First Solid?

You DIDN'T start solids too soon. You can't raise babies by books alone. Sheesh, I wish people would stop telling others how wrong they are. Anyway, one of my kids had trouble with peas- every time she had them she'd scream and scream. Green beans never bothered any of my kids, and they all loved squash and sweet potatoes. They liked beets, too. I think I started them on fruits before veggies, and one had a bad reaction to bananas while another had a horrible time with peaches. Applesauce and pears seemed to go over well with all of them. Have fun exploring!

You start with the nastiest thing you can think of, lol. You don't want to ruin him to only eating sweet potatoes because he likes the taste. Start with one of the greens, green beans, peas, something like those.

I started my daughter on sweet potatoes. I never even bought baby food. I just baked them and put them in the food processor with a small amount of water. I also admit I put a dash of sugar and a small amount of butter in them after I knew they wouldn't bother her stomach. I know doctors say not to do that but we all know they taste better like that. I was also really bad to give her everything she wanted. I know they say to introduce things slow but my baby would just grab things off my plate and put them in her mouth. I also don't think you started too soon my baby was only 4 months old. The kid was hungry. She has always been really active even when she was in the womb. Seriously, not all kids are the same. She is 4 now as skinny as a rail and eats more then me!!!

my ped advised us to start out with yellow and orange colored veggies, except corn and fruit. We started my now almost 6 month old on squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas, pears, applesauce. Introducing one per week to ensure there are no food allergies.

My first was great with her veggies as a baby and has continued to eat them all the time (she is now 5 and loves salad, bell peppers, and will try anything!).
I know they always say only try one at a time, but I found out that if you have a veggie that the baby is not responsive to, use a yummy fruit and rotate spoonfuls. One spoon fruit, one spoon veggie. Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans were the most popular in our house along with the Dutch Apples.
Of course, every baby is different. My second is the pickiest eater ever (Now 3 and is a chocolate, french fry and chicken girl!). She only tries a new food every few weeks or so. It is what makes them unique.
So keep on trying and good luck!
MJ

Congrats on your boy starting solids. It's a new adventure for him and I'm sure he enjoys the oral exercises. Our pediatrician recommended starting first on "orange" veggies (sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots), "green" veggies (pureed avocadoes, sweet peas, etc), then lastly fruits. Tasting fruits are last so they start liking other foods that aren't as sweet. Any baby foods labeled for "stage 1" have the right consistency and food types for them at this age. Good luck!

I would recommend that you start with one of the 'p' fruits - pears, peaches, prunes or plums. Rice, banana, squash and carrot can be very constipating, and the 'p' fruits naturally help to keep your baby from getting constipated. I started with pears so that way, when we started on foods that can cause constipation, I knew that my daughter wasn't allergic to the pears. I always fed her some pears, or one of the other 'p' fruits along with whatever the new food was and we never had any experience with constipation - ever - and she's now almost 2 1/2. have fun! Oh - someone wrote that you needed to wait 2 weeks in between each new food and that is not necessary - 3 -5 days is fine, but check with your ped.

Hi K.,
I started my daughter on green beans, which she absolutely loved. Would gobble up a whole jar no problem. Then peas, then squash, carrots, and then sweet potatos. She really didn't like sweet potatos unless they were fresh. She didn't like fruits either. But then after I stocked up on veggies, she changed tunes on me, of course. Now she prefers fruits. Will only take a couple of bites of veggies. So I give her the fruits and mix in a couple of tablespoons of veggies and she doesn't know the difference, so she gets both. Just relax and have fun with it!
T.

You started solids a little too soon, especially if you are worrying about what's easier on his little tummy. The AAP recommends nothing but breastmilk or formula until 6 months of age. You doctor apparently OK'd this which doesn't surprise me since there are many docs out there who don't keep up with the latest research or suggestions by the AAP. I say this not to "beat you up" about it but for other moms who may read this post and are thinking about starting solids so early.
And starting SWEET solids first, especially for a breastfed baby, does not cause baby to refuse other foods. Have you ever tasted breastmilk? It's very sweet.

Here are two links with more info about why to delay solids:

http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032000.asp

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html
And here's an excerpt:
The following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the first 4-6 months):

* World Health Organization
* UNICEF
* US Department of Health & Human Services
* American Academy of Pediatrics
* American Academy of Family Physicians
* American Dietetic Association
* Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
* Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
* Health Canada

Avocado is easy to make, easy to digest, and not associated with allergens. Banana is the same. The Superfoods book recommended below is fabulous. Check it out.

Good luck, and don't preclude a fruit or veg just because you think they may not like it. That is limiting. Don't allow honey, kiwi, and other foods deemed inappropriate for the age.

Once they are comfortable eating something, add cinnamon, garlic, allspice, nutmeg, basil, etc to expand the palate.

My daughter is 5. I did the above and she now eats sushi, oysters, mussels, salmon, lamb, all beg, all fruit, etc.

Have fun with it! Good luck

here's a recipe for when you start meats:
-sautee onion in olive oil, then add cubed chicken and cubed butternut squash. Add two cups chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cubed apples, and simmer for two minutes. Puree in food processor. Serve to baby when cooled :)

You made a right choice with the green beans. I have found out that corn and sweet potatoes tend to give them gas. Peas would be good to try too.
Mother of 3, grandmother of 7

I agree with starting with greens:)

.

Sweet potatoes are a good start and in fact was my childrens favorite. Make sure though that you balance his vegetables or else you'll have a slightly orange child. My oldest (and the guinea pig of my brood, LOL) loved carrots and sweet pot's so we fed them to her...a lot. When I took her to the doctor once he told me to start her on some greens as she was slightly orange...I'd never even noticed it, just thought it was baby skin (hey 1st time Mom excuse there).

But yes, he will probably like the sweet potatoes and I would venture to say he'll enjoy carrots too.

i wouldnt starrt with anything orange until 6 months because it kindly give smaller babies a yellow tint that what my ped told me

K. B,

Your best bet is to start with carrots. Always remember to only introduce one vegetable at a time and to wait a couple weeks to introduce another new vegetable. This allows time for you to see if your little one is allergic to the vegetable. After you have introduced all the yellow vegetables then start trying some of the green veggies. Good luck and also you may notice the baby's little nose getting an orange color, not to worry, this is pretty much normal when eating yellow veggies. Hope all goes well for you and your little one.

C. K

I started my boys out with friut first..it was sweeter and had nicer taste to it then veggies.If I remember right it was bananas..maybe thats why my boys love their bananas so much..even to this day..16ys & 17yrs later...??..lol..but do get yours started on both fruits/veggies now..and make sure they see you and everyone in your house eating them.Make it easier to get the children to eat those if others are..good luck..
S. B

I was always told start with the orange and yellow colors and save the greens for last. Good Luck.

A.

I would start out on something not so sweet. I started with sweet potatoes on my oldest and he had trouble with the green veggies. With my baby I started with carrots or peas. She is now a pretty good (although) small eater.

Yes it matters!

If you start off with fruits (which are sweet) they ususally don't like the veggies. Introduce the veggies first.

When you move up to feeding both fruits and veggies at one meal always give the veggies first too. It will make your feeding time so much easier.

My daughters are now 9 and 11 and love fruits and veggies. They even ask for Broc, cauliflower and cooked carrots.

i always start with things that are not sweet, like green beans. this keeps baby from thinking that all food has to be sweet. i have herd though, that it really does not matter, as long you introduce one at a time. i think that all of the stage ones are really gentle, so you should be able to choose whatever you want.

Sweet potatoes are good. My son also loved butternut squash. I always cooked and pureed the veggies myself then stored the leftovers in the freezer.

Hey K.!

I always started with the yellow/orange vegatables and then went to the green. Just make sure you wait 3 days before givung him a different kind to make sure he is not allergic to it. Have fun :)

I don't think it really matters, but if I were doing it all over again I think I'd start with peas or green beans and then move on to the yellow and orange veggies. Starting with the sweet ones like carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash seems to make them have a harder time warming up to the less sweet green veggies.

Check out wholesomebabyfoods.com. I've just started researching this since mine is 3/12 months old. There are several foods that can be good for first foods and sweet potatoes is one of them. Bananas and avocado are also foods that can be introduced early. I've been reading Super Baby Food and it says to give at least 4 days between new foods to make sure there are no allergies. Also, it suggests using only certified organic bananas.I think, after cereal, I'm going to try avocado. all you do is puree until no lumps, take 1 teaspoon, add water until it is fall of the spoon liquidy, and spoon feed your child. Avocado is very nutritious and not as sweet as bananas and sweet potatoes. Just my thoughts, but sweet potatoes are a good idea too.

Just be sure to not start more than two new foods per week (one every three days or so) so that if there is any kind of reaction you'll know which new food caused it.

I would start on the yucky ones first because otherwise they like the sweeter ones! Start with peas or green beans, spinach, something like that. Wait for carrots and sweet potatoes. Then when you start with fruit, make sure you don't give too many "orangy" foods, because your babies face will turn orange!! :-) Good luck

That is an excellent choice. SP have so much nutrient. Make sure you are buying organic.

K.,
Whatever you decide you need to do it for about 2 wks before switching and adding another... to make sure if the child would have an allergic reaction what exactly could be the culprit.

I waited till my DD was 6 months old, and gave her fresh veggies and fruit just pureed them for her.
She LOVES Veggie and fruit and she is now 5 yrs old...

Do what is best for you and your family, just check with your Pedi first.

Hi K.! I recommend a book called Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yaron. It breaks down all the foods that are age appropriate as your baby gets older. I started my son out with ripe avocados. I just blended them up in his rice cereal. It should be mixed with enough liquid so that it pours off the spoon into baby's mouth, only slightly thicker than breast milk/formula. If it was too thick, my son would gag. Next, I introduced bananas. These two fruits are the only ones you can feed your baby raw at this age so they're super easy! Everything else has to be cooked, pureed and strained. Avocacos are really good for babies.

I read (somewhere else) that it's wise to start baby out on veggies that aren't sweet. But, I followed what this book said and my son and eats all fruits AND veggies that I put infront of him. He doesn't seem picky at all!