My daughter Willa is just starting solids so I am sharing with sharing her journey here:
She is just over 5 months and was starting to show all the signs...
Signs to look for:
- Showing interest in food
- No tongue extrusion (poking tongue out when food is placed in the mouth)
- Can hold head well and sit without support
We are going to follow the 3-day rule. This involves introducing a new flavour every three days to easily identify any food intolerances/allergies. For example; Pumpkin for the first 3 days and then Kumara. Once I have introduced these flavours and I know there is no reaction i can use them in combination with other/new flavours.
Throughout our journey we are going to use a mix of homemade purees and Petite Eats pouches depending on what new flavours have been introduced and how much she is eating. (If she is anything like her brother she'll be eating a cup in no time).
I have a two year old as well so planning is super important for me to keep track and to make sure I am prepared. There is nothing worse then rushing around trying to pull together puree with a grouchy baby, toddler and mama. It does not make for a relaxed environment which is super important for when you are introducing solids.
We are using the starting solids meal planner and it is seriously a GAME CHANGER! I really wish we had it for George when he was starting. The planner sticks to the fridge with its magnets, has 25 pages and a tear off shopping list...how good?
Other Essential Items:
- Sippy cup with cool boiled water (Petite Eats Sippy Cup coming soon)
- Soft silicone Spoon
- Bib (Petite Eats Bibs coming soon)
- Bowl
We used a simple pot & steamer to make her veges and then blended with a stick blender. I also added a small amount of previously boiled water to achieve the consistency I wanted (which was very smooth). You could also use breast milk or formula.
I like to make puree ahead of time and freeze into special ice cube type trays which is about 1Tbsp per serve. Once she is eating up to half a cup I will prep her meals and freeze into biodegradable snaplock bags which i wash and reuse. Of course, I will also be using the Petite Eats Range. These can also be frozen into portions :)
It is important to start introducing solids at a time of day where both you and your bubba are feeling relaxed. I find around 11ish to be ideal as she has had her nap, a milk feed and a little play. I then give her another milk feed before she goes down for her next nap.
DAY 1:
Willa enjoyed her first taste of pumpkin and kept going back for more. She even managed a couple of sips of cool boiled water.
DAY 2:
Willa wasn't as keen today as yesterday. She had a few mouthfuls but then got a wee bit grumpy. She has been doing extra big sleeps today so think she is very tired and possibly a bit sick with a runny nose. We will see how she is tomorrow but if she's not well I will try again next week.
I will continue to update this-probably not daily but sharing tidbits here and there.
If you have any questions related to starting solids or using Petite Eats on your journey, feel free to flick me a message or contact our nutritionist Charlotte from My Foodie Family Wholesome You.
Love Em xx
UPDATE:
Willa is now fully into her solids and she is having three meals a day (most days). At the moment we have been really busy and so I have been relying on Petite Eats pouches which has been a lifesaver. I will give you a quick run down on her daily menu and how we have introduced allergenic food.
Allergens:
So far we have introduced egg (scrambled). She was a huge fan but I think that is more texture related than anything.
We will introduce peanuts this weekend. I will simply give her a little of smooth peanut butter on a spoon.
Daily Menu/Meal ideas
Breakfast:
-Mashed Avocado with Banana,
-Scrambled Eggs
-Blueberry, Apple Quinoa Petite Eats pouch
-Pumpkin Puree
Lunch:
- Beef Cottage Pie Petite Eats pouch (whole thing)
-Seasonal Vege Petite Eats pouch
Dinner:
-Pumpkin & Coriander Petite Eats Pouch
-Carrot, Pumpkin & Turmeric Petite Eats Pouch
-Mixed Vege Puree, homemade
We are also going to start introducing some snacks for morning tea and afternoon tea.
