Fruits and Vegetables for Your Baby's First Food

Medical Video: Starting Solid Foods - Boys Town Pediatrics

Actually, there are no specific rules for starting to introduce certain foods to babies in a certain order. The most important thing is to begin to familiarize the child with any variety of soft flavors and textures that you can provide as soon as he is six months old.

The first choice of food varies for each family, so do what works for you and your baby. Here are some recommended foods:

Cooked vegetables such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes or carrots
Fruits such as mashed bananas, avocados, pears or cooked apples
Soft fruit, ripe fruit, such as peaches or melons, both crushed or small sliced
Small pieces of vegetables that are cooked and soft

No need to worry that giving fruit as the first meal will make your baby prefer sweet foods. If he starts eating fruits, this will not make him tend to be lazy to eat vegetables when he grows up later. It is true that babies usually prefer sweetness, because breast milk naturally has a sweet taste. But, your baby will learn to like other tastes if you start offering them early.

When can I combine fruits and vegetables?

If you start with fruit, it's better to immediately switch to vegetables afterwards. Your baby will more easily tolerate vegetables at the beginning of the feeding process. In fact, this diet can become a habit that can last long as you get older.

If your baby does not receive new vegetables at first, do not try to force or bribe him to eat the vegetables. This will only make the atmosphere of the meal more troublesome for both of you and can make your baby fussy. Your baby may only need time to learn to like new tastes. If he is not interested in new food, remove the food from the menu for one or two days, then try again. If your baby really doesn't like the taste of vegetables, you can try sweet vegetables instead, like sweet potatoes. Young children tend to avoid vegetables that have strong flavors such as kale or brussel sprouts.

If you want your child to eat dark green leafy vegetables, you can try mixing them with sweet root vegetables. You can mix new flavored foods with foods that your baby likes and gradually increase the proportion of these new foods. Perseverance for several weeks will pay off. Be patient, and give plenty of opportunities for your baby to try something new. You may need to offer eight new flavors and textures for several weeks before your baby finally receives them. You might see your baby give a strange expression when he tries new food for the first time. This does not mean he is not happy with the food. He might just be surprised at the new taste or texture. If your baby prefers foods that are eaten by hand rather than with tablespoons and well-pounded food, then vegetables are the ideal choice. Try small pieces of cooked carrots, or broccoli or steamed cauliflower. Make mealtime interesting for your baby. Just like adults, babies can get bored if they eat the same food every day, so give food with new flavors as often as possible. You can try different flavors every day if you like.

What other foods are good for the first meal for my baby?

If you wait until your baby is six months before you start feeding him, he can try most of the food, including:

Poultry and meat
Fish
Nuts and seeds
Peanut butter and butter
Dairy products like yogurt, cheese and pudding
Baby cereals and rice cakes are mixed with breast milk or formula milk

If there is a family history of allergies, or if your baby has asthma or eczema, consult your doctor before you introduce foods that contain nuts, seeds or dairy products. You can choose to start with foods that do not cause allergic reactions (low-allergic). Here are some foods to try: