solids | Starting your baby in solids

Babies needs to feed except breastfeeding from 4-6months

Cook for your baby

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For the first six months of your baby’s life, breast milk was all she needed to grow and be healthy.

Now, at about 6 months old, she is likely ready to eat solid foods. Breast milk is still the most important food, but you can now add solid foods during her feedings.

Solids foods will provide nutrients, flavors and textures. These are all important for her overall growth and development.

It is important to start with solid foods containing high amounts of iron first. Your baby uses iron for growth and development, especially for her brain and red blood cells. Your baby is born with iron stored in her body, but she uses this iron up by 4 to 6 months of age. Feeding her iron-rich foods will continue to give her the iron that she needs.

Some babies may need to start baby food earlier than 6 months old.

For example:

For a child at high risk for allergy: If your baby has a parent or sibling (brother or sister) with an allergic condition, your baby may be at high risk for allergy. You may need to introduce solids as early as 4 months old.

For premature babies (babies who are born early):

Premature babies may be able to start solids earlier than 6 months corrected age. It is important that you consider her corrected age and development when starting her on baby foods.

For more information about when to start your baby on solid foods, talk to your doctor or dietitian. It is important to start with solid foods containing high amounts of iron first. Your baby uses iron for growth and development, especially for her brain and red blood cells. Your baby is born with iron stored in her body, but she uses this iron up by 4 to 6 months of age.

Feeding her iron-rich foods will continue to give her the iron that she needs.

Make homemade baby food

You don’t have to be a master in the kitchen to make your own baby food.

While convenient, commercial baby foods may lose vitamins and nutrients during processing, as well as the “yumminess” that can make your baby excited to try new foods and combinations.

These 21 simple recipes are fast, inexpensive, and — best of all — could be more nutritious than foods that have been sitting on a grocery store shelf.

Is your baby ready for solids?

In their 2012 publication, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until 6 months to start adding in solid foods, but some people start as soon as 4 months as long as certain developmental stages have been reached.

According to a 2013 study, babies who started eating some types of solid foods by 6 months old had a reduced risk of allergies and asthma.

It’s most important that the baby can sit upright and hold their head up. It’s also important that they show signs of interest in solid food. Once you’ve gotten the okay from your child’s pediatrician, you’re ready to bring on baby’s first foods!

A few things to keep in mind

A few things to keep in mind when thinking about baby food:

New eaters only need about 1 to 2 tablespoons of a food, so keep portions small.

Be on the lookout for allergies, especially when feeding your child foods that contain common allergens. Common allergens include eggs, peanut, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.

The newest evidence shows there is no benefit in delaying introducing these foods beyond 6 months or to introducing foods in any particular order.

Most of all, don’t forget to have fun!

Some people prefer to go organic, wild, pastured, and grass-fed whenever possible. Some foods may be higher in pesticide residue, including:

apples
peaches
nectarines
strawberries
grapes
celery
spinach
sweet bell peppers
cucumbers
cherry tomatoes
snap peas (imported)
potatoes

Start the purée food from 4 to 6 months old

When your baby is 4 to 6 months old, you’ll want to use simple, single-ingredient purées.

This can help you to spot and identify a food allergy or sensitivity. Once you have proven your child’s tolerance to individual foods, you can try combinations to enhance flavor and likeability.

First baby’s food: Peas purée

Pea is a great purée food for busy moms and dads to make a bunch on a Sunday and freeze for the weeks ahead. This can be used with other first foods for your baby! Apples or pears are fun or even green beans. Make sure it is mild enough for your baby’s developing digestive system. Brussels sprouts or broccoli probably isn’t the best first foods. You can also use fresh peas instead of frozen if you have them.

Mashed Banana

Often called a “perfect” food, bananas are rich in potassium and fiber.

Bananas are also known as one of nature’s own antacids and are very gentle on the stomach. Although bananas are one of the best first foods for babies, be careful not to overdo it. Too much banana can cause constipation.

Ingredients: 1 small banana

Method: Peel a small banana and mash with a fork. During the first stages of weaning, add a little milk if necessary to thin down the consistency and add a familiar taste. Serve with breast milk or formula if serving as First Foods Breakfast.

Why Green Peas are Healthy and Nutritious

Green peas are a popular vegetable. They are also quite nutritious and contain a fair amount of fiber and antioxidants.

Additionally, research shows they may help protect against some chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer.

On the other hand, some people claim green peas are harmful and should be avoided due to the antinutrients they contain, which can cause bloating.

This article takes a detailed look at green peas to determine if they’re healthy or you should limit them in your diet.

What Are Green Peas?

Green peas, or “garden peas,” are the small, spherical seeds that come from pods produced by the Pisum sativum plant.

They have been part of the human diet for hundreds of years and are consumed all over the world.

Strictly speaking, green peas are not vegetables. They are part of the legume family, which consists of plants that produce pods with seeds inside. Lentils, chickpeas, beans and peanuts are also legumes.

However, green peas are commonly cooked and sold as a vegetable and this article will refer to them as such. You can find them in frozen, fresh or canned varieties.

Since green peas are high in complex carbs called starches, they are considered a starchy vegetable along with potatoes, corn and squash.

There are several different varieties of peas available, including yellow peas, black-eyed peas and purple peas. However, green peas are the most frequently consumed.

Snap peas and snow peas are other popular varieties that are often confused with green peas due to their similar appearance. However, their flavor and nutrient content differ slightly.

Green peas are seeds that come from a legume plant, but they are most often consumed as a starchy vegetable.

Baby brown rice cereal

Rice cereal is one of the most common foods to introduce because it’s less allergenic and easily digested. Mixing it to a fairly thin texture can help babies make the transition from an all-liquid diet to a more solid one. This same process can be applied to steel-cut oats.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of brown rice and 4 cups of water.
You will need some form of a food processor or blender that has a milling blade. I have the Baby Bullet and it works great.

Add the uncooked brown rice to the food processor and mill to a fine powder. Add the milled brown rice and 4 cups of water to a pot and cover until it boils. Then, turn the heat to low and cook with the cover for 20 minutes. Check the consistency of the brown rice cereal and add water if you want it to be thinner.

Once the cereal is the consistency most appropriate for your infants age, pour it into storage cups and freeze or refrigerate. You can refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for 30 days. I love these silicone freezer storage trays because they allow me to easily pop out an entire cube of cereal to heat up and serve (or thaw).

Overall, it was much simpler than I expected. And the best part is that this recipe makes such a large batch. It’s also SOOOO much less expensive to make baby food rather than purchase it–even when I’m buying organic ingredients.

Avocado purée

Avocado is very healthy and easy cooked veggie. If your baby start to eat it, she/he will start to eat a variety of fruits and veggies: Sweet potato, Butternut squash, Zucchini, Carrot, Fuji Apples, Plums, Pears, Bananas, Green Beans, Peas, Spinach, Broccoli, Pumpkin, Apricot… and after that your baby will start to eat Oatmeal and Organic Whole Milk Plain Yogurt. In this way your baby will turn into a wonderful eater!

1/5th of an avocado has only 50 calories but 20 vitamins and minerals! Avocados also contain:

Folate
Fiber
Potassium
Vitamin E
Iron

Healthy fats that help with brain and nervous system development

Just mashed up the avocado raw, and fed it directly to her mixed with a little bit of breast milk (you can also mix it with formula or water to thin it out at first).

Baked sweet potato purée

In-the-know adults eat sweet potatoes for their health benefits. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, so it makes sense that your baby can benefit from this delicious tuber, too.

A simple purée with a touch of water or your baby’s milk makes for a yummy and nutritious first food.

Sweet Potato puree is an excellent first food for babies as it’s sweet, soft when cooked, and is packed with vitamin A.

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C / 180 C Fan. Scrub the potatoes and prick with a metal skewer or fork. Place on a baking tray and roast for about 45 minutes or until wrinkled and tender. Remove from the oven, cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor until smooth. You can add a little of your baby’s usual milk to thin out the consistency if you wish .You can also use this method to bake potatoes – potatoes tend to take longer to cook than sweet potatoes so between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Do not puree ordinary potato flesh in a blender as it will break down the natural starches and produce a stick texture. Its best to puree potato in a baby food grinder or mouli or for slightly older babies simply mash with a fork. For a quick method you can microwave the Sweet Potato – Scrub the sweet potato and prick with a fork. Cook in microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Cut the sweet potato in half and scoop out the flesh, mix with a little breast of formula milk or cooled boiled water to make a smooth consistency.