Need Advice on Starting Solids

Well as I remember it when I put my kids on solids (and forgive me, it has been a while, things may have changed LOL) but we started with cereal at one meal (I chose night time) and did that for a while (I would say at least a couple of weeks) before introducing anything else and then I did green veggies first, then yellow/orange veggies and fruit last to help keep them from getting too much of a sweet tooth before they learned to like veggies - and it was a slow process - I didin't introduce a new food until 3 - 5 days after the last new one - that way you know if there is any allergic reaction which food caused it. Good luck - most babies spit out new foods at first - you just keep giving it to them, keep them trying it and they will eventually catch on.

Maybe you want to wait a bit more before intoducing him to different flavors. It's been only one week and remember its a taste they have never tried before. Try again in a few days and see.. Don't give up!

Solids can seem pretty daunting at first, hey? There's so many different recommendations and ways of doing it "right". I think the key thing to remember is that between now and 12 months, eating solids and finger foods is just an introduction to different flavours and texture, and practicing with those tastes and textures, your son's primary source of nutrition is still breastmilk or formula. So, in my humble little opinion, just have fun with it, don't worry too much about the rules and what he won't eat or will eat and when, it will all eventually come together. Just offer little bits of healthy food, wait the appropriate time between introducing new foods in case there's a reaction, and know that if he ends up hating pears this week he might love them next...and then hate them again the next week and so on.

For now I'd just try mixing the fruit with the cereal, bit by bit, so he can get used to the flavour. My daughter started on bananas, avocado and eventually applesauce and I always had great luck introducing a new food if I'd mix it with one of those...apples go great with sweet potato, turkey, chicken, etc!

you can just keep giveing him the rice cereal and in a week or two try the other food again. Their taste changes as they grow.

Hi J.,

He simply may not be ready for other textures yet. Perhaps you could try mixing in just a little of the fruit (although I was encouraged to start with green veggies like peas or green beans, with the idea that once they taste the sweet stuff, they won't want anything else)with the cereal, and see what he does. Generally, they say it's best to start with really watery (well, milky, actually) cereal, and slowly thicken it while adding other stuff in, one item at a time. Have fun with it!

There is no need to rush or force any certain foods. From 6-12 months food is introduced entirely for them to learn how to eat, learn about textures, socialize at the table, etc - they get little nutrition from the solids at 6 months since their gut is still very immature. It totally doesn't matter that right now he won't eat certain things, and the fact that he actually gags means that he isn't ready for that particular food or texture. Additionaly, sometimes babies gag or refuse certain foods that they may have a sensitivity or allergy to, so don't force anything. If he is comfortable right now with cereal textures then try those - rice can be very binding and cause constipation, so I would offer oatmeal or the other cereals as well.

At this age they are still only able to get the most nutrition from breastmilk, so ALWAYS nurse first, then offer solids AFTER he has nursed - again,just for exposure to foods/textures and to have FUN. It's not for nutrition so don't worry about how much he eats. He is just supposed to be having a good, happy experience so that he likes eating in the future.

Oh - and I forgot - the best first foods according to some Dr's are bananas, avacados and sweet potatos - and these are things you can easily make at home. Just send them through the blender with a little breastmilk to start so that it's not too thick. As he gets older you might be able to just mash these soft foods. Some babies like it and accept it better than the processed jarred food.

Just keep trying. Eventually he will go for it. Maybe put it in a dish on his tray so he can play with it, then put his fingers in his mouth and "discover" it on his own. Letting him "taste" a banana you're eating or a peach is also a good way to introduce him to new tastes. Maybe he prefers veggies? Try some sweet potato. Making your own baby food also makes the tastes more palatable (for veggies anyway-- the fruit stuff in the jar is usually pretty good). it's easy to do-- just steam or boil fruits and veggies, then puree. You can put them in an ice cube tray to freeze and they make perfect baby portions.

In the meantime, rest assured that solids at this age is really just play and learning and that he's getting everything he needs from your milk (or formula).

I bet pretty soon he'll take off with the solids and really start to enjoy them!

My daughter always hated the cereals but loved the foods! However, she didn't like fruit at all at first. I started with carrots and those were her favorite. Then sweet potatos. She gets very gassy and fussy with any of the green veggies, something to look out for. Now she is turning a year and it is hard to get her to eat anything BUT fruit! The idea that if you start fruit first they will never eat veggies is very out dated and untrue. Don't stress about that. From 5-10 months my daugther love all the vegie foods and now all she wants are strawberries, grapes, blueberries, watermelon and banannas! Also, she still doesn't have any teeth! Don't think they can't move on to regular food until they get teeth, not true. She eats everything we eat! One thing at a time and he will let you know when he is ready for more. My girl also started right away on cheerios and puffs. she is all about doing it herself!

Hi J.,

It's so exciting introducing the first foods. My daughter was/is a huge texture baby. If something feels different she spits it out as soon as it touches her mouth. When she first started solids she had cereal for about a month before she was interested in trying any other foods. Once she was taking other solids she preferred veggies she loved Green Beans. Keep reintroducing food and don't be discouraged.

Good luck!

Hi J.,

Your baby seems to like plain flavors right now. Try similar food instead. Try wheat or other cereals and step by step add small (really small) pieces of fruit so he/she can realizes that there are a way bigger variety of food. Don't worry too much if your baby doesn't want to taste more things as much as he/she is getting the rice cereal and specially milk.

Good luck and any other question feel free to ask.

C.

How about fresh ripe avocado, papaya or banana?

My daughter would gag on everything until she was almost 9 months old! Babies know what they need and when they aren't ready. No need to stress. Breastmilk or formula should be their main source of nutrition for the first year. Just put the foods away for a while and try again in a few weeks. I tried a couple of times a month until she was ready and around 9 months she was ready and eats like a little piggy now at 14 months.

To start with you never start a child on fruits. You start them on vegetables. Start with peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, or any veggie but only one. Then mix a little in his cereal. Each day add a little more until it is nothing but vegetables. If you start a baby on fruit he or she will never like vegetables. But because of possible allergies you only use one at a time for a week or so to make sure there are no allergies. I made a lot of my food for the girls. Get a blender and just throw what ever veggies you are having in a blender and give it to your baby. They are healthier and taste better.

try the fruit mixed with the rice cereal. you can add the fruit without the milk to it.

try you own green beans at home mush them really really fine. when he is like 8 0r 9 months he can eat them as a finger food. and your own mashed potatoes just add a little more milk in the babies.by a real sweet potatoe at the store and bake it and smoosh it up for the baby.

Are you feeding him bottled food or real whole food that has been mashed up and thinned with breastmilk (if necessary)? Bottled food has no taste and looses nutrients shortly after being bottled. Introduce new foods gradually and insmall amounts to test for allergic reactions.

Try these:
-Pureed Fresh Berries
-Pureed Frozen Berries (unthawed)
-Cooked Peaches/Pears (remove seeds steam until soft then puree)
-Asparagus/Broccoli/Carrots/Parsnip/Turnip/Zucchini (cut in chunks, steam until soft. Cool and puree until smooth)
-Leafy Greens (collards/bok choy/swiss chard/spinach/kale)-Tear into pieces, steam, cook and puree and add breast milk.
-Yams/Squash (Bake, cool, puree or mash)

In great health,

G. G.
Wellness Coach

You've gotten some great advice! Gretchen who posted below is full of wisdom and runs a local parenting group that I belong to.
I also wanted to say that the way Wendy outlined it (veggies first, green to yellow to orange, and then fruits, trying each for 3-5 days to watch for allergies) is the same way my pediatrician had me do it. It makes a lot of sense and while babies' tastebuds aren't overly sensitive at this age, they do exist and if you start with sweet items, the baby is less likely to eat their peas and green beans later. Not to mention, by doing it one at a time and waiting to start a new item, we discovered early on that my son is allergic to peas of all things!
By doing it this way, my son's favorite foods are still green beans and sweet potatoes, although he eats any veggie or fruit you offer him. (He's 2 now.)
I also agree that you should perhaps work on getting him used to the other varieties of cereal (oatmeal, barley, and the mixed variety) and give your little one a couple more weeks and then try a green veggie.
Broccoli (home made) was a big hit when we first started out.

try barley, oatmeal...
try mixing a tiny bit of the apples or pears IN with the cereal...there is no RIGHT way to start...
try avocado, smashed ripe banana, smashed baked or steamed sweet potato...

It has always been my understanding that you shouldn't start them on more than one food at a time anyway. If you just started rice last week, you should stick with just that for the time being. When you do add another food, it should be another grain. Your child's doctor can give you a schedule for when it is appropriate to add other foods, but when you do, as was suggested above, you can try mixing a small amount in with a cereal that he likes.

Mix it w/the cereal...

My 6-month old did the same thing. I think they have to get use to the texture. My son is 6 1/2 months old now and I noticed that he still is not loving the solids, so I started pureeing my own food and he loves it. I think because it has some flavor. If you have the time I would make your own food and see if he likes that.

If he loves rice cereal, then, then mix the applesauce with the rice cereal. Start off with 90% cereal and 10% applesauce. Each day after add a little more applesauce. He should get the hang of it over time. No hurry.

Also, there is no difference in introducing the fruits before the veggies or vice versa. I have had two ped. in 2 states tell me that the order to introduce does not matter. Babies taste buds are barely developed and the slight sweetness of fruit will not cause them to not like veggies.

He's too young. Consult with your pediatrician.