Scarlett has been chowing down on solid foods for almost three months now, and she’s getting really good at accepting, “chewing” and swallowing her food. We made sure to start with oatmeal and milk, and slowly introduced a few purees as we learned that she was ready for solid foods. Once Scarlett was eating a single puree for a few days (we made sure she wasn’t allergic to a particular food and was tolerating it well), we would switch it up and either mix in something new or introduce a new flavor.
Scarlett did really well with most of the purees, but strong tastes like green beans and spinach were hard for her to tolerate at first. After I added some oatmeal, milk and a little pureed apples to tone down the flavor, it became a regular menu item. Spinach, however, might take a little more work.
As we move forward in Scarlett’s feeding saga, I’ve been looking to Beech-Nut’s full Guide to What Baby Eats Now (available on the super-informative Beech-Nut blog). On page seven, you’ll find tips to guide you and baby through the “Very First Bites.” It was this page that reminded me of the important practices and guidelines to set Scarlett up for proper nutrition. After all, it has been almost 4.5 years since Red started solid foods, and my busy brain can’t quite remember everything. It’s easier for me to “digest” important pointers and lists rather than a novel of commentary!
Tip number nine was particularly useful for me. It mentioned to practice spoon feeding and made me realize that this technique feeds into them learning to spoon feed themselves. While Scarlett is very young, I’m avoiding the over-use of pouches so she can learn to accept larger bites of food from a spoon. I’m even letting her handle her own spoons in the highchair as I prepare her meals because it keeps her entertained, allows her to teeth on the BPA-free baby spoon AND will eventually teach her to hold it by herself. You can see her in the video below hamming it up for the camera and really exploring not only the spoon, but the purees themselves.
Even after eating small meals three times a day, Scarlett still likes to explore her foods. Sometimes I will stir up a bowl of mixed flavors, or change the thickness with either milk or cereal, trying to catch her off guard (A great way to use Beech-Nut’s tip from the Guide – to offer a variety of flavors). She often sticks her fingers into her spoon, reaches for the bowl, or guides the spoon to her mouth by herself. It’s also interesting to note that even though she’s such a small human, she most certainly has shown us that she has preferences for certain foods!
And at the end of a long day, I often find Scarlett is eagerly awaiting bedtime. She gets her “hungry pants” on early in the evening, usually before we sit down to dinner as a family, so a full belly and a little body means she tanks out before the rest of us. I was giggling to find her like this at the end of our meal last week (I almost woke her up laughing!). The poor thing had fallen asleep in her highchair after gleefully playing with a napkin. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get her to have a better nap so we can try that whole spinach thing again!
I am very pleased to announce that I will be working with Beech-Nut during 2016 as a sponsored ambassador, sharing Scarlett’s journey to solid foods and shedding some light on the #BabysFirstFoods process. Come and share a bite to eat!
We may our little one’s baby food and it was so easy and super cheap! A win-win!
Both of my boys were really good about trying new foods when they were babies. It wasn’t until they hit about 20-22 months that they stopped liking most of them.
I had so much fun introducing solid foods to my kids. Those little trash compactors would eat ANYTHING. They still do!
Awww so cute! My kids are 7 and 4, and I really miss the baby ages, especially when they start eating solids!
So cute! She looks thoroughly satisfied! Have fun enjoying this truly special time with your little one.
My daughter is having a baby this month and she is already looking up information about feeding! I have always liked Beechnut foods.
First of all, what an adorable baby! I think baby feeding time was probably my most fun… Watching their reaction to the new tastes and seeing them find that food that they really like. Thanks for sharing with us.
Aww what a fun time. It’s interesting to see what kinds of foods they’re starting to prefer at this stage.
Oh my goodness, she is adorable! It sounds like you have a very thoughtful process to introducing solids. When my kids were little there really weren’t pouches so we didn’t need to think about that too!
I remember exploring solids with each of my children and it was always a memorable adventure. It seems as if the tip guide can really come in handy for both new and experienced parents.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had to worry about baby food. My kids are grown, but I still remember how much they loved fruits and how much green beans they spit out on me. 🙂
What a cutie! I remember those days of first foods & discoveries. Sounds like Scarlett is in for some great meals!
I love the pictures! Such a fun time trying new baby foods. She’ll have a lifetime to get spinach down 🙂
Awww I Miss those baby years sometimes. Love when they try a new food and enjoy it. The facial expressions are priceless.
I remember when my kids were transitioning to solid food. It was always a challenge to find food that they liked. My Daughter was really picky and did not like a lot of textures.
Oh my gosh! She is so precious and adorable. It seems like yesterday she was still in your tummy 🙂
Scarlett looks so cute!
I love the film of her playing with the spoon.
Awww…isn’t she precious??! I love how she’s playing with the spoon and passing out at the dinner table.
Scarlet is adorable and looks like a lil foodie in the making! 🙂