Every couple of months, a good friend will call or
e-mail me to ask my opinion on when they should start feeding their baby solid
foods and what they should offer.
Because this is a topic I care about, I usually end up writing a very
lengthy e-mail response. I am by no
means an expert on this subject and did not major or master in dietetics
or nutrition—so please consult with
your pediatrician before accepting my advice.
Before my daughter was born, I read a lot of
parenting books and knew the basic 5S’s. I knew that the first few months were
going to be challenging, but I really did not know what to expect post-swaddle.
I assumed that my child was going to be a Gerber-baby—because I was one—and
because I did not know that there was an alternative.
At playdates I started hearing moms talk about a
feeding philosophy called “Baby-led weaning” (BLW). The name confused me at
first because I associated the buzzword with breastfeeding—but it really references
a term popularized by Gill Rapley, a
British public-health nurse and mother of three — babies skip spoon-feeding
altogether and parents
let baby self-feed at 6 months using finger foods like softly cooked
vegetables, soft fruits, avocado slices, strips of meat/cheese, or toast
strips. Basically, baby eats what the family eats,
with the exception of honey and fluid cow's milk (but other dairy like yogurt
and cheese is OK as long as it’s tolerated by baby). Allergenic foods are
introduced around 6 months as well, as the American Academy of Pediatrics now
states that introduction of allergens around the 6 month mark actually
decreases allergy risk. Introduce allergenic foods one at a time to watch for
reactions. Allergenic foods include wheat/gluten, nuts, dairy,
shellfish, non-shell fish, soy, eggs, and peanuts. (Source: http://aapnewsde.aap.org/aapnews-open/201302_o?pg=13#pg13)
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| My toddler with veggie sushi (no raw seafood included) |
I read a lot about BLW and
decided it was great for my family because:
1.
I am lazy. I don’t want to be a short order cook and
make one meal for my kids and one for my husband and myself.
2.
I am cheap/poor. Baby food in pouches and jars is really
expensive. (supportive article here)
3.
I think parents have an
important role in helping their children create a healthy relationship with
food. (One of the many supportive articles here)
4.
One of my parenting goals is to inspire my children to be curious about the
world and to become globally aware. Eating foods from other cultures and
discussing the country’s customs and beliefs at the dinner table is—according
to literature-- the #1 way to raise globally aware kids. (More on this below)
Baby Led Weaning is NOT for
everyone. It’s easy for me to share the benefits of BLW, but I would be remiss
if I didn’t share that it is a controversial feeding philosophy. I have many
dear friends who have also followed this method with great success. However,
one friend—a pediatrician—had a terrifying encounter when she had to administer
the Heimlich maneuver on her child. There is a lot you can read on the risks
(or not) of choking and BLW (Great article here).
We fortunately never had any choking scares—but I also would only allow
my baby to eat pureed foods when being supervised by anyone other than my
husband or myself (i.e. the babysitter).
I carefully followed my
pediatrician’s instructions when introducing solids and only introduced one new
food every three days so that I could carefully watch for an allergic reaction
in the form of diarrhea, rash or vomiting. I modified the BLW principals and
started with purees for the first two months and then moved to soft solids.
My husband and I
decided early on that we were not going to “assume” that our daughter would
prefer “kid-friendly” foods like hot dogs over more nutritious and flavorful
meals like stir-fry or curry dishes. Many
toddlers start rejecting new foods at around 18-24 months so parents really
only have a 1-year window to challenge or push the child’s pallet.
I am a big fan of
introducing textures early on. I put Quaker rolled oats oatmeal in the food
processor and used it as our very first food (cheaper and less processed than
baby cereal). The second food I introduced was quinoa cooked in the microwave
at 75% for 30 seconds with breast milk.
Then I introduced
one new purée every three days. For example: sweet potatoes + quinoa + BM. After
I determined my child was not allergic, I introduced another food ( avocado and
carrots were early favorites). Once I went through all of the traditional
firsts, then I started making combinations of foods. For example: broccoli+
lemon juice + quinoa + carrot was a favorite. Around 8 months, we started
eliminating purées and gave her small, soft bite sized bites of foods (like
broccoli). Around 9 months I started giving her modifications of our dinner.
Other fun simple puree recipes:
Sweet potato and cinnamon – Roast whole sweet potatoes until
tender, remove skin, and puree with 1 pinch of cinnamon per sweet potato,
working up to ¼ tsp. Thin with water or plain yogurt. Other add-ins: ground
ginger, nut butters.
Avocado and cumin – Mash 1 avocado with 2 pinches of
ground cumin. Thin with water or olive oil. Other add-ins: squeeze of lime,
cilantro (baby guacamole!).
Butternut squash and sage – Halve a butternut squash, scoop out
seeds, rub with olive oil, and roast skin side up until tender. Puree squash
flesh with ½ tsp finely chopped fresh sage. Thin with water or olive oil. Other
add-ins: parmesan cheese.
Quick advice: One
time I thought I was being “ambitious” and made a stock pile of freezer pureed
baby food. I made way too much and most
of it didn’t get eaten because my daughter wasn't as interested in being fed as she was feeding herself.
Sample “Daily Meal” Plans:
10-12 months
6:30 a.m. breastmilk (on tap)
8:30 a.m. toast and
fruit with breastmilk in sippy cup.
11:00 a.m. chicken
pot pie with veggies and fruit with a sippy cup of breastmilk
2:30 p.m. goldfish
crackers and sippy of breastmilk
5 p.m. Breastfeed
6:00 spaghetti with
meatballs and peas
7 p.m. breastfeed before bed.
Global Babies:
In many countries,
babies are not fed bland rice cereals as their first foods rather, they
introduced to spices from the start. In India for example, they think nothing
of adding a bit of curry spices to baby's foods at a very early age. Thai
families often incorporate coconut milk, lemongrass, tamarind and even chili
when feeding their babies solid foods. Latino babies are exposed to taste of
wonderful herbs and spices such as cumin, cilantro and even chili peppers!
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| My toddler eating Korean dish with chopsticks |
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| My daughter at 16 months eating traditional Ethiopian food |
On
Marketing to your Children:
Companies like Kellogg’s and Kraft spend millions of
dollars (maybe even billions) annually marketing food to kids. If it’s OK for them to do it—why can’t
parents do a little branding of their own?
Even though my daughter is a very good eater, she has picky
moments. It’s during these difficult
times that I get creative. Here are a
few examples:
- I made something for dinner and my daughter decides she doesn’t like it (even though she liked it the last two times I made it). I then ask if she would like for me to add “magic sprinkles” to the meal (also known as chia seeds) and instantly the meal is transformed into something desirable and edible.
- The oatmeal I made for breakfast doesn’t taste good (even though it’s the same recipe I often use and she loves). Instead of forcing her to eat it, I double the recipe, add an egg white, put it in pink polka dot muffin tins and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. If I offer her the “cupcakes” thirty minutes later she is asking for “more, more”.
- I re-brand food items with more fun names. For example: homemade granola bars=cookies
- I bought a spiralizer recently and made homemade macaroni and cheese using zucchini instead of noodles
- “Dessert” at our house is often berries
- To encourage more milk drinking, my husband makes my daughter “lattes” or lightly warmed milk that he steams. She feels like such a big girl!
- We occasionally invite “Minnie Mouse” (stuffed animal) to eat with us. Minnie LOVES (insert food toddler wont touch) making it more appealing.
- I always serve my toddler food on my real (everyday) china. I treat her like a “big girl” at the table and expect her to have big girl manners. By treating her like a big girl, there is a sense of pride and privilege. Presentation matters to her—if I just put food on her high chair tray, she would feel like a baby.
- I always serve food in courses starting with the vegetable item when she is most hungry.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/littlefoodiesofstl/
The best BLW Facebook group moderated by a friend of mine who happens to be a dietician
and mother.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/3/e827.full.html
Great resource by the American Academy of Pediatrics for breastfeeding mothers
on infant nutrition
http://www.babyledweaning.com/some-tips-to-get-you-started/