Re: Pediatrician recommends introducing solids per Gerber website?!


shinypenny wrote:
Chookie wrote:
In article <1149825876.545763.139400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward" <penelope@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I view introducing solids as the most
daunting task in my career as a new mum, and of course there's no
reason it should be. I guess the thing is that I don't feel secure
about knowing what foods contain allergens.

Some people have listed common allergens for you, but I'll add

-- no strawberries or shellfish until 1 year (allergens)
-- no raw root vegetables or honey until one year (botulism risk)
-- nothing they could choke on -- corn chips, crisp vegetables, raw apple etc

One thing that I don't think many people are aware of is that you
should never make your own pureed or mashed cooked carrots. It isn't
botulism - it has something to do with some chemical in commercial
carrots that becomes toxic to babies under a certain age once you cook
the carrot. This is the only food you should always buy in a jar. I
think it's important information to know, considering pureed carrots
are typically one of the first items the food manufacturers suggest you
introduce.

I don't know if this applies to organic carrots, but if it were me, I
would stick with jarred carrots just in case, because "organic" today
can mean all sorts of things and you just can't be sure.

It's been a long time since I faced this daunting task, but I also seem
to remember that there was a way you were supposed to introduce food -
it's not quite as simple as just giving them a taste here and there of
whatever the family is eating, particularly if food allergies run in
your family. I remember introducing one item at a time, waiting a week
or so before introducing the next new item. This allows you to more
easily identify any food the child might be allergic or sensitive to.

Lady Penelope, if you don't want to go the Gerber route, look around
for a book on making your own baby food. I had one - it's been years so
I don't have it anymore otherwise I'd look up the title for you. This
book had schedules to follow and detailed directions about how to make
the food, advice about food mills and food processors etc, and tips on
how to freeze batches into ice cube trays for later (which is highly
convenient - just plop a frozen cube into a container, and take it with
you wherever you are, same as a jar). It also had recipes for soups
that could be sipped through a cup, and suggestions on finger foods.

The "how to make the food" part is really very obvious and simple: just
cook, and then mash with a fork, or puree with a food mill to the right
consistency. Advantage of doing it yourself is that you can gradually
increase the lumpiness over time. You don't need such a book to tell
you all that. But I found the book helpful anyway, because it made me
think far beyond the usual veggie-selection-in-a-jar stuff of carrots,
peas, green beans. I think the jars only offer something like 4 or 5
veggie choices, which is silly.

I introduced veggies first before fruits (with the exception of banana)
because the acidity in fruit gave my kids a sensitive ***. I
introduced quite a range of veggies. Both my kids ended up loving
broccoli - they'd sip finely pureed broccoli soup through a cup - and
still love it today, yes, even my picky eater. She'll eat most veggies
- it's the other stuff she's picky about. I often think that it's
because I made the food from scratch, because as others point out, the
stuff in jars is really gnarly tasting, cooked and overheated until
there's no taste left. No wonder so many people grow up to hate veggies
as adults!

jen


Actually, I was just reading up on this "blue baby syndrome" from the
nitrates or nitrites in carrots, etc. and it happened to mention that
broccoli and leafy greans offer more of these. lol. I will go get the
web address and post it for you. I also bought the Magic Bullet Blender
off of TV and found it wonderful in pureeing the foods. Avacado is a
great first food, and there are natural grains that you can buy
yourself, grind up and feed to baby as an infant cereal yourself. One
I've tried so far is millet.

An online acquaintance shared the below:

Baby cereal is made from refined grain that has been processed and
precooked. Refined grains have nothing to offer but carbohydrates.
Whole grains, on the other hand, contain no tonly carbs but also
protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and essential minerals...perhaps playing
to the fears of conscientious parents, baby food manufacturers
typically fortify their infant cereals with electrolytic iron.
Unfortunately, this is one of the least absorbable forms of artificial
iron. It will, however, stick to the flakes without settling to the
bottom of the box. Ferrous sulfate, a more absorbable form of iron, can
affect the flavor and appearance of the cereal. Aritificial iron
wouldn't be required at all if the companies used whole grain for their
cereals, especially such nutrient dense varieties as quinoa and which
have naturally occurring iron. If you are breastfeeding your baby
(Babies absorb iron from breastmilk better than from iron-fortified
formulas,) eating a well balanced diet and using whole grain cereal for
your baby, you should not have to worry about iron.

Whole Grain Baby Cereal
The grains were chosen because they were the least allergenic and the
easiest to digest:

Choose 1:
1 cup short-grain brown rice
1 cup millet
1 cup quinoa
1 cup sweet brown rice

Toast grain: Place grains in a fine strainer; rinse and drain. Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F. Spread grains on a cookie *** and toast in the
oven until they give off a nutty aroma. (12-15 mins) Let toasted grains
cool and then store in a covered container. You can also toast the
grains in a skillet on med. heat, stirring constantly, until grains
give off a nutty aroma (5-8 mins)

Grind the grain: For optimum nutrition, grind the toasted grains in a
small electric grinder or food processor just prior to using; once a
grain is ground it begins to lose its nutritional value within 24-48
hours.

Cook ground grain into cereal: Mix together 2-3 tablespoons of ground
ceral and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water in a small pot. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 mins.

From Mothering Magazine, Nov./Dec. 1998

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