When introducing solid foods to your baby, choosing what ingredients to try first can be daunting. Rest assured, there is no particular order or script that you’re supposed to follow. Many ingredients make for wonderful first foods!
Some calming reminders:
There is no single ideal first food.You can start with many ingredients, from avocado to oatmeal or mashed beans. The presentation of first foods is more important than the “what,” ensuring that you start with a safe shape, size, and texture to minimize choking risk.
Flavor is a good thing.Babies do not need bland food. It’s okay to start with flavorful choices or include a little spice, like sweet potato with a few shakes of paprika! However, too much sugar and too much salt should be avoided.
Finishing a serving is not important.Your baby does not have to finish the whole serving of a new ingredient. It’s okay if they only tried one bite or if they only touched it and decided they weren’t interested. Exposure to new foods in a pressure-free manner is the goal! Breastmilk or formula will remain their primary source of nutrition until 12 months old.
There is good reason to emphasize iron-rich foods
In the spirit of emphasizing variety, your pediatrician will likely recommend iron-rich foods. Most babies are born with a sufficient store of iron from pregnancy that carries them through the first six months of life, depending on the mom’s iron status and the timing of umbilical cord clamping at birth. Delayed cord clamping, even by just an extra 5-10 minutes, can help transfer more iron to baby.
By age 6 months, however, most babies need an additional source of iron if they are exclusively on breast milk, which may not contain all the iron required to meet baby’s needs from 6 months on. Formula-fed babies may not experience this “iron drop-off” if they are already on an iron-fortified infant formula, which will meet baby’s iron needs through 12 months of age.
Iron-rich foods include:
Eggs
Red meat
Chicken or turkey
Iron-fortified infant cereals
Tofu
Beans and lentils
Dark green leafy vegetables
Vitamin-C foods help with iron absorption:
Citrus fruits like oranges
Berries
Papaya
Tomatoes
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Cabbage
Dark green leafy vegetables
In short, the best first foods for your baby are the ones that are a safe texture, shape, and size and that can provide a boost of iron around that six-month point.