“Experts” say that when you begin introducing solid food to babies, you should do a little at a time and introduce new foods for three days to ensure there are no food allergies or reactions. Breast milk or formula should be served first, then about 30 minutes after the main feed, solids should be introduced. This happens at about six months of age. One “solids” meal of a tablespoon or so gradually becomes two solid meals, then three. Then, at around nine months, you gradually transition from having breast milk or formula first to then having the solid food be the first meal, then breast milk/formula as a follow up. The journey continues until the point that the soon to be toddler is having mostly solids with breast milk or cow milk as a supplement or beverage.

The last two days, Kaia has not appreciated having her smock put on her, nor having her set up in her high chair. She has fussed and cried a lot, but eventually calms down a little when the foods are presented. In the last couple of days, she’s had aspargus and broccoli, whole and pureed, oatmeal, pineapple, and peanut butter. The constant seems to be that she really enjoys the peanut butter. Today, she sucked on a pineapple chunk and seemed to like it. I also filled her teetherpop with water and froze it so she could chew on it today, and she was successfully able to suck the water out of it. I may blend in pineapple to have her eat it that way tomorrow.

The eating journey for a baby is an adventure, but it’s clear that the real solids, like the broccoli florets or cauliflower chunks, scare my nanny. She’s used to only serving purees and has a hawk’s eye on Kaia when she’s gnawing on the florets, hoping she doesn’t choke. I told her not to be nervous; she can’t eat purees forever. Kaia needs to get used to different textures and what they feel like in her hands and mouth. My ultimate hope is that she’s not a picky eater and eats whatever I serve her.

The next things on my list to introduce her to are: tahini (sesame seeds), flaxseed and chia seeds in her oatmeal; spinach, lentils, black and white beans.