My daughter’s first word is “happa happa”, she says that when she sees food, a bowl or a spoon. It is beyond cute and – of course – funny, too, that she made food her first word. I love it!
We started with baby food early: At the age of five months I began to feed her mashed sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnips, carrots. I had a feeling she would be curious to discover food, and I was right. To date we did not have any major issues with food, she seems to love eating as much as her parents do!
Here are seven facts, information, experiences I and we made over the past months when it comes to baby food.
1) I gave and give her mainly mashed food. In the morning she eats pureed fruits with grains, for lunch she would have mashed vegetables, fish, meat (*), and in the evenings she usually has a bowl of grain porridge with fruits, nut butter and / or yogurt.
2) (*) Regarding animal produce: Personally I do not eat meat and had big arguments with my boyfriend about whether we would give our daughter meat or not. After some research and recommendations of midwifes, she not gets fish and meat approximately twice a week. I personally also refrain from drinking cow’s milk; Antonia however, gets some every now and then, not daily, but weekly. I tend to make her porridges with oat milk, and her dad makes it with cow’s milk.
3) We included baby-led weaning from the beginning, she would eat vegetable and fruit sticks, bread, crackers and other (sugar- and salt-free) baby snacks. For us, baby-led weaning wasn’t “enough”, but it was a nice add-on to mashed foods.
4) We did and do have difficulties with gaining weight, which is why I add avocado, olive oil, butter and / or nut butters to all meals. It makes them taste better a hundred times, too!
5) Since Antonia turned one year old, I give her any food she would like to try (no sugar or very salty foods though, and obviously no caffeine and alcohol). I cut hard, big chunks such as nuts and outer crust of bread. She also eats white flour, spicy foods, meat (I simply tell myself to take that easy, there will be a point in her life when she can decide for herself whether she wants to eat animal produce or not.)
6) I don’t take the whole topic too serious. We have days when she doesn’t want to eat any vegetables, some days she would only accept bananas, sometimes cold food is better than warm food (e.g. when she’s teething). I’m ok with it. She also gets shop-bought baby food for days sometimes, if I do not find the time or energy to cook. I assume that’s also ok(ish).
7) I believe eating should be fun and a social act. I often eat with her, arrange lots of foods on the table, from whom she then can choose, pointing at something and saying “ehhh”. I let her try as much as she wants, and believe that this will help to increase her interest in food at this early stage already.
Yesterday I made a huge batch of granola, sweetened with maple syrup, honey and raisins. I added some of the crunch to Antonia’s porridge this morning – and she loved it! Asked for more granola to eat it straight from her hands, so we sat there and ate granola like other people eat crisps. I have so much fun seeing her explore food, and I love that, at the age of one, and with enough teeth already, she is ready to try everything!
The dishes were a PR sample / gift by Done by deer, hence this is advertising. I love the silicon plate, the cute bib, the cups and the cutlery! Thank you very much, Done by deer, for the nice surprise!
What is your experience with baby’s first food? Do your children love to eat or is / was it a struggle at first? I would love to hear your stories!
Love,
Lea Lou
