Starting solids: 10 ways to encourage healthy, fuss-free eating

Brought to you by Haven.

Starting solids is an important milestone but for many parents it can also be overwhelming as you work out what foods to start introducing and when.

When it comes to introducing your baby to their first foods, Haven Health Expert Gina Urlich is a nutritionist and mum of four, who says, “Every baby is different so there is really no magic number that says to start feeding your baby on this date or at this age.”

According to Gina, the following developmental signs suggest your child is ready to begin eating solids:

• When babies are ready for solids they start leaning forward at the sight of food and opening their mouths in a preparatory way.
• Just because they’re showing interest in food or putting things in their mouth doesn’t necessarily mean they are developmentally ready for food. Let’s be honest babies put everything in their mouth at this age. This cue should not be stand-alone – please look for the other developmental signs listed below.
• At around the age of 6 months your mini humans should be able to sit up and coordinate breathing with swallowing. When babies can sit up unassisted they have developed core strength for the muscles to help food move through the digestive tract this is called peristalsis.
• A good test is to see if they push their tongue out when a spoon or bit of food is placed in their mouth. This is another good indication as the tongue reflex disappears at around six months of age.

10 expert-approved tips for raising a happy, healthy eater

1. Introduce solids gradually

It’s best introduce your little one to solids gradually and include a mix of natural foods, like fruit and vegetables and focus on nutrient-rich foods..

“Iron, zinc and omega 3 are of particular importance,” says Gina. “Your baby’s iron needs at 6 – 24 months are the highest they will ever be in their life!

For convenience, first foods are commonly pureed, but many babies prefer to eat soft chunks of food they can pick up and feed themselves.

2. The best first foods

Fabulous first foods to meet nutrient requirements that are also low allergenic are:

• Red meat, poultry, liver and egg yolks are an amazing source of bioavailable iron and zinc.
• Avocado, coconut, olive oil and ghee are wonderful sources of healthy fats to nourish brain development.
• Variety of vegetables provides fiber, antioxidants and gentle carbohydrates.
• Tropical fruits such as melon, banana, pawpaw and kiwi fruit contain digestive enzymes which support baby’s immature digestive system by aiding breakdown of foods.

3. Variety is key

“You have the power to shape your baby’s palate and avoid fussy eating,” explains Gina.

“A mother who consumes a varied diet throughout pregnancy is the first stage in shaping the palate for her baby. The window of opportunity continues when babies begin their journey into eating solids. Offering lots of diverse flavours at this stage is important.”

Once your baby is showing the following developmental signs, they are ready for solids:

• Sitting unassisted
• Loss of tongue thrust reflex
• Interest in food

“Then take advantage of this critical window of opportunity,” says Gina. “There is no need to train your baby to love sweet; they naturally do given the sweetness of breast milk. Salty food is also an enjoyable flavour.”

Gina encourages parents to offer a variety and repetition of savoury, sour, spicy and bitter.

• Bitter foods can be leafy greens, brussel sprouts, asparagus and eggplant.
• Sour foods from lemon, limes, greek yoghurt, apple cider vinegar and sauerkraut.
• Spicy foods are peppers, radishes, ginger, garlic, onion, herbs and spices.
• Salty foods like kelp, sea salt, capers, olives and anchovies are great flavour bombs.

“Remember you are not starting solids to fill them up – You are starting solids to heal the gut and for flavour exposure.”

4. Offer a range of foods with different flavours and textures

“I really believe in following your baby’s guide and intuition. Some babies love being spoon-fed and others are strongly independent from the get-go and start with baby led weaning. It also has to work with your family and comfort level,” explains Gina.

“If your baby favours baby-led weaning then I encourage families to still spoon-feed the essential nutrients, iron rich foods in particular. Some research has shown that babies that are exclusively feed by baby led weaning methods have been lower in iron.

“Offering a loaded spoon that they can feed themselves with or veggie sticks with purée as a dip can boost nutrient intake.”

5. Keep offering new foods

While your child may at first refuse to eat a new food, keep trying as it can take several attempts before they agree to try it and like it.

“Ten yucks to one yum!” says Gina. “Offering variety on repeat is vital for avoiding fussy eating.”

Even if they avoid it the first time, keep exposure to those foods on a regular basis. Just by putting it on the plate children naturally become more open to foods by seeing, smelling, touching and eventually tasting foods.”

6. Make food fun

Your child is more likely to eat what’s good for them if it looks good too! Try using a cookie cutter to create star-shaped sandwiches and apple pieces.

7. Eat meals together as a family

Sit down together as a family and serve your child the same meal the family is eating but in a portion size your child will eat. Toddlers learn behaviors from their parents and are more likely to eat what they see others eating.

The Baccani CIBO High Chair makes eating meal together easy. As your child gets older, the food tray can be removed, making it easy for your child to move right up to the table with the family.

8. The importance of gut health

“Babies produce only a very small amount of the pancreatic enzyme amylase, and therefore are unable to properly digest grains, which is why I don’t recommend fortified rice cereal,” explains Gina.

“White rice is a refined carbohydrate that is a highly processed, nutritionally devoid food for infants. It is inflammatory and one of the hardest food groups for them to digest.

“Infants do however produce proteolytic enzymes to digest proteins as well as digestive juices: hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which breaks down protein and fats. Foods like cereals, grains and breads are very challenging for little ones to digest. Therefore, these foods should be some of the last to be introduced.”

Gina says mother nature always gets it right and it makes perfect sense looking at the nutritional profile of breast milk.

“Breast milk provides up to 60 per cent of its energy as fat, which is critical for growth, energy and development.”

She continues: “All babies are born with a leaking or permeable gut lining so that they can fully benefit from the nourishment of their mother’s colostrum. This ‘first milk’ from the mother delivers powerful nutrients and immune boosting substances like lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, sugars and antibodies to the fragile newborn infant. The permeable lining in the intestines of each newborn baby allows them to absorb nutrients quickly and supports immunity.

“This permeable lining starts closing around six months of age when we start introducing solids. Offering foods like bone broth helps support gut integrity and close the gap junctions in the stomach.

“Offering prebiotic and probiotic foods will also support immunity and gut health of the baby. These foods include brine of sauerkraut, coconut kefir, culture coconut yoghurt. Start with a very small amount (¼ teaspoon) and slowly increase over the next few months. You can supplement with probiotics under the guidance of a nutritionist.”

Gina says having a healthy microbiome creates the blueprint for a good metabolism, brain development, physical development and the strength of the immune system.

“A diverse microbiome rich in beneficial bacteria also lowers the risk of developing autoimmune conditions such as asthma and eczema.”

9. Picky eating is normal during the toddler stage

“Little ones have a natural fondness for sweet tastes; nonetheless, all other tastes can be learned through exposure and repetition. Just because they refuse something once don’t stop offering,” advises Gina.

“Sometimes it can take up to 10-15 attempts for a food to be accepted! So, if your toddler is refusing, just try again another day, but keep offering.”

10. Fussy eater tips

Advice for parents if their child is refusing certain foods:

• Children thrive on routine. Try keeping main meals and snack times at roughly the same time each day. Children have a strong need for rituals and for what feels familiar whether it is a bedtime routine, meal time routine or using a favourite plate. Some form of daily routine may provide a picky, fussy eater with predictability and security.
• Children need to eat frequently to sustain their high energy levels and rapid growth so small but frequent nutrient dense “mini meals” may be best for picky, fussy kids. This approach will maintain optimum blood sugar levels and keep the grumpiness, pickiness and tantrums at bay. Every parent knows that a hungry child is generally not a happy or co-operative child.
• Don’t offer too much. A young child’s stomach is roughly just the size of their fist so serve small portions initially. They don’t need much to get full so may only want small amounts at a time but get hungry again quickly. Avoid empty calories. Don’t let your child fill up on high-sugar, processed foods.
• Finger foods are also popular and will allow a toddler some of their desired independence. We all know how independent a toddler is!
• At times children may prefer to drink rather than eat. Smoothies are a wonderful way to improve a picky eaters nutrition. All sorts of things can be disguised in a drink so don’t despair! A frozen banana, Greek yoghurt, nuts, seeds, spinach, avocado and coconut milk is one combination. I also sneak in fish oil, probiotics and a scoop of Haven. The addition of a colourful straw or drinking cup will add to the fun and compliance. Any leftovers can be frozen into wonderful ice block or “ice cream” snacks for hot summer days.

Brought to you by Haven.

At Haven we know every child and every parenting journey is unique. Something one family finds easy, another might find more challenging – and that’s completely okay. What we do have in common is that we all want to give our babies the very best possible start in life.

Haven believes a little extra care can go a long way in those important early stages. Our mission is to provide not only a high quality New Zealand-made A2 Protein Toddler Milk Drink that is gentle on little tummies, but also be a sanctuary for parents and caregivers to come together to have honest conversations about parenting.

Our belief is that no one knows your child like you do, so you and you alone are best placed to make decisions about their livelihood. Haven aims to provide an open platform where parents can explore choices and information to find your own formula for raising your child.

For more information, visit Haven on their website, Instagram or on Facebook.

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