What's a good idea for a first food? - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

Laetitia · 09-18-2006, 08:05 AM

I won't start Spencer on solids until he's six months old. I will not be feeding him cereal or jarred baby food.

So, with that out of the way, what's a good first food? My mom remembers bananas being a big hit with us at six months, and my MIL waited until eight months with DH (he was a very allergic baby). Neither one used cereal or jarred food because it's often over-processed and just too expensive! Any suggestions?

MJCota · 09-18-2006, 08:56 AM

You should really start you son on cereal atleast so he get's use to eating solids (rice cereal is best for first foods, full of vitamins when mixed with formula or breastmilk). Table foods are okay for a baby at 6 months (my son is 6 1/2 months and has bread, teething cooking, beans, mash potatos, bananas and such) but if your DH was allergic to alot of stuff you might want to try out the stage one of baby food JUST to rule out ANY allergies your son might have. Beech nut is a very good brand and only adds water to help with thickness of the food. Then after you rule them out you can give him most cooked veggies, banana's, strawberries (though my son didn't like them lol), mash potatoes, little pieces of bread and things like that. My ped just told me what I could give me son, any table foods we eat as long as they are soft and they are easy for the baby to gum. Good luck!!

debating · 09-18-2006, 10:05 AM

Hi Laetitia!!

Good for you for not doing cereal!! I believe infant cereal to over processed and nutritionally void. They are refined so much so that they greatly effect their glycemic index, and over time can contribute type 2 diebetes, obesity, etc.

And to make matters worse, because everything has been taken out, any nutritional value must then be added back in. Otherwise known as "fortified", or "enriched". Infants also don't produce the digestive enzymes needed to break down grains until after their first year. Wheat and rice are now being added to the allergen list, which means you should wait until after the 1st year to introduce them.

We're also not doing jarred foods. The jury is still out on purees. They kind of gross me out, and I don't like the idea of force feeding her mush, but I let her self feed some mushed avocado the other day and she loved it! So, I might make some home made purees for her to "play" with. I also have a sweet potato in the oven as I type!!

Don't worry about getting Spencer used to eating solids, he'll do it when he's ready, there is no rush! You're also breastfeeding, which is MORE then enough nutrition for the first year, so you're good there. Have fun with solids, Ava was SO funny the other day with her avocado, it was such a riot! I can't wait to see how the sweet potato goes.

j baby · 09-18-2006, 11:10 AM

how about pureed meats? unlikely to cause allergies, and meat is often times easier to digest than fruits/veggies.

soon2bmommy · 09-18-2006, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laetitia

I won't start Spencer on solids until he's six months old. I will not be feeding him cereal or jarred baby food.

Good for you! The only way cereal can be considered "good" for a baby is because it has formula or BM in it. It's just empty calories, a filler. I have in the last few days been starting to give DS bits of things, he loves his mesh feeder. I put grapes, steamed apples, basically lots of fruits in it, and he's starting to finally enjoy some veggies. At first he hated them. I don't like eating anything canned and all, I'm a fresh food nut, so DS gets the same.. No jarred food or those cereal shavings... I read a few places that said started meats early is good because of the proteins and all in them, but I have yet to run them by my ped. I have a nutritionist appt coming up sometime soon so I'll probably ask her along with my ped.