“No dairy until baby is 12 months old” is the ominous proclamation made by many pediatricians. Sadly, many pediatricians neglect to tell parents that there is a big difference between offering babies yogurt (dairy) and letting babies drink milk prior […]
January, 2015
Day 28 – Saucy Avocados – 365 Days of Baby Food
Avocado is a brain food and is in fact, a super food for the whole body. Avocados are one of the best foods that you can feed your baby from 6 months on. Both apples and avocado are considered ideal […]
Day 26 – Pear Sauce – 365 Days of Baby Food
Making pears for baby food is ridiculously simple. When you realize that you’re paying almost $0.28 per ounce of commercial pear baby food, you’ll start making your own for a fraction of the cost and a gigantic increase in taste […]
Day 25 – One Pot Meals: Apples, Chicken and Carrots – 365 Days of Baby Food
Fast and easy, quick and simple; making baby food can be all of the aforementioned. In this recipe, the combination of apples, carrots and chicken yields a delicious meal that can be pureed for babies still beginning the solid food […]
Day 23 – Quinoa Cereal – 365 Days of Baby Food
Did you know that besides soy, quinoa is a source of complete protein? It contains all the essential amino acids that our bodies need and, it makes a wonderful addition to your baby’s diet. Just 1 cup contains approximately 22 […]
How Do You Know If A Baby Or Toddler is Choking? Choking and Finger Foods
Fear Of Moving From Purees To Texture and “Chunks” Many parents become gripped and paralyzed with fear when it comes time to move baby from purees to chunky texture and table foods. Myself included! The fear of letting baby begin […]
Roasted Apples and Fennel – Delicious Combo Puree for Babies and Families
Roast apples and fennel together to create a sweet, nutty licorice-anisey flavor side dish and tasty puree for babies. It’s a wonderful combination that you can serve as a standalone side dish or puree for babies. Try adding the puree […]
Day 19 – Eggy Muffins for Little Fingers – 365 Days of Baby Food
This recipe is quite simple but I warn you, a bit messy to make. What I love about it is that there is a baby food opportunity here – see that luscious egg yolk. For babies 8 months and older: […]
Day 18 – Heating and Thawing Baby Food; Option 1 – 365 Days of Baby Food
When you freeze homemade baby food, you’re creating a stash of healthy meals while also making meal prep. easier for you. When it comes to heating and thawing homemade baby food, there are several ways and methods that one can […]
Introducing Solid Foods – Not Changing Baby’s Diet
As you contemplate starting solid foods, it’s important to note what various medical organizations recommend. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), along with many other health organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF, states that breast milk and/or formula should provide all the nutrition your baby needs during the first 6 months of life.
However, in prior years the AAP Committee on Nutrition also wrote that introducing solid foods between four and six months was perfectly acceptable; introducing babies to solids prior to four months is never recommended. This has changed again so that now, all of the AAP is in agreement and recommending that babies should start solid foods at 6 months of age.
Most important thing to remember when introducing solid foods to baby
Keep this in mind as you begin to introduce solid foods to your baby: Solid foods will not make up a large portion of your baby’s nutrition for quite a few weeks after you start.
Remember that you are introducing your baby to solid foods, not suddenly changing your baby’s diet. At this point, the term “complementary foods” is often used instead of “solid foods”. Complimentary foods is a term that describes what the early role of solid food is in a baby’s diet.
In the beginning, you are complementing breast milk and/or formula with solid foods, not replacing them. The first few weeks should be a time to take it slow, keep it simple and stay relaxed. Explore and enjoy the experience of watching your baby touch and taste his way through the wonderful world of food!