Starting on solid foods may be a little hard for our babies especially since they are used to only liquids while young. They may not like the food we are preparing so setting up the food requires a little effort. You should start off with simple foods such as cereals, rice, veggies and fruits. When they become older, you can serve your child mashed egg-yolks and minced meat, and soon after that, you can give him whole-milk yogurt, cheese, pasta, beans and tofu, and even finger foods. Here are some tips to help you with feeding your little one.

Separate foods: When you serve your baby with a variety of foods, try not to mix them up. Your baby might not be able to enjoy the taste of a plain food. After your baby is able to taste several different items, you may now start to mix the foods up.

Try to create a yummy mixture of your baby’s favorite food, or you may even try combining mixtures from prepackaged jars. For first-time babies, keep your food as it is and don’t add sugar to prevent your baby from getting used to it. Adding anything whether it be spices or herbs is never a good idea at this age. Wait until your baby is a little older.

Here are some great baby food cookbooks to consider!

Be conscious of food allergies: You may not know that your baby is allergic to a specific type of food, so whenever you serve an item, serve it for a week to keep track on allergies. If ever your baby reacts on certain types of food, go to her doctor immediately to avoid further complications.

Allergies may result to gassiness, diarrhea, and mucus in the stool, vomiting and rashes. If your baby is having runny nose from unknown causes, watery eyes, wheezing not caused by cold, abnormal wakefulness or crankiness, your baby might be having allergies.  If your baby is experiencing this, be sure to consult their doctor.

Avoid certain foods: There are some certain foods that must not be given to your baby up until she’s 1 year old and 3 years old if your family has a history of food allergies, no matter how sure you are that she will like it. These foods might be reactive and might cause allergies. Some of these foods include nuts, especially peanuts, chocolate, egg whites, honey, which contains spores of Clostridium botulinum, and cow’s milk.

There are also other foods recommended by doctors not to be taken up by children up until they’re one year old. These foods include wheat, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, and strawberries.

Every milestone your baby experiences is exciting.  Whether it be lifting their head for the first time, rolling over, or trying a bite or rice cereal, we’re always excited for what’s ahead!