Till even some time back, tofu was that nutritious ingredient your dietician advised you to replace meat with. It is healthy, delicious and easy to cook and all that but before right now it was not really something you would consider feeding your baby. But guess what? All that's going to change right now. Why? Well, for obvious enough reasons. Tofu is made of soy -- one of the richest sources of proteins, calcium, iron, fiber - by means of a process which is comparable to the way cheese is made out of milk.

Tofu is primarily of two types. Hard or firm tofu and soft or silken tofu. While the first kind is used for all sorts of recipes the second tends to find its place mostly in smoothies, soups, sauces and other lush, creamy foodstuff.

When you buy tofu, make sure to check how it smells. Fresh tofu tends to smell sweet in a dairy-product sort of way. If it's stale on the other hand it will give out what might seem to some like an objectionable sour odor. You can store it as long as a week in your refrigerator provided you put it in an airtight vessel containing water (do remember to change the water everyday though). Don't try putting it into the freezer because it doesn't take to cold climates particularly well!

You can start including tofu into your child's diet eight months after his or her birth. Be careful to introduce it gradually though, since a number of kids react to it rather nastily, soy being a 'potential allergen'. Look out for running nose, vomiting tendencies, wheezing and reddening or watering of the eye. In case you suspect your baby is breaking into an allergy of some sort, contact your pediatrician immediately.

Given that it has no particular taste of its own, tofu can be included into recipes without disrupting the overall flavor of the dish. It will only draw in the taste of any foodstuff you put it in with. You might want to smoothly paste a few chunks of tofu with some sort of cheese (cottage cheese works well) or even avocado. You can also make a smoothie out of it and some sort of fruit that would work out very well as a dessert for your baby. You can also chunk out the tofu and serve them plain as something for your baby to nibble on.

Given the health benefits and the high adaptability of the item, tofu will soon become an indispensable part of your child's diet. And even while he eats it unaware only you will know how it will make him bigger and stronger.