I can't believe baby Avery Grace got the green light to start solids already! I don't know who is more excited, me, Javi or Avery Grace herself!
I decided to document and share what I will be doing and how.
First up we have VEGGIES. We decided to introduce carrots, butternut squash and sweet potato first. Because we want to make sure she isn't allergic or sensitive to anything, we are introducing each food for three days straight and then moving on to the next if all goes well. Have any questions or suggestions? Make sure to email us at info@bambinadiaries.com or DM us via instagram @bambinadiaries .
WEEK ONE:
Carrots
First up, carrots. We purchased baby carrots from a local farm, boiled them and then made them into purée using the OXO Tot Mash Maker. I was gifted a whole set with different products and to be honest I loved everything, especially the spoons. Since at this stage they eat so little, the manual food mill was perfect. As she gets older I will problem use a blender especially when I start mixing foods.
Her reaction? She loved it! I was seriously surprised since Annemarie, at this state, liked her solids but made more of a mess than anything else. Luckily after day three, she was really getting the hang of being fed and we were ready for our next victim ...
Butternut Squash
Next up, we tried butternut squash. I felt the squash had a much better consistency than the carrots. We cut it in half and placed it faced down in a pan with about 1/4 of water. We set the oven at 350 degrees and let it sit for 45 minutes. Once the timer went off, we took it out, waited until it cooled, scooped the squash and puréed it once again using the food mill.
Avery's reaction was priceless. She was ALL smiles and I had to stop feeding her because obviously, it is supposed to be only a little to get her used to it. I think I have a major foodie on my hands.
Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato was the one that truthfully kicked my butt in making. Most recipes stated to set the oven at 400 degrees and leave it for 45 minutes. I think our sweet potato was too big and needed to be left for 60 minutes. I have to say, I thought she would love this one but she wasn't thrilled about it. I decided to put it in the actual blender to make sure it had a good consistency for her to eat.
What do I do with all the leftover?
Because they eat so little, you will for sure have leftover. I freeze mine and defrost as I need them. Below are the two options I've opted for. Using an ice cube tray or the XOX storage.
WEEK TWO:
Banana
Someone really liked her banana purée but oh boy was it messy!
Apple
To make apple purée we simple cut the applies and put them in the blender. We did add a little bit of warm water so give it the consistency it needed.
Avocado
Just when I thought Avery couldn't surprise me more. This little girl ate avocados so well! It was also so east to make. I just mashed it up and made sure there were no clumps.
WEEK THREE:
Pear
Pear, like banana, was a hit. We also made it just the same. Cut it in pieces, added a little bit of water and put it in the food processor.
Spinach
For spinach I steamed it and then put it in the blender, I added very little water since spinach itself sweats a bit when steamed. This little girl loves her spinach and I could not be happier.
Zucchini
Boiled until soft and then put it in the blender. I plan to mix some apples once I see she's okay with Zucchini.
I have been mixing two items like prune and pear, zucchini and apple, or giving her a little bit of sweet potato and then some banana.
Remember to do what works for you and to follow your pediatricians advice.
Maddy's Take of First Foods with Caro
When we had Sofia we decided to start with store-bought baby food to see how she would like it. Thankfully it went well so, when Carolina came around we thought let's try this again. If she didn't like it or developed any allergies to the food, we figured we would then switch things up. Below, I am sharing a few of our favorites as well as where you can look for baby food in case the quarantine has caused a shortage at your local Publix, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe's.
Our Favorite Jar Food
For the most part, we really enjoy buying from these two brands listed below - Beech-Nut and Earth's Best. They were the first brands we started Carolina with because of the fact that they are the closest brands made with real fruits and veggies + they are great to store in the fridge in case she didn't finish the entire serving.
Fun fact, when we first started Carolina with solids, using Earth's Best was great because the portion was perfect for her, as their jar is smaller than Beech-Nut. When you start increasing the meals throughout the day, Beech-Nut works better because you can divide the jar in half. We usually give Carolina half a jar of fruit and half of veggie for lunch and dinner, which I am sharing more about below.
Plus, if you are starting solids and following the rule that you feed the same food for 3 consecutive days, portioning out the jars this way can help save a bit more money.
Breakfast Basics
Every morning we provide Carolina with a tablespoon of whole grain oatmeal from Earth's Best and a fruit puree (usually pear, peach or banana). If your little one is constipated, consider adding in prune.
I also wanted to share some quick breakfast ideas for the little ones to enjoy as they get more comfortable with solids:
- Oatmeal
- Baby Yogurt
- Purees
More ideas as they grow can be found here - https://www.mothersandmore.org/babies/15-healthy-breakfast-ideas-for-babies/
In addition to starting her with solids, we began working on her sippy cup skills and I have been including a 2 oz bottle of formula, breastmilk, or water for her drink while she ate. It gets her use to grabbing the cup and drinking it, as well as gives her a break while she's eating.
These are a few of our favorite sippy cups you can start practicing with:
or
Tips for introducing sippy cups:
Lunchtime Staples
Lunch can get a bit hectic since I have to figure out Sofia's meal, mine, my husband's, and feed the baby too. So, I decided it would be best to purchase the following starter kits below to make it a bit easier on me as I was introducing different fruits and vegetables.
Then, after introducing different foods for a few days, it helped make things easier when I decided to implement a new feeding schedule and provide (1) fruit and (1) veggie for lunch and dinner.
Quick Dinner Options
Just like lunch, dinner is a production at times, so to make sure that Carolina was getting what she needed, I looked for a quicker option, which ended up being pouches. Below I included the starter one I used and loved, as well as the ones I began transitioning her. SIDE NOTE: During lunch and dinner, I still provided the sippy cup for practice.
When you can start mixing fruits and veggies together these are some of my favorite brands:
Where to shop
There are times that I have tried to purchase Carolina's favorites at Publix and they were out of stock. Especially now during the quarantine, it can get a bit difficult, so I wanted to share a few vendors I have been using lately.
Thrive Market
Sams Club
Costco