6 Tips for Introducing Solids to the Little Tummy

Familiarizing your little one to solids and their first foods is an exciting experience for the both of you. We are here to assist you to make this phase more satisfying and productive for you by sharing some useful ideas.

What is weaning?

Weaning or complementary feeding means to introduce your baby to his adult food. There comes a time when milk alone is not sufficient to meet the demands of the little body. So, solid foods are added on to fulfill the energy requirements and support the growth and development.

What is the age to start weaning?

As per World Health Organization, your baby is ready for weaning at the age of around 5 to 6 months.

Tips to begin with weaning

Here, we are going to share some simple tricks to start weaning.

The signs to confirm that your baby is ready for solid food

Although it is recommended to start semi solids and solids at the age of 6 months, yet you must observe your baby as following to confirm:

• He remains hungry even after having his due share of breast/formula feed
• He can sit upright and can hold his head straight
• The tongue thrust reflex is lost
• Your baby curiously observes everything around

What food should be given?

This is very simple and not a big deal at all. You can try the following:-

• Boiled and mashed vegetables like potato, broccoli, carrots, and peas.
• Mashed bananas
• Rice cooked in the form of a thick soft paste and blended properly
• Make sure that the food is properly cooked, fresh and is not too hot or too cold.

Introducing peanut to your baby

The ideal time to introduce peanuts is 4-11 months of age, based on new food allergy prevention guidelines. Early allergen introduction has been shown to help prevent up to 80% of food allergies, including peanut allergy.  Peanuts could be given in the form of peanut butter spread on a piece of toast. There are some other recipes to introduce peanuts as well..

Adjusting the solid food portions?

Healthy baby will lead you by himself about their needs but there are some general recommendations:

• Give milk feed after he wakes up in the morning and before you dose him off to sleep at night.
• Give one 2 tablespoon of solid food 3 times a day, you may adjust it according to baby’s requirement

How to manage the mealtimes?

Prepare your baby to have a meal by following methods:

• Remove all the distractions from surrounding environment and switch off the sound producing equipment
• Wash his hands
• Take him to the table
• These steps will make him feel alert about the mealtime.

How to assess food tolerance?

It is very important to know about the food allergies. Eliminate any food that seems to cause disturbance to your child and contact the pediatrician. You can keep a check by following:

• Give the same one kind of food for around a week and don’t switch from one item to another
• Look for any signs of allergy on the body like hives, redness, itching
• Observe for bloating and diarrhea