Solids
Introduction
Options are baby-led weaning vs. feeding different pureed foods one at a time. No major benefits for either strategy, so do what works best for you. What we do know:
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Introducing common allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish) early on reduces risk that your kid will be allergic to them. Can introduce as early as 4 months - make sure to keep giving them the food regularly! See p. 199 of Cribsheet for more on this.
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Offer kid a wide variety of foods and keep offering them even if kid rejects them at first (takes time for kid to get used to something new). As they get a little older, don’t freak out if they don’t eat as much as you expect (kids suddenly get pickier around age 2), and keep offering them new and varied foods.
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If they won’t eat the new foods, don’t replace the foods with something else that they do like or will eat.
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Don’t use threats or rewards to coerce them to eat; works better if you say things like, “Try your red rice,” or “Tofu is a lot like chicken nuggets so you might like it.”
General rules of thumb:
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Less than 100mg sodium/serving
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No added sugars until age 2
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Can rinse canned veggies/fruits under water for a bit to reduce sodium levels by like 30%
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Canned fruit can be coated in seeds to make them easier to pick up and add nutrients
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Canned shellfish are great
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If feeding whole beans via BLW, smash them to minimize choking risk!
Links and Resources
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Solid Starts - great database for how and when to introduce various foods to babies
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Great Reddit Thread on introducing veggies and such (e.g. order and effects) - providing veg as first food increases acceptance later on, according to one study! Some evidence indicates only veggies for first month increases later acceptance as well.
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This website was recommended on forums for baby food “recipes” and tips
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On iron (Babies 6 months and older need 11mg a day - chicken liver is one of the best sources, and really cheap; Weetabix cereal is also fortified with iron)
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Nice Reddit thread on iron-rich meals for babies
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Common Allergens
Peanuts ✔️
Introduce with thinned out (with water or breast milk) peanut butter.
Eggs ✔️
Introduce soft-boiled, scrambled, or in omelet strips.
Fish ✔️
Introduce as flaked cooked fish (bones removed!) or make fish cakes from no-salt-added canned fish.
Tree Nuts ✔️
Introduce with thinned out nut butter or walnut oil.
Dairy ✔️
Introduce as yogurt, cottage cheese, soft cheese, or melted cheese. Make sure to keep it full-fat! Keep dairy limited to food (not drinking milk) for the first year, because you don't want baby to be consuming it in large quantities, because it's nutritionally incomplete compared to breast milk or formula.
Shellfish ✔️
Yuck. Shelled and de-veined shrimp, puréed crab or clams, or crab cakes.
Sesame ✔️
Introduce with thinned out tahini or cook with sesame oil.
Soy
Introduce as soft tofu, puréed edamame, or puréed tempeh. Or use soy milk to mix with other foods or soy yogurt.
Wheat ✔️
Soft pasta, cereal, porridges (cream of wheat also is fortified with iron). Soft bread, homemade pancakes or other baked, salt-free goods. Weetabix is also a big hit, and iron-fortified!
Foods Arthur Has Tasted
All the different solids he's had so far! Underlined foods are common allergens.
1. cauliflower
Puréed with breast milk. He has mixed feelings about this one. Later, when he was more used to solids, he had a plain cauliflower purée and seemed to like it quite a bit!
4. parsnip
In a store-bought baby food purée (just parsnip + water). He had mixed feelings about this at first, but grew to love it.
7. spinach
Boiled in water and then chopped - not a fan. But puréed with olive oil? He loved it!
10. sweet potato
Boiled and mashed. This is definitely one of his favorites by a wide margin - he loves it!
13. tree nuts
Homemade nut butter made of roasted almonds + hazelnuts + walnuts + Brazil nuts, thinned with water. Also the oil from a jar of pecan butter. And walnut oil mixed into various foods. He seemed to like them ok, though not as much as peanut butter.
16. ghee
As a cooking fat. Doesn't seem to impact his feelings about the food that's cooked in it.
2. peanut butter
Watered-down. He seems to enjoy it quite a bit!
5. tomato
Roasted, raw, and in tomato paste form. It took him a minute, but he eventually warmed up to all three versions!
8. pumpkin
In the form of jarred ready-made baby food purée. After initial hesitation, he liked this one quite a bit!
11. tahini
Mixed with water. He made a lot of faces while eating it, but did eat all the spoons I offered him.
14. garlic
In infused olive oil. He seemed to like it just fine, the little weirdo, although given how much of the stuff his mom eats, it kind of makes sense. Also used to season various foods, which didn't seem to impact his enjoyment of the foods.
17. lupini beans
Puréed with oat milk, white beans, and Parmesan. He seemed to like it ok!
3. egg
Both hard-boiled and scrambled. He's not a fan of hard-boiled egg whites, but likes the yolk and scrambled version a lot (probably his favorite food)
6. olive oil
Not much to report on Arthur's thoughts on this - he's only had eggs cooked in it.
9. kefir
Whole milk and homemade. This one he barely even hesitated with, but seemed to love!
12. various spices
Cinnamon, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, cumin, ginger, garam masala, fenugreek, dried thyme, curry powder, dried coriander, mustard powder - don't seem to impact how he feels about the food they're seasoned with!
15. carrots
Mashed from a jar. He seemed to really like these! Also as part of various purées, which he mostly enjoyed.
18. cheese
Powdered Parmesan, puréed with beans and oat milk.
19. oat milk
Mixed with bean purée. Hard to tell what he thought of it, because I don't think it impacted the flavor much.
20. green onion
Puréed with cauliflower and kefir. Hard to say if it impacted what he thought of the purée.
21. Weetabix
Mashed into a porridge with breast milk. He seemed to like it quite a bit!
22. nutritional yeast
Mixed with scrambled eggs. Didn't seem to impact his enjoyment of the eggs!
23. toasted sesame oil
Mixed with parsnip purée. He seemed to be a little less into the purée with the oil mixed in, but still liked it!
24. rice porridge
Mix made with rice and milk powders, reconstituted with breast milk. He really liked this one!
25. cottage cheese
He was not into this one, unfortunately. We'll keep trying
26. beef
As part of a baby food "spaghetti bolognese" purée, and part of a "huspot" purée. He did like the purées quite a bit!
27. avocado
Puréed with lime juice. He seemed to really like it!
28. lentils
Red lentils, cooked to a very mushy consistency with bay leaves. It took him a couple of tries to get into them, but he definitely got there!
29. soy yogurt
He seemed to really enjoy this one!
30. fennel
As part of a baby food purée. He liked the purée itself quite a bit!
31. zucchini
As part of a ready-made baby food purée (which he really liked), and then later as boiled spears (which he also really liked)!
32. dairy yogurt
Homemade. He had mixed feelings about this one, but did like it alright afer the first few spoonfuls.
33. green beans
Slightly mashed from a jar. He wasn't crazy about them, but at them!
34. shrimp
He wasn't crazy about it - I think it was over-cooked and too hard for him. So he'd chew on it, and then spit it out.
35. kiwi
He didn't love it. He made a lot of faces while eating it - I think because of the tartness.
36. broccoli
Part of a ready-made purée, along with chicken, carrot, and sweet potato. He really liked the purée!
37. chicken
Part of a ready-made purée, along with broccoli, carrot, and sweet potato. He really liked the purée!
38. chicken liver
Cooked up by his nagymama with borsikafű (summer savory). He seemed to like it quite a bit!
39. potato
Part of a ready-made purée, along with peas and broccoli. He was fine with the purée, kind of ambivalent.
40. peas
Part of a ready-made purée, along with broccoli and potato. He was somewhat ambivalent about the purée.
41. apple
Part of a purée with pear. He was a bit hesitant about it, but eventually adapted. He also had some grated on its own, and seemed to like it!
42. pear
Part of a purée with apple. He was a bit hesitant about it.
43. tofu
Both firm and silken. He seemed to really enjoy both, especially when the firm tofu was cut into strips he could pick up and feed himself!
44. lemon
Marinating avocado. He certainly liked the avocado!
45. Oatmeal
Both plain and with walnut oil & cinnamon. He really enjoyed it both ways!
46. white fish
Part of a ready-made purée, along with rice and spinach. He seemed to like it!
47. chia seeds
Mixed into oatmeal. He still loved the oats!
48. coconut oil
Mixed into oatmeal. Didn't seem to impact his enjoyment of it!
49. banana
Sliced into strips and mashed on a spoon. He was a little unsure about it at first, but seemed to like the flavor!
50. leek
Both on its own, sautéed in olive oil (not much of a reaction to that) and in scrambled egg (didn't seem to impact his enjoyment of the egg).
51. corn grits
Cooked with soy milk and ghee. He loved them!
52. flaxseed
Broken pieces mixed into purée to thicken it up. It didn't seem to impact his enjoyment of the purée!
53. coconut flour
Mixed into purées to thicken them up. Like most foods, it didn't seem to impact his enjoyment!
54. salmon
Part of a purée which also had carrot + rice. He seemed to like the purée as much as any other purée!
55. blueberries
Slightly mashed. He seemed to be fine with it, although wasn't terribly hungry at the time.
56. strawberries
Slightly mashed. I think he liked it - he fussed for more, anyways!
57. turkey
Part of a purée also containing squash (I think butternut) and apple. He seemed to enjoy the purée.
58. goat cheese
Tiny pieces of sliced goat cheese taken from my sandwich, and later, soft cheese mixed into spaghetti squash. He was definitely a fan!
59. eggplant
Small pieces cooked in olive oil and borsikafű/summer savoury. He was a bit ambivalent at first, but then seemed to like it alright!
60. peach
Part of a purée which also had apple + mango. He seemed enthusiastic about the purée!
61. mango
Part of a purée with peach + apple, then later puréed on its own. Both purées were a hit!
62. split peas
Cooked in curry powder. He seemed to like them!
63. pasta
Lentil pasta, rotini style. He really enjoyed picking up the pieces and eating them!
64. plum
Pre-made baby food purée. The dude was definitely a fan!
65. beets
Part of a purée consisting a plethora of other ingredients; he loved the purée!
66. chickpeas
Part of a purée consisting of other known ingredients. He loved the purée!
67. corn sticks/puffs
Made of corn flour, sweetcorn, rice flour, sunflower oil, and dried carrot. He did NOT like them at first, but then became obsessed!
68. mushrooms
Chopped finely and scrambled with egg. He didn't seem to notice the addition of the mushrooms.
69. achiote (annatto) seeds
Steeped in water, then strained and used to cook oatmeal, along with olive oil and onion powder. He liked it, thank goodness!
70. kidney beans
First individual smashed beans, then mashed with a little bit of peanut butter. He wasn't super into the former, but the later was absolutely a hit!
71. white beans
Mashed up, and eaten on their own then mixed with formula powder and later with fruit purée. He loved all three versions!
72. orzo
Whole grain, cooked until mushy and then eaten on its own and mixed with the nasty fish purée. He liked it both ways!
73. bell pepper
Steamed, peeled, and cut into strips. He wasn't super enthusiastic about it, but was perfectly happy to eat it!
74. raspberries
Slightly mashed and served on a spoon. He seemed shocked by their tartness, but did eat them...
75. malted barley
In Malt-O-Meal (basically cream of wheat). He seemed to really like it!
76. quinoa
He liked this one, too!
77. blackberries
Slightly mashed and served on a spoon. He was pretty enthusiastic about them!
78. salmonberries
Freshly picked, in pieces from Mama's fingers. He readily ate them!
79. celery
Cooked in a chili. He ate it pretty readily!
80. spaghetti squash
Cooked strands first eaten plain, then mixed with cheese. He seemed to like it quite a bit!
81. black truffle
Infused in a soft goat cheese and mixed with spaghetti squash. It didn't seem to deter him from the meal at all!
82. rutabaga
Cut into very small pieces and eaten raw. According to his Oma, he was very happy to eat it!
83. millet
In the form of a spaghetti pasta made with millet and brown rice. Arthur was happy to eat it!
84. honeydew melon
Some sort of honeydew-ish melon. It was really sweet, but Arthur didn't seem terribly enthusiastic about it.
85. kale
Sautéed in oil. He liked it quite a bit more than I would have expected!
86. scarlet runner beans
Cooked in a stew. He seemed to really like them!
87. chayote squash
Sliced and cooked in a stew. Arthur seemed fine with it!
88. turnip
Roasted with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and rosemary. He ate it readily enough!
89. celeriac
Roasted with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and rosemary. He ate it readily enough!
90. lettuce
Plain and washed, fed to him as a strip. He had a bit of a hard time eating it, but didn't seem to dislike it and eventually managed to get it down!
91. bread
Homemade white bread, freshly made by G-Dawg. He wasn't terribly sure about it, but ate it!
92. sablefish/black cod
Baked and served in pieces on a spoon. He wasn't super gung-ho about it or anything, but ate it readily enough!
93. parsley
Slightly chopped, served raw. He put it in his mouth readily, but had a really hard time swallowing it, and gagged on it a bit.
94. cantalope
In small pieces. He didn't seem to be crazy about it, but did eat quite a bit!
95. waffle
Eggo waffle given to him in pieces by G-Dawg. He wasn't super enthusiastic about it, but he ate it!
96. watermelon
In small chunks. I think he liked getting his teeth into it!
97. taro
Cooked and mashed. Arthur was very into it!
98. squid
Flash-fried in olive oil and chopped up into tiny pieces. He devoured them - I think he was a fan!
99. tempeh
Roasted in olive oil, paprika, and garlic powder. He seemed to enjoy it!
73. bell pepper
Steamed, peeled, and cut into strips. He wasn't super enthusiastic about it, but was perfectly happy to eat it!
74. raspberries
Slightly mashed and served on a spoon. He seemed shocked by their tartness, but did eat them...
48. coconut oil
Mixed into oatmeal. Didn't seem to impact his enjoyment of it!
Solid Recipes to Try
Intriguing recipes from across the web. There are a bunch at Little Foodies and MJ and Hungry Man that look fun!
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Ingredients: Greek yogurt + mashed banana + eggs + vanilla + optionally raspberries/blueberries + optionally coconut oil + oats + baking powder + baking soda + cinnamon
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Ingredients: sweet potato + spices + flax egg + chickpeas + chickpea flour + nooch + olive oil + optional avocado Greek yogurt sauce
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Ingredients: spinach + carrot + egg + garlic clove + baking powder + plain flour + milk of choice + spices of choice