Acquainting your Toddler with Solid Foods

Allow Self-feeding Once your Baby Wishes to Hold the Food

Once the baby completes his/her sixth month, it’s time to introduce solids foods to the growing infant. Gradually the infant moves from exclusive breastfeeding or bottle feeding to eating at the dinner table along with other members of the family. Two important things must be planned for this gradual change: what foods and textures can be introduced at each age and what is the best way to feed the baby so that he/she develops a healthy relationship with food.

One New Food at A Time

While the traditional rule has been to introduce single-grain cereals followed by fruits, vegetables and meat, there is no strict order in which solid foods should be introduced to infants. Actually, pureed meat or poultry would make an excellent first solid food for the baby as these are great sources of iron and zinc.

Present evidences recommend parents to not wait beyond four to six months before introducing allergy-causing foods such as eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts and fish. These evidences further claim that introducing peanut-containing foods as early as four to six months can avoid peanut allergy.

Keep it a point to introduce only one new food at a time and wait for three to five days before introducing another food. This gives you enough time to notice any negative reactions to the introduced food such as diarrhea, vomiting or rashes. If you notice such reactions, stop the new food and contact your pediatrician immediately as it may indicate a food allergy.

Food Texture Matters

Start your baby on smooth and soft-textured foods moving gradually to other texture foods. Be cautious about serving firm foods, specifically round foods, slippery foods and sticky foods as these can cause choking hazards. Please avoid feeding children under 4 years of age with foods such as popcorns, peanuts, nuts and seeds, olives, hot dogs, whole kernel corn, whole grapes, cherry tomatoes, hard candy, chunks of meat or poultry, sticky foods such as peanut butter and hard, raw fruits or vegetables such as apples, celery and carrots.

For toddlers and preschoolers, you can serve grapes, meat, fruits, raw veggies, poultry and hot dogs by chopping them into small pieces (about ½ inch or smaller).

Divide Responsibility

Once you establish a positive feeding relationship with your infant, you are sure to reap lifelong benefits. Registered dietitian nutritionists feel that proper delegation of responsibility can establish a long-term healthy feeding relationship.

What an Adult Should Take Care of?

Adults hold sole responsibility to what food is served and how it is served.

• Feed foods that are prepared to the right consistency so that your baby’s tongue and mouth can control and swallow the food easily.
•  Place your baby in your lap while introducing solid foods for the first time. Later, move your baby to a safe high chair.
•  Place your baby in an upright position for easy exploration of the food. Make your baby sit up straight with face forward to make swallowing easier and choking less likely.
•  Speak in a subtle yet encouraging voice while feeding. Don’t entertain your kid too much as he/she can become easily overwhelmed and distracted to play instead of finishing the meal.

What are the Responsibilities of your Child?

Children are responsible for how much and whether they eat.

• Feed your baby every spoonful of food only after you get your baby’s attention.
• Allow your little one to feel the food in the spoon or in the bowl. We wouldn’t want to eat something about which we have no knowledge about.
• Feed at your baby’s tempo. Don’t rush the baby to finish the meal as per your pace.
• Once your baby is interested in touching or holding the food, allow self-feeding with finger foods. Make interesting finger foods with ideas from the website www.firsteatright.com.
•  If your baby turns away his/her head while feeding, it is a signal that your baby is feeling full and you can stop feeding the baby.