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Nutrition Note: Early Sweet Tooth?
Some parents worry that if babies taste sweeter foods first, they’ll develop a “sweet tooth” and reject their veggies. In fact, you’ll still see occasional recommendations to feed baby only vegetables (instead of fruit) at first because of this thinking—even though research hasn’t proven this theory to be true. Several of our First Purees recipes are made with sweet vegetables or fruit. This is because root vegetables and soft fruits are mild in fl avor and make smooth purees, which babies tend to find more palatable.
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Keys to Successful First Feedings
Once you know baby is ready for solids, here are the steps to making those first feedings a success.
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When should you introduce solid foods?
Everyone has an opinion on when your baby should start solid foods. While older relatives might insist that adding cereal
to a bedtime bottle early on in baby’s life would guarantee a good night’s sleep, research suggests otherwise. Most babies
are ready for solid food between 4 and 6 months of age, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Prior to 4 months
of age, babies’ digestive tracts are still too immature to fully breakdown and absorb the nutrients in solids, so it’s important
not to start too early.
The exact timing of when you start solids simply depends on when you think your baby is ready. By 6 months, babies need the additional nutritionthat solids provide. This is particularly true for breastfed babies who at 6 months need the additional iron and zinc available in iron-fortified cereals and pureed meats.
The signs baby is ready for solids
You don’t want to rush to introduce solids if baby isn’t ready, so how do you know? One tip-off is the loss of baby’s tongue-thrust
reflex. In the first few months of life, this reflex protects baby from choking by using the tongue to push objects out of
the mouth. Until baby outgrows this reflex, feeding solids can be pointless since most food will fall out of baby’s mouth.
You’ll also know it’s time to start solids when your baby:
- Is between 4 and 6 months.
- Has good control of his orher head and can sit well when supported.
- Has outgrown the tongue thrust reflex and is able to swallow food.
- Still acts hungry after 6 to 8 breastfeeding sessions or 32 ounces of formula per 24-hour period.
- Has doubled his or her birth weight.
- Is curious about what you are eating.
Is there a particular order for introducing foods?
Most people start with a single-grain cereal, such as rice cereal, followed by single vegetables and then fruits. According
to the American Academy of Pediatrics, however, there’s no scientific evidence that introducing foods in this particular order
provides any benefit to baby. While the sequence doesn’t matter, it is important to introduce foods one at a time so that
you can monitor any intolerances or allergies. Once baby has been exposed to many different foods, offer fruits and vegetables
of all colors on a daily and weekly basis so he’ll get a variety of flavors and nutrients. Simple combinations (like peas
and carrots) shouldn’t be offered until you’re certain that baby can tolerate both foods in the mixture.
Excerpted from Cooking Light First Foods, Oxmoor House, © 2010 by Time Home Entertainment Inc.
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