I love using broccoli as one of the earlier foods, as it is very easy to change it’s texture. At first I steam it until quite soft and then break it into small pieces. It is a great finger food and has a varied texture, which is useful to get your baby used to eating different foods. For most families I find that broccoli is a staple vegetable in the fridge and it can often be found at many restaurants, which makes it convenient too.

I always change the consistency of broccoli quite quickly depending on how the baby is doing. In addition to the consistency I work towards getting to a place where the baby can hold florets (or multiple florets) in their hands and eat them like that. Broccoli is a great nutritious learning tool for your baby.

When the baby first tried the broccoli he seemed to really enjoy it. One of his favourite things to do with the broccoli was to hold it up to his mouth and suck as much of the water out as he could before eating that piece. He handled the different textures that come along with broccoli very well. If he got small pieces of the florets on his hands (and arms, and chest) he would work at catching them and licking them off and the stem he was able to hold onto and munch away on it.

Broccoli is a good source of fibre and Vitamin C and also contains Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Magnesium. I always remind parents that many of the foods that the baby is getting contain a good amount of water. Broccoli is a good example of this. Broccoli holds a lot of its water and as I recommend holding off on giving your baby water at first (sips are okay if necessary) offering fruits and vegetables is a good way to ensure the baby is getting enough fluids from both breast milk (or formula) and their food.

Do you have questions about how to feed your baby? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 

As the journey of solids continues the baby seems to be getting quite excited when mealtime roles around.  He enjoys being at the table with us, even though he has been doing it his whole life (while being held). He really gets enthusiastic about actually taking part.

Although I usually wouldn’t use bananas as one of the foods that I feed early on I only had bananas in the house and wanted to continue feeding him. I usually like to add bananas later on and cut them up in to 5 or so sections so that the baby can use them as a great finger food however this time I again used a fork to slightly mash the banana. Over the course of the first meal with the bananas I was able to increase the consistency to leave bigger pieces although the banana was still fork mashed.

It seems that moving onto foods that have a thicker consistency such as the yams and the bananas made a difference for helping this little one to learn how to swallow. This is something I commonly see and is yet another reason I really encourage people to avoid using pureed foods. Like I have mentioned in a previous post, it almost seems backwards but the thicker consistency does actually help the baby swallow. This is why I encourage parents and caregivers to look for signs that their baby is displaying and to follow their intuition. You know your child best. This is a process and working together in this feeding relationship you can succeed.  


Are you wondering where to start with feeding your baby solid food? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 


Watch a baby self feeding banana:

The next food we have moved onto is yams. This little guy was having a bit of trouble with getting his swallow reflex working when having solid food. He is still used to breastfeeding as his main form of nutrition. As you can imagine suckling at the breast and eating solid foods is a big learning curve for the baby to go through.

Eating in babies first year is not so much about nutrition but about learning and development and this is a prime example. This is yet another reason I encourage parents and caregivers to avoid pureed foods and to use fork mashed foods. This is an excellent way to introduce solids to their babies. It may seem backwards but a thicker consistency can actually help trigger a person to swallow therefore making it easier for them to eat and help prevent choking and gagging on the food. 

Yams are another food that is very easy to change the consistency of. We started with a fork mashed texture, dumping a pile onto his tray which he could play around with or grab some with his fingers and bring it up to his mouth. The thicker consistency of the yams versus the avocados was helpful for him to learn about moving food around your mouth, forming a bolus of the food and swallowing it. Another bonus of yams is due to their content of Vitamin C they can help with the absorption of iron for your baby. 



Are you looking for help with starting solid food with your baby? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 

Watch a baby self feeding yams:

This is another food I like starting with. Again, I like how it is easy to change the consistency and it does not require any prepping. Starting to feed your baby can be a really stressful time for parents. Listen to your intuition. You know your child best.

Remember that your child will get messy, as will your floor, walls, pets and even yourself. That is ok though, this is all part of the learning process for your baby. Start with using a fork to mash the avocado to the consistency that seems to work for your baby. Every baby is a little different with the textures that they are able to handle. If you find that your baby is not handling a fork-mashed texture just stop feeding solids and try again in a few days or weeks time. Remember that food is for learning and development for the first year and does not play a huge role in your baby’s nutrition. Work up to a place that you can be giving cube pieces of avocado to your baby. This is a great finger food and a wonderful food for them to gain some learning and development from. 



Do you have questions about starting your baby on solid food? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 


Watch the video of a baby self feeding avocado

The food we started with was lentils. I like starting with a food like this because is a high fibre food that is also high in iron, and it is easy to change the consistency. Around 6 months it is important to feed your baby solid foods as their need for iron increases and their stores of iron start to decrease. Keep watching this blog as more about iron will be coming soon. I cooked the red split lentils until quite soft and used a fork to mash them slightly. I do not recommend pureeing foods, as it is good for babies to have different textures in the foods that they are eating.

Red lentils are a somewhat bland food so I would encourage you to add other flavours to them- for example ginger, garlic, spices, herbs. Using lentils as a base to add other foods such as garlic and ginger can also be helpful if your little one has a bit of an upset stomach or to help them boost up their immune system. I would not recommend adding salt, sauces or sugar to the foods your baby is eating. I encourage you to feed your baby what the family is eating- however I do recommend giving them the same food for 3-4 days consecutively before introducing a new food. If the family is adding salt, sugar or sauces to the foods add them after you have taken out the portions for the baby. 



Have more questions about starting solids with your baby? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 

Watch the video of a baby self feeding lentils as the first food

As a Registered Dietitian working with babies, children and families I have come to use a blend of infant nutrition guru Ellyn Satter’s work and Baby Led Weaning ideas. I have found an infant feeding style that not only fits with my observations and successes with babies, but has also made me confidant that the babies are safely getting what they need nutritionally. 

My main concerns are safety, eating whole foods, and creating, maintaining and sustaining a feeding relationship while dishing out the control and allowing baby led feeding to commence. 

There are some important things to consider when you are starting solids with your baby.

1.     Never leave your child unattended. Sit with them and watch them eat.

2.     There is no need to puree food. You can use fork- mashed and finger foods as the first foods and then increase the texture according to how your baby is doing. Read more about starting solids here. (A small note about texture: It is a very good idea to give your babies different textures. It is important to help them develop muscles in their mouths and is being linked to decreasing picky eaters among other benefits.)

3.     Avoid foods that can cause your baby to choke. Such foods include: popcorn, nuts, hard candies, hard raw vegetables such as carrots, whole marshmallows, jellybeans, thick layers of peanut butter or other nut and seed butters, ice cubes.

4.     Foods such as hot dogs and grapes should be cut lengthwise and then into small pieces.

5.     Food and drinks should be pasteurized. These include milk, soft cheeses (feta, brie, camembert) and juice (if you are offering this).

6.     Honey or sugar is not recommended for children until after they are 1 year old.

7.     It is a good idea for every parent and caregiver to take an infant CPR course.

8.     Gagging is very normal for babies to do when they are first learning how to eat solid foods. If the baby gags a little but continues to breathe and eat it is not a problem. Textured food will encourage the baby to swallow. If you are concerned, you could wait to introduce solids. I would not recommend pureeing food if the baby is gagging but I would encourage you to continue with fork mashed or finger foods.

9.     Let your baby feed themselves either using a utensil or their hands. There is no need for you to feed the baby.

10. Do not force the baby to eat. Food for the first year is not where they are meeting the majority of their nutritional needs but is more about learning and developing. Read more about dishing out the control here.


Do you have questions about how to start solids safely with your baby? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 

In a feeding relationship both you and your child have roles and responsibilities. Let's take a look at  what these roles and responsibilities are. 


What

• This is the parent and caregivers role first and then the child’s role
• Serve the same food to all family members
• The child then decides which foods of those offered that they will eat

Where

• This is the parent and caregivers role
• Enjoy a sit-down family meal with no TV, cell phones or computers

When

• This is the parent and caregivers role
• 3 meals at around the same time with 2-3 snacks a day

How Much

• This is the child’s role
• Never force a child to clean their plate. Never bribe them with food
• Children sometimes eat lots of food and sometimes eat only very little. Let them follow their bodies cue and decide when they are full

For more information about nutrition for babies and children contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected]

My clients often ask me which foods they should feed their babies, or what the textures should be. A very common question is “What does starting solids look like?”

I am not saying that the way this baby is fed is the only way to feed your baby, nor am I saying that this is the way you should do it.

I decided to write about this journey into solid foods, not only to inspire, but also to give some ideas and information to other parents out there who are, or will be starting their own journey soon.

Every child is different- you know your child best so sit down with them and watch them. They will show you what they need and you will make this journey together.

Last but not least, be sure to enjoy the process! 

Questions about how to start solid foods with your baby? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian.

This is a very confusing topic. Many of our health care providers, trying to have us as parents do the best for our children, are pushing us to feed them as much meat as possible. This is because they want to make sure that your baby is getting enough iron.

Iron is very important, especially after the first 6 months of a breastfed baby’s life. By this time their iron stores will start to become depleted and will need replenishing through the food that you feed them. If your baby is on an iron-fortified formula you should still be sure that you introduce iron rich foods, even if your child remains on the formula.

The main problem that I have seen with meat is one of food safety. Not only is it a question of what types of meat to give to your little one (organic or not and so forth) but also of safely eating it (chewing and swallowing without choking). Meat is tough and can be hard to chew, especially when you don’t have many teeth!

Deciding when to introduce meat to your child means that many factors must be considered. Does your child have multiple teeth? Does your child chew effectively? Does your child swallow effectively? I would suggest somewhere in between 9 to 12 months but this is a general guideline and must be tailored to fit your child. I would always suggest getting specific help for your child from a Registered Dietitian. Even when your child has their molars chewing the most tender and moist meat can still be difficult.

Another difficult decision that must be made is what types of meat to offer. I would not suggest giving your child any liver. Although it is a good source of iron it is also full of toxins. In descending order by iron content, consider beef, turkey, lamb, chicken and then pork. Fish is another great food for your baby. If there is a history of allergies in your family I would get more specific recommendations from a Registered Dietitian.

To prepare meat for you baby cook it using moist heat until it is very tender. It is important to cut the meat into very small pieces. Cut the meat across the grain and add additional water to the meat. Another way to introduce meat is by offering it in a casserole, just be sure you baby has had all of the other ingredients in the dish. You could also try a meatloaf or beef patty as long as the meat is well cooked and moist.

1-2 tablespoons is a serving of meat for your baby until about 3 years. I would aim to feed your child 2 servings of protein (not necessarily meat) everyday.

The subject of organic foods is a personal one, however I would recommend you buy your child organic meat. Organic meat is more expensive and I understand that for some people it is not an option. The amount of meat that is a serving for your child is very little therefore, any organic meat you buy for your child will go further. I would not recommend buying canned ‘baby food’ meat for your child. Organic or not I do not recommend buying ‘baby food’.

All the above information is general. For specific advice pertaining to your child, please consult a Registered Dietitian.

For more information on nutrition contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at [email protected]

Over the summer I took a road trip across Canada from my home in Vancouver to PEI and then down to Halifax. It wasn’t the first road trip with my daughter but it was definitely the longest and with her only being 10 months old I wanted to keep providing her with healthy foods on the trip.

It seems only recently that avocado is coming to light as a wonderful food for babies. Why do I love avocado?

• Portable- it can be eaten right out of the skin. If you are not planning to use the whole avocado leave the seed in to help prevent browning.
• Food safe- it can be hard, especially when travelling to find foods that don’t need to be kept refrigerated or served hot in order to be food safe. This is especially a concern when we are feeding babies and young children.
•  Convenient- just cut and serve. No prep time or cooking.
•  Great source of nutrients – including monounsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals such as potassium, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and B Vitamins (including B1- thiamine, B2-riboflavin, B3-niacin, B5-pantothenic acid and B6-pyridoxine)
• Whole food- all of us, and especially our children should be eating more whole foods.

If your baby is eating solid foods and you have not tried avocado I highly recommend offering it to your little one.

Watch the video of baby self feeding avocado

For more information on nutrition contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected]