Tag: BLW India

Why Messy Eating Is Good for Babies

There is something I notice whenever parents share pictures or videos of their babies eating. The baby takes a bite of curd rice. A little lands on the cheek. Some gets smeared across the tray. A tiny hand reaches into the bowl, squeezes a handful of dal-chawal, and then, somehow, the food ends up everywhere except where the parent intended it to go. And before the next bite can even happen, a cloth appears. Wipe the cheek. Clean the fingers. Remove the food from the tray. Let’s get everything neat …
Read more

Moving From Purees to Family Dal-Chawal Smoothly

If your 8-month-old happily swallows smooth apple sauce or silky suji kheer, but immediately gags, spits, or vomits the moment a stray lump of rice appears, you are not alone. Around the 8 to 10-month mark, thousands of parents hit what feeding specialists call the “Texture Boundary.” It usually goes like this: You feel ready to transition toward family meals. You mash the dal-chawal slightly instead of blending it smooth. You offer a spoon with high hopes. Seconds later, your baby gags, spits up the food, and you decide it’s …
Read more

Tiny tummies, maximum nutrition: How to double the calories in every bite naturally

In almost every BLW India consultation I run, the most frequent question parents ask me isn’t about recipes; it’s about weight gain. “Riddhi, how do I get them to eat more?” My answer always surprises them: Stop forcing bigger portions. Let’s make every single bite count. If you feel constant anxiety about whether your toddler is eating “enough,” you are not alone. Toddler stomachs are roughly the size of their closed fist. When stomach capacity is that small, volume matters far less than density. Filling that tiny space with watery …
Read more

How to Stop the Mealtime Chase When Your Toddler Refuses the High Chair

A few weeks ago, a mother in my practice sat down, visibly exhausted, and shared a scene almost every Indian parent knows too well: “Riddhi, my 18-month-old treats the high chair like a cage. The second I walk toward it with a bowl of khichdi, he arches his back, screams, and stiffens his legs. My mother-in-law says I shouldn’t force him and suggests running behind him with a plate around the living room. Now, every meal is a 45-minute marathon of chasing him while he plays with toys. How do …
Read more

When Festive Cheer Meets Toddler Meltdowns at the Dinner Table

Ganesh Chaturthi pandals are glowing, dhol-tasha drums are echoing through the street, house guests are arriving for aarti, and the kitchen smells divine with fresh ukadiche modak. It’s one of the most vibrant, heartwarming times of the year for Indian families. Yet, as you sit down to a festive meal, your toddler takes one look at their plate, screams, pushes the food away, and collapses into a full-blown meltdown. In an Indian household, the reaction to this is almost instant: “Why are they acting out today of all days?” “They …
Read more

What Happens to Your Child’s Gut When Dinner Is After 8 PM?

“My child eats dinner at 8:30 PM. Is that damaging their gut?” This is a question that has been popping up in my consultation with increasing frequency. In a world saturated with wellness advice about intermittent fasting, circadian biology, and early dinners, it is easy to feel as though 8:00 PM is a rigid biological deadline where digestion simply shuts down. Let me reassure you right away: There is nothing magical or dangerous about 8:00 PM. Your child’s digestive system does not turn off at a specific clock time. What …
Read more

When Should You Actually Worry About Your Child’s Weight?

The number on the scale tells you far less than you think. “My child is so thin.” “She’s not gaining enough weight.” “Everyone in the family keeps telling me he looks tiny compared to other kids.” This is easily one of the most frequent concerns I hear in my consultations. Often, the anxiety doesn’t even start with the child. It starts after a well-meaning relative, neighbor, or classmate’s parent drops a casual comment about their body size. Weight feels measurable and definitive because it gives us a concrete number. But …
Read more

Where are you based?

Help me with your location information to better plan for time-zone