How To Start My Baby On Solid Foods: Part 2
HOW DO I START SOLIDS?
Wondering if your baby is ready for solids? Read our first blog post of the series How to Start My Baby on Solids Foods, Part 1 for advice, tips, and 5 helpful signs your baby is ready to start eating purees.
Has your baby mastered single-ingredient success and ready for more adventurous flavors? Skip to How to Start My Baby on Solid Foods, Part 3!
WHICH FOODS SHOULD I INTRODUCE FIRST?
The Academy of Pediatrics stresses the importance of offering a variety of textures and foods, especially fruits, veggies, and pureed meats to help baby develop their palate, get essential nutrients, and learn to love a variety of foods.
But, they also note that there is no "perfect order" to introduce foods.
Above all, do what works for you and your family. No matter what feeding schedule you start with, try to offer the same single ingredient for 3-5 days before trying another single ingredient.
START WITH SINGLE-INGREDIENT
We recommend trying single-ingredient purees that are easy on their young tummy and high in nutrients. For instance, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, banana, avocado, mango, peaches, and even pureed meat or poultry are all great options to start with.
PARENT TIP: Most importantly, remember that baby may take 10-15 times to accept or like the food. Try not to get discouraged. Stay with it! It'll pay off. Your little babe WILL become a foodie! -- Parents Everywhere & Academy of Pediatrics
If you're stressed for time (who isn't?!), our single ingredient purees are made perfectly in a baby-safe smooth texture to make the introduction of solids easy for you and baby. We love starting baby on our single-ingredient meals because they are delicious, lightly sweet, and nutty and boasting in nutrition.
For instance, our Kabocha Squash single-ingredient meal is perfect for baby's first little nibbles and also a rich source of vitamin A, fiber, and flavonoids like beta-carotene.
Our Purple Carrot single-ingredient meal is not only gorgeous to look at (hello purple hue!), it's rich in powerful antioxidants known to fight inflammation and a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins A & C, manganese, and certain B vitamins, which help promote good vision, healthy skin, normal growth and protection from infections. Secondly, it has a smooth, velvety texture that babies love. #doublewin!
Our last fan favorite, Sweet Pea single-ingredient meal is rich in fiber and vitamin A. It is also boasting in iron and vitamin C, which is needed for proper brain development, growth, and to make red blood cells.
We love using our single-ingredient purees including:
Our smooth-textured purees are 100% organic, preservative-free, and freshly made.
STARTING SOLIDS WITH MEAT
Babies need iron for proper brain development, growth, and to make red blood cells. While babies are born with sufficient iron stores from mother's blood while in the womb, those reserves naturally deplete by about 6 months of age. That is why the Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing iron-rich foods including meat.
Pureed meat or poultry may be a great first food because they provide iron and zinc in a more easily absorbed form than plant-based foods. Meat and poultry are also rich in protein & B vitamins and are easy on the tummy -- making them another great first food.
Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron! That's why we've created a nutrition filter and specifically designed our Square Meals to include Iron and Vitamin C - to help increase iron absorption! Our favorite Iron + Vitamin C combos include:
- Oatmeal + Strawberries (Beet Berry)
- Lentils + Apple (Minty Greens)
By utilizing our "Nutrition Filter" button, you'll be able to filter out our Square Meals rich in Iron + Vitamin C as well as all of our "C" (animal protein) Square Meals!
Our animal-based meals are made with organic chicken bone broth. Bone broth is a great source of protein and is known to help support a healthy gut and immune function, among other benefits. Our favorite animal-based meals rich in Iron + Vitamin C include:
We proudly use the best bone broth - Roli Roti Butcher's Bone Broth. It's locally-sourced, super gelatinous (packed with nutrients and natural gelatin), and made of only organic chicken bones & carrots. No salt, preservatives, or additives.
STARTING SOLIDS USING PUREED MEATS
Pureed meats can be difficult to prepare if not done properly. Whether preparing your baby food at home or purchasing at your local grocery store, there are a few things to watch out for. Our team of Registered Dietitians can help you navigate introducing meat to your baby.
To help you get started, here are a few tips from our team of Dietitians:
- Select meat like ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork
- Make sure meats are pureed to a smooth texture and be careful to watch for bones or fragments.
- To puree: add water, breastmilk/formula, or bone broth with no sodium added.
What To Avoid:
- It's important to NOT use regular broths because they are typically very high in sodium.
- Skip any processed, smoked, or cured meats or those with added fillers, preservatives, or sodium (examples: hot dogs, ham, sausages, corned beef, deli meat, etc).
- Avoid any tough or chewy cuts of meat, or meat with a lot of fat, which could be a choking hazard for your little one.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our team of Registered Dietitians here.
STARTING SOLIDS ON A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET
Whether you and your baby are vegetarian or vegan - do not worry! We have meals designed for you. That's why we created the Square Meal System - to quickly find which meals are right for you. All of our "A" meals are Vegetarian and all "B" meals are "Vegan".
Protein is vital to baby's growth and development and different sources of protein can offer different nutritional benefits. Our "A" Square Meals contain protein from Straus Family Creamery whole milk Greek yogurt and our "B" Square Meals contain protein from sprouted green lentils or beans.
STARTING SOLIDS WITH INFANT CEREALS
It's important to add a variety of iron-fortified infant cereals starting at 6 months of age. We recommend using fortified cereals that provide iron, zinc, calcium, Vitamin E, Vitamin D3, B vitamins, and other essential nutrients. While infant rice cereal is no longer recommended due to heavy metal exposure, there are other iron-fortified cereals to choose from including:
- Oat
- Barley
- Multigrains
- Quinoa
If your baby is not liking the flavor of iron-fortified cereals, we recommend introducing the cereals with another, more familiar food like breastmilk or formula. Serving the infant cereal with breastmilk or formula on a spoon is a easy way to make sure your baby gets the taste and nutrients!
At Square Baby, we've selected the best, organic whole and whole grains for optimal nutrition and digestibility. Check out the ingredients in our Square Meals and you'll find:
- Whole grains: barley, gluten-free oats, corn.
- Grains: amaranth, millet, quinoa, brown rice.
- Seeds: salba chia.
STARTING SOLIDS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
Recent research has found that introducing allergens should happen EARLY and OFTEN. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has changed their recommendations. AAP used to caution introducing allergens and told parents to wait until 1 year for milk, 2 years for peanuts, and 3 years for fish & tree nuts.
Now, AAP states, "there is no evidence that delaying the introduction of allergenic foods, including peanuts, eggs, and fish, beyond 4 to 6 months prevents atopic disease. There is now evidence that early introduction of peanuts may prevent peanut allergy."
In addition, it's also recommended to provide these foods OFTEN to help a baby's immune system get to know and stay accustomed to the foods. Their immune system is essentially building up a tolerance of the food in order to prevent an allergy.
Check out our guest blog on "Preventing Food Allergies" by Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan!
The nine most common allergenic foods are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame, and soybeans. If you have a family history of food allergies, talk to your child’s doctor or healthcare provider about what to do for your baby.
SINGLE INGREDIENT SUCCESS! WHAT'S NEXT?
Has your baby mastered single-ingredients? Have you already started to introduce multi-ingredients in one meal? Your baby may be ready for more complex meals, flavors, and textures.
Start combining foods for a healthy, balanced, delicious meal. Our Square Meal System was designed to offer balanced, "square" meals that offer baby 100% of their daily recommended servings of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and various proteins. We've also incorporated healthy fats, herbs, and spices to encourage the development of an adventurous lil eater!
Ready for more adventurous flavors? Continue to read "How to Start My Baby on Solid Foods, Part 3" to learn more about balanced eating and how Square Baby makes it super-simple to provide your baby with 100% Daily Nutrition!
Our team of Registered Dietitians are here to help answer any questions you may have on infant nutrition and starting your solids journey. Introducing solids and raising an adventurous eater is a journey - a path that may look a little different to every family. Above all, we are here to support you.
Submit any of your questions here!
~Katie and Kendall, cofounders
This blog post is for information purposes only and shouldn’t be used as personal, health, nutritional, or medical advice. Always consult with your pediatrician before making any decisions about your child's health or readiness for various foods.