This post is a long pending one, though I clicked few months back it took me so long to post it without any valid reasons...ok lazy me ;) Many of my friends and readers kept asking me to post about healthy sweetners after mentioning it in my porridge recipe posts.Though it is advised and recommended to include salt and any sweetner only after 1 yr, if the baby fuses too much I feel its ok to start with healthy sweetners after 7 to 8 months.So if you wish you can start these sweetners after the babys first birthday.You can mix these sweetners for any baby porridges.

Jaggery is Vellam in tamil, Palm Jaggery is Karupatti in tamil and Palm Sugar Candy is Panakarkandu in tamil incase if you want the translations.

Our ancestors had the custom of feeding sugar water soon after the baby's birth, though doctors don't allow it these days, amma insisted to give a drop of sakkara thani(sugar water) as a custom for both mittu and gugu and I was ok with it too.

I usually make jaggery and palm jaggery syrup in bulk and store in fridge atleast for 2 weeks as I use it in my daily cooking too.If you get clean organic palm sugar candy you can powder it else make a syrup by straining it like we do for jaggery.

Check other baby food recipes Check other porridge recipes But remember mothers feed is the best and its always good to start with other food only after the baby finishes 6 months.Always consult your paediatrician before introducing any new food.