Introducing your baby to solid foods might sound really challenging. Some babies might not like the feel of solids in their mouth since they are used to just drinking milk. However, there are also other babies who are more adventurous when it comes to exploring different flavors.
As a new parent, it can be confusing what to do during this time, especially with so many advice and guidelines other people tell on how to feed a baby. To simplify things and help you get started, here are some easy tips that would surely make your baby’s feeding journey a success.
Create a Positive Experience
To make your baby love food, he should have a positive experience during the feeding session. There are many ways to make mealtime a fun and exciting experience. You could start by choosing colorful tableware such as these baby feeding plates and bowls.
You can also cut the food pieces into different shapes to make them more interesting for your little one. You could also incorporate some fun when feeding such as the airplane game, and many more. With a positive experience, your baby would surely be looking forward to every mealtime.
Begin With Real Foods
Although you can just choose baby cereal as your baby’s first food, it is actually a lot better to start with real foods such as fruits and vegetables. Be sure that it is properly cooked, blended into a puree, and doesn’t contain salt and sugar. You could choose almost any real food in your kitchens such as squash, banana, avocados, sweet potato, and many more. Be sure to avoid honey and cow’s milk since these two aren’t recommended for babies under 1 year old.
Make It Runny
Since it will be the first time your baby will take in something that isn’t fully liquid, it is important to keep baby food as runny as possible, especially during the first few weeks of feeding solids. You can make the consistency a lot thinner by adding more formula milk or breast milk. When your baby gets used to taking food from a spoon, you can now make the consistency a lot thicker or less runny than before.
Start with Single Feeding Per Day
Since your main goal is to start your kids on solid foods, you don’t actually have to feed them three times a day and on huge amounts to make them feel full. At this time, the main source of nutrients for your little one is still milked so start by feeding just once a day.
Offer food little by little, about 2 or 3 teaspoons is already enough for a start. The best time to feed solids is when your baby is neither full nor too hungry. You could try an hour after bottle feeding or after your baby had taken some rest time and is in good mood.
With those simple tips to remember, you and your baby will surely have a good time together exploring new foods together.
