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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Foodie Baby & Starting Solids

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It's no secret that B and I are into food.  Shortly after we found out I was pregnant, B started talking about feeding Peanut.  We started reading that the fetus actually starts tasting foods thru the amniotic fluidd and well... it was all over from there.

B felt it was his duty to expose our developing child to every different type of food (that a pregnant woman can eat) that was humanly possible.  Unfortunately in the third trimester I was put on a strict diet for gestational diabetes (and oddly enough my temporarily high cholesterol). 

B decided that the only logical thing to do would be to make sure I eat my weights worth of Chinese vegetables.  He spent the last several months lovingly preparing them for my dinner.

God Forbid we have a child who doesn't like Chinese food of any kind!

This continued on throughout my breastfeeding.  If there was any way Peanut could be exposed to food, or flavors then we did it.  I mean, it couldn't hurt.

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Now we're entering the wonderful world of solids and I can tell you it's a milestone that we've been looking forward to for soooo long.  After talking to our doctor and Peanut's interest in our eating habits we decided to go for it.

It seemed only natural that I prepare Peanut's food for him.  I have the time and after tasting store bought foods I definitely had a preference for the fresh stuff.

I started researching months ago.  Truth be told I started looking into it in the beginning of my pregnancy.  As usual opinions on solids varies widely.

Some follow strict rules of when to start, in which order foods are given and following cultural norms.  Others skip pureed food completely and use an approach called Baby Led Weaning.  There are opinions are what types of foods to start babies on.  The cultural tradition is rice cereal.  Some think that starting babies on fruit will make it harder to introduce veggies as they will like fruit better.  Others say that breastfed babies are already used to sweetness.

All I have to say is that I get it. 

I get that babies really don't need to eat until 6 months.  I get that although there may not be a scientific or nutritional reason to use rice cereal as a first food, that it is the cultural norm and an easy transition.  I even get the baby led weaning and the concept of a child learning to chew and then swallow versus the traditional process of swallowing and then learning to chew.

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The American Association of Pediatrics seems to have changed it's views on a lot of the cultural norms as far as feeding our babies.  Over the years we've started feeding babies later and later.  They've stated that it isn't necessary to start on cereal or withhold certain (possibly allergenic) foods until later or space out the exposure to those foods.

As with every other parenting decision thus far, we've thrown all these ideas in a hat and randomly chosen which we'll adopt.  What to give him?  Do we start meats now?  Do we skip fruits in the beginning? 

And the winner is.....

CHEESEBURGER!  Why not just jump in with the good stuff, ya know?

No really, we're starting with sweet potato and growing from there.  It's such an exciting time for us, so many new experiences.  We can't wait to introduce him to the world of food in which we are so very passionate.  We plan on doing whatever we can to interest him in a wide range of healthy foods.

So what are the chances that Peanut will be the pickiest eater ever?

Nevermind, don't tell me.
shoving them down my throat

12 comments:

  1. Oddly enough, Jake had no problem transitioning to solids. Let me tell you, the jump from baby food to real food is great and I can thank the onsite daycare at work for experimenting for me. Chau Shu Bao-however you spell it-from Costco (which is surprisingly good)is one of his favs. Who woulda guessed? It's noce to be able to go to a restaurant and order him something from the kids menu. I still feel the need to break it into small pieces just to be safe. If only he's stop wanting to throw stuff on the floor and shake his sippy cup contents EVERYWHERE. :) Happy parenting. It really keeps getting better!

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  2. I started Q at 6 months, and he loved everything. Except potatoes, and to this day he doesn't like the texture of potatoes, but prefers veggies! He'll eat some of the weirdest things, but is still kind of iffy about certain textures. I'm somewhat the same way, I don't care for cooked oatmeal strictly because of texture (not taste), and same for brown rice...weird, huh?! I started Q off with homemade quinoa cereal, it being a perfect protein and all. Not to mention cheap. ;)

    Not sure when we'll start Sprig on solids, she's so little and thrives so well with nursing we may try to hold off until 8 months. But she keeps trying to snatch things off my plate so we'll see how long that lasts...

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  3. Hahahaha!!! Oh my gosh that was funny!!! By the look on his face, I don't think he'll have a problem at the burger and fries stage!!!

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  4. Oh fun, I can't wait to hear what Peanut likes. I really hope he is not picky or that he has any food allergies.

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  5. Solid foods are fun! Get ready for some interesting diaper changes ;)

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  6. We don't have kids yet, but one of my book club members chose the book Hungry Monkey which offers an interesting (and male, for B) perspective on feeding kids. Several friends who are parents have really liked it.

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  7. I laugh when I remember myself at this stage with kiddos, because in spite of me doing everything "by the book," my kids liked what they liked, and hated what they hated... and when they turned four years old, they stopped liking things they had always liked, and they liked things they had hated... and now that they are older, it's ALWAYS changing. So I just roll with it and make them eat at least as many bites of food as they are old before they can be excused if it's something they claim to hate, but is SUPER good for them. And mostly, they eat everything but mushrooms. Peanut is going to LOVE food... and you guys are terrific parents! :)

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  8. That is so cute. His little head next to that giant cheeseburger:) I applaud you for being so intentional with his little palate. I could have cared less. That's sounds terrible, but if I could get it on sale and they ate it...that was a good day:) It's so fun to see them get excited to eat. My big chick did this funny thing with her hands when she was ready for it. Great memories.

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  9. I love that the cheeseburger is bigger than his head! go for it Peanut!! :oD

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  10. Mmm.... I say skip the burger and dive into those fries! They look delish! (Aside from the icky pickle they are sitting on...) Emerson LOVES ethnic foods. I read that babies should be introduced to different flavors early in order to develop their tastebuds. Americans' tastebuds are so underdeveloped because of all the bland food that is heavily seasoned with salt. But in other countries, they introduce their native seasonings to their babies and their palates are more developed. Don't know if it's true, but it makes sense! Emerson has barely had any salt, but she LOVES Indian, Mexican, Japanese, and Chinese foods! Next up: Mediterranean!

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  11. I never said no to Lexie trying anything (except honey or strawberries - I don't know if it's true but I heard these could be potentially alarming for babies under 1 year). As a result she has an awesomely diverse taste... even kids with a smorgasbord before them, however, may end up being "hot dog and macaroni-and-cheese" kids for a while, so don't be discouraged if that happens. My two cents. :)

    As for when to start... when she started wanting to eat more, I supplemented formula/milk with rice cereal (mixed with some applesauce). I figured if she was hungry more often she needed something more solid. Advice is just that, of course... advice! Every kid is different. :)

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  12. Ha! I agree, I like the comparison shot of the cheeseburger to his sweet lil noggin!

    And I don't think he stands a chance of being a picky eater. And that's a good thing!

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