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MS, RDN
Jill Castle
Jill Castle is a pediatric nutritionist and registered dietitian who works to help parents nourish healthy kids with nutritious foods and recipes. She encourages them to use effective feeding strategies, and establish healthy habits that last a lifetime.
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MS, RDN
Jill Castle
Jill Castle is a pediatric nutritionist and registered dietitian who works to help parents nourish healthy kids with nutritious foods and recipes. She encourages them to use effective feeding strategies, and establish healthy habits that last a lifetime.
SHARE
“"I’m a mom, too, and have raised four kids, so I intimately know the ups and downs, challenges and successes of feeding children."“
- Jill Castle
- Jill Castle
My Mission
As a child nutritionist, I help parents nourish healthy kids with nutritious foods and recipes. I encourage them to use effective feeding strategies, and establish healthy habits that last a lifetime.
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6 Things You Need to Know BEFORE You Start Solids
Starting solids is both exciting and stressful. Your baby is learning to eat and like food. At the same time, he’s growing fast. Knowing what to expect gives you a leg up on leading your baby through this important milestone.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The pace is fast.
Starting solids is a whirlwind. You start, get used to what your baby is eating, and then it’s time to change things up again. The transitions are many, but they encourage your baby to develop a broad palate and hone his eating skills.
2. Decisions, decisions.
Do you feed with a spoon? Or follow baby-led weaning? Or can you do both? The answer is easy. If you’re drawn to one method, go for it! You can fully nourish your baby using any of these methods, or a combination of them. The most important thing is enjoyment – for you and your baby.
3. Change is the name of the game.
Babies are learning to eat, so it’s important that textures, flavors, and shapes are nudging your little one to eating mastery. Once your baby is capable with purees, it’s time to introduce more texture. For example, when the pincer grasp emerges, offer small pieces of food, like diced, ripe banana.
4. Your baby dictates the next step.
Is your baby reaching for the spoon? He’s probably ready to hold it himself. With a little direction, he can learn to bring it to his mouth and eat from it. Is she raking food off her tray? She’s ready to hold food in her hand and bring it to her mouth. If you pay attention, your baby will let you know when it’s time to advance to the next stage.
5. Family food at age one.
By the end of the first year, your baby should be at the family table eating the foods you eat. Chop, dice, or shred family foods to match his eating skills. He should also be able to feed himself, start drinking from an open cup, and use toddler utensils.
6. A nutritious diet.
At 6 months, solid foods complement the liquid diet your baby’s been consuming. A variety of foods, including vegetables and fruit, healthy fats, protein foods, whole grains, and dairy foods ensure your baby not only gets flavors and textures, but also the critical nutrients he needs for body and brain growth.
Tip
Spice Up Baby Food: Why Parents Should Add Flavor From the Start
Cinnamon in your baby’s applesauce? Curry stirred into sweet potatoes? Lemon with spinach? Yes, 100%!
If you look around the world, it’s common to offer babies foods that the whole family eats. That means aromatic, spicy, flavorful food. For example, in India, babies are introduced to curried vegetables and lentils. In Asia, it’s common for babies to eat dried fish mixed into their oatmeal. In Latin America, babies consume garlic, onions, and cilantro.
In fact, your baby has been “tasting” different food flavors from the very start. Sweet and umami flavors permeate amniotic fluid. Flavors from the mother’s diet are transmitted through breast milk. First foods continue this learning journey.
Introducing flavors in early childhood is part of learning about foods and their flavors. Research tells us that early and frequent exposure to a variety of flavors and foods may help children be more adventurous with eating (and less picky) later on.
Additionally, adding herbs, aromatics, and spices to your baby’s food can have other health benefits:
1. Adding herbs and spices, such as garlic and ginger, may enhance immunity.
2. Lemon, lime, and other citrus flavors aid in the absorption of iron and zinc from vegetables, cereals, and beans.
3. Herbs and spices like cinnamon or nutmeg may reduce the need for additional sweetness (which means less sugar).
4. Seasoning foods with basil, oregano, or lemongrass can reduce the addition of salt.
When starting solids, you can ease into adding spices and herbs. Start with mild spices first. Introduce spices with “heat” later, and in small amounts. Whether you are spoon feeding or using a baby-led approach, give these seasonings a try:
Cinnamon – Add this spice to fruit purees, sweet potatoes, muffins, and quick breads – or, my favorite, oats!
Cumin – Whip into pureed beans, vegetables, or meats.
Smoked Paprika – Sprinkle on scrambled eggs, mix into carrots, or use to flavor meat or fish.
Mint – Great with peas, carrots, and pureed fruits.
Basil – Add this to tomato-based dishes, beans, or make a pesto to swipe on toast fingers.
Lemon Juice – Add to vegetable purees (especially spinach, kale, and other dark vegetables.)
Vinegar/Fish Sauce/Hot Sauce – Add a tiny drop to zest things up!
Tip
The Role of First Foods and Your Baby’s Health
Introducing first foods is a big deal. You may be dreaming of all the foods your child will eventually eat: broccoli, turkey at Thanksgiving, spicy avocado toast, and sushi. But before you get too far down the road, it’s important to understand the role of first foods to your baby’s overall development and health.
Nutrition
During the first year (and beyond), the brain is laying the “information highway” – building connections that will allow your baby to learn, speak, and remember. The bones are hardening and lengthening, readying your child for climbing, carrying, and playing. Your baby is growing at a pace unlike any other time in childhood.
Food and its nutrients are the foundation of this growth. Choose foods that provide an array of nutrients including iron, zinc, healthy fats, calcium, and more.
See the image above for my quick guide to nutrients.
Flavor Preferences
A baby’s preference for food starts in the womb. What they eat in early childhood informs their food preferences for a lifetime. Offer food from all the different food groups, explore international cuisines, and avoid sugary foods and beverages in the first two years.
Texture Transitions
At six months, babies still consume all their nutrition from a liquid diet. The first exposure to texture comes with the first bite of solid food. As your baby masters one texture, they graduate to the next until they're eating the family food.
For example, many babies start with a soupy consistency of fortified cereal mixed with breast milk or infant formula, pureed meats, and smooth purees of vegetables and fruit. They move on to lumpy purees, then meltable finger foods, and then chopped table food. Other babies follow a baby-led weaning approach and experience textures using hand-held strips and melt-in-your-mouth foods. These texture transitions engage the senses and help your baby learn to eat.
Food Allergy Prevention
Early introduction of food allergens such as peanuts, eggs, and seafood has been shown to prevent the development of food allergies in children. Between six months and a year, offer developmentally appropriate food allergens including milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. For example, peanut butter mixed into baby cereal, Bamba puffs (peanut), mini-muffins (milk and egg), french toast (egg and milk), whole wheat crackers (wheat), or poached salmon.
Socialization and Satisfaction
Starting solids and learning to eat food isn’t just about consuming nutrients and a variety of flavors. It’s also socializing your baby. From the cadence of communication to the feedback of delicious food and physical satisfaction, eating is an important and enjoyable aspect of your baby’s day.
Tip
Preventing Food Allergies in Year 1
Did you know what your baby eats in the first year may prevent him from developing a food allergy? It’s true. Most surprising? Avoiding food allergens, like peanuts or fish, may actually contribute to food allergies, so the latest scientific evidence suggests introducing food allergens in the very first year.
Here’s what you need to know to get started:
1. Wait until at least 6 months to introduce solids to your baby.
Most babies are developmentally ready to start solids at 6 months. Their gut is ready for complex food, their bodies have the strength to sit up, control their head, and learn to eat, and they’re interested.
Introducing solids earlier than 4 months is associated with choking, food allergies and excess weight gain later in life. Starting after 6 months has its own drawbacks: slowed growth, iron deficiency (especially for breastfed babies), delayed eating skills, and food aversion.
2. Get familiar with food allergens.
The most common food allergens for kids are called the “Big 8.” They include milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanut, tree nut, fish and crustacean shellfish. Allergies to milk, wheat, egg and soy often resolve during childhood, but peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish tend to be lifelong.
Children who are allergic to any food must completely avoid eating it.
3. Offer food allergens before age one after checking with your child's physician .
Allergens can be introduced at the same time as other foods. Once your baby has gotten the hang of eating off a spoon or self-feeding, start offering foods such as scrambled egg (egg), poached salmon (fish), or buttery crackers that dissolve in the mouth (wheat).
The goal is to expose your baby to all the top food allergens before age one.
Even if your baby is at high risk for developing a food allergy, food allergens should be offered in the first year. Discuss a plan to introduce them with your doctor.
4. Offer foods in age-appropriate forms.
No whole nuts or globs of peanut butter! These are choking hazards. Rather, mix a small amount of nut butter into baby cereal or yogurt, or stir powdered peanut butter into pureed veggies.
Avoid fluid milk before age one. It interferes with iron absorption and should not be a replacement for breastmilk or infant formula during the first year. You can, however, offer yogurt as early as 6 months and cheese, a potential choking hazard, around 8 to 9 months.
Never offer raw egg, fish or shellfish to your baby.
5. Watch for signs of intolerance or an allergic reaction.
Hives and vomiting are the most common signs of allergic reaction in young children. However, a skin rash, swelling around the mouth or eyes and difficulty breathing are signs of a reaction and may indicate anaphylaxis. An allergic reaction typically occurs in minutes or within two hours of eating the food allergen.
If you see any of these signs, stop feeding the allergenic food. Watch for the development of more severe symptoms. If your baby had a mild reaction, give her a break from that food allergen and try again in a couple of weeks.
NOTE: In the event that your baby does experience an allergic reaction, please consult with your pediatrician.
Tip
Feeding Goals For the First Year
When parents embark on feeding their babies, they are excited, maybe a little anxious, and determined to “do it right.” Yet, the first year can be filled with plenty of questions that can make parents unsure and intimidated. Let’s look at the first year and review the key transitions and goals all parents should keep in mind.
The First 3 Months
The Goal: Connect with your baby and become a responsive feeder
Frequent feedings and middle-of the night awakenings make this time unpredictable, yet the goal is to connect and form a strong parent-child bond so your baby feels secure. When feeding, choose a calm, quiet location. Hold and look at your baby when they're eating. Pay attention to their appetite signals. Are they eating quickly or slowing down? Are they alert or falling asleep?
Hunger in babies is demonstrated by:
Rooting (seeking the breast or bottle)
Smacking/sucking of the lips
Sucking on fingers
Clenching hands
Crying
Your baby demonstrates fullness by:
Pulling off the bottle or breast
Refusing to eat more
Relaxing the body and hands
Appearing content
Showing interest in other things
Falling asleep
Reacting supportively to these cues is being responsive, also called Responsive Feeding. When you’re responsive to your baby’s feeding cues, you’re more likely to raise a child who tunes into his own appetite signals when eating.
By 6 Months
The Goal: Starting solids and food allergens with a plan
This is an exciting, adventurous time for you and your baby. Will you use the spoon or a baby-led weaning approach? Or will you combine the two techniques? Do some research into the best practices for each method so you can make an informed decision.
Starting solids is an intensified period of learning for your baby, so make sure there are no distractions like toys or electronic devices during feeding sessions. You want your baby to savor the flavors they're consuming and focus on eating.
As you move toward the 9 month mark, you’ll want to introduce food allergens. Peanuts, tree nuts, cooked eggs, and wheat are good ones to expose your baby to at this stage. Make sure these foods are developmentally appropriate for your little one. Try stirring a teaspoon of peanut butter into cereal, or offer a dissolvable cracker or puff as a finger food.
By 9 Months
The Goal: Establish self-feeding skills and a routine with feeding
Support your child by providing opportunities to self-feed with the spoon and finger foods. You can still feed your baby, but you’ll want to let them practice self-feeding skills, too.
Advance development by introducing a cup for drinking, and keep exposing your baby to a variety of foods. Add spices and herbs to the diet to capitalize on the experience with new food flavors.
Lastly, keep a routine. Routines keep life predictable during this period of change for you and your baby. Establish regular locations and times for meals and between-meal feedings that your baby can depend on.
By 12 Months
The Goal: Eating with the family.
As you close in on the end of the first year, eating is as much a nutritional event as it is a social event. Role models who are talking, eating, and interacting with food teach your baby that food is a vehicle for connection, love, and learning. Make sure to keep the family table a happy place for all. Your baby will look forward to coming to the table – and that’s the goal!
By a year, your baby can eat the family food. Modify the size and texture of food to reflect your baby’s eating skills. For example, chop lasagna into small bites for self-feeding, or separate out and chop shrimp and vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
For more information on feeding goals for baby, see my resources: The Smart Mom's Guide to Starting Solids and Learning to Eat.