Introducing First Foods

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I remember walking past the baby food aisle at the supermarket when I was newly married. I thought, “Someday, I’ll turn down this aisle and choose cute little jars of turkey and gravy, sweet potatoes and pears for our little baby. We’ll take pictures of our baby’s face splattered with puree and enjoy all the giggles those first tastes create as a family.” It was a fleeting thought, but one I can still recall.

Little did I know all the knowledge I’d gain between those shopping thoughts and the true moments of introducing food to my baby. Knowledge like how gut flora is forever changed as soon as anything but breast milk passes baby’s lips and how infant cereal is full of lifeless ingredients. The notions that mainstream media and even personal history lodge into our minds are powerful so it often takes real effort to change our course of thought and even more, our course of action. 

As a mama committed to nutrition, first through breastfeeding and then through quality food, I wanted to be intentional about the food my baby received when we began the process of weaning. The term weaning is used whenever a baby isn’t 100% being breast or bottle fed – it is usually a very gradual process over a few months or years. I researched what method fit my convictions and landed on baby led weaning which really ought to be called something more like baby self feeding.

For the most part, I have followed baby led weaning as a means to introduce table food to my two children. This means, that regardless of teeth, once my littles have been able to sit unassisted, exhibit a pincher grasp with two fingers and have interest in food, I start feeding them whatever I’m preparing for the rest of the family. With proper supervision they’ve dove into meals of pasta and meatballs, steamed veggies, fish, french toast and  more. The only variation to “strict” baby led weaning is that I do encourage some purees with mom or dads help as another way to experience a food texture and learn to swallow smooth things as well.

A few questions I normally get when my little one is grabbing at table food …

A: No, they don’t choke. Choking is a blue in the face, can’t breath experience. They do occasionally gag when learning to feed themselves. But, gagging is an important part of learning to chew and maneuver food around in your mouth. I always supervise my kids meals and if they’ve had something in their mouth for too long I’ll encourage them to spit it out and take a smaller bite. Toast and other breads are one in particular I want for because it can get mashed into a dough ball on the top of their mouth and cause frustration/gagging.

A: I usually tell a little story about my grandma who had dentures and hated wearing her teeth. She ate just about everything with her gums! Yes, it took a little longer, but she was perfectly capable of gumming her food until it was soft and small enough to swallow. Same thing with babies. Their gums and tongue work together to break down food and this can happen just fine without teeth.

A: Just about everything … in moderation of course. You want bites big enough that they can pick up themselves and soft enough that it can be gummed. Some of our favorite first foods include:

A: Yes, baby led weaning is super messy! But, I figure the trade off of learning to feed themselves is worth it. Dominic may disagree – cleaning the high chair/floor is probably our least favorite chore! We often plan bath time after meals and attempt to keep things manageable by offering courses and doing a little clean up after each one.

A: Kind of … for example if we’re having tacos, Max will just have a little pile of meat, cheese and veggies instead of an actual taco. But, if we are having curry, I don’t modify the spices or flavors to make them more “baby”. We’ve actually found that the stronger the flavor, the more likely Max is to gobble it up! 

A: Technically, with baby led weaning the goal is that baby totaling feeds them self, but this is where I modify things a bit and either put purees in a pouch or I feed baby with a spoon. Just like it is good to learn to bite and chew larger pieces I feel like it benefits my kids to learn when something smooth enters their mouth and doesn’t require chewing. So, for yogurt, applesauce, soups and sauces I do help with a spoon. When they get older, about a year, I do start introducing a spoon or chunk of bread to help dip/soak up liquid. Greeek yogurt is also great because it is thicker and doesn’t fall of a spoon as easily :)

A: Baby’s readiness is key to beginning. You want them to be sitting 100% independently,  showing a pincher grasp with two fingers and showing an interest in food. This often starts with just an interest in playing with it and occasionally tasting what is on their fingers and grows into more and more eating. Jemma didn’t show a lot of interest in truly eating until 10 months, Max was a bit earlier, somewhere between 8-9 months. Remember, food is fun until they’re one! They’re not eating calories for true nourishment until after 12 months, it’s more of a learning experience in the latter half of the first year.

• Nut Free Desserts for the Holidays — Becky at Crafty Garden Mama will be talking about navigating the holidays with peanut allergies in the family.
• Making Peace with My Picky Eater — Once upon a time, there was a boy who would try anything. And then he turned 3. Thus began the dinner chronicles at Dionna at Code Name: Mama‘s house.
• Foodie Morphed by Motherhood — Rosemary at Rosmarinus Officinalis reflects on the changes of her family’s food culture since becoming a mother, and shares a snapshot of their current food rhythm.
• Introducing First Foods — Wondering what your little one should take a bite of first? That Mama Gretchen explains baby-led weaning/baby self-feeding and answers a number of questions that may come to mind!
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• Feeding My Family — Challenges and Growth — Susan at Together Walking shares what has been most challenging about feeding her two kids and how she has grown in the kitchen since becoming a mother.
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• The Weight of Motherhood — Revolution Momma at Raising a Revolution rethinks her relationship with food after struggling with post-pregnancy weight gain.
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• Thanksgiving Meal, Thankful? — Jorje of Momma Jorje has never felt terribly thankful for Thanksgiving itself. Perhaps that could change if she’s a little more invested?
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