Clients often ask me when is best to start their baby on solids, and which ones? Best is to observe your baby’s interest and his developmental characteristics. Every baby is different, so go on intuition and clear sign of interests rather what a book or an “expert” has told you. We now know that is recommended not to feed solids before six months and some pediatricians even suggest we can wait until nine months. If your baby displays great interest in your food, I’d go ahead and dip a finger in and let her try and taste what you are eating. Start slowly; your breast milk is still the best source of nutrition for your child.
When I speak of developmental characteristics, I mean your baby’s ability to swallow. Babies are born with a tongue thrust reflex. When their lips are touched, their tongue moves out of their mouth. This reflex helps them to be able to suck from a breast. They also have a gag reflex that pushes any objects from the back of the mouth back out. At about four to six months of age, both of these reflexes begin to diminish.
Typically between seven and nine months, the appearance of her first tooth signals her physiological readiness for food. Continuing to breastfeed, you can slowly introduce other foods one at a time. Babies do not need complicated gourmet meals, one food at the time is the best path to the introduction of solids and will helps you identify any allergic reaction to a particular food.
Thus far, the food your baby has been eating everyday (your milk) is protein-rich and high in both fats and easy to digest carbohydrates; not to mention it is fresh, unprocessed and additive-free. Please don’t believe that the overtly advertised rice cereal is indeed the best food. In fact to my knowledge is one of the least nutritious and quite filled with empty calories.
Ideally, your baby’s food should be like your milk—utterly unsullied, with easily-to-assimilate carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
So what is baby’s best food? Avocado, yams, pears, potato, green beans, winter squash, carrots applesauce, peaches, apricots, pears, nectarines, and plums. Start with cooked fruit. Once cooked fruit is accepted try raw mashed fruit. Somewhere between nine to twelve months add grains. Try to use whole grains versus refined baby cereals: brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, barley, millet. Buy commercial whole grain cereals or make your own by toasting the grains and grinding in a mill. Twelve months and after, add protein, either from egg yolk or beans and, if you must, from lean meat. A note on animal flesh, you do not need to feed meat to your baby for protein intake, there are plenty alternatives and your milk is rich in protein already. Animal products are hard to digest and live in the stomach for a long time before they are processed, versus fruit and vegetables which are quickly absorbed. High omega-3 egg yolk provides protein and essential fatty acids.
