Hurray! Your baby has started eating solids now and is no longer subsisting on exclusive breastfeeding alone. But before you start digging into those sumptuous Sunday brunches, take a moment to consider what is good and bad for your child as they start exploring the world of solid foods.
First of all, you must wonder if feeding your baby’s solids from 6 months old is right or wrong. It’s well known that breast milk for at least six months is essential for your baby. But you can start introducing solids to your baby from the age of six months without any fear because if you are feeding your baby on time, he will have his full quota of nutrients even after starting solids.
Best Foods For Babies
When you start giving solids to your baby from the age of six months, many ailments like constipation and acidity problems in the body will be reduced considerably. Also, your child will remain active throughout the day. For more information on babies, online sites including Mommyhood101.com where you’ll get informed on baby matters. But make sure that whatever you feed your child is pure and has not been adulterated with any preservatives or chemicals. Let’s have a look at some of the best foods for babies:
Here is a list of solid foods that you should give your baby in this order:
1. Egg yolk – the white part of the egg is not suitable for babies because of the high protein content. The yolk can be given after eight months or later.
2. Wheat, oat, and barley cereal are good sources of carbohydrates and fiber, but infants don’t usually digest them well, so they should be started at six months only after sprouting.
3. Rice cereal is an ideal first food for babies because it’s easily digestible and doesn’t trigger any allergies, unlike wheat or other cereals, which can cause stomach upset in some infants who have a sensitive digestive system.
4 . Cooked vegetables – It is advisable to wait until 7-8 months before feeding your baby vegetables like carrots, green beans, and sweet potatoes.
5 . Cooked fruits – It is okay to give your baby cooked ripe fruit like apple or pear after six months but only in small quantities of about 1-2 tablespoons because large quantities can overload the digestive system and lead to diarrhea.
What Foods Should Babies Avoid?
Babies should avoid lactose-containing items like milk and dairy products till one year of age unless prescribed otherwise by the pediatrician. Other than this, certain uncommon types of protein deficiency may occur in some babies, which requires a doctor’s advice before starting them on solid foods. In addition, babies with digestive or bowel problems should not be given spicy or junk foods because these will only worsen the condition and delay the healing process.
Here is a list of foods that you should avoid giving your baby:
1. Cow’s milk – Babies under one year of age should not drink cow’s milk because it is difficult to digest and can give rise to allergies. The lactose present in cow’s milk, a sugar, cannot be digested by infants who do not have the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose into simpler sugars that the body can absorb and use as energy.
2 . Citrus fruits – Babies can develop an allergy to citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, which may cause skin rashes or digestive problems. Too much acidity in the stomach caused by orange juice, for example, can even make breastfed babies vomit with gastric reflux (throwing up due to too much acidity).
3. Seeds, nuts, & corn are choking hazards and too complex for babies to chew or digest in their early stages of development.
4. Honey is not suitable for babies under 12 months old because it can cause botulism which can be fatal for infants under one year of age.
5 . Animal products – Meat, fish, eggs, and poultry should be avoided in your baby’s early stages of development. These contain high amounts of protein challenging to digest and absorb by infants who do not have a well-developed digestive system.
A baby’s early stages of development are critical in building up the foundation of good eating habits for life. It’s best to stick to natural, healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables (except citrus ones), which provide all the needed nutrients without any side effects to your baby’s growth. However, suppose you plan to introduce solid food to your baby at this young age. In that case, careful supervision is necessary because it can be tricky for infants to put anything they see into their mouths.