Baby’s First Solid Foods

When it comes to your baby’s growth and development, one of the most important milestones that she will reach is the place where she’s starting to eat solid foods. The move away from formula or breast milk to solid foods means a number of things for your baby. For one, it’s likely that your baby will sleep longer and more soundly at night, because her belly is going to be fuller than what it would be with formula or with breast milk.

It’s important to think about what baby’s first solid foods should be. There are a couple of different sides to this debate, and looking at each can help you make an informed decision about what to feed your baby when he starts making that transition.

Some experts suggest that you should start baby out on solid foods that come from the fruit category. They argue that, because both formula and breast milk have a high degree of sweetness, fruit makes a nice transitional food. It’s sweet, just like what your baby has been consuming all along, and it’s more likely that your baby will want to try.

Other folks suggest that you should not start your baby out with fruits. Rather, they suggest that vegetables are better to start with. They suggest that you don’t want your baby to become enamored with the sweet taste of fruit, making it harder to introduce vegetables down the road.

There are several ways you can approach the issue, but really it comes down to your preference and to your baby’s preference. For example, if she just won’t seem to try vegetables at first, consider giving her some more sweet type of vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or carrots.

The key is to make sure you expose your baby to a variety of different fruits and vegetables. Remember, as well, that your baby is still trying to figure out whether or not he likes specific tastes and textures. It may be that your baby doesn’t like green beans one day, but loves them the next.

Finally, you should make sure to introduce only one new type of food at a time for your baby. This lets you watch out for symptoms of an allergic reaction. If you introduce several different fruits or vegetables at one sitting, it will be harder to figure out which one your baby might be allergic to.