Getting a healthy start at the family table is important for infants. Parents play a major role in the development of healthy habits—right from the beginning. Entrance into the wide world of solid food is a major milestone for baby, but it is important to enter into this new territory with clear goals in mind.
Generally speaking, infants begin eating sold foods between the ages of four and six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics—the go-to source of all healthy suggestions baby-related—recommends beginning solids no earlier than four to six months to avoid food allergies and other complications. Additionally, many pediatricians suggest giving cereal as a food item rather than adding it to the bottle. Signs of readiness to eat solid foods include: the ability to hold head up unassisted, showing interest in the food others eat at mealtime, reaching a weight that is double that of baby’s birth-weight, and loss of the tongue reflex that prevents baby from properly eating solid foods rather than drinking them. It is important to remember that baby, even at six months, will receive most—if not all–of his or her daily nutritional needs from breast milk or formula. Food is a novelty item being introduced, not a primary source of energy.
After baby has reached a stage when solid food can be introduced, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children begin with baby cereal. Dry, mixable, single grain rice baby cereal from the baby food aisle of the grocery store is the best bet for the first feedings. Leaving more complex baby cereals including wheat and barley may stave off food allergy reactions in very young babies. Of course, cereals from the adult breakfast aisle are not recommended because they do not meet the needs of a growing infant at this stage in development.
Texture and consistency are extremely important for the first feedings. Adding water, breast milk, or formula to the cereal, parents should take care to ensure the cereal is not overly lumpy or thick as this might prove difficult to swallow.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, most pediatricians, moms, and baby food cookbooks recommend introducing only one food at a time. Each single food should be served over the course of a few days. Taking this slow approach helps caregivers keep a watchful eye for dangerous food allergies. Some common food allergies are soy, wheat, milk, tree nut, peanut, egg, and shellfish. Allergic reactions in baby can take the form of loose, runny stools (diarrhea), vomiting, or even hives. If a parent introduces a food and shortly thereafter the child experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, they should call their pediatrician for advice. Food allergies can be serious and need to be addressed quickly.
In the book Mommy Made and Daddy Too: Home Cooking for A Healthy Baby & Toddler, a book written by parents Martha and David Kimmel for parents which has been helping ease children into solid food since 1990, the authors recommend starting vegetables after the first two to three months of cereals. The idea is simple but elegant in its straightforwardness: leave the sweetest things and food items with the highest likelihood of allergy for last to keep baby safe and avoid developing a sweet tooth before the first tooth even sprouts! The Kimmels suggest this general rule of thumb for introduction of fruits and veggies, “yellow first, orange and pale next, dark green and red last.” They also advise dropping the following ingredients from baby’s diet in the first year entirely: white table sugar, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, shellfish, eggs, fried foods, unripe fruit, chocolate, candy of any kind, honey, potato chips, tomatoes, corn, and processed meats like hot dogs or bologna.
It is particularly important to avoid the use of honey in baby food during the first year because, as the American Academy of Family Physicians notes, “Although the worldwide incidence of infant botulism is rare, the majority of cases are diagnosed in the United States. An infant can acquire botulism by ingesting Clostridium botulinum spores, which are found in soil or honey products.” Infant botulism is no laughing matter, and while honey may have a sweet taste and many benefits to adults, it should not be given to infants under one year of age for this reason.
Another important point parents should take into consideration is their own diet. Beyond maintaining a good health for the parents’ own needs, mothers, fathers, and other caregivers need to be role models from the very start. Giving baby a healthy start means making healthy choices. Children model the things they see in their environment. A child old enough to eat table food will notice his or her parent’s choices and mimic them—for better or worse. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, “For your child’s sake as well as your own, cut out your salt use and watch how much fat you consume. Provide a good role model by eating a variety of healthy foods.”
There are two main options in baby food for parents: buy it at the store or make it at home. Many recipe books exist on the market for those interested in making their own home made baby food masterpieces. It can be cost effective and relatively simple. Meanwhile, store bought baby food has come a long way in recent times and also provides a flexible list of menu options for infants.
Recipes for home made baby food exist by the score on both internet sites such as http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ or in the bookstore or library with titles like Mommy Made and Daddy, Too or Simply Natural Baby Food. Homemade foods can coincide family dinners with similar ingredients and therefore be made at the same time or made ahead of time and stored for later use. Generally speaking, homemade baby foods consist of cooked vegetables or fruits that have been reduced to a nice glob of mush. This means that parents planning to go the do-it-yourself route will need a blender. Other handy items include: a paring knife, slotted spoons, ladles, spatulas, measuring cups, graters, colanders, strainers, saucepans with lids, and a vegetable steamer. Storage generally takes the form of freezing or placing in the refrigerator.
Buying baby food at the store is a good choice for busy parents and offers a wide selection of foods. Store bought foods can be used in conjunction with homemade foods, as well. Organic baby foods exist for interested parents in addition to more traditional baby foods. The packaging is portable and easily stored in the pantry or the refrigerator. As with any packaged food, parents should be careful not to purchase swollen packaging (can indicate spoilage) or packages with broken seals (indicative of possible tampering).
Baby’s first foods are his or her gateway into a healthy life filled with all the wonders of solid foods. Foods introduced at this age will shape children’s eating patterns for the future. Whether making food at home or buying quality foods in the baby food aisle at the store, making good choices today will provide children with a good nutrition as they grow and healthier future in the years to come.
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