An Italian mother’s greatest joy in life is creating a great meal for her family and it is especially true when it comes to her babies. In fact, most infants in Italy never taste a jar of baby food. Demand for pre-made baby food is so minimal that there is very little selection on grocery store shelves compared to what we have in the United States.
Beginning at about 4 months of age, pediatricians will advise a detailed eating plan for your little one. The daily homemade meal is not only delicious, but very nutritious. Italian babies develop very sophisticated taste buds from very early on. As they are offered ‘La Pappa’ translated to mean ‘The mush’ every day, you can easily understand their excitement at ‘l ora della pappa’ or mealtime. La pappa is a balanced meal consisting of everything a developing baby needs. This complete meal includes an unfortified starch, such as cereal or pastina, a pureed vegetable, a pureed steamed protein (meat, fish, even horsemeat), a spoon of olive oil and a spoon of Parmigiano Reggiano. I doubt any baby will refuse this tasty version of baby food!
Protein and vegetables are alternated every week and eventually legumes, tomatoes and other flavors can be added as the baby gets older. This is obviously a labor of love as the daily cooking and prepping of a fresh batch of la pappa is time consuming. However, any Italian American mamma would gladly do it to see their baby light up at l’ora della pappa and knowing their baby is well fed!
If you plan on eating out, be aware that while they love to see families, menus specific for children are not usually available at restaurants in Italy. This is because little ones typically eat the same food as adults. Usually a complete meal option will be chosen for a child such as a pasta dish that contains a protein or a soup that includes meat.
Generally a cultural and social norm in Italy, there’s nothing stopping an Italian American mother from giving la pappa a try for her baby. Not only is it without additives or preservatives, but it is contains all of the basic food groups, vitamins, minerals and good fats a growing baby needs. The process can be simplified by preparing proteins and vegetables in larger quantities and in advance. Your baby will be thanking you for the Italian influence on their food choices! Mmmm Buona!
