Introducing solid foods to your baby
Softer textures are very important when first introducing foods. Infants usually start with pureed or mashed foods around six months. As infants develop chewing and motor skills, they are able to handle items like soft pieces of fruit and finger foods.
How should I prepare food for my child to eat?
At first, it’s easier for your child to eat foods that are mashed, pureed, or strained and very smooth in texture. It can take time for your child to adjust to new food textures. Your child might cough, gag, or spit up. As your baby’s oral skills develop, thicker and lumpier foods can be introduced.
This is a huge milestone in your baby’s development! Photograph it! On Baby’s First Memories Package you can have gorgeous pictures of this wonderful phase!
Baby food feeders
Baby food feeders are a great tool for helping babies six months and older get the hang of solids—offering a safe, easy way for them to nosh on new foods. If your baby is having trouble accepting the texture of the puree in the spoon, this item will help.
Introducing solid foods to your baby
Let your child try one food at a time at first. This helps you see if your child has any problems with that food, such as food allergies. Wait 3 to 5 days between each new food. Before you know it, your child will be on their way to eating and enjoying lots of new foods.
The eight most common allergenic foods are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. Generally, you do not need to delay introducing these foods to your child, but if you have a family history of food allergies, talk to your child’s doctor or nurse about what to do for your baby.
Here are some tips for preparing foods:
- Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula, or water to make it smooth and easy for your baby to swallow.
- Mash or puree vegetables, fruits, and other foods until they are smooth.
- Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots, usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.
- Cook food until it is soft enough to easily mash with a fork.
- Remove all fat, skin, and bones from poultry, meat, and fish, before cooking.
- Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit and then cut the fruit into small pieces.
- Cut soft food into small pieces or thin slices
- Cut small spherical foods like grapes, cherries, berries, and tomatoes into small pieces.
- Cook and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, rice, and other grains.
And here there are more cute babies eating their foods for your delight
On Baby’s First Memories Session package you will have gorgeous pictures from this important milestone of your baby Are you in Calgary and do you want to have beautiful memories like these? Send me a message
How about you? Do you have any tips to help other parents in introducing solid foods to their babies? Leave it in the comments box below 🙂
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition
