Everything you need to know about introducing solid foods to your little one, including baby led weaning, recipes packed with nutrients, when its safe to try peanut butter, and more!
As a holistic newborn care specialist and doula, I frequently receive inquiries about introducing solid foods to newborns. While this new journey is an exciting milestone for both parents and their little ones, it can also bring about questions and uncertainties. In this comprehensive article, we delve into the culinary world with newborns, exploring essential topics like allergies, purees, portion sizes, and meal planning. Let’s get started and embark on your baby's food journey together!
When is the appropriate time to start introducing solids to your baby?
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting to start solids until a baby is 6 months old, as this is when most babies are developmentally ready. However, some families receive approval from pediatricians to start fortified rice cereal as early as 4 months, and new theories encourage a wide variety of flavors and textures being introduced between 4-6 months as beneficial. It’s important to have this conversation with your doctor, and know that it’s okay to move slow until you notice many of these signs:
• Sitting upright with minimal or no support.
• Moving food around in the mouth instead of immediately spitting it out.
• Showing interest in foods and opening their mouth when offered food.
• Attempting to hold small objects.
It’s normal for babies to spit out food as they learn to use their tongue properly. However, if your child instantly spits out food, it may indicate that their thrust reflex hasn't faded enough. In such cases, you can postpone introducing solids for another week or two and try again. Typically, the thrust reflex fades between 4-6 months of age. At that point, their tongue pushes food to the back of their mouth, and they are able to swallow.
Even if your little one doesn't appear interested, which is entirely normal, make sure to regularly offer foods starting at 6 months. Allowing your baby to touch, smell, see, and play with food is beneficial exposure to becoming familiar with it.
It’s essential to note that a significant portion of your child's nutritional needs will still come from breast milk until they reach 1 year of age.
How do I feed my baby safely? Spoon/Puree vs Baby Led Weaning
The two main styles of introducing solids are called spoon feeding and baby led weaning, both require adult supervision. In spoon feeding, you use purees to spoon feed your baby. During baby led weaning, you offer soft finger foods cut larger than the size of an adult finger, your baby can pick up and feed themselves with, think foods your baby can suck on and mash in their mouth. You don’t have to stick to one style, many families offer a combo of both and often times this will be decided by your baby and what they prefer.
Spoon / Puree
The widely recognized approach often suggested by pediatricians, places the parent or caregiver in charge of feeding. With this technique, you control the feeding process, starting with spoon-feeding purees and gradually introducing lumpy mashes. As your baby matures and shows readiness, you can progress to soft solid finger foods and eventually incorporate soft table foods. Ensuring a gradual advancement of textures in line with your baby's developmental stages, is essential for establishing good eaters.
How to:
1.) Feed your child their breastmilk or formula, and let them digest for at least 20-30 minutes.
2.) Place them in a comfortable high chair, sitting upright and supported.
3.) Use a baby appropriate spoon, which is narrow in size, with a shallow bowl and often covered in silicone as that is most gentle on gums and for teething.
4.) Fill your spoon with baby puree, make sure not to overload the spoon as that can be overwhelming to your baby. About half the spoon being full is fine. The puree should be thick enough to swallow but often mixed with water or breastmilk to thin it out a bit. If using store bought puree, stage one food is where you start.
5.) Bring the spoon up to the babies mouth, but do not force it in. Let your child open their mouth and choose when to take a bite.
6.) Once the spoon is in your babies mouth, placed over the tongue, let them close their mouth to take the food off themselves.
Approaching puree feeding this way puts the responsibility and control in their hands. You do not want to force food in or try to feed when they are not paying attention.
Some babies like to grab the spoon which is great! Let them try to feed themselves if interested. Some parents keep a spoon themselves and take turns to make sure the baby is eating somewhat efficiently, and not wasting all the food as they learn.
Pros: Less mess, you can purchase pre made meals, possibly less food waste
Cons: Easier to overfeed baby, baby relies on you to eat, requires progression to textured foods
Baby Led Weaning
More parents are beginning to use this newer technique which promotes self-feeding and textured foods from the beginning. With this approach infants are in control of what and how much they eat by being offered large strips of soft foods they can pick up and put in their mouth.
It is recommended that this approach not be started before 6 months of age due to the infant having an easier time swallowing and picking up objects by 6 months.
Many parents are concerned about choking using this method, and so far, there has been no evidence to show that this method leads to a higher risk of choking when done properly. In fact, your babies gag reflux is further forward at 6 months, so it could be more beneficial. In her article “8 Tips to Prevent Choking” Sarah Remmer a nutrition expert lays out the safest practices to prevent choking during baby led weaning.
How to:
1.) Feed your child their breastmilk or formula, and let them digest for at least 20-30 minutes.
2.) Place them in a comfortable high chair, sitting upright and supported.
3.) Offer one or two slices / strips of a soft food (avocado, ripe peach, banana, cooked sweet potato) by placing it on the tray in front of your baby
4.) Let your child pick up the food and put it in their mouth and suck / eat.
5.) Offer water in a sippy cup during BLW. Most babies won’t drink the water this early and it’s not meant to replace breastmilk or formula. It is simply to introduce your little one to using a cup and drinking small amounts of water if desired.
6.) Some parents like to also offer purees during BLW if they feel their little one isn’t getting in enough calories or nutrients
Seasoned Tip: The foods should generally have a soft texture, and be easily squished between your fingers, except for large pieces of meat. As your baby works their way to a smaller piece of food, replace it with a larger one to prevent them from putting a chunk of food into their mouth.
Pros: Greater acceptance of food, baby controls hunger cues easier, good practice for oral and motor skills, baby is less reliant on you to eat
Cons: Messy, more food waste, must be aware of foods not having added sugar or salt, not meeting calorie needs, baby will gag more as they learn to eat
What food is best to start with?
There is no scientific evidence that shows which food you start with will have a long-term effect on your baby’s palate or nutrition. Within a few weeks your child will have a diverse diet, so the specific food you start with doesn’t really matter. I often opt for no cook options like avocado or banana. The goal here is to introduce one food at a time every 3 days, starting with one meal a day. Within a few weeks you likely will have 2-3 meals per day and be combining flavors so your child gets a wide variety of flavors, textures and nutrients. Your child does not need any salt or added sugar in their diet.
Many pediatricians recommend iron fortified cereal early on, because by 6 months the reserves of iron your baby built up during pregnancy are beginning to deplete so having an iron rich diet is important for development. There are many additional ways to get iron including meat, spinach, lentils and formula.
Popular First Foods Include
Avocado
Iron Fortified Cereal
Oatmeal
Pea Puree
Amy the creator of Yummy Toddler Food, is someone I love following on Instagram for her easy culinary creations and picky eater tips. Above I linked some of her recipes for first foods. At the bottom of this article I link to some of her meal plans as well.
What products should I get for introducing solids?
A safe place for baby to sit
High chair, portable high chair or age appropriate booster seat. Having your baby sit on your lap requires them to put too much energy into sitting up right, vs learning to eat! High chairs with a foot rest help with good posture too.
Bibs
Baby-friendly plate, bowl or feeding mat
Having a shallow bowl / plate encourages the baby to grab food and self feed. It also helps portions to stay small. Some clients use the high chair tray at the beginning, which works just as well.
Baby-friendly utensils
Ergonomically designed for babies and made from soft things like silicone or rubber to protect babies gums and remain durable.
Food storage trays and containers
Much of what you have in the home will work, but as babies grow it can be nice to have smaller containers to separate snacks and be easier for kids to carry.
Splash mat
Great for protecting floors and easier clean up after messy meals!
How much solid foods should I feed my baby?
Formula and breastmilk will remain baby’s primary source of calories and nutrition until they are 12 months old. When first introducing solids, aim to feed baby about an hour after drinking formula or breastmilk to help make sure solid foods do not cause a significant decrease in baby’s milk intake. Aim to feed solids once or twice per day, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Once baby gets the hang of eating, you can slowly graduate up to eating 2 - 3 times per day, 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time.
At this point it’s still important to follow your baby’s hunger cues; your baby may want more or less than those amounts, and that’s OK!
What are hunger cues when baby is eating solids?
· Leaning toward food and opening mouth
· Getting excited when baby sees food
· Follows food with their eyes
· Lets you know they’re still hungry using hand motions or sounds
What are fullness cues when baby is eating solids?
· Pushing food away or throws food on the floor
· Closes mouth and turns head away when offered food
· Let’s you know they’re full by using hand motions or sounds
Practicing responsive eating is of utmost importance, allowing your little one to indicate when they're done. This phase helps your baby to listen to their body's signals and stop eating when they feel full. Avoiding forceful feeding ensures a positive experience, allowing both you and your baby to eagerly anticipate the next meal. Remember, it's perfectly okay to leave a last scoop of food in the jar. An empty plate doesn't define a "good eater," as various factors contribute to a healthy eating journey, and everyone's preferences are different. Let your baby guide you in discovering what works best for them.
When is it appropriate to introduce allergy prone foods?
There is no evidence that waiting to introduce baby-safe (soft) foods, such as eggs, dairy, soy, peanut products or fish, beyond 4 to 6 months of age prevents food allergy. In fact, many encourage more exposure to allergy prone foods over time leads to a reduce sensitivity. However, testing for peanut allergy is recommended for babies with severe eczema and/or egg allergy. Check with your child's doctor about how and when to give peanut products.
Offer the food to your child in tiny amounts at the beginning, ideally earlier in the day and not right before a nap, so you can monitor reactions. Check for adverse reactions such as hives or welts, flushed skin or rash, and face, tongue, or lip swelling. Call 911 if there are any life-threatening reactions or your baby has trouble breathing.
If one parent in the household has a severe allergy, there are brands like Ready Set Food that make it easier to introduce allergens such as peanuts, so the parent isn’t risking exposure to themselves when their child has peanut butter all over their hands!
Are there any foods to avoid with my Reflux baby?
Luckily by 4-6 months a babies digestive system is more developed, which decreases the likely hood of reflux / flare ups. That said, there are definitely some foods that are known to cause more discomfort and can be avoided as first foods. Rice Cereal may lead to excess gas / wind and constipation so some families try oatmeal instead. Apples, oranges and banana cam be too acidic for some tummies. Pears are the least acidic fruit and may be the best fruit to try first.
In all, every baby is different, so just because a food is listed as reflux prone, doesn’t mean it will cause issues for your little one, so it’s important to try one at a time and observe how your baby tolerates it.
What vitamins and minerals does my baby need?
I encourage introducing a variety of foods over time, paying attention to different nutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamins. Many formulas also contain added nutrients, so its good to be aware of what your baby’s formula provides when taking into account meal plans.
Iron
Red meat, spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables (Swiss chard, beet, collard greens, Bok Bhoy, kale); beans (lentils, garbanzos, navy, kidney, black, pinto); tofu, and iron-fortified infant cereals.
Zinc
Beef, lamb, turkey, shrimp, pumpkin and sesame seeds, lentils, garbanzos, spinach, asparagus, quinoa, yogurt, fortified grains, tofu, tahini, and tempeh.
Vitamin C
Red bell pepper, orange, grapefruit, kiwifruit, broccoli, strawberries, cantaloupe, and tomato.
Vitamin A
Sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell pepper, and other orange- and red-colored fruits and vegetables; dark green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, spinach, chard, beet and mustard greens), as well as yogurt, fortified whole milk, and pickled herring.
Vitamin D
Salmon, fortified whole milk*, fortified milk alternatives*, sardines, egg yolk, canned light tuna, and some fortified whole grain cereals.
*Note that babies under 1 year should not be given cow’s milk or plant-based milk alternatives to drink; however, these can be used in small amounts in recipes.
How can I be sure what nutrients they are getting from my breast milk?
I wouldn’t worry, so long as their calorie needs are met, your breastmilk is providing wonderful nutrients. That said there a company called The Lactation Lab in Santa Monica, CA that will test your breast milk and give a full report on its nutrient value. Which some of my clients found fun.
What are popular baby food brands?
As a holistic newborn care specialist, I try to recommend products that studies have shown are baby safe. This means transparency and high standards within the company. Many of these products you can order online or pick up at your local grocer. There are so many good options, these are just a few of my clients top favorites.
· Sprout
· Gerber
How to play with herbs and spices?
Babies do not need added sugar or salt in their meals, but it is perfectly fine and encouraged to play around with different herbs and spices as your babies diet grows. You would approach this similar to introducing new foods, by starting with one at a time and expanding from there.
I unfortunately am no chef, but I found this Mummy Cooks Blog to be super helpful when exploring new flavors in the kitchen. Her post goes over many safe recipes, their benefits, and how to adapt family meals like chicken noodle soup and pasta, for little ones.
Meal Planning
Learning how to store baby food for later and adapting what you eat to be healthy for your baby, can be a huge time saver when it comes to meal planning for your little one. Start your morning with oatmeal or eggs? Great, your baby would love those options too. Just make sure to salt your food separately!
Below I have linked some easy recipes and ideas for kids. While variety is important, you can also expect your child to eat the same meals a few days a week and that’s perfectly fine. One avocado or sweet potato will last you 3-4 days when stored properly.
Safety First!
Last but certainly not least, I always recommend my clients watch a refresher course in infant CPR / Choking. Many babies will gag as they explore new foods which is totally normal, but can be scary for parents. Knowing how to distinguish choking vs gaging, and also avoiding certain foods is important the first 12 months.
Tiny Hood offers a great free resource video on infant CPR / Choking
Happy Family has a great article about choking hazards for infants and toddlers.