i have had lots of questions from friends and co-workers about when quinn began eating solid foods and what i chose to feed him. when quinn and i went to his 3 month well-visit, the pediatrician said it was good to begin to introduce solid foods. he said to start with rice cereal and then pick a specific color fruit or vegetable and give him that for a few days, then something else in the same color group...and so on.
i was initially overjoyed at the prospect of feeding him real food, thinking that filling his tiny belly at bedtime would help him to sleep more. so i ran to the local grocery store and picked up the healthy baby rice cereal. then i began to research baby's first food, when to introduce solids, etc. then i changed my tune. getting him to sleep through the night, though a great idea, was not my number one goal. his overall health was and still is.
~american academy of pediatrics suggests introducing solids at 6 months if breastfeeding...not 3 or 4 months. more info here
~dr. mercola gives sound advice on avoiding rice cereal, starting solids at 6 months, and about what baby's first solid foods should be here
~dr. mercola gives sound advice on avoiding rice cereal, starting solids at 6 months, and about what baby's first solid foods should be here
~check out Dr. Greene's thoughts about how bad rice cereal is here
~weston a price also has thoughts here on beginning to feed your baby
~weston a price also has thoughts here on beginning to feed your baby
so i decided NOT to heed my doctor's advice (shocker, i know) and to delay solid food introduction until quinn was 6 months. his first food was then sweet potatoes. then butternut squash, avocado, applesauce, and so on. my goal has been to start quinn off on the path to health and wellness from the earliest of starts. you read everywhere or hear on television that the latest generation of kids are said to have a shorter life-expectancy than their parents. that has not happened since, like, forever! makes you scratch your head and wonder how we got here. so i decided to take a less mainstream approach and to dig a little deeper to find information about first solid foods. i also have made almost all of quinn's food myself. it really is not all that difficult, saves money in the long run, and you have the piece of mind of knowing exactly what is entering your baby's body.
Quinn's eyelashes are out of control! Handsome (and healthy) boy!
ReplyDeleteAny tips for using your own baby food while traveling? I'm expecting Baby #2 in a couple weeks and will definitely be making a lot more of our own baby food. We have a lot of family that's out of town that we visit frequently and I was looking for ideas on how we can use our own food while traveling. Thanks!! Great post!
ReplyDelete@the rigolosos - thank you. i think they are my husband's...but i can pretend i gave him those luscious lashes!
ReplyDelete@verna - i have the small cuisinart multi-purpose stick blender that i bring with me on trips. it is pretty small and easy to use so that i can blend whatever we happen to be eating (if it is healthy enough) or can blend whatever i steam for quinn. you can always pick up an avocado or banana (neither need to be cooked for baby) and have it as a backup. most people you visit might have a steamer or at least a pot that you can put a bit of water in and steam some carrots, peaches, apples. a sweet potato or butternut squash baked in the oven is also pretty easy and makes a good bit of food. i purchased oxo food storage bowls (all bpa free). they have lids so that if i plan it right i can always pop out a few frozen cubes of food into the dishes, put them in a small cooler, and they keep for sometime before thawing and eating. lastly, quinoa is a super-healthy seed that is packaged like rice (dry) but you can cook wherever. add some olive oil, lemon juice, garlic salt, etc and it is delicious. i guess you just have to bring a few tools with you and visit a local grocery store for some basics and you can keep on feeding baby homemade while on the road.
thanks for sharing those links! i'd love to read other doctors' recommendations as my 2nd son is 3 months now & i want to follow the same healthy start i did for my first son, but need a refresher :) my oldest only had happy baby's cereal and homemade foods until he was 20 months, then his sitter made him his breakfasts and lunches. i started him at 5 1/2 weeks. so glad you dug deeper!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. My little guy Cohen is also 3 months and I'm interested about the best solid food options. Love your blog btw!
ReplyDelete