Many questions come to your mind at the mention of your baby’s first foods. But what do we mean when discussing this common topic among new parents? Breast milk, baby formula, or solid food.
In the first months of life, breast milk or milk formula fully satisfies the baby’s nutritional needs, and the immature digestive tract of the infant better absorbs liquid food. As your baby grows, so does his or her need for proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other essential trace elements, and you need to expand your little one’s diet.
So when we talk about your baby’s first food, we are most likely talking about complementary foods or first solid foods.
Starting Complementary Foods
According to the latest recommendations of the pediatric community, additional food other than breast milk or formula should be introduced when the child is about 6 months, this process is called weaning.
In certain situations, complementary foods can be started earlier but only after 17 full weeks of life!
Before starting solids, visit your pediatrician to ensure your baby is ready for the new food.
Signs that your baby is ready for solid foods:
- The baby is holding his/her head up fully;
- Sits up mostly without support;
- Opens his/her mouth when a spoonful of food is brought to him/her;
- Turns away from the spoon when not hungry;
- The baby is able to close the mouth with the spoon in his mouth, hold food in his mouth, and then swallow rather than push it out or spit it out.
So, you’ve made sure your baby is ready to learn new tastes, and now you want to choose the right products that will benefit your baby the most.
What food should be first introduced to the baby?
Pediatricians recommend starting first complementary feedings with gluten-free porridge or vegetable or fruit puree. The choice depends on how your child develops, his or her tendency to allergies, intestinal function, weight, etc. For example, if your baby is prone to constipation, you can introduce vegetable or fruit puree first, and if the stool is watery, it is better to start with porridge.
A sample list of products to be introduced:
- Vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, carrots, and potatoes);
- Gluten-free cereals (rice, corn), followed by gluten-free cereals: wheat and oatmeal;
- Fruits of your choice, you can give fruits at any time, as a snack or with the main meal (for example, with cereals);
- Meat (turkey, chicken, beef) with vegetable puree or porridge;
- Fish (salmon, pomfret, sardine).
As a top-quality baby food vendor, Organics Best recommends starting the first foods with organic purees or cereals made only from fruits and vegetables grown in eco-friendly areas and do not contain flavors, preservatives, and GMOs.
Choose safe products that meet all the requirements for baby food production, and then the introduction of new foods will work perfectly! Remember to continue giving your child breast or formula milk alongside these new foods for at least a couple of months to ensure they are getting all the nutrients they need. Most babies will play with these new foods and spit them back out so don’t automatically replace their milk with food.
However, once your are ready to remove the milk you may find you have a surplus left over. If it is stored breast milk you can donate this to your local children’s hospital or milk bank, ask your midwife for details. If it is formula you can use sites such as sellformula to sell on your unwanted formula and make some money.