What food(s) should I start my son on?

Question

I have a cute little food processor and have begun pureeing vegetables and a few fruits for my son. He's 5 and a half months and seems to be ready for solids. I'm just curious as to what was the first thing you gave your children (other than baby cereal, because we've decided to forgo that)? Thanks.
*It's a slow day at work..hehe

How can I be harming my son by eliminating that icky bland rice/oatmeal cereal when highly acclaimed professionals have stated it isn't necessary? Also, would my son really DIE and be less healthy if I start him off on nutritious fruits and veggies? I think you need to do your research and not just "go with the flow."

Answer 1

Good for you - baby cereal really isn't all that good for babies.

My daughter's first foods were mashed up banana and mashed avocado. I never bothered with a food processor - you can just mash stuff up well with a fork.

Answer 2

I can't really add anything here that Do Your Own Thinking didn't cover; I just want to second it in case any of these umm... "answers" gave you an occasion to doubt your decision. Congratulations on doing your own research, something most people don't bother with given there is so much regurgitated advice to be had -- and so much opportunity to say, "talk to your pediatrician". Gee, thanks. (But I digress)

My daughter starting showing interest in solid foods (grabbing it off my plate or out of my hands) around 4.5 months, but I tried to hold her off until a week or so into her fifth month. So far, she's eaten fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, brown rice, egg yolks and some soft cheeses. And, aside from some harmless gas and a few obnoxious poops, has been enjoying the adventure thoroughly. This has all been introduced in the last two weeks, by the way, and she has survived -- all without the _permission_ of my pediatrician (GASP!)

Answer 3

start with orange veggies.
Carrots, squash, sweet potatoes. Things of that nature.

I just wanted to put in here this. According to the "rules" I've done just about everything wrong I can with my babies. I fed them solid food at 3 months, I did start with rice cereal though. They all had eggs and cows milk before a year old. I sleep with my babies, sometimes on the couch. They all have bumper pads in their cribs, were swaddled, and had blankets on them while they slept. (All which are big no-no's so I found out) and let me tell you, they are all happy healthy children, and if your mothering instincts are telling you that your son will be fine eating veggies, then go for it.

Answer 4

Yay to saying no to that wallpaper paste glop.

Dr Jack Newman has, I think, the most sensible baby food rules, which are: no rules!

"When the baby is starting to take solids at about six months of age, there is little difference what he starts with or the order foods are introduced. It is prudent to avoid highly spiced or highly allergenic foods at first (e.g. egg white, strawberries), but if the baby reaches for the potato on your plate, make sure it is not too hot, and let him have the potato. There is no need to go in any specific order, and there is no need for the baby to eat only one food for a certain period of time. Some exclusively breastfed babies dislike infant cereal when it is introduced at about six months of age. There is no need for concern and no need to persist if the baby doesn’t want the cereal. There is nothing magic or necessary about infant cereal. Offer your baby the foods that he is interested in. Allow the baby to enjoy food and do not worry exactly how much he actually takes at first. Much of it may end up in his hair and on the floor anyhow. There is no need either that foods be pureed if the baby is six months of age or older. Simple mashing with a fork is all that is necessary at first. You also do not have to be exceedingly careful about how much the baby takes. Why limit the baby to one teaspoon if he wants more? You do not need to waste your money on commercial baby foods.
Be relaxed, feed the baby at your mealtimes, and as he becomes a more accomplished eater of solid foods, offer a greater variety of foods at any one time.

The easiest way to get extra iron for your baby five or six months of age is by giving him meat. Infant cereal has iron, but it is poorly absorbed and may cause the baby to be constipated.

There is no reason to introduce vegetables before fruit. Breastmilk is far sweeter than fruit, so there is no reason to believe that the baby will take vegetables better by delaying the introduction of fruit.

Respect your baby’s likes and dislikes. There is no essential food (except breastmilk). If your baby does not like a certain food, do not push it on him. If you think it important for him, wait a few weeks and offer it again..

http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=88

"you really need to go with baby cereal" is absurd, absolutely absurd.

"Cereals started as an important part of a child's diet back when the infant formula companies couldn't get an absorbable form of iron into the formula. They then fortified rice cereal with iron and introduced the rice cereal early into the diet as a way to make sure the kids got the iron.

Now, all the infant formulas are fortified with iron and of course, breastmilk has an abundant and easily absorbable supply of iron in it, so we really don't need an extra source. If you take away the iron in the cereals, it's just starch...

That's a long explanation to say that I don't really think the cereals are necessary-- they aren't a good source of nutrition and they don't make kids sleep and may, with the new info on the link to diabetes, be actually be harmful."

http://www.drjen4kids.com/myths/mythrice.htm

Answer 5

My twins started eating puréed apples a bit before 5 months. Then buy 6 months they would eat all different kinds of fruit, puréed of cause. Banana's, pear's, orange's, avocado's, watermelon's, they loved fruit.
Then I started them on mashed potatoes and gravy. They didn't like them. I had not been thinking and put my milk in the potatoes when I mashed them. They spewed it all back up. :( I put some formula in the next time and thy scoffed the potatoes up in no time.
I don't blame you about the baby cereal, my boys hated it. The simply refused to eat it. And they eat everything!!

PS I should really point out my kids were very hungry little boys, still are. We introduced food one thing at a time, incase of allegeries. xxx

Answer 6

At 6 mos, we will start with mashed cooked veggies: carrots/potatoes/squash. Mashed bananas, cooked pears/apples. Babies stomach enzymes are not ready to handle solids before 6 mos, and may have digestive problems later on.

Answer 7

1 tablespoon rice cereal in 3-4 tbl spoon breastmilk 2 times a day...for few weeks. Then similarly start with oatmeal .

Answer 8

I gave my son bananas, squash, carrots, peas, applesauce, you can give him prunes but not alot. Um.......pears, peaches

Answer 9

avocado, bananna, a piece of stake and stand next to him to see what he does with it, but first you chew it and give it to him so that its not too soft or too hard

Answer 10

you really need to go with baby cereal. It is very easy to break down, and gets your childs stomach use to dealing with mroe complex foods. You REALLY shouldn't "forgo" that. Please talk to your childs doctor.