One of the biggest challenges of feeding a baby under a year old is to know when he or she is actually ready for solid food.
If you feed a baby solid food too early there is a risk that he or she will develop a food allergy or be unable to digest the food. The result can be stomach and bowel disorders that last for life.
This is why it is so important to err on the side of caution and make sure the baby is ready to eat solid food. If you are really unsure then ask the advice of your doctor.
While still breastfeeding it is also very important for a mother to avoid spicy foods as this can pass through the breast milk and cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. If you do not want a gassy baby then stay away from broccoli and cabbage.
Another issue is of whether or not you should serve your child commercially bought baby food. After all it is fast and convenient. However commercial baby food may not be as fresh or nutritious (or cheap) as baby food that you make yourself in a blender or a Baby Bullit.
Avoid giving your baby the foods that are choking hazards —
• Large chunks of cut up fruits
• Round fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes and melon balls
• Soft sticky foods like marshmallows, peanut belly or gummy candies that can get lodged in the throat.
Remember that an infant under one year just simply does not have the glottis or esophagus or throat muscles needed to process these foods!
It is also very important for you to check the ingredients on any commercial food and make sure that they do not contain any of the following additives.
If you buy baby food with additives in it you may be addicting your baby to fat sugar, preservatives and all kinds of bad things for life. This is because the additives put in these foods do make them look and taste better.
If you give baby a savory or sugary food that is brightly colored it is not going to learn to eat the foods that are good for them – at any age.
The side effects of eating foods that are bad for them include food allergies, increased waistlines, an inability to absorb minerals and vitamins, a fatty liver, childhood obesity, learning and behavioral disabilities and many different childhood cancers and diseases.