Starting your baby on solids is a crucial step in his or her developmental process of growth and development. I have witnessed it as the start of migrants from the use of breast milk or formula milk to a completely different kind of food, with different textures, different flavors, and loaded with different nutrients. Nonetheless, knowing when, what, and how to start solids cannot be overemphasized as it will affect the health of both you and your little one during the process. Below is a guide with the information that can be useful when entering this phase.

When to Start Solid Foods

Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other physicians and surgeons state that the introduction of foods should be around the age of six months or at the latest six months. Up until this time your baby's dietary needs can strictly be provided by breast milk or formula. Forcing the baby to take solids before 4 months is discouraged because the baby is still learning fundamental skills needed in handling solid foods.

You’ll know your baby is ready for solid foods if they display these developmental signs:

• Sitting up with minimal support.
• Able to maintain good control of their head and neck.
• Handling objects or food, having it in their mouth, coughing.
• Taking, touching, or ceasing to avoid food, for example, recoiling when given food.
• Moving the food around on the tongue, then rolling it back and swallowing it.
• No longer manipulating or prodding food around their mouth using the tip of the tongue.

Please remember that every baby is unique, and therefore, look for these signs before you start your baby on solids, and as always, speak to your pediatrician.

What Foods to Introduce First

The good news is though that there is no typical sequence that one needs to follow with the different types of foods. Around 6 months, you can start with single-ingredient foods that are easy to digest, such as:

• Vegetables that can be mashed (such as sweet potatoes, carrots, or beans).
• Ripe fruits that are squashed into a paste (examples: banana, Apple, pear).
•  Infant cereals which are fortified with iron and zinc.

While introducing cereals, do not stick to rice cereal alone but instead try oatmeal, barley, or multi-grain cereals because too much rice may contain arsenic, to which your baby may be sensitive to.

By 7-8 months, you can expand your baby’s diet to include a variety of foods from all food groups:

• Soft or tender proteins such as ground poultry, fish, or other meats.
• Yogurt, cheeses, and other types of dairy products which should not include cow’s milk till the child is one year old.
• Grains and cereals.
• More fruits and vegetables.

How to Introduce Solid Foods

Begin with one food that contains only one single ingredient and do not give the new food before 3 to 5 days. This enables you to determine whether any foods would cause an allergic reaction in your baby. Check frequently for signs of allergies for example rash, vomiting, or diarrhea. When you refrain from making any reactions to Individual foods, you can begin combining the foods to find different tastes and textures.

Introducing Allergens

New findings indicated that it is not helpful to introduce allergenic foods at a later time than earlier as it was widely believed. It’s even believed that early introduction of these foods may be protective against allergies. Some of these include peanuts, eggs and wheat, soybeans; fish products, and tree nuts which can be given once the baby has gone through the basic foods. Introduce these foods at home and ask your doctor if your baby has eczema or any other food allergy before introducing any of the foods mentioned above.

Cleaning, Cooking and Storing Baby Foods

To help prevent choking and make food more palatable for your child, gradually introduce soft and pureed meals and then progress to mashed foods, as your baby gains more and more oral dexterity. Here are some guidelines for preparing baby food:

1. Vegetables and fruits should be pounded to pulp.
2. Blend the cereals with breast milk, the formula, or water until it is a pureed form.
3. Before preparing, wash, and chop the soft fruits and vegetables into smaller and easy to work with size.
4. For meats, bones should be separated, skin and fat removed, the meat should then be cooked Heat treated before blending.

Choking Hazards to Avoid

To prevent choking, avoid giving your baby:

• Fresh whole grapes, cherries, or tomatoes (It is recommended to chop them into small pieces).
• Hot dogs, chunks of meat, or cheese.
• Food that is difficult to chew and swallow such as nuts, seeds, or raw table vegetables.
• Foods that tend to form a large mass or material when placed in the mouths such as marshmallows, large clumps of peanut butter, or jelly.

Fun and Enjoyable Mealtime for Your Kids

Starting with solids is a chance to develop a healthy and happy attitude toward meals. Here are a few tips:

• Let your baby explore: Babies are exploratory and want to play with everything that they are given including the food. It assists the baby in acquaintance with the various textures and also in coordination of the hand with the mouth.
• Use small portions: Use only a spoonful or two initially, and then gradually work your way up.
• Be patient: Some babies may not be happy to take solids as soon as they are introduced to them. If your baby turns away or refuses food, do not get angry try later after some time. To force eat generates tension around that time when you put your meals on the table.

Hydration and Other Factors

When your baby begins eating solid foods, it is also important that they begin to have water with meals. Even now, most of their moisture comes from breast milk/formula but a small amount of water here and there can familiarise them with the act. Do not give your child juice, as this will cause more harm than good such as tooth decay and more sugar in the diet.

Avoid These Foods for Now

• Whole cow’s milk for drinking (up to one year old).
• Honey because this product contains microorganisms which may lead to infant botulism.
• Solid foods that could pose a risk to a baby’s choking: things such as hard candies and large pieces of food.

Conclusion

Giving your baby new foods is a fun and necessary step in the development of your little one. By starting at the right time, offering a wide variety of healthy foods, and keeping an eye on safety, you’re setting your baby up for a lifetime of good eating habits. Just be patient and carry on with it and do not forget to celebrate the small wins as your baby experiment with the new foods that are out there!