Babies are the dearest creatures to their parents, so they deserve the best quality care. Food is the first thing about which parents usually worry. Breastfeeding or infant formula? Pureed or mashed meals? These questions are the most terrifying for new parents because each decision is vital for a newborn who cannot decide independently. So, what should the first baby’s food be?
The first meal must be safe and nutritious for a baby. All pediatricians agree that breastmilk is the best food for a baby. If a mother cannot breastfeed, baby formula is the best alternative.
The First Food for Newborns
The first meal must be safe and nutritious for a baby. All pediatricians agree that breastmilk is the best food for a baby. If a mother cannot breastfeed, baby formula is the best alternative. It can be organic and non-organic. What’s the difference? Five features make organic infant formula attractive to parents worldwide:
- all ingredients are natural;
- the organic baby formula doesn’t contain sugar and salt;
- no chemical flavors, stabilizers, or taste enhancers;
- all milked cows and goats are healthy and are not treated with antibiotics and anti-parasite drugs;
- organic baby formula, especially the one made of goat milk, is less allergic but is easy to digest.
Organic products are popular in Europe. One usually buys them at Organic’s Best Shop, a reputable online store that collaborates with dependable baby-food manufacturers, such as HiPP, Holle, Lebenswert Bio, BebeM, and others. Parents can choose between cow, goat, and vegan formulas. Besides, there are hypoallergenic, comfort, anti-reflux, and special formulas for babies with specific needs or health problems.
The First Food for 6+ Months Old Babies
When a baby is six months old, it needs to adjust to new food, like Serenity Kids stage 2 food. Solid food contains all the required macronutrients and micronutrients to stay healthy.
How to Know That a Baby is Ready for Adult Food
Several signs help parents recognize their child’s readiness for the first lure. Babies should:
- sit without someone’s support
- hold their head independently
- show interest in meals of their parents or siblings
- open their mouths when parents touch their lips with spoons
- not spit up food when parents feed them
- stay hungry after a regular serving
Sometimes babies refuse to eat solid food at that age, so parents should continue using the appropriate baby formula and experiment with the first lure. If a baby doesn’t like potatoes, a parent should introduce another vegetable, fruit, or cereal.
Bland pureed meats may not be texturally and flavorfully appealing for babies, and Serenity Kids is trying to change that stigma. Founded by married co-founders Joe and Serenity Carr, the brand provides far more than just meat purees—their protein products truly stand out in the crowded market of baby foods.
The First Steps in Introducing Adult Food to Babies
As has already been said, caregivers should feed their babies solid food no earlier than six months after their birthday. The first lure mustn’t be a full-size meal because its job is to teach a kid to chew and get used to new consistencies.
Parents should associate the first spoon of adult food with a catchy treat. One teaspoon of mashed marrow brings zero nutritional value. The best option is to wait for mealtime and give solid food before a bottle of baby formula or breast milk. If a baby eats formula, the portion should be the following:
- 6 months – 6 ounces
- 7 months – 7 ounces
- 8-9 months – 8 ounces
- 10-12 months, -7-8 ounces
The more adult food a baby consumes, the less baby formula it needs. For example, 6-8-months-old babies should eat the required portion every 3-4 hours, while 9+-month-old babies eat less frequently with up to 5-hour intervals. These recommendations are universal hits to proper nutrition. Still, caregivers should pay attention to what a concrete baby needs and keep in touch with a pediatrician who controls a baby’s weight and health.
Food should vary and be homogeneous at the beginning. So parents should try organic baby cereals that are easy to cook and contain the needed nutrients.
What Food Should Prevail in a Baby’s Daily Menu
Food should vary and be homogeneous at the beginning. So parents should try organic baby cereals that are easy to cook and contain the needed nutrients. Afterward, one should start with pureed white meat and non-allergic fruit and vegetables.
When a baby is ready, the BLW method can be applied. Finger-size fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese, omelet, and whole-grain products should be introduced. Parents should combine various colors to make food attractive. Using cute plates of warm appetizing colors is a good idea. All food must be processed and soft.
From 9 to 12 months, babies are ready to eat chopped, mashed, and ground food. One must be careful with cow’s milk, honey, and “choking” products (unsafe pieces of raw carrot, apple, nuts, popcorn, etc.). All meals should be sugar and salt-free to develop healthy eating habits in a child.
