cream and coconut milk. Many recipes also
contain cow’s milk in the form of evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk, as well
as a variety of spices like allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla. Lastly, some
coquito recipes include eggs, known as coquito con huevo or ponche cremoso. A small
amount of coquito (about 60 mL or 2 ounces) that is free of alcohol can be served to
children over 12 months of age. Coquito of any form is not appropriate for any child
under 12 months of age. Never serve coquito with raw milk or raw or undercooked eggs
to babies, toddlers or children. Raw or undercooked eggs pose an increased risk of
Salmonella, a bacterium that can lead to foodborne illness and symptoms like diarrhea,
vomiting, and fever. 7 Children under the age of 5 are especially susceptible, since their
immune systems are still developing. 8 Lastly, remember to refrigerate coquito. Coquito
that has been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours (which can happen
easily at a family party) is not safe for anyone to consume, due to the possibility of
bacterial growth and the heightened risk of foodborne illness.

Ponche

Many countries have their variety of “ponche” ranging from ponche cremoso, which is
coquito with eggs to ponche navideño. In order to read about our recommendations for
ponche cremoso, read the Coquito section above. If you’re wondering about ponche
navideño, keep reading. Ponche navideño is a traditional, hot beverage typically made
of water, fresh and dried fruits, such as tamarind, hibiscus, guavas, tejocote, and
oranges. Ponche navideño is typically spiced with cinnamon and star anise and
sweetened with sugar or traditionally with piloncillo (raw sugar cane). A small amount
(about 60 mL or 2 ounces) of ponche navideño that is free of alcohol can be served to
children over 12 months of age, with special care to remove all pieces of star anise and
dried fruits prior to serving, as these can be choking hazards. Additionally, ensure that
ponche is not too hot when you’re serving to baby; dip your finger in the beverage allow
it to reach room temperature before serving to baby. Just remember that babies under 12 months of age should not have any drink other than breast milk, formula, or small amounts of water.

While this is not an exhaustive list of all the traditional holiday foods, we hope that this
helps you share at least part of your meals and memories with your baby or toddler.