When it comes to introducing new foods to babies, it’s perfectly natural for parents to have questions and concerns about their little one’s well-being. One particular query that comes up a lot is, “Can babies have creme fraiche?”.
The answer is yes – in fact, the NHS even has baby-led weaning recipes on their website that include creme fraiche as a key ingredient. Creme fraiche can be a great food choice for weaning babies and is a fantastic way to incorporate lots of essential nutrients into your baby’s diet.
Understanding more about creme fraiche
Before offering your child a new food, it’s best to understand what it is and how it’s made.
Creme fraiche is a rich and creamy dairy product that originated in France. It’s made by fermenting cream with bacteria cultures, which results in a smooth, thick texture with a slightly tangy taste.
The velvety texture makes creme fraiche a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of meals, both savoury and sweet.
The NHS states that creme fraiche is safe to eat as almost all creme fraiche is made from pasteurised milk.
So, can babies have creme fraiche? Yes, but there are a few things that parents should know before adding creme fraiche to their baby’s diet including:
- When Can Babies Start Eating Creme Fraiche
- Nutritional Benefits Of Creme Fraiche
- How To Store Creme Fraiche
- How To Cook With Creme Fraiche
Let’s take a look at each point in turn.
When Can Babies Start Eating Creme Fraiche?
It’s recommended that you wait until your child is at least 6 months of age before offering your baby creme fraiche. Prior to this age, breast or formula milk provides all of their nutritional needs.
Some parents do decide to wean their babies earlier by introducing soft solid foods – if you want to know more about early weaning, take a look at this article: Baby Led Weaning At 5 Months – Is It Possible?
Nutritional Benefits Of Creme Fraiche
Looking at the nutritional profile is another consideration that parents should research when asking the question, “can babies have creme fraiche?” Creme fraiche is an excellent source of nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and vitamin D. It also contains healthy fats that are necessary for a baby’s growth and development.
It’s worth noting, however, that creme fraiche is also high in fat and calories as it is normally made from cream with at least 30% fat.
Because of this, moderation is key when incorporating this food into your baby’s diet. With that being said, it’s better to offer your baby a full-fat variety, rather than a low-fat or no-fat type as reduced-fat products will likely contain additives in order to help give the product the same creamy flavour and textures as the original.
How To Store Creme Fraiche
Here’s some good news for busy parents, creme fraiche is really easy to store, so you don’t need to worry about using it all up before it goes out of date.
This is due to the acidic element of creme fraiche. The acidity of the product ensures that it keeps for longer when refrigerated than fresh cream, but you should always ensure you carry out a quick taste test before serving and make sure to follow the use-by date shown.
How To Cook With Creme Fraiche
Another question that you may be asking is “how can babies have creme fraiche?”. Fortunately, there are so many ways to use creme fraiche as an ingredient in both savoury and sweet meals.
Creme fraiche is extremely versatile and can be served heated or raw, making it a great accompaniment for many family favourite meals. It can be used in sauces to make them creamy or to add sweetness to hot sauces. It is a particularly good accompaniment to white meats, such as chicken, and also with fish.
Can My Baby Be Allergic To Creme Fraiche?
Yes, creme fraiche is a dairy product containing cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is a common allergy and is normally associated with infants and young children. Allergic reactions to milk and other milk products can happen immediately, or it may take a few hours or even days for symptoms to appear. If you find that your baby is allergic to creme fraiche, they may also be allergic to other dairy products such as butter, cheese, yoghurt, and ice cream.
How To Serve Creme Fraiche To Babies
Now to the most exciting section, how can babies have creme fraiche?
As we know, creme fraiche is an extremely versatile ingredient and can be used in both hot and cold dishes, as well as sweet and savoury. This means that there are a plethora of opportunities to include this dairy product in a baby’s diet.
Here are a few of our favourite ways to serve creme fraiche to babies:
- Mixed into or served with soup (take a look at this Carrot and Coriander Soup Recipe)
- Served alongside sweet foods such as pancakes or fruity eggy bread (here’s a list of delicious baby led weaning dessert ideas to inspire you)
- Add a dollop to a bowl of fresh fruit
- Pop a spoonful of creme fraiche onto jacket potatoes or fresh fish
- Stirred into pasta sauces for a creamy, smooth texture
Conclusion
In this article we have discussed the question, “can babies have creme fraiche” and established that it is a safe first food for babies. Creme fraiche can be used in a variety of meals for your baby, including hot and cold meals, as well as sweet and savoury. Creme fraiche has a great nutritional makeup, but it does contain a high amount of fat and calories which means it’s best to feed it to your baby in moderation.