How To Choose the Right Food for Your Baby
As the parent of a young child, you want to make sure that you know how to choose the right food for your baby. While each baby will have their own food preferences, there are some choices that are better than others. Use these tips to get an idea of what is a good choice for a safe and nutritious diet.
Feeding at 6-8 Months
As your baby’s digestive system matures, they can start to try more flavors and textures in their meals. Knowing how to choose the right food for your baby also means choosing foods that their bodies can tolerate. Pureed and strained fruits are a great choice at this stage. Bananas, pears, and apples are a good place to start. Wash any fresh fruits and then bake them if needed unless they are naturally soft. You can puree them and even add a little liquid until your baby gets used to the more solid texture.
This is also a stage when you can start to add pureed or strained vegetables. If you want to make your own puree, avocados, carrots, peas, and potatoes are all good options. Make sure you wash them thoroughly and then bake, steam, or boil to soften them. Puree in a food processor or blender until they’re soft. If needed, add a little liquid to the vegetables as well. As your baby adjusts to the new foods, you can use less water to have a thicker puree.
Introducing Solids
As your baby grows, they’ll move on to mashed foods. Then, they can eat food cut into small pieces that they can pick up and eat on their own. Moving from liquids to solids is a slow process and will take a little time for your baby to master. Start with some of the best finger foods, like scrambled eggs, bananas, and similar items. Make sure that you talk to your doctor throughout these stages to discuss what your baby is eating and if it’s appropriate.
Cereal Is a Good First Solid
Single grain cereals are also a good early solid food for your baby. You can introduce these at 4-6 months. These fortified cereals will give your baby iron, which is an important nutrient that they need once they start transitioning to solid food. Babies are born with natural reserves of iron that start to deplete when they reach six months old. Also, the cereal is light on their digestive systems and is great for adjusting to solid meals.
With patience, encouragement, and a little bit of time, you and your baby can venture safely into the world of solid foods and achieve another beautiful milestone for your growing family.
