"What the heck is that?" you may be asking. The way it was explained to me by tofu-cooking-sensei Etsuko Kizawa, nattō is comfort food to the Japanese much like mac-n-cheese is to the average American. Funny side note, I didn’t realize that mac-n-cheese was uniquely American until I went to a Southern-style restaurant with a few British friends and found myself translating many of the foods on the menu. I expected questions about collard greens, black-eyed peas and hush puppies but was genuinely surprised when I was asked if mac-n-cheese had anything to do with McDonalds.
So what is nattō? While fermented soybeans may not ever qualify as one of your comfort foods, the lovely thing about introducing new foods to babies is that they don’t know what you do and don't like. Natto is really, really good for you, so why not try it? Unlike most of my posts, nattō is not a grocery store staple. You can find it in any Japanese market. I always get a sense of smarty-pants satisfaction at the check-out when I have natto in my basket because the checker usually gives me an appreciative look and silent smiling nod of approval when natto is in my pile of goodies.
Nattō is definitely an acquired taste. It has a viscous, gooey texture and can have a strong odor. Okay, fair enough, I hear you asking, “This doesn’t sound very appealing, why should I serve this to baby?” The answer is because natto is terrifically nutritious and has multiple health benefits. You have a small window of opportunity to introduce new foods to baby, right? At some point your little person is going to beg you for a Happy Meal and chicken fingers, so why not use this precious time wisely and introduce out-of-the ordinary foods that are really healthy. In fact, According to Parents Magazine, by 15 months, [most] kids eat more French fries than veggies ... taste buds will adapt to what you feed [your baby]. If that ends up being lots of whole grains and veggies, [baby will] begin asking for those. The more variety you offer, the more foods baby will grow up to like. This has certainly been the case with us. Of course our daughter eats French fries occasionally, but at 22 months, she also very happily eats asparagus, beets, broccoli, baked sweet potatoes, quinoa and oartmeal. French fries are a treat, not the standard.
Not convinced yet? Are you thinking "my baby is too young to be introduced to something as radical as fermented foods." Au contraire! According to the well-informed Bettina RD Good old fashioned plain yogurt, a staple of our daughter's diet, is a fermented food and baby consumption of this item is oft encouraged by pediatricians to build up the healthy bacteria in baby's gut. For toddlers, improving the diversity of digestive bacteria reduces digestive issues. Improved digestive activity leads to better absorption of many of the nutrients baby needs to grow. As a long-term bonus, there's research indicating that long-term consumption of fermented soybeans in particular may help reduce the onset of type 2 diabetes.
An extra bonus is that nattō requires no cooking. I buy small packages and mix it with brown rice but you can serve it plain and right out of the package. Some Japanese eat it for breakfast with soy sauce and mustard or sugar. I’m not a fan of adding salt or sugar to food I serve my baby, but this is a choice and I’ll leave the condiment options up to you. According to the very lovely Etsuko at SOY, some people grate daikon and mix it into nattō to change the flavor and texture. To be completely honest with you, our little girl doesn't like it much (yet), but I keep trying since it is such a super-food and the benefits are numerous. I've read that some food items take as many as 12 introductions to generate interest in a toddler and I've introduced nattō about four times. If your little ninja is over one year old, consider mixing natto with honey or agave to sweeten it instead of sugar. You can spread nattō on toast, which is likely going to be my next attempt at serving up natto since she loves toast and if that doesn't work, I'm going to try rice crackers (she calls these cookies).
If you can find nattō, try it. It is not expensive and if baby likes it, you’ll be happy to have another easy to prepare (yet somewhat exotic) go-to healthy food in the fridge at mealtime. And while you're in the Japanese market, look for individually wrapped single-serve organic tofu. I find that these tofu packages are the perfect size for meals. They travel really well and are considerably less messy than storing partially eaten tofu containers in the fridge. There are usually many varieties of tofu available at a Japanese market. Resist the urge to buy the cutest package -- instead check the nutritional information and select the one with the highest calcium content. Not all tofu is created equal! More on tofu another time, our little pixie is a BIG fan.
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