One of the greatest milestones in a baby's life is the day he takes his first spoonful of solid food. Whether you jot down the date in your baby book or film the first taste, it marks your baby's entrance into the wide world of food. But how should you start introducing those initial bites and what should they be?
Ready to Start?
Currently, doctors favor starting solids at around six months. That's a big change from when we were babies. If you ask your mother when she started feeding you solids, you'll probably find out that she started when you were around two or three months old, but doctors now emphasize that a baby's body isn't really ready for solids until close to six months because breast milk or baby formula is the food that your baby's stomach digests best and, with the introduction of solids, his milk intake is sure to decline. The risk of developing allergies in the long run significantly increases with the earlier introduction of solid food. But don't wait later than eight months because your growing baby needs some vitamins that he'll only get from solids and because older babies can be very resistant to change.
First Foods
One of the most popular first foods (and the easiest to prepare) is rice cereal. It's got the advantages of posing little risk of causing an allergy and is easy to prepare, as well as being easy to swallow and digest. But you don't necessarily have to start with cereal, you can choose a fruit or vegetable instead. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should start with a single food and give it to your baby for three to four days before offering something new (some doctors recommend waiting longer). One fantastic first food choice is sweet potato. The consistency is perfect for your baby and it is full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, beta-carotene and potassium. Bake up a batch of sweet potatoes and you'll give the whole family's diet a much-needed boost! Bananas are also popular first baby foods - all you need to do is mash and thin, if desired, with a bit of breast milk, formula or water. Other good starter foods include zucchini, carrots, potatoes, and apples.
Most fruits and vegetables can be made into a puree by cooking in enough water to cover until tender (adding more water as needed) and then blending with a bit of the cooking water to achieve the consistency that you want. For quick results, you can cook food in the microwave with a little water. While cooking food in the microwave is fine, warming food in the microwave isn't recommended because it can heat unevenly, resulting in hot spots that could injure baby. When you start offering food, the puree should be quite runny to prevent baby from choking, but as he develops his eating skills, you can make the puree increasingly thicker and prepare combinations of foods he's already tried. Ignore your own personal preferences and avoid adding salt and sugar to keep baby from developing an early fondness for highly salted and sweet food. As your baby grows and becomes accustomed to a selection of fruits and vegetables, your doctor will guide you in introducing yogurt, soft cheese, wheat products, egg yolk and chicken. Remember to always check with your pediatrician before offering your baby anything new.
How Much?
Most babies start off with small portions - and that's okay. Their first taste of food will probably be just that - a taste. But most will start eating progressively more over the first couple of weeks as they get more used to the new textures and tastes. But always let your baby be the guide to how much he should eat. Never insist that he finish off what you think is an appropriate amount of food.
Food Safety
The importance of keeping baby's food fresh and safe for consumption cannot be over emphasized. Remember the old rule: When in doubt, throw it out! To keep baby's food as safe as you can, always store fresh food in the refrigerator. Food spoils quickest at room temperature so it should either be kept cool or hot. Don't feed baby from a large container of food that you plan on saving for later; instead, spoon a small portion into a smaller bowl and take more as needed using a clean spoon because saliva on the spoon you are feeding your baby with will cause the leftovers to spoil. When taking perishable foods on outings, carry them in an insulated bag with an ice pack. Purees spoil faster than whole foods so always be suspicious. If baby rejects a food that he has previously accepted, make sure it's not spoiled.
On the Go
If you're like most mothers, you'll be feeding baby on the run a lot. Depending on your baby's age, here are some great foods that travel well:
A whole apple (or pear) - cut it when you want to feed it to baby and use a small metal spoon to scrape shavings off and create an instant puree!
A banana in the peel - just peel and mash or break off little bits to feed to baby.
Yogurt - a sealed container of yogurt travels well, especially in an insulated bag.
Baked sweet potato - don't peel it until you are ready to feed baby.
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