Time for solids!

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So since there have been several threads about this lately & I was asked for some general info here goes- a thread all about feeding solids & making homemade purees. Please share your questions, experiences & recommendations!

First thing to remember is to always talk to your pediatrician to make sure that all looks good with bebe to start solids and that solids, right now, are practice- primary nutrition/food should be breast milk or formula until at least one year. The general idea is to start at 6 months but from personal experience I have found some babies are ready earlier. The earliest recommended age is 4 months. Also remember when starting solids to introduce one item at a time to make sure that there are no bad reactions.

The general recommendation to start baby on rice cereal is because it has very few known allergies and for this reason avocado is another great first food. Avocado has lots of good fats and is super packed with all sorts of nutrients. Avocado is also one of the easiest foods to make at home.

Starting tips
If you are going to make your own & want to make a big diversity there are a few tools that are key to have.
- 2qt or so sauce pan (small pot)
- steamer basket that will fit your pot & still let the lid sit tightly
- sharp knife & cutting board
- fork ()
- blender or food processor
- ice cube trays (if you can find 1oz. ones it makes life easier) & something to seal them (I usually use saran wrap)
- freezer bags & a sharpie

Most foods just need to be cut into about 1" chunks, steamed until just soft enough to be easily stabbed with a fork, peeled from the skin and pureed until the correct consistency. Bananas and avocados are even easier as they can just be mashed with a fork. Anything that is to thick for baby to handle can be thinned with water (though BM or formula works better for avocado) and all things can be thickened with baby cereal.

Once your puree is done simply pour into trays, cover, allow to cool about 30 min. and freeze. Once the cubes have frozen completely pop them out into labeled (see I told you you would use the sharpie!) freezer bags. Fruits & veggies are good for about 3 months and meats for about a month. If you plan on using in the next few days just place it in the fridge and you are good to go.

The best recommendation for thawing is in a small sauce pan or overnight in the fridge but a microwave has worked fine for us- just be certain to mix the food well so that there are no hot spots. So thaw & let baby enjoy!

First Foods
Great starters-
- rice, barley, millet, oat cereal
- sweet potato, butternut squash, potato, pumpkin
- apple, avocado, banana, pear
- green beans, peas, zucchini

It is best to wait until around 8~9 months (per current recommendations but those change all the time) to start meat, cheese, yogurt and egg yolks. Egg whites, cows milk and any high frequency allergy foods should wait until after 1 year. Again talk to your pedi.

The biggest thing to remember is to not stress yourself out about making foods- do what you can if it is something you choose to do & don't feel bad if you supplement. This is something I have found that I to do so please feel free to ask. I know that are several other mommies on the board who are also well versed in the art of baby food making so hopefully we can help anyone who wants to start.