Starting healthy eating from the get go

[Boykinbaby]

So my little girl is 8 months and just starting to want real food.  we aren't pushing solids but are offering them whenever she asks, usually while we're eating our meals.  We really want to start her out on the right foot and I am completely opposed to baby cereal since I think it is nutritionally useless.  She's still breastfeeding, has never been on formula and never will if I have my way.

 

So my question is, for those who have gone through this before, which foods have you offered first when starting solids for a Whole9 lifestyle?  We've done fruits and some veg puree mixes but i want her to have some variety in flavor experiences and most foods have way too much fruit and not enough greens as far as i am concerned. 

[MrsStick]

*DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT HAVE KIDS BUT I DO READ SEVERAL PARENTING BLOGS THAT FOCUS ON A NATURAL LIFESTYLE (NOT NECESSARILY W9) AND THE LIKE...plus I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night (kidding)!*

 

Wisdom in the real food parenting community usually says to start with fatty foods first. It's the most similar nutritionally to breast milk, which has a lot of fat in it. So things like avocado, soft boiled egg yolk, etc. And they usually say to stay away from sweet things, like fruit, for a LONG time to ensure that they don't end up with mini sugar dragons!

[AmyS]

Avocado, sweet potato, banana (often mixed up together, yuck).  Carrots.  Some people let their babies gnaw (supervised of course) on well cleaned chicken leg bones.  I never did that but La Leche League recommends it.

[Physibeth]

I also don't have kids yet but have been doing tons of reading as I hope to someday soon. The book Beautiful Babies has a really good food introduction schedule in it. She mostly recommends feeding them a little of what you are eating. Babies tummies are not reading to digest grains or a lot of vegetables early on. Most of the articles and books I've read lean on proteins and fats first.

[Boykinbaby]

Thanks for some of the suggestions.  Since she only has her 4 front teeth anything not smooth is a choking hazard right now so we've had to puree our own veggies.  Not sure about making my own protien puree but we may give it a shot and see how she does. 

[KellyF]

The best parenting advice I ever got was about introducing food. The advice was to start off with veggies and meats. Only after a good variety of those foods were regularly accepted did we introduce sweet things like yams or fruit. It worked really well. My kids ate all kinds of veg. If I were doing things over again, I'd have them drink bone broth. I just didn't make my own broth back then. Good luck with your wee one.

[AmyS]

Ooooooo!!!!!!!!!!  Looooove the bone broth idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Almost makes me want another baby.  Almost.

[SpinSpin]

I have a 2 year old and he has been raised this way. His first food was smashed avocado, then zucchini which he adored, he loved banana and avocado together and smashed sweet potato and roast butternut squash. http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/ has some good ideas about what foods to be introduced when, I just skipped over the grain portions. I did offer my son oatmeal at one point and he was so eh about it, I never offered it again and he probably has had oatmeal no more than 5 times in his short little life :-) I did do full fat greek yogurt too, and he has enjoyed roast pork, cranberries, shrimp, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, roast broccoli, carrots... you name it--he eats exactly what we do, although I do temper spices in his portion. He loves curry, stew, chili, salad.. do invest in a baby bullet or small chopper if you haven't already--makes grinding down adult meals much easier then chopping. His dr is quite impressed with what he eats and says that he has a sophisticated palate for a 2 year old! 

 

I did try once or twice to use organic baby foods when out and he was like um MOM I don't think so! The only canned fruit he had was a blend of prunes and applesauce (organic) when he got to that food stage, and I have never subjected him to the orange goo that passes as toddler foods. 

[jmh]

I have 3 boys 8, 3 and 16 months. When I had my 8 year old the "thing to do" was to start them on cereal. We have always been very health and allergy conscious and they have gone from breast milk to goats milk. He does eat pretty healthy with a variety of veggies and fruits and is always willing to try new things. We started my 3 year old on veggies followed by cereal and fruit and that seemed to work pretty well until he was about 2 1/2 years old and decided he only liked blackberries and goat milk:) My 16 month old has only had avocado, veggies, sweet potatoes and some small amounts of fruit and is willing to eat pretty much all veggies offered. We also soak raisins in cinnamon so they are soft and he loves them. He loves sweet potatoes mashed in coconut milk. I try to make as much of my own food but we are on the go a lot and he will totally eat the organic pouches also. I think all kids and parents are different and based on how the family lives and what preparation the parents are able to do counts for a lot. All my kids eat pretty healthy and a variety of foods and all of them have had different starts to what foods were introduced. I feel the best about the way my youngest eats because we have so much more knowledge about nutrition available now. The only thing I really follow is to try to hold off on the high allergens like milk products, nuts and shellfish for as long as I can.

[Boykinbaby]

SpinSpin- thanks for that website it was very helpful!

 

this is our first baby so we're still sort of fumbling our way through things, lol, that and my mother thinks my desire to feed her this way is "not for the best".  Not that she thinks it's unhealthy per se, more she thinks i'll be too limiting as she grows up since I won't really offer candy and traditional baked goods. 

[MrsStick]

I love when people think your child will be too limited since you won't be giving her candy and baked goods. Because what parent out there thinks "I wish my kids would eat more candy and baked goods. I haven't had a good sugar meltdown from little Jimmy and Betty in a while."? People act like a Krispy Kreme donut is a sacred part of childhood? Or "If you don't get a cake for their birthday, you must not love your kid(s)." I just don't get it. 

 

Pie =/= childhood. Donuts =/= happiness. You're saving your kids from a lifetime of feeling like they are a failure if they can't stop themselves from eating more than one serving of dessert. You're helping them to taste FRUIT like it truly is. And, while it will probably take ages for them or you to notice how much better off they are...you're doing the right thing. And you're the mother.

[jmh]

I love when people think your child will be too limited since you won't be giving her candy and baked goods. Because what parent out there thinks "I wish my kids would eat more candy and baked goods. I haven't had a good sugar meltdown from little Jimmy and Betty in a while."? People act like a Krispy Kreme donut is a sacred part of childhood? Or "If you don't get a cake for their birthday, you must not love your kid(s)." I just don't get it. 

 

 

omg! I totally agree:) People sometimes look at my kids with pity when I say "they don't eat Oreos". It totally makes me laugh:)

 

I think a lot of people feel guilty about feeding their kids some stuff so they try to make you feel bad about your choices. Don't think it is really a conscious thing. I can't tell you how many times I have heard my mother in law say "I gave my kids cow's milk at 6 months old and they turned out just fine" Everyone will try to tell you how to feed your kids and what to do with them. Doctors, family and even friends. You as the parent know what is best for them.

 

My kids are not whole 30 but they eat pretty healthy. We don't keep juice, cookies or really any "junk" food in the house but they do have stuff at Grandma's house and when they go visit friends. We are staying with my mom this week and just this morning my nephew came over and said "Did you know that D does not know what (some kind of donut name) is?" I had no idea what it was either and I felt pretty happy about the fact that neither of us knew. It was also kind of neat when my nephew said "Maybe I can figure out how to make a healthier version of it at home"

 

I hate second guessing myself when it comes to parenting but I do it all the time:) I just tell myself that I know my kids and what is best for them.

[Physibeth]

I love when people think your child will be too limited since you won't be giving her candy and baked goods. Because what parent out there thinks "I wish my kids would eat more candy and baked goods. I haven't had a good sugar meltdown from little Jimmy and Betty in a while."? People act like a Krispy Kreme donut is a sacred part of childhood? Or "If you don't get a cake for their birthday, you must not love your kid(s)." I just don't get it. 

 

Pie =/= childhood. Donuts =/= happiness. You're saving your kids from a lifetime of feeling like they are a failure if they can't stop themselves from eating more than one serving of dessert. You're helping them to taste FRUIT like it truly is. And, while it will probably take ages for them or you to notice how much better off they are...you're doing the right thing. And you're the mother.

 

A million times this! I don't have kids yet but I'm sure I'm going to get resistance (maybe within the ranks...must convert husband) when I do. I posted some article about limiting kids sugar and my Aunt posted a snide comment about kids would rather have candy than carrots any day. Well yes...but this is why there are parents. Kids would rather run willy nilly in the street too but that doesn't mean we should let them. 

[Heatherw]

I have started my three babies out on avocado, no baby cereal. They loved it. And sweet potato, winter squash, carrots. You can think 'green smoothie' and try something like spinach and apple or peach too. I like the Ella's pouches and copied most of those combos as of course it's much cheaper to make them yourself. my little guy is 21 mos now and a total Paleo baby.

[askins]

I have two kids, 13 months and 26 months.  I heartily recommend the "baby led weaning" method of introducing solids by going straight to finger foods and skipping purees.  Even kids with few teeth (my DD still only has 7) can make quick work of most solid food except nuts.

 

http://www.babyledweaning.com/

 

Avocado, sweet potato, banana, scrambled eggs are a HUGE hit for us.  Also sauteed bell peppers or snap peas.  After they get the hang of moving food around in their mouths and choking risk is less: blueberries, sliced strawberries, grapes cut in half.  My babies both were given BBQ pork ribs to gnaw on before they were 7 months old.  They love to suck the juice out of steak strips...

 

I feed my kids pretty much everything I eat from the get go with very little modification.

[msssjenna]

I agree with PP - babies can tenderize/eat foods with minimal teeth.  My 10 month old only has 2 teeth and he eats : ground beef/turkey, roasted chicken, scrambled eggs, blueberries (his favorite), cut up strawberries, larabars, bananas, avocados, and sweet potato hash.  probably more but those are what I keep rotating.

[Renee Lee]

Chris Kresser started his little one on soft boiled egg yolks, followed by a beef liver puree.

[Boykinbaby]

thank you all for the tips and encouragment.  we've gone ahead and started offering small pieces of our foods, though most of them end up on the floor for the animals to hoover up, lol.  we do have a few purees(peas and green beans) mostly because i've read the skins can be tough to digest just yet but once those 2 little jars are gone that's it. 

 

I do sort of stress about if I have to go back to work and put my little girl in daycare since they all offer their own meals and am fairly certain syrup coated canned fruits will be the "healthiest" part of the offerings.  I'm already considering asking our Pediatrician to write a note that says She can only eat foods that I provide.  Anyone have experience with something like this?

 

As for the Grandma front....I guess it's one of those few good things that we're at least an hour away from either so we only have to worry about off course foods when we visit.  Sadly, i already know talking to either will be pointless since my husband's and my pleas for No gifts/clothes/toys have fallen on deaf ears (this girl has a bigger wardrobe then my hubby and I combined! which is really frustrating in an 800 sqft apartment)

[chessjeck]

Hello, this is my first time on this forum, but I thought I'd give some encouragement. My 10 month old DD handles just about anything I give her. I just cut it up enough for it not to bed a choking hazard. I'm doing baby-led weaning, and she wants everything on my plate. I'm planning on raising her primal, since that what her 4 year old brother thrives on. (Paleo + limited, high-quality, cultured dairy) For breakfast, she eats a soft boiled egg yolk, with grated raw liver. Some fruit and a couple spoonfuls of organic, full-fat, plain yogurt. Lunch and dinner are what mom and brother are eating. She handles meat really, really well. So dinner is usually sweet potatoes or squash, cut up veggies, and a meat dish... all with added fat for growing baby brains!

[Boykinbaby]

You guys rock with the advice, thanks!  Just wanted to hop on and say we're sticking with Baby Lead Solids, skipping purees all together, and it has been pretty entertaining if nothing else.  She's still not super interested in solids at 9 months but whenever she's in her chair for a meal we give her a few foods to try or play around with (the dog and cats eat more of it than she does lol) and a few things that have been acceptable so far has been fruit(though she maybe gets that once a day) and surprisingly enough beef liver(both sauteed and in pate form). 

 

So here's the next big issue I'm worried about; in a few months i'm starting back to work full time.  she'll be right about a year, which means that the daycare is going to want to feed her some solids even if I am still breastfeeding(which is the plan until it's no longer beneficial to either of us).  Aside from telling them that she can only have fresh whole foods, how can I make certain that they don't slip her anything nasty(ie processed/grains/ect)?  I was thinking of getting a note from her Dr but since she technically doesn't have food allergies I don't know if they will.  Any W30 moms have experience with this part?

[Natalie M.]

My best advice is to send her with a cooler or lunchbox with food every day, and tell the staff, verbally, and in writing, that she is on a special diet and can ONLY eat food you send or approve. Then, take deep breath and realize someone, sometime, will slip your sweetie something you don't approve, and accept that. You have given her a great start, and she will almost certainly bounce back from the occasional unhealthy food. I have five kids with varying needs, and my strategy is to offer nothing but real food at home, offer as wide an array of tastes and textures as I can manage, limit outside junk offerings, and chill out about the rest.

[opt-out]

Our son is two years and still breast feeds.  We started him on solids when he was interested on what was going on at the table and started grabbing food off our plates.  We followed the baby led weaning principals...basically let him call the shots.  We started him with an avacado.  He didn't really like it.  Next was pureed liver that he loved and still loves his liver (pastured animals) and he loves his chicken yolks.  He now says he wants "chickie balls" chicken egg yolks for breakfast.  Sally Fallon also has an amazing book "The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care" that has all kinds of good info.  Good luck to you!  I have troubles with my parents giving my son cake and doritios.  Haven't found a solution yet.

[NavyGirl]

I strongly advise packing your own acceptable foods for her.  Daycare food is usually sad and processed: lunch meats, crackers, fruit from a can, white bread, cookies etc. Basically things that people think children will like and eat, without much thought to the best/healthiest foods and introducing kindern to new flavors and opportunities. Kinda sad really.

 

Have you ever read the blog "Fed Up With Lunch"? A school teacher really takes a close look at school lunches and how they affect the kids and goes on the ultimate experiment of eating the school lunch everyday for an entire school year and blogging about it each day. In a word: ICK but this is the food many of the children subsist on. It's an amazing story (think she wrote a book about it, too) and she ultimately cleans up her diet for the better and brings some changes to the school. She also blogs about what she sends along with her little guy to daycare and it's way more colorful and fresh than the standard processed fare.

[Robin Strathdee]

I have two kids, 13 months and 26 months.  I heartily recommend the "baby led weaning" method of introducing solids by going straight to finger foods and skipping purees.  Even kids with few teeth (my DD still only has 7) can make quick work of most solid food except nuts.

 

 

 

Agreed! My chicklets never wanted purees. Neither had a single tooth until after their 1st birthday, but they were gnawing on everything in sight!  To this day, they love foods other kids won't even touch!