Solids: What you'll need to get started

Always wash your hands before preparing baby’s food. Make sure that the utensils used in food preparation are well-rinsed after washing, so that no chemical deposits are left. If baby does not eat the whole jar or container of food, remove the desired amount first and feed from a different bowl, as the spoon that goes into the mouth should not touch remaining food. Keep the rest in the fridge for up to two days or according to instructions. This prevents the growth of bacteria.

Very little special equipment is needed to prepare baby’s food, but just in case you are feeling at a loss as to where to start, check this list:

• An electric blender or food processor is very useful, although an old-fashioned sieve, or mechanical blender can do the trick too. 
• Invest in a few baby bowls that attach by suction to surfaces to help prevent spills.
• Use a shallow baby feeding spoon, preferably coated in plastic, so that burns from hot metal or injury to soft mouth tissue from unaccustomed hard surfaces is avoided.
• Large absorbent bibs with a plastic backing will help curtail the extent of messiness of initial trial-and-error baby feeding.
• If you are making larger quantities of your own baby food, use ice-cube trays to freeze meal-size portions (and as baby grows you’ll simply use more than one block at a time).

Bottled baby foods

Of course, you also have the option of using specially prepared baby foods. Many moms are inclined to go with pre-packed foods rather than having to decide themselves what to give baby. In a way, the thinking and worry has been done for you and you feel you can rely on the manufacturer to have seen to the nutritional needs of your baby. Considering how many battles are waged around the issue of introducing babies to solids, it is not strange that you would appreciate clear guidelines and bottled and packaged baby foods offer this tantalising option by grading the amounts, types and textures of foods.

Take into account these considerations:

• Preferably use bottled foods as a convenience for holidays, when visiting and while travelling.
• Do the taste test – try it yourself first and only give to your baby if it has the flavour of the real thing.
• Whenever possible, choose organically grown baby food – this might not even be possible with home prepared foods, although I still believe that fresh food will have more nutrient value.
• If you have difficulty weaning baby from bottled to home-made food, gradually add some of yours after removing some from the bottle. Over the course of a few weeks, gradually increase your food and lessen the bottled version until baby becomes accustomed to the real thing. At the same time offer pieces of fruit at odd times through the day too.
   

solids, baby, weaning, first foods, fussy eaters