How to introduce solid food to your baby? Well If you are a new mom, you just need to educate yourself a little on the kind of food that is healthy and is applicable to the taste buds of your child when introducing solid food to your baby is not difficult. You will be assured that your baby grows into a food loving toddler, a healthy teenager and a well nourished adult when you start your baby on eating healthy home-cooked food as often as possible. The three best ways of introducing children to fruits and vegetables are with soups, juices and smoothies.
Between five to six month
At this time you can start introducingpureed solids, beginning with baby rice and then any vegetables, followed by fruits. Use the vegetables you’re eating, but don’t add salt during cooking. How to cook: Cook the vegetables until soft, then puree until smooth, adding boiled water, add more water if it’s too thick. When you start mixing flavors, use a maximum of three ingredients, and make sure to use the freshest ingredients.
At Six Months
By this time start introducing a little chicken meat, tropical fruits, berries, dairy products, and oats. Don’t give commercial bread and commercial breakfast cereals as both contain enormously high levels of salt which is not good for the baby’s health. It is best to just make your own bread or just give them pasta, which most little ones love to play with as well as eat. Organic oat-based cereals are excellent too but don’t forget that they can be very filling so keep the portions small to avoid the risk of excluding other types of healthy food from baby’s diet.
At Nine Months
Start offering eggs, beans and fish.
At Age 2
From the age of two you can give shrimps and other shellfish, but its best to wait another couple of years before letting them eat mussels, scallops or oysters.
Pre-school years
This is your last chance before your child get exposed to unhealthy foods, so now’s the time to train your child to eat healthy foods. Slowly introduce them to more adventurous foods like grilled chicken breast with roast vegetables, which children often prefer to steamed or boiled vegetables. Start using more garlic, onions, herbs and spices in cooking and always make sure that they have plenty of fresh fruit to go with it.
Weaning tips:
- Don’t try more than one new flavor a day.
- Try out new foods between meals as a taster so baby doesn’t associate foods he or she doesn’t like with mealtimes.
- If some food gets spat out, don’t give up; it may take six or more attempts before baby accepts that particular taste.
Note:
- Children shouldn’t be given nuts or seeds like peanuts and peanut butter until they’re five because of the risk of allergic reactions.
- If you have an option, buy organic food and make sure you wash them before use, even organic ones.
