- Be adventurous! Exposing your baby to as many foods as possible before 12 months old is super important for a few reasons. It helps reduce the likelihood for food sensitivities and/or allergies (see my post on Food Allergies and Baby on 2/3/2020) and it also gets their palate used to a lot of different flavors and textures. Babies that are exposed to a variety of foods at a young age are typically less picky when they get older! Pro Tip: Make sure to only expose your baby to one food at a time when first introducing solids.
- When using baby purees, whether homemade or store-bought, put a few tablespoons of food in a dish and put the remainder back in the refrigerator. After your baby is done eating, make sure to discard the uneaten food that you transferred to the dish. When you feed your baby, you’re transferring bacteria from his mouth to his food, so it’s always a good idea to throw away any extra that baby didn’t eat.
- Use purees for a short period of time and move on to chunkier versions. I like purees for helping baby learn how to swallow. Once they have mastered swallowing without gagging or thrusting their tongue forward, then they may be ready for a chunkier texture.
- Just because your baby doesn’t like a particular food on Monday, doesn’t mean they won’t like it on Thursday. Keep trying! Consistent exposure is key!
- Don’t force your baby to eat something they don’t enjoy. If they spit the food out, won’t open their mouth, or push the food away, listen to these cues and try something else. Keep exposing them but do not force the food on them. Eventually I grew to love broccoli but I still loathe (and probably always will loathe) green beans.
Questions? Just ask!
Want to work with me 1:1 to create the perfect diet for you and/or your family? Contact me today at dana@thrivekin.com.