When your baby starts moving from a completely liquid diet to a diet that consists of some solid foods, it can be a challenge to know what, when and how much to feed him or her. Not only does introducing solid foods to your infant mean a greater time commitment to eating, but you also have to deal with their ability to learn how to eat and acquired tastes. And then there’s the mess! But since you know how important it is for you baby to get the hang of feeding himself, here are three tips that will help to make feeding your infant solid foods a little easier than before.
Variety is the Spice of Life
It may seem easy at this moment to just buy some baby cereal or a few jars of basic baby food and call it good. And while this can be more convenient for you today, this could prove to be a big mistake later on.
When your baby is learning how to eat and developing his or her own taste for certain foods, the editors of Parenting.com recommend giving as much variety in food as possible. Not only will this allow your child to experience a wide range of flavors and textures, but the more foods your baby is exposed to has also been linked to becoming less picky eaters as they mature. And when you’re no longer in the baby food phase, having a kid who isn’t a picky eater will be a real blessing.
Easy Ways to Get More Iron
If you breastfeed your child, after about 6 months, your child is no longer getting adequate iron from breastmilk alone. Knowing this, it’s important that the foods you feed your baby are rich in iron. However, one of the most iron-rich foods is meat, which is often overlooked as a food to give your baby. But according to Alice Callahan, a contributor to ScienceOfMom.com, there are plenty of easy ways to ensure your baby is getting the iron he or she needs. Some of these ways include giving iron-fortified cereals, limiting the amount of dairy that’s consumed, and choosing to serve foods like meats, vegetables, and beans that are known to be high in iron.
Take Advantage of Your Freezer
Babies don’t always eat the same amount of food at each meal. This can make it difficult to know how much food to prepare for them ahead of time. And because food without preservatives is best for infants, if you make too much food, it won’t stay fresh for too long in the fridge. That’s why, according to Mary L. Gavin, a contributor to KidsHealth.org, it’s best to freeze any leftover portions of baby food you have rather than canning it or putting it in the fridge so the food will stay edible for a longer period of time.
By following the tips mentioned above, you may have an easier time feeding your infant while he or she learns how to eat solid baby food.
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