'American' Baby Food Isn't For Me - Here's Why I Feed My Son Bengali Food

Having grown up in a family that loves to cook and devour foods from all corners of India, I’ve always had a feverish admiration for all kinds of food on this planet. Bengalis really love to eat, you see. And we don’t discriminate. As long as it’s good, we’ll eat it.

However, back when I was growing up, I was always made to feel like my community’s food just wasn’t good enough. From deep-fried beguni (eggplant fritters) to scrumptious aloo bhaja (sautéed potatoes), people had this thing for calling me out for how greasy my cuisine was and that it couldn’t possibly keep anyone healthy.

It’s so spicy. It’s so oily. How can you live on this?

These were just some of the few things I’d hear my fellow Americans say. And after a point, they got to me, to the extent that I started believing that food from my cuisine could not be construed as healthy food. It was “exotic” here, meant to be eaten only once in a while when in the mood for “junk”.

As a result, I moved away from Bengali cuisine and all the amazing dishes it brings, focusing on so-called “healthy” American salads and more till I was past the phase of college.

Image: Shutterstock

Fast forward to now, and I find myself returning to my roots — to the food I had abandoned so many years ago – after the birth of my 6-month old son. My pediatrician said it’s about time to introduce him to solid food. And the more I navigated through American cuisine, the more discouraged I got at the blender “jar” food options available. I don’t want to feed my baby that.

In the middle of my culinary dilemma, my mom came to my rescue. She suggested I give Bengali food a shot, and since I couldn’t find any argument against it, I went ahead with the idea.

What was the result, you ask? Well, it’s been another six months, and my boy simply loves his Bengali food!

Not only is he hale and hearty choosing his own cuisine over the pasta and pizzas of the world, but he’s actually deriving some real benefits too from having Bengali food.

Image: Shutterstock

I know you’re curious about the benefits, so let me just jump straight to that. Experts opine that food is a simple yet brilliant way to turn children into truly global citizens from an early age (1). Living as we do in multicultural and multi-ethnic surroundings, a child’s day now is spent interacting with several different cultures at school and otherwise. The environment they grow up in presents them with an excellent opportunity to explore, learn about and embrace different cultures. Further, such experiences can feed their curiosity and help them grow intellectually and emotionally.

In my house, we have all our meals together as a family. And I think that’s helped my son try out whatever’s on the table.

That said, other than promoting tolerance towards and understanding different cultures, diversifying a child’s palate at a young age can also help prevent food allergies, picky eating, and deficiencies such as those of iron or anemia (2).

Image: Shutterstock

And don’t be worried about spices. Plenty of seasonings such as garlic, turmeric, or oregano contain compounds that are loaded with health benefits and can help your child grow (3).

Knowing that the food choice I made for my baby is ultimately paying off has made it feel like one of the best decisions I’ve ever taken as a mother. He gets the chance to connect to his Bengali roots as I had the opportunity to reconnect to mine and find comfort in the culture that has always been an integral part of me.

Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.