The Food You Give Your Baby

Parents say that babies need to eat rice first. Then, some claim that nothing is better than potatoes. With conflicting opinions on what and how your baby’s first meal should be, feeding time becomes a challenge for any parent who’s new at everything. There are myths you need to know about so that mealtime becomes a lot easier to handle. Here are just a few that you should know about:

Myth 1: When you first introduce food to your baby, the order to follow is rice, fruits, vegetables, and last would be meat. There is truth to this statement. The order of this meal is based on the food pyramid. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, the pyramid simply states how much of a certain food group should be given. It serves as a guide for you if you are giving all the food groups at the right amount. Rice and cereals are usually served first because they are easy to manipulate.

You can adjust the consistency to make it very thick like porridge or very thin like soup. So whether combined with soup or broth, rice does make for an ideal first meal. Mashed foods are next on the list, and you may start with either fruits or vegetables. These must be almost liquid so that you avoid choking. This also ensures easy digestion. Meats are extremely tough to mash, and are therefore always given last. This is served when the baby has teeth strong enough to cut and chew.

Myth 2: It’s never a good idea to give your child spicy food. Bland food is still better. Fact is, race and culture figure greatly in a child’s ability to tolerate spice. The genetic makeup allows the taste buds to either be very sensitive or extremely numb. When culture plays a vital role, there are many things you simply cannot avoid.

When seasoning the food, consider how much salt or sugar you should add. Excessively sweet meals could lead to obesity in the future. It is also not advised to heavily salt the food because his kidneys cannot tolerate that high amount just yet.

Myth 3: If there is a strong family history of allergies against a particular type of food, you must never feed this to your baby. The truth is, allergies are developed mainly after repeated exposure to a certain substance or food. Just because people in your family cannot take strawberries doesn’t mean you can’t let your child eat them. Allergies aren’t inherited. When you introduce a type of food, stick to eat for a maximum of four days. That’s when you really can tell if your baby is allergic to it or not.

It’s all a matter of timing when it comes to food with high allergenic contents. Consult a specialist and get a recommendation. Try not to sensitize your baby too early and introduce these foods only when your little one has reached his first year. Oatmeal and corn are the safest bet when you feed your baby his first real food. If you’re not sure what to get, there are books that give you the best advice.