Dos & Don’ts of Starting Solids

Starting solids is an exciting milestone for both parents and babies. It’s the beginning of their journey to the wonderful world of culinary! Armed with tips from other parents and knowledge from your research in Google, you’re determined to give your baby the best and healthiest start to her food experience. But how do you know if your baby is ready for it and where do you start?

In a nutshell, look for cues such as steady head control, ability to keep and swallow solid food as well as sitting upright unsupported. Her appetite may also increase, where she seems hungry even after milk feeds and becomes more curious about what you’re eating.

There are several approaches to weaning, with the most common being giving pureed and mashed food from 6-12 months before graduating to porridge. If you’re adventurous and want to raise a child who is aware of her food choices, likes and dislikes, and enjoys feeding herself from early on, you may want to look into another method of starting solids known as Baby-Led Weaning. This approach allows baby the independence and confidence to feed herself with a variety of solid foods in bite-size form.

Here are some tips on the dos and don’ts of starting solids: 

DO’S

• Be patient and wait until the sixth month before introducing the grown-up foods as your baby’s system may not be able to digest it if you start much earlier. You may also miss a crucial window of interest if you wait too long.
• Even if your baby doesn’t like a certain food at her first taste, keep trying. It may take six to 10 attempts before she accepts the taste of pureed spinach. Don’t give up!
• Skip the boring rice cereal. Start with avocado, banana, or pureed sweet potato. Allow your baby to explore the food by letting her see, touch and smell it first. You may want to mix it with some breastmilk or formula milk.  Let your baby see, handle, and smell the food first.
• There’s no need to delay meat for too long. Give varieties. Add spices. Combine meat or egg yolk with some cereal or pureed veggies – babies love it!
• Eat together as a family from the first bite. Your baby will soon understand that being on a table means it’s time to eat, which also translates that everyone sits and enjoys food together. No more running after your toddler with a bowl and spoon trying to feed him. Plus, families who eat together, stick together!

DON’TS

• Never add rice cereal to your baby’s bottle as this can make it easier for babies to gag or choke.
• Avoid fresh milk, honey and runny eggs before baby’s first birthday. Baby’s digestive system is not ready to process the properties in honey before that. Cow’s milk does not provide sufficient nutrition that baby needs during the early stage too. Keep on breastfeeding as long as you can.
• There’s no need to wait three to five days between foods, unless your family has a history of food allergies. Giving mixtures of foods and introducing them quickly creates a more adventurous, happy eater. If your baby seems to be tolerating the foods well, go for it!
• Don’t worry about offering fruit or vegetables first for fear of rejecting the latter. It doesn’t matter. Baby’s tastebuds are underdeveloped then and will be keen to try anything.
  
  

In addition to the conventional way of preparing baby food – wok for steaming and fork as masher – here are several gadgets that will make your life easier:

	Oxo Tot Baby Food Masher The baby food maker comprises a bowl, lid, juicer, spoon, pestle, strainer, grater and collector cup. It helps with making baby food at home or outdoor, with no battery or electricity needed. This compact, portable Food Masher quickly and thoroughly mashes fruit, veggies and more. The ridges on the Masher and inside the bowl ensure efficient mashing, and the teeth on the Masher are designed to fit between the ridges to get every last bit of food. The Masher comes apart and fits inside bowl with lid for taking on the go.
	Farlin J’aime 8-in-1 Baby Food Maker The baby food maker comprises a bowl, lid, juicer, spoon, pestle, strainer, grater and collector cup. It helps with making baby food at home or outdoor, with no battery or electricity needed.
	Beaba Babycook Solo This baby food maker steams and blends everything from fruits, veggies to meats and fish from raw in 15 minutes or less. Designed with 4-in-1 function, Babycook steams, blends, warms and defrosts all in one sleek machine, eliminating the need for pots, pans, blenders and microwaves. Its unique blend feature lets you control consistency from fine to chunky puree.
	Beaba Babycook Neo One of the few baby food makers in the market with eco-friendly glass bowl & stainless steel steam basket, the Babycook Neo helps parents make all natural, nutritious meals for baby with clean ingredients they can control. You can steam cook and blend raw fruit, veggies, meat and even fish, into cooked purees in 15 mins. It can also defrost and reheat food in under 10 minutes.