10 Indian Herbs And Spices To Add Flavor And Health To Your Baby’s Food

"In my travels, I also noticed that kids in Thailand like spicy food, and kids in India love curry. I'm hoping to introduce my son, Hudson, to lots of veggies and spices when he's young. I say that before he's started on solid foods, so it could be easier in theory than practice!" - Curtis Stone, well-known Australian chef and television personality. 

Are you guilty of offering bland and tasteless food to your baby because you are apprehensive about introducing them to spices? As Chef Curtis says, it may be easier said than done. But by keeping your little one away from spices, you are denying them their health benefits. After all, herbs and spices not only add flavor to food but also help build your baby's immunity and keep infections at bay.

Spicing up your baby's food has other advantages, too. If you want your child to be open to different flavors, it is important to introduce the little one to a variety of preparations. What better way to do this than to add a small amount of different spices to your baby's food every day? Moreover, if you don't want a fussy eater at home, providing a variety in taste as early as possible is a good idea.

However, table salt should be avoided until the child turns one. This is because the sodium needs in infants are very less and breast milk provides them an adequate amount. We have so many natural flavoring agents in our traditional herbs and spices, which can take your baby's food to a different level.

Add only small amounts to make sure your baby takes it well. Too much spice could be harmful. Each child may react differently to different ingredients. Some of these could be stronger for some babies than for others. Be prepared, as chances are that your baby may reject the flavored foods the first few times. Don't get disappointed, and try out different permutations and combinations of ingredients. It will help you understand what suits your baby and help the little one accept the new taste faster.

Pick mild, aromatic herbs and spices for your baby. You can start with the ones commonly used in your home. You can introduce these once your baby starts solid food - at around 8-9 months.

Here is a list of herbs and spices we recommend you add to your baby's food:

1. Garlic: You can use finely chopped or grated garlic for tempering baby foods like khichdi and dal. Garlic keeps the common cold at bay, boosts immunity, and helps in getting rid of harmful intestinal worms. Garlic gives an aroma to the dish, which most babies enjoy after they get used to it.

2. Ginger: If you are making chila, dhokla, khichdi, or pulses, you can add grated ginger to it. You can also use fresh ginger paste. It helps reduce flatulence or gas and associated stomach pain, a common issue in babies. Ginger also reduces nausea and motion sickness. It is also recommended to alleviate a dry cough.

3. Black pepper: A pinch of black pepper powder in snacks like roasted lotus seeds can improve the bland taste, without the need for salt. It helps improve overall digestion by producing more hydrochloric acid in the body. Ensure that pepper is added in very small amounts. It should not be hot (spicy) or overwhelming for your child.

4. Cinnamon: Most sweet preparations are incomplete without a pinch of cinnamon. Cinnamon is high in antioxidants, thus improving the immune system of your child. You can add the aromatic spice in powdered form to baked goodies like cupcakes, chiroti, pancakes, and cookies.

5. Turmeric: All Indian savory preparations call for turmeric. We use it for the color and flavor, as well as for its medicinal value. It has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Make the good old turmeric milk a bedtime ritual for your child.

6. Cumin seeds: Cumin or jeera is commonly used in most Indian recipes, either as whole seeds in the tempering or in powdered form. This spice promotes digestion and reduces the risk of food-borne illnesses. Cumin has anti-microbial and antibiotic properties. Add a pinch of cumin powder to your baby's porridge, dal, or khichdi.

7. Asafoetida: Hing or asafoetida helps relieve stomach issues like colic in babies. A pinch of this spice can do wonders. It will give a unique flavor to the food and also help your child digest it better. Hing reduces flatulence and helps in the treatment of respiratory problems.

8. Carom seeds: Roasted and powdered carom seeds can be added to porridge, khichdi, or any other baby food. It helps in the treatment of cold and cough, eases digestion and colic pain, and helps cure diarrhoea.

9. Coriander leaves: Use coriander as the first leafy green your baby tastes. Start by adding a teaspoonful of freshly chopped coriander into your little one's food; it works perfectly in most dishes. Fresh coriander is an appetite stimulant and prevents food poisoning.

10. Fenugreek: You can season your baby's food with the pungent fenugreek or methi. However, make sure you don't leave any fenugreek seeds behind in your child's food, as it tastes bitter. Take a strainer, put fenugreek seeds in it, and pour hot oil through it to flavour your child's dal, khichdi, or bowl of veggies. Fenugreek is good for your baby's digestion and helps prevent infections. It also promotes hair growth and keeps stomach disorders at bay.

Apart from these, there are many herbs and spices like nutmeg, star anise, basil, and parsley, which can be used in your baby's food to make it more flavorful, not to forget the innumerable health benefits these ingredients have to offer to your child. This also helps raise a child who is open to trying out different foods.

Priya Katpal is a nutritionist and the founder of Nutrify

Last updated on: July 31, 2025

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