Thursday, November 14, 2013

To family food ...

This UK study makes it pretty clear. Few, if any of the pre-prepared baby foods available in the market today are adequate in terms of providing optimal nutritional content and variety of taste and texture. 

My strong belief is that once your child is ready for food other than breast milk, the signs will be very plain - he will reach for food from your plate! The solution is pretty plain too - let him share whatever your family is eating - whole, unrefined, fresh and in season. Let him manage what he fancies in his fingers, let him taste it, play with it, mouth it and spit or swallow. These early adventures with solid food are just that, an exploration of taste and texture, but the whole experience is also about eating with the family, so the good examples that you, your partner and other children set, are paramount.

No need for pureeing, mashing, blending or spooning. If your baby moves to family meals at his own pace and if you give him an assortment of healthy foods to choose from, if you continue to breastfeed for as long as he wants, he won’t become addicted to the high-sugar, high-fat, high-salt offerings that masquerade as real food. More on avoiding food trauma and making a stress-free transition from mother's milk to meals ... 

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