When you are just starting to have children, it will take some getting used to what you can or cannot give your baby in terms of baby food. In the beginning, your child will mainly drink breast or bottle feed, but when they are a few months old, you can slowly start introducing baby food.
In this article, we look at which types of baby food are indispensable in your child’s diet and when you can give them to your baby.
When can my child have solid baby food?
In general, your baby can be given solid foods when they are 4 to 6 months old. Your baby will still receive milk for this. By solid food, we do not mean whole sandwiches or pieces of apple, but food consisting of one or more ingredients that have been pureed and contain at most a few small, soft pieces. However, keep in mind that not every child is ready to start solid foods by 4 months.You can tell if your child is ready for solid baby food by looking for these signs:
- Your child can sit up straight
- Keeping the head upright and moving independently
- Grab your food and put it in their mouth
- Holding food in their mouth, making chewing movements, and swallowing
- Being curious about the food of others
At six months, your child is ready for solid baby food anyway, because they also need additional nutrients to stay healthy and grow.
Which baby food is indispensable?
When it comes to essential baby food, we have to look at the nutrients of this food and the ease with which your baby could eat these foods. Depending on your child and the age of your child, you can estimate which food is correct. A pediatrician can also always advise on the right foods for your child. In any case, always start with food that consists of only one ingredient. This way you can recognize faster what your child likes and whether they may have an allergy to something.1. Vegetables
Vegetables are almost always good but start with vegetables that are also delicious in a puree. Think of broccoli, sweet potato, peas, pumpkin, and carrot. These are also vegetables that almost no one has an allergy to and are therefore safe to give to your baby.
2. Fruit
The same goes for fruit baby food. It contains many vitamins and the sweet taste is very attractive to many young children. Think of bananas, blueberries, mango, plums, pears, and apples. It is also best for your child to eat these pureed or mashed so that there are no pieces that they can choke on.
3. Cereals
To get enough carbohydrates and minerals, grains are also an important source of nutrition for babies. Think of rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. Mix this with a little breast milk or bottled milk and puree the grain into a soft porridge.
How do you introduce your baby to baby food?
There are two ways you can introduce your baby to baby food. These ways each have their pros and cons and are entirely your choice for your child.
Let the baby guide the process
You encourage your baby to eat independently by putting the food in a bowl or deep plate for your child. They can then decide for themselves how much they eat, when and in what way.
Advantages :
- Your baby eats independently faster
- Your baby determines how much baby food it eats and will not eat too much quickly
- As a family, you can eat together, without one parent having to feed the child
Cons :
- It’s very messy
- You don’t know exactly how much your child has eaten
- You must keep a close eye on your child
Guide the process yourself
Here you feed your baby yourself and you give them baby food using a spoon. You can decide for yourself how quickly you want to introduce all foods.
Advantages :
- You know exactly how much your child is eating
- It’s less messy
Cons :
- You don’t eat as a family because you can’t eat yourself while feeding your child
- There is a possibility that you are overfeeding your child because your baby is now less able to indicate that he or she has had enough nutrition