Healthy Tips raising HEALTHY kids

For several years I've taught a class on "Introducing Solid Foods" to a group of new parents. I am still amazed by how much care, attention and love goes into each parent’s decision about when and how to introduce solid foods.

The introduction of solid foods is a parent's first and best chance to teach a child to enjoy a variety of tastes. While babies are born with a natural liking for sweet things, the rest of their taste preferences are learned. Children develop their palates more so between birth and age 2 than they do at any other point in their lives. It is a window of opportunity not to be missed!

Here are some of the most common questions I hear at our classes. In consultation with Mom Made's registered dietician, we’ve put together answers to these questions. We hope you find them helpful!

When is my baby ready for solid foods?

Why is solid feeding so important?

What to feed your baby?

What if he turns away?

How to start feeding your baby?

Recommended Introductory Foods

Foods to Avoid

Allergies

Why organic for my baby?

General Guideline for Introducing Foods

Food Exposure Chart

Why is frozen organic food for babies the best alternative to freshly made foods?

What type of plastic cups do you use and do they contain BPA?

Do you have cookbooks you recommend for making baby food?

A baby's palate develops significantly during the time between 6 months and two years of age.  It's important to encourage a variety of strong flavors and textures during this time.  In addition, solid feeding is an important component for motor development and social development.

Breast milk and/or formula will remain the main source of your baby's nutrition until about 9-12 months of age.  The following is a guideline on how much to feed:

Begin with 1 tablespoon of rice cereal to 3 tablespoons of breast milk or formula.  Following your baby's lead, slowly increase the amount and thickness of the cereal.  Once they are eating 2 to 3 tablespoons of cereal, add a second feeding, which can be either more cereal or a fruit/veggie.

Begin by choosing a time when the baby is not frantically hungry and open to something new.  Put some food on his lips and if he opens his mouth, put small amount of food in with the tip of the spoon.  Stop as soon as he indicates he is done (signs: lean back, press lips together, turn head away, clap lips shut, act bored). 

Always portion out the right amount of food into a separate container prior to feeding your baby; discard left over foods, refrigerate opened food and never share your baby's spoon.

Teething biscuits, carrot coins, hot dogs, and grapes can cause choking, so cut them into small pieces.  Other choking foods to stay away from include nuts, seeds, popcorn, hard candy, gum, raw veggies, etc.  

Until 12 months, stay away from honey (due to a risk of botulism in raw honey).
Babies do not need salt or sugar (including sugary drinks).

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, six foods account for 90% of food allergies in children: cow's milk, egg whites, peanuts, wheat, soy and tree nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.). Other allergenic foods include: pork, fish and shellfish, oranges and other citrus fruits, berries, chocolate, tomatoes, corn, and food additives.

Common signs of allergies are:  bloating, gassiness, rash, eczema, hives, runny nose, stuffiness, red itchy eyes, swollen eyelids, dark circles under the eyes, constant tearing, diarrhea, fussiness, vomiting or increased spitting-up, asthma, ear infections, and/or poor weight gain.  If you suspect a food allergy, stop that particular food and discuss with your family care provider.

Your baby's first year is the most important for growth and development!  Organic food is best for babies for many reasons.

Health: Your baby's brain, immune system, and hormone system are developing in his first few years.  Many non-organic fruits and vegetables contain pesticides and toxins, which can affect how our little ones grow and develop.

Environment:  Organic foods help the environment because farmers use natural methods like crop rotation and composting instead of chemicals.

Check out the list on the Environmental Working Group's http://www.foodnews.org "Dirty Dozen" list of the  fruits and veggies with the highest levels of pesticides.  Some of the most heavily pesticide-laden foods are  peaches, apples, pears  berries, and potatoes.

* These foods can cause allergies.  Speak to your doctor if allergies are a problem in your family.

Using our Food Exposure Chart, track your baby's reactions and introduce one new food no more than every three to four days.  During that time period, continue to feed food on a daily basis while looking out for signs of allergies.

Food	Date		Notes

Printable food exposure chart

Mom Made's mission is to produce organic food products for children that are as close to homemade as possible. Freezing is our "preservative". Research has shown that frozen food can be as healthy or even healthier than fresh food, depending on how long it takes fresh food to get from the farm to your table. It can be quite time intensive to go from the farm to a distributor to the store produce section.

This is in contrast to frozen food, which is picked at peak harvest and then either directly frozen or gently cooked, for example, blanched, to capture peak freshness, and then frozen. Of course, if you're talking about locally bought produce from a farmer's market versus frozen, the frozen food might be less fresh, but still pretty close to being on par with fresh food.

There's a huge difference when you compare frozen organic baby food to jarred baby food. The jarring process is very intensive. In order to jar food, you need to cook it at extreme temperatures. You can actually see the color change. The food is cooked to death, and natural nutrients are lost in this process. You see the difference in the color and the loss of texture. Jarred baby food has a "yuck factor" for parents when they feed it to their babies.

The containers we use are the safest food grade plastic available.  They do not contain BPA