My husband Jared and I are self-proclaimed foodies. Before getting pregnant (and before COVID put a halt to all of our plans) we dined out regularly and loved trying new recipes at home. When the topic of our new babe’s eating came up, I remember complaining about how bland most kid’s menus are. You know, those staples: chicken nuggets, hamburgers with fries, plain pasta, unseasoned broccoli, corn and mashed potatoes. Now, I for one love a good burger - but I didn’t want to raise a little one limited to the boring kid’s section of restaurant menus. We wanted an adventurous, healthy and open-minded eater for sure, and we believe that that begins at home. 

So when does REAL eating begin? I figured that if MAK could taste what I was eating through my breastmilk, he would have a taste for it later in life. In an article by Dr. Gwen Dewar, it was discovered that breastfed babies are exposed to more flavor via their mother’s milk than formula-fed babies. The research found that exposure to certain flavors (like carrot, beets and green veggies) could result in babies more tolerant of solids foods further down the line. 

MAK started off his meal journey with breastmilk (or Mother’s Milk as my father-in-law likes to call it) since I felt it was the best start I could give him. From the start, I never shied away from the foods and spices that I loved. While battling hyperemesis gravadiam (to read THAT story, JOY), I struggled to enjoy food so I was ready to enjoy it postpartum! I love grilled beets and carrots, tons of garlic, fish and lamb, sweet potatoes, soul food, Thai, curry, sushi, and lots of fresh fruits. I found myself loving food again and enjoying all the things I missed out on while sick and pregnant. I read about exposing your baby to allergens while breastfeeding as well and kept stashes of almonds, cashews and peanuts nearby - constantly snacking! - hoping to expose MAK early and avoid allergies. I wanted so badly for my little guy to eat what we eat and to be able to think outside of the ‘children’s menu’ box you find at so many restaurants. 

One thing to consider when starting solids is sourcing - where are you going to get your food? One of my largest concerns buying pre-made baby purees was cost. I’m always looking to save money where I can and, after calculating the cost of organic pre-made meals, I found that it’s far less expensive to make the meals yourself if you can. This is especially helpful when it comes to quality control - we’ve all heard the ‘baby food older than your baby’ bit. At this point - between constantly breastfeeding and pumping on the regular to increase ‘my stash’ - the expense was my time. I was on maternity leave for three months, during which I was able to pump and freeze regularly and assumed my productivity would carry over when MAK began needing homemade foods. Be warned: if and when you decide to breastfeed your baby and make them purées at home, you’ll save money but you will certainly pay with your time. But, if you’re okay with that and up to the challenge, this is for you - let’s get to it! 

Have you heard the saying “food before one is just for fun”? If you haven’t, read it and remember it. Purèes, in the beginning, are more for development of palate, eating muscles and practice than they are for nourishment - that’s what breastmilk and formula are for. You should wait for the go-ahead from your pediatrician, which generally comes at your four to six month checkup. Don’t stress if your little one isn’t ready right away since they all progress at different speeds. At four and a half months, MAK was introduced to his first food: sweet potato! It was mixed with breastmilk and just a taste in the beginning - enough to explore and get acquainted with this totally new process! I was so excited and decided to create a list (100 Foods Before 1!) and track the fruits, veggies, grains, meats and dairy that I’d researched to try with MAK. Ta-da - we were well on our way! Well… sort of. We hit a small speed bump in the form of an allergic reaction to rice and avocados. While mild reactions and rejections can be common, severe allergies and intolerances can be pretty scary. FPIES (or food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome) is a type of gastrointestinal allergy caused by specific foods and often triggers (sometimes delayed!) vomiting and diarrhea. In MAK’s case, his allergic reaction occurred on day 3 eating homemade rice cereal and avocado about two and a half hours after his meal. He projectile vomited until he’d completely emptied his stomach. My poor baby - I felt TERRIBLE. We called his pediatrician and were instructed to wait to see if other symptoms developed - a rash, fever, fatigue - but ultimately we waited it out for him to return to his normal self. It took some time, but he bounced back to being happy, loud and busy after some lethargy. Luckily, he required no medical attention and FPIES is something that he may easily grow out of. To be safe, his allergist suggested that we try rice again around 15-18 months. While not always necessary, we now adhere to the ‘three day rule’ trying each new food for three days on its own to watch for adverse reactions. 

While we love trying new recipes at home for ourselves, I decided to stick to single ingredient purees (apples, pears, sweet potato, carrots, banana, mango, oatmeal) in the beginning for easy practicing. After you’ve learned some of your little one’s likes and dislikes - and checked things off your allergy list - you can start to incorporate seasonings and spices like cinnamon, salt and pepper, ginger, lemon and even curry! Just remember that just a pinch starting out is a great way to get your baby acquainted with these tastes. 

Some other tips I’ve found… 

• Check what foods are on the ‘Dirty Dozen List’ and try to use local, organic fruits and veggies whenever possible. 

• Make sure to thoroughly wash, peel and dice your produce before cooking.

• Steaming or (my personal favorite) roasting are great ways to cook veggies for purees. You can lightly steam fruits that haven’t ripened as well - but most are best pureed from fresh! 

• To get to your desired consistency, you can add breastmilk or formula to your purèe! If you need to thicken or thin to a more watery consistency later on, things like a mashed banana, avocado or sweet potato can work well as long as your babe eats them! 

• Later on, things like yogurt, oatmeal or rice cereal can also act as a thickening agent or go mixing agent to try new fruit and veggie flavors. 

• Let them explore and get messy! Babies learn about new things using all of their senses so allowing them to ‘play’ with their food is a key component in creating an open-minded eater. 

• Always be sure to taste your little one’s meals before serving them. This will ensure that temperature, consistency and seasoning level is appropriate! 

• If at first you don’t succeed, try tryyyyy again. It can be frustrating, but babies can (and will) reject things. They may go through ‘throwing’ stages and you may not always have luck getting them to eat the same meals you’re eating on an everyday basis. That’s okay! Stay consistent and continue to offer new flavors, consistencies, temperatures, etc. while revisiting ‘rejected foods’ down the line. 

• HAVE FUN! 

Happy Mommying!

-Britt