Introducing Your Baby To Solid Foods

Homemade Baby's Food For Thought

by Theresa Kiene

By the time most babies are eight months old, they've already eaten their first French fry. Not only that, but many parents consider French fries to be vegetables! The stakes are high for your child. Each new food experience will form life-long eating habits.

Introducing my first child to solids was fun, confusing, exciting and scary. You'd think it would be easy. My parents didn't worry about my first foods. Of course, I probably ate French fries at eight months, too. I loved nursing my daughter, and I wanted her to continue. But my friends' babies had already begun eating solids, and I didn't want her to fall behind in her developmental growth. The trend of the day - to start only with vegetables because sweets would ruin my baby's ability to eat vegetables - confused me more. I mean, there is nothing sweeter than breast milk. So, do I start with vegetables only, or does it matter?

Infant "diets" are inherently unbalanced. From birth to the first birthday, breast-milk and/or fortified infant formulas supply the primary nutrients any baby needs. Around six months, gradually introduce the first nutrient-rich food. Iron fortified single grain infant cereals are a good first food. Mix the cereal with breast milk. Then, put a little dab of cereal on your baby's upper lip. After that, tell your husband to get a camera.

Our daughter sucked it right in. Then she gave me that look: "you've been holding out on me!" So, she smacked her lips, waved her arms, kicked her feet and let out a giddy scream. I knew that meant, "Hurry up, Mom; give me more!" But, I also know she'll have to wait four to five days for the next new food to check for allergic reactions.

That would give me time to research the next big question: do I start with vegetables or fruits…

Theresa Edy Kiene left her 20 year career as a television executive to pursue her passion to provide good nutrition for babies and children and Homemade Baby was born. For more information, please visit www.homemadebaby.com.

For more information or to ask Theresa your questions, you can contact her by email at theresakiene@familymagazinegroup.com.