August 24, 2018
Easy Tips // First Foods for Littles
The first few years of your little’s life is full of exciting moments and milestones, one of which being their first foods. Most little ones begin showing signs of readiness between 4 and 6 months (sitting up by themself, holding their head up, expressing an interest in your food) and it’s important to read up on baby food do’s and don’ts. Here’s a list of our 8 favorite first solids for littles and why they’re great choices for your baby, too!
1. Peanut butter puree
Peanut butter by itself is much too thick and sticky… but pureed with a teaspoon or so of water makes it perfectly easy for your baby to eat.
Not only is it packed with vitamin E, potassium, and B6, but introducing it early on in your child’s life can also reduce the likelihood of a peanut allergy by as much as 80%! If you’re wary about a reaction, try mixing peanut powder (we recommend Crazy Richard’s or Peanut Butter & Co) into soft foods they’ve already tackled like mashed bananas or applesauce. Don’t be afraid to try other nut butters as well!
2. Mashed banana & avocado
Bananas and avocados make great first foods. Avocado is an excellent source of potassium, fiber, and important fats while bananas are full of Vitamin A, C, folate, potassium, and calcium. Additionally, both foods are easy to digest.
Try to use bananas and avocados that are ripe, this way they’ll be easy to mash up with a fork and serve. But if they’re not quite there yet, no worries! Add them to a food processor for your own banana or avocado puree.
3. Oatmeal
Arguably the most common first food recommendation is rice cereal; while the iron is crucial for your baby’s diet, we don’t recommend too much rice as it often times leads to constipation! Instead, opt for oatmeal to get the same nutrients without as much of an effect on baby’s sensitive stomach in their first few months. It can even be prepared with breastmilk to make the transition from liquids to solids easier.
4. Bone Broth
Feeding your baby bone broth might sound a little odd… but trust us with this recommendation! While the broth is easy to digest and full of easily-absorbed nutrients, it’s also great for promoting the development of their digestive system. This means a little bit of bone broth added to baby’s diet will fortify their system and make the introduction of other foods even easier.
Bone broth can be found at any grocery store or made at home in the crockpot. When it’s ready, just pour it in a bottle and serve or store it in the fridge for later use.
5.Yogurt
Yogurt is a great place to introduce your little to cow’s milk and prevent dairy allergies, plus it’s easy to digest and strengthens their immune system. Be sure to pick a brand that uses whole milk to get the most nutrients out of it and opt for plain - baby doesn’t need the added sugars in flavored yogurt! If they don’t like the taste of plain yogurt, a better alternative to artificial flavoring is adding your own fruit puree.
6. Squash, sweet potatoes, & yams
Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, E, beta carotene, potassium, and folate. Similarly, yams offer a lot of the same benefits with addition of Vitamin C and just like sweet potatoes, squash is loaded with beta carotene.
The prep for each of these is the same: bake in the oven at 400°F until super soft, let cool a bit, and mash with a fork. Like the bananas and avocados, they can also be pureed in a food processor with a bit of water and easily stored.
7. Eggs
Just like peanut butter, introducing eggs early on can significantly decrease the likelihood of allergies. Eggs are packed with protein and cholesterol - in case you were worried, that’s actually a good thing! Cholesterol is super helpful for brain development.
To prepare them, simply scramble the eggs with a splash of water and break them into small, pea-sized pieces.
8. Applesauce
Apples are rich in fiber and antioxidants, making them a great first food for a baby’s sensitive digestive system. Be careful not to feed them just any applesauce though! Start with an apple puree and then move on to mixed purees, such as apple and pear together.
Apple purees are available on a lot of grocery store shelves but also relatively simple to make at home. Peel, core, and boil a few apples until soft, then mash. Optionally, you can add it to a food processor with water to make it smoother.
So, which of these are going to try first? Head over to our Instagram and share your baby’s first-food milestone with us, we’d love to know!
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