Eggs for Life Babies First Solid Food
When my older kids were babies the first food their Doctor recommended was infant cereal, beginning at 6 months on rice and moving onto other grains. Through trial and error we worked our way through their first puréed vegetables and fruits, avoiding things like strawberries and peanut butter until a year old. Upon discussion with my own mother about the changes in first food recommendations she thought it was absurd, after-all she fed me real food and I’m still “alive and kickin”. Snort. Today studies have shown babies iron deposits they have been storing since birth are depleted and breastmilk or formula is no longer the only food babies need. In addition to breastmilk or formula, babies need more iron in their diet after 6 months to meet their rapid development with iron-rich meats or alternatives like eggs.
When do you know your baby is ready for solids?
- Your baby can sit up with little help.
- Your baby can hold his/her head up.
- Your baby opens his/her mouth when food is offered.
- You baby is able to take food from a spoon and can swallow it.
- Your baby can turn his/her head to refuse food.
- Your baby is six months old. Your baby gets all the nutrients he/she needs from breastmilk or formula until 6 months of age.
Unprocessed foods are important for me to feed to my family as much as possible. I specifically plant a large garden each year to provide the freshest vegetables and fruits to my family that I can grow in this climate, canning and preserving as much variety as I can to get us through until the next season. I prefer to prepare my own baby foods from our own meals to offer the most nutritious and pure foods to my baby. High in protein, good fat, vitamins A, D, E and B12, folate, choline and one of the purest iron-rich foods, eggs are apart of our meals regularly.
Should You be Concerned about Allergies?
Even for those who have a family history of allergies, new evidence shows that delaying possible allergic foods, such as eggs, nuts and fish, is not necessary. Introduce single foods one food at a time for a period of three to four days apart. An allergic reaction can take place from 15 minutes to 3 days after trying a new food, introducing a new food gradually can help determine the allergy.
Ways to Prepare Eggs for Baby
Eggs are easy and quick to prepare; they’re tasty all on their own without added salt or flavours.
- Well cooked scrambled eggs are easy for babies to eat, just add a little breastmilk or formula.
- Hard boiled eggs are transportable for babies on the go and can be mashed just prior to feeding with a fork, add a little breastmilk or formula to moisten the mashed egg before feeding baby.
