Starting Solids

Welcome to the wonderful world of food! This is an incredible milestone in both you and your babe’s life. When starting out, it might seem pretty intimidating and scary at first. But you’ll soon find out that having your little one discover different textures, smells, tastes and flavours is so fun and really entertaining for you to watch!   

As a holistic nutritional consultant with over 10 years in the health and nutrition industry and mama to a 19-month-old rascal named Sage, I’m going to share with you some of the best ways to make food fun. This simple guide is helpful for families who are meat-eaters, vegetarian, vegan and everything in-between. I got you, babe.

Signs of Readiness

Before we talk about babe, let’s talk about your readiness.  There’s an overwhelming amount of information out there on ‘the best way to feed’ your babe, but ultimately, it comes down to what works for you and your family.  However, I can’t stress enough the importance of taking a baby CPR and choking class, whether it be online or in person.  It’s heart-stopping scary to see your child choking.  Preparing yourself with the skills to act fast and knowledge of what to do can take an incredible amount of stress away from feedings.

How do you know when your little one is ready to start solids?  It’s not all about that 6-month mark or how much they weigh. Some babies are ready (a little bit) sooner and others later than 6 months.  Development of the digestive system is the number one determining factor of readiness for food.  But how do we know when that is?  Research shows that it’s around the 6-month mark of a full-term baby when their tummy can handle food.  Introducing solids before their little digestive system is ready is linked with health risks like food sensitivities/allergies, and increased illness. 

The best thing you can do for your little one is to nurture a good relationship with food for life and not rush or force them.  Look at the signs of readiness as a whole, not just one or two things.  Signs of readiness include:

• Babe is nearing or around the 6 – 8-month mark

• Babe is able to sit well, unsupported with their head up

• Babe has shown interest (looking, watching, grabbing, (or straight up snatching) your food while you eat

• Babe is ready and willing to chew

• Babe can pick things up with their fingers and thumb, a.k.a “pincer” grasp is developing

• Babe has lost their tongue-thrust reflex (stops pushing solids out with his tongue when offered)

Please note that babe’s weight is not listed as a sign of readiness. Evidence shows that babies who are over or underweight are not a determining factor for introducing foods early.  If your babe is struggling with their weight before 6 months and it’s causing concern, seek professional help from a pediatric nutritionist/dietician.

Preparing for a Mess

Prepare for a mess, a BIG mess!  Your babe is going to get down and dirty with food. That includes flinging, throwing, dropping, wiping and smashing food in places you never thought possible.  I recommend a bib that catches spills made from easy to clean silicon material like this one and using either newspaper (compostable) or a shower curtain below their high chair for easy cleanups.  Suction bowls and plates are your best friend to help avoid spills.  The suction bowls and plates can be found in your style and colour on Amazon.

How to Start

If you’re breastfeeding, nurse your babe before starting solids.  Breast milk contains protective nutrients, probiotics and enzymes that will help prepare your babe’s tummy for new foods. It’s okay to nurse them after eating too!

• Avoid feeding meals right before bedtimes as this can interfere with their sleep.

• Let your baby lead the way and be realistic with your expectations. 

• Not every food will be something your babe wants or likes. It’s common for littles to love a food one day and want nothing to do with it the next.

• Be patient and make extra time for feedings.

• Babies learn by using all of their senses, allow them to play with their food and discover the textures, tastes, sensations and smells.

• Have fun!  Be silly with foods, no one is judging you – release that inner playful kid.  Talk about the foods you’re eating, describe them to babe as they eat.  Are blueberries squishy? Squeeze and smush them yourself!  Make noises and sound effects.  “Wow!  When you drop butternut squash puree on the ground it sure makes a big splat!” 

First Foods

The best foods to start feeding your babe are vegetables.  Sweeter tasting root veggies like butternut squash and yams or sweet, fatty, rich avocados are another great beginner food.  

Introduce one food per week and monitor how your little one reacts over the few days.  Some common signs a baby is not tolerating food well include; refusal to eat, rashes, bum redness, constipation or diarrhea. 

Experiment with herbs and spices!  Herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano and mint are great additions to first foods like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, peas, and broccoli.  Spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and curry pair amazingly with pears, baked bananas and cauliflower.  Adding herbs and spices broaden your babe’s palette, punch up flavours and add an extra dose of health benefits in just a pinch.  For herbs, use ¼ - ½ tsp and for spices, use no more than 1/8 tsp for every 3 cups of pureed food. 

Add in your breast milk to their foods (use your breast milk in place of water for recipes) to help ease the transition between breast milk and solids. A cool way to incorporate your breast milk is to have it freeze-dried.  Booby Food is a service for mamas based in Calgary, they pick up your frozen breast milk and freeze dry it into a shelf-stable, travel-friendly powder. You can sprinkle in your breast milk to any meal whether you’re pureeing, or baby-led weaning to make sure they keep getting the protective and health benefits of breast milk.  Freeze-dried breast milk is great because adding it to your babe’s food won’t make it into a soupy, runny mess. 

Baby Led or Purees?

This brings us to the parental debate over baby led weaning (BLW) or pureed foods.  I’ll start by saying first and foremost, whichever works for your family is best!  Baby Led weaning became a trending practice in the early 2000’s with parents finding it easier and faster to feed their babe the foods the whole family was eating instead of making pureed foods.  While BLW is great for helping babes discover, play, interact and learn about food while using their senses and promoting tactile development, it’s not for every family.

A major concern with exclusive BLW is that babe will not be getting enough nutritious foods.  Research shows there is a void of data indicating BLW is more nutritious than pureed foods. More and more health professionals are warning parents about BLW because many families eat foods that are not suitable for the baby's digestive system; high in sodium, (bad) fats, additives and preservatives.  Children 5 and under are the most at risk for malnutrition and the foods we feed them now lays the foundation for health for years to come.

Homemade purees offer a fresh, nutrient-dense and easy to feed meal for babes.  There are so many different flavor combinations and delicious recipes that even parents like to eat.  Purees are great to serve semi-frozen to help with teething or warmed up to soothe an upset tummy.  The risk for choking when using purees is greatly reduced and they’re easily transportable for on-the-go feeds.  As you can tell, I’m a big, big fan of using purees for the bulk of babe’s first foods.

Making homemade purees while babe is watching creates a more interactive experience and shows how food is prepared and served.  Spending a couple of hours making purees one day can supply you with over a month of meals, how’s that for fast and easy.

What I do LOVE about BLW is the tactile experience with pinching, grasping, squishing and chewing.  This is the baby’s first-time sensing control of something.  As parents, we decide pretty much everything in their life up to this point, but now it’s baby’s turn to say yes or no.  

Top Allergens

Food sensitivities and allergies can develop if foods are introduced before babe’s digestive system is ready. This is why it’s crucial to look at the signs of readiness as a whole.  The Canadian Pediatric Society, Food Allergy Canada and Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology have updated their recommendations for introducing allergenic foods to babes. They recommend to actively offer these foods after 6 months (never before 4 months) in baby-friendly ways like cooked eggs and nut butter. These recommendations are for low and high allergenic risk babies.  High allergenic risk babies are those who have had a pre-existing allergenic condition, eczema and/or have an immediate family member with allergies, eczema, hay fever or asthma.

When introducing allergenic foods, start small and monitor any reactions. Continue feeding regularly if no reactions occur and introduce only one of these foods per week. Additionally, you can mix or sprinkle your breast milk or freeze-dried breast milk (Booby Food) with these high allergenic foods. Breast milk, both liquid and freeze-dried, contains enzymes and immune protecting antibodies that help protect your babe’s intestines and prevent leaky gut syndrome, food sensitivities and allergies.

The top allergenic foods are cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, sesame, soy and wheat.

Inspiration & Support

I really find that visuals and personal experiences help to show you what expectations are and where reality lies.  There are a few awesome Instagram accounts I’d like to introduce you to for some great inspiration, recipes, tips and tricks!  These accounts also do an incredible job at showing you how much food was served and how much food was actually eaten by babe.  Check out these accounts for creative ideas and support on your food journey with babe, @feedinglittles @kids.eat.in.colour and @babyfoode.

Additional References

For more information, studies and resources, check out some of the below sites.

Kellymom.com

Llli.org

Vector.childrenshospital.org

BoobyFood.com

Food Acceptance and Nutrition in Infants and Young Children (H Coulthard, Section Editor)

FoodAllergyCanada.ca

Bio

Janna is on a mission to save mama’s breast milk from going to waste and expiring early.   She started her company Booby Food after her son was born SGA (small for gestational age) and struggling with breastfeeding, supply and pumping issues.  She never wants another mama to cry over spilt breast milk again.  Freeze drying breast milk retains more nutrients than traditional colds storage and has a long history of use in milk banks and hospitals around the world.  Booby Food turns your frozen breast milk and freeze-dries it into a shelf-stable, travel-friendly powder that lasts for years.  Not only can you make a bottle, but you can also add your freeze-dried breast milk to any food or drink as your babe grows, giving them all the health benefits and immune support long after they’re breastfeeding. Janna is a holistic nutritional consultant with a degree in kinesiology and over 10 years of experience in the health and wellness industry.  Children 5 and under are most at risk for malnutrition, but with Booby Food you can make any meal healthier and you’ll never have to waste a drop of your breast milk.

To learn more about Booby Food visit the website www.boobyfood.com or check out the behind the scene videos on Janna’s social media pages Instagram and Facebook.