I’ve become the ultimate lazy mommy when it comes to feeding baby. I exclusively breastfeed as long as possible (because what’s easier than that?), usually to around 7 months, then begin introducing solid foods to baby.
With my eldest, I spoon fed for a long while, introducing one food at a time out of handy little pre-made baby food containers (I was also working 4 jobs and making my own food never even crossed my mind). The next baby, I again painstakingly spoon fed for months though being in Ireland that time around, I made my own food. But by the time baby 3 came along, I didn’t have the time or patience for spoon-feeding so I jumped into the world of baby led weaning. And now we’ve begun that journey with baby #4 except this time I’m going at a much slower pace.
There are a lot of different ways and methods for introducing solid foods to baby but I’ve always gone with the method of introducing one new food at a time and waiting a few days in between (which worked out in my favor when Doodle began reacting to dairy). With my older kids I was really good at having new foods on hand regularly so we were always adding new stuff to the repertoire. This time, not so much. Baby is still pretty much only on the most basics of basics.
When introducing solid foods to baby this time, I skipped grains to start partly due to the arsenic concerns in rice and also due to information I’ve read about grains being harder to digest and not really nutritionally necessary at a young age. So instead, we jumped right in to veggies then fruits and circled back to grains.
Pipsqueak’s solid food progression has looked like this:
- Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Carrots
- Peas, Green Beans
- Apples, Bananas, Avocado
- Peaches, Pears
- Oatmeal
And at 9 months old, we are just now starting to get into the more “exotic” foods like cantaloupe and mushrooms.
But there is one thing that has always helped me on the journey of introducing solid foods to baby: a checklist of solid foods for baby.
Having a list of foods to introduce broken up by when each food is appropriate really helps me to stay on track with introducing new foods. Because I know berries, citrus and tomatoes are very acidic and best left for later and that things like cauliflower and broccoli can cause gas so having a checklist of solid food for baby helps me remember what is a good food to try next and also for other people to know what baby has had.
I stick to a pretty basic list that follows the general recommendations for when to start which foods with a few exceptions. I don’t do wheat until after a year (this is a rule my childhood pediatrician used and I figure it doesn’t hurt anything to wait). I also hold off on peanuts until about 18 months and shellfish until 2 years. My theory is that while waiting won’t prevent a reaction, by waiting until my child is older a reaction may be less catastrophic for their bodies and they will more easily be able to tell me if they’re not feeling well (I’m aware of the recent research showing early peanut exposure may actually prevent allergies but that pertains to those at high risk, which my kids are not and I am personally more comfortable waiting.) I also hold off on introducing sulfites as long as possible (due to a family allergy) and will be holding off on corn this time around as well (due to Doodle’s issue with corn and eczema).
Ultimately, how and when a parent goes about introducing solid foods to baby is an individual choice, I think having a checklist of solid foods for baby to reference comes in really handy!
Download the checklist of solid foods for baby:
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