Are you ready to start weaning but not sure what foods to try first? Move aside baby rice and cereal - here I list my top 5 first foods to get you started, all with unique nutritional properties and packed full of the good stuff your baby needs. When choosing first foods for your baby it is vitally important we only give nutrient dense foods; babies tummies are still very small and anything we give them will potentially displace their usual milk. Therefore, we need to ensure these are highly nutritious and not just ‘empty calories’.
1. Egg yolk
This is a great one to start with as most babies like the taste. Eggs are a rich source of choline, arachidonic acid, and cholesterol (which isn’t bad for us!) which are all essential for babies rapidly developing brain. Choose the best quality you can find, ideally from organically reared hens fed their natural diet; if you’re struggling to find quality eggs, search for a local farm as these tend to be better and fresher than supermarket bought ones.
The reason for giving only the yolk is that it is the most nutrient dense part, also the most allergic part is the egg white, which I would recommend introducing at 6 months+ after a few weeks of these first foods. The best way to offer this is softly boiled.; you can save the whites for yourself to eat for a protein packed breakfast or snack.
2. Liver
Liver is a real superfood, especially for babies, it is packed full of essential vitamins including vitamin B12 and minerals including iron. Iron is one the most common nutrient deficiencies seen in children, for this reason it is vitally important that we introduce good sources of iron to baby as soon as possible. Liver also provides choline, arachidonic acid, and cholesterol as mentioned above.
This one always shocks people when I suggest it, the first question is usually how do I get a baby to eat liver? The most obvious way would be to give it in a pureed form mixed with some vegetables, but you can also cook it and freeze it, then simply grate with a fine grater and add to egg yolk, sweet potato or whatever you are feeding baby at that meal time.
Because iron is so important, lots of ‘baby foods’ such as baby rice and cereal are fortified with it. However, this synthetic form of iron isn’t utilised the same way in the body; it is therefore always best to obtain iron from food in its naturally occurring state. Baby rice or any other fortified baby foods are not something I would recommend.
3. Banana
This is a much more common first food, and for good reason. It’s sweet taste means its usually readily accepted, it requires almost no preparation and is a super easy one to take with you on the go. Bananas contain many important nutrients such as vitamin B6, potassium and vitamin C. They’re also a good source of fibre to help maintain healthy bowel movements (watch out for offering unripe bananas as some parents report these can contribute to constipation in babies). Offer this mashed on its own or mixed with avocado or sweet potato; this also makes a perfect finger food when baby is ready for them.
4. Avocado
Another super easy one requiring minimal preparation (which is always a winner when you’re a busy parent). It mixes well with other foods and is rich very nutrient dense containing folate, vitamin K and potassium. Pairing avocado with other foods helps increase the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, K and E. It contains lots of healthy fats which are crucial for baby’s development and growth – the more healthy fats the better when it comes to babies diets.
5. Sweet potato
Quickly steamed or baked and mashed with a fork, this is an easy one to add into babies diet and a great first food. Again, this is very nutrient dense and contains many key nutrients such as vitamin A and C. Sweet potato makes a great finger food when baby is ready for these too, just chop into chips, add a little extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil and bake until soft.
I’d love to hear how your baby gets on with these foods when you try them. Happy weaning!