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What parent hasn't slipped a taste of their baby's food and marveled at how bland and tasteless it is? Most baby foods are very plain and fed in a repetitive pattern that makes eating looking like torture.
Smashed, unseasoned peas, rice cereal, smashed, unseasoned carrots, rice cereal, bananas, rice cereal...and don't forget the rice cereal! While these foods are healthy for baby, exposing your baby to real flavors is a treat that takes him beyond bland baby food. And in fact, exposing baby to different tasty (but healthy) foods now may prevent him from becoming fixated on unhealthy kid-style foods later on down the road (like sugary drinks, pasta, cookies and more) that are not healthy for him.
Childhood obesity is on the rise, and some pediatricians believe that the act of exposing babies to foods that are healthy at a young age has never been more crucial.
Introducing New Tastes
While some pediatricians still recommend waiting until a baby is at least a year old before introducing so-called "allergenic foods", others say it is okay and important to do so, although all of them agree that it is good to do so gradually, waiting a few days between the introductions of new foods.
In this way, you will be able to tell if a particular food caused a problem. It is always optimal to go by the advice of your own pediatrician when making decisions regarding feeding your baby.
Escaping the Rice Cereal Conundrum
We will now look at food and flavor choices that you might not ordinarily consider for your baby. And even though you might not enjoy some of these foods, your baby might enjoy them, so do not let your own taste buds interfere with what you offer baby at this formative time.
As a special note, the recommendations in this article should be chopped, ground, pureed, or mashed for your particular baby depending on his swallowing and chewing skills - be sure to take that into account when introducing any new food to your baby.
· Sour fruits. It does not have to be sweet for baby to enjoy it! Many kids love to eat foods that have a sour flavor. Test your baby's love for things that make your mouth pucker by pureeing some cherries (pits removed) or cutting cherries into chunks for finger foods in older babies or toddlers. You might also consider introducing plums, which have a tart but sweet taste.
· Non-traditional veggies. Who said babies will only like or should only be fed traditional veggies like green beans, carrots, peas and sweet potatoes? Babies also love broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, among other veggie choices. What's more, these green choices are brimming with important nutrients. Try mashed turnips, pureed cauliflower or even smashed sauerkraut.
· Fish. Pediatricians no longer say that babies cannot eat fish. Babies older than six months can have fish provided they do not show any signs of an allergy to fish, like eczema. Skinless, boneless salmon is a great source of DHA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid.
These are just a few of the food choices that you can add to baby's diet to add some flavor and fun to mealtime!
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