Babies have 3 times more taste buds than adults.
After finding this tidbit out, I was even more excited about Ardea trying solids. I was so curious -- would she like savory foods or just want sweets all the time? Would she be a picky eater or eat anything put in front of her? Would she like Vietnamese food?
I was so patient. Since she was born two months premature, I did not want to rush her into eating solids if her digestive system was not ready. Then finally....she started to be more interested in what I was eating. She started putting toys in her mouth. She started sitting with little support. YES! It was time!
At first I tried baby cereal mixed with formula. Ardea was not into it. I tried multiple times, she would look at me like "What the...." and not swallow. So I backed off, thinking maybe I was misreading the signs and she wasn't actually ready. But one day I decided to mix in kale puree into the cereal -- it worked! She was opening her mouth in anticipation of the next spoonful. She almost finished half the bowl I made for her. Yes!
So now I had to make some decisions -- am I going to make her food or am I going to buy it? What kind of produce would I use? How would I come up with stuff to make? How could I introduce her to different flavors?
* Before going any further, I stress that I am merely sharing my thoughts and what worked for me -- everyone is different. I am sharing, not proselytizing.
What is my goal in shaping her introduction to solids?
Eventually, I want to be able to take whatever we're eating and pulse it a few times in the food processor so I can cook once for everyone. Then later on hopefully she'll be used to and will actually like what my husband and I are eating.
To make or not to make?
Ardea eats the food I make her most of the time. However, there are stretches where I haven't gone to the grocery store to get fresh produce or it is more convenient to bring along pre-made baby food rather than fresh food that can go bad while we're out. I treat packaged baby food the way I treat take out for my husband and me -- once in a while is fine, but it's not something I like to do all the time.
* I will say, it is a good idea to keep frozen veggies and fruit in the fridge for those days when you realize you've run out of baby food and you don't have any fresh ingredients.
Why make baby food?
The short answer is because I can. It is really easy when you are introducing babies to one vegetable, one flavor at a time, to steam or boil a vegetable and puree it. Since they're not eating very much in the beginning, one batch can last days. The power of mommy guilt was really present here -- if it is so quick and easy to do it, then why not do it? Aside from iron enriched cereal and oatmeal, there is no doubt that giving Ardea fresh fruits and vegetables was better for her than buying the jarred counterpart. Why not allow my daughter to eat fruits and vegetables when they taste their best? If she is tasting peaches for the first time, why introduce her to the best version of it? It's also easy for me to throw some things together in a pot to make stock and let it go while I'm playing with her.
I also like how making food for her encourages my husband and me to eat better. Always having fresh fruits, vegetables and good quality proteins on hand gives us no choice but to eat at home.
Where would I get inspiration? What kind of ingredients should I use?
One of my favorite resources for what to make Ardea is the Northside Farmer's Market, a weekly farmer's market in my neighborhood. We walk to it every week (weather permitting) and I can get something local, organic, and in season (aka at its best) for her to try. That's where we got asparagus, where we got swiss chard, kohlrabi... It is really fun and takes some of the pressure off of me to think about what to have her try next.
I have to admit, I also peep the baby foods aisle and look at the combinations that baby food companies come up with. I look at the ingredients and use the combinations as inspiration. Sweet potatoes and apples? Great idea -- I'll look out for those in the produce aisle. Coconut milk, lentils and pumpkin? Got it.
Tools, Ingredients, and Storage
Before Ardea, I occasionally bought organic produce. It felt like such a big expense and I only purchased organic fruits and vegetables that were part of the "dirty dozen" for pesticide residue. Now, I purchase organic produce to make Ardea's food. The idea of any pesticide residue getting into her system at this early point in her life is not worth me saving 50 cents, especially when I'm buying small quantities.
I use a blender and a food processor. I hear an immersion blender works well too.
When you are just starting out, an ice cube tray is a good inexpensive way to portion food you make. Babies aren't eating very much at the beginning anyway so you can freeze it, then pop out the cubes into a ziplock bag. I also like
this Beaba Multiportions Freezer Trays. It was on my baby registry and I love it -- the food is really easy to pop out and it comes with a cover. I fill each slot with about 2 tablespoons of baby food then microwave it for about 35 seconds when it's time to eat. These
containers are also really great. You can freeze individual flavors, then thaw a few at a time and mix and match the flavors during stage 2.
I've been making food for almost 2 months now and I have never had anything in the freezer for more than a week, but I would use the frozen baby food within 1-3 months.
The Meal Plan
At the recommendation of my doctor, I started Ardea out with green vegetables. She ate kale for about 3 days, then I would introduce another green vegetable to her. By introducing one vegetable at a time, you can pinpoint any food that causes an allergic reaction. For example, if your child has eaten broccoli and been fine, but later when you mix broccoli with rice he/she has an allergic reaction, you can deduce that he/she has a rice allergy. This also delays her introduction to sweet foods.
After about 2 weeks of this, I moved on to other strong tasting vegetables like cauliflower. After that phase, I moved on to orange vegetables. It was very hard for me to be patient -- I just wanted her to try everything! And I wanted to mix everything together! But I did my best. After all the veggies, I moved on to fruits.
Also, I taste everything I make for her. I expect it to be a little bland, but if it takes like water, I know I've thinned it out too much and she's not getting to really taste the vegetable or fruit I'm introducing to her.
I don't know if this method really shaped the way she approached food, but I will say that she LOVES the vegetables that many adults don't even like. She loves cauliflower, kale, cabbage, broccoli. She may have liked these vegetables regardless of how I introduced them to her, but I thought I'd share my process nonetheless. Ok, now time to get cooking!
Phase 1 Foods
During this phase, I boiled or steamed these vegetables until I could pierce them easily with a fork. When they were cooked, I processed them and thinned it out (if necessary) with the water that the vegetable or fruit was cooked in until the puree was completely smooth. I only thinned out the puree for smoothness -- I did not want the mix to become watery. Here are some suggestions for things to introduce your baby to during the introductory phase of solids:
- Kale
- Asparagus
- Cauliflower
- Broccoflower
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Carrots
- Any kind of squash
- Radish (I credit my brother for this one -- it tastes like cauliflower!)
- Avocado
- Banana
- Mango
- Peaches
- Papaya
- Apple
- Asian pear
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