Whole-grains, lentils are some of the best food to feed your baby when they start solids. They provide good nutrition. Here are 5 best food to feed our baby before he turns one.
Feeding a baby can be a struggle for every mom. Some kids eat when they are in mood and some just turn out a fussy eater right from the start. When you are introducing solid food at six months of age you still have many restrictions on what foods you can and you can’t give to your baby. Baby’s taste buds start developing at one year age mark and sometimes it is best to introduce foods according to your diet or family before your baby is turning one – typically between 8 and 12 months. Let’s discuss the 5 best foods to feed your baby before he turns one. The faster you introduce these foods the better are the chances they’ll adapt to these tastes.
When and how to introduce solid food to your baby?
According to WHO, a baby should be exclusively breastfed till he /she is six months old. You don’t even need water. After six months introduce liquids like boiled rice water, boiled lentil water, boiled apple juice gradually – few spoons each day. When the baby has taken it well start with rice cereal puree, vegetable puree, pureed fruits. But the rule of thumb is to introduce one new food in every three days and build gradually.
By end of 8 or 9 months you can introduce almost everything that you eat – vegetables, chicken, turkey, fish and even eggs. Variety always helps when it comes to food for infants and toddlers.
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5 best foods to feed your baby before he turns one
#1 Wholegrains
Carbohydrates are easily digestible and are required for baby’s energy. Wholegrains are one of the best food to feed your baby when they have started with solids. Traditional foods like daal chawal (boiled rice and lentils), milk and oats porridge are good food for your baby.
#2 Lentils
Lentils are best plant based proteins that you can give your child. They are packed with iron and are easily digestible. Start with boiled lentil water at 6months and gradually give lentils cooked with vegetables.
#3 Fruits
Fruits are not just important for us adults but for kids too. At six months age you can give boiled apple juice and gradually introduce boiled apple mash, banana mash. By the time they are 8 or 9 months old introduce fruits like berries, grapes (kids prefer peeled grapes), avocado, plum, pear etc.
#4 Vegetables
Introducing vegetables early on is a great way to boost their health and prepare their taste buds. You can introduce almost all kind of vegetables – specially the root vegetables that are known not to give any allergies like carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes. Also you can introduce greens like spinach, peas, broccoli etc.
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#5 Fish, Meat and Eggs
Chicken, turkey, fish, eggs are all safe for babies when they are cooked well. and mashed. They are very good sources of protein. I started giving fish along with rice since my son was 7 months old.
My son’s doctor had hold me, for first one month blend his food in a food processor or blender – specially things like vegetable purees. Later on he suggested to pressure cook it and break it down with a masher so that he is introduced to new textures. Else babies tend to like the smooth texture for longer period of time.
How did you start introducing solids to your kids? Did you use any of these best foods to feed your baby?
25 comments
I started with boiled lentils, boiled potatoes and fruits.
Thanks a vital post for new moms. I remember I had a lot of doubts about it when my son was tiny. Glad that you wrote about it dear
Tell me how to make them eat too! My kid loves veggies and dals! But appetite is low!
This period when the child has to be weaned and yet has not enough teeth to chew is very confusing for mothers and I am glad that in your list you have made sure to list only homemade and fresh foods.
Yes I also introduced all of these in my babies diet before he turned one. Only fish we started after he turned one.
I have given all these foods to my kid except the non-vegetarian food. We started that pretty late. Well cooked and mashed chicken or fish is a great idea. Learnt something new today, thanks Tina!
It is a challenge to introduce new food to toddlers. I liked that at first you suggested blender mash then masher vegetables for different texture.
I generally try only one food at a time and follow for a week, so that we can observe bodily changes in the baby.
Cheers
MeenalSonal
It’s a good guide to choose right food for babies.Choosing the right protein is important as also the amount of protein
Except meat, I have given everything to my kids and still giving. They are not into junk food at all and swear by ghar ka khana. So as of now, I am a relieved and happy mommy.
This is so much great post for moms like me who feel what to give kids ..I will sure share with my friend whose son is fussy eater!
Wow, lovely. I’m not a mom yet but can definitely say this is a great post for new moms. Thanks for the info, Tina.
Loads of information for that new mom, it’s great that u have incorporated so much in this post. Must be helpful to a lot of people.
Very handy post for new moms! We started Karma with steamed and mashed fruits and veggies at first and then introduced the other stuff. But everything you have listed works perfectly once solids are just started! 🙂
Those are some great suggestions to start off a baby’s diet with solids. I remember I too had all these on the plate of my lil one, except the meat portion
Fist mashed food and later pressure cooked food is a very good tip for new moms. If the child eats everything then nothing can be more satisfactory feeling for parents.
Such an insightful blog it was, and the way you have framed each and every statement is just damn fab, I have a friend who always struggles to feed her toddler, will definitely share this link with her, she might love this bit 🙌
We are vegetarian and 1-4 are our regular foods. This post would surely help many parents.
Absolutely new research states you can start food at 4 months. We actually started lentil and rice water at 4 months and introduced fruit and veg mash at 6 and whole grain cereal mush etc at 8 months
I started solids slowly from her 5th month and by 8 months she was having regular food as us. These were exactly the things that I introduced. Also since I stay in Mumbai I also gave her millet porridge
I would say this is a perfect article and every new mom should read it.
Introducing kids to wholegrains, lentils and fruits before the age of one is great for their diet and health.
Completely agree with your points. I too support in giving mashed food over pureed food.
Very insightful post. I started with boiled veggies and fruits.
I gave table food to both of my kids and now as they are growing they already have taste developed for veggies and fruits.
Hi Tina
Thanks for this amazing information.
I am looking forward to act upon your advice.