Baby’s First Foods

By Kolleen Mitchell, LAc

As a mother of two I have found that the introduction of solid foods in our western culture is not necessarily conducive to our baby's good digestion, and here is why: Generally we are told to begin baby's solid foods with things like enriched rice cereal and then perhaps moving onto raw fruits and small finger foods like Cheerios. In Chinese Medicine our digestion is thought to be like an "oven" if you will, cooking and digesting our foods for absorption and distribution. When we introduce raw foods or very hard to digest cold foods, we overwhelm that "oven." If there are too many cold foods in baby's diet, patents will find looser stools or undigested food, perhaps even constipation. There can be reflux, colic, and often skin disorders. Symptoms like these indicate baby is not quite experiencing a balance in assimilation and absorption and can lead to more systemic issues like over-production of mucous and often an early increase in illness. Because a baby's system is new to the world, it is important to have a good beginning for future health.

Here are some tips I suggest to parents (acknowledging also a milk source, preferably mommy's own, is present as well):

1) I encourage parents to make their own baby food as much as possible. You can control the quality of what baby gets and adjust based on how baby seems to digest. I like to begin with simple foods like sweet potatoes. I use organic and you may roast or boil but roasting seems to maintain the nutrients better.

2) Adding small amounts of things like ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, aid in digestion and blood sugar regulation. I also begin adding good fats like extra virgin coconut oil in small amounts. Coconut oil has many health benefits and is a good source of beneficial fats for babies' development. According to Chinese Medicine, sweet potatoes nourish the 'kidney yin' and the 'spleen' and are energy tonics. In babies, kidney energy is generally developing and spleen energy (digestion) is weak and again maturing gradually. Also things like quinoa may be added to provide protein, fatty acids, and long chain carbohydrates. Grains are also generally nourishing for the 'spleen' energy in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

3) Begin new foods slowly and observe how baby feels after a new food. If they get gassy or have stool disturbance maybe it is not the right food for your baby. When their 'spleen' energy is happy they have formed stools (as much as possible because with breast milk they can be looser) and little to no gas, colic, or reflux.

4) Use raw fruits and vegetables sparingly and perhaps not until an older age like 18-24 months. Raw requires more of the baby's system to digest and absorb, so make it as easy for them to get their nutrients as possible by steaming or gently cooking their foods before blending. The 'oven' analogy would state that too much raw food requires more work for the oven to 'cook' the food. One example: I like to flash saute spinach in olive oil and then blend with a small amount of curry powder for digestion. Babies love it and you can add organic potatoes or perhaps a little quinoa or other whole grain. I recommend gluten free grains to again give them something easy to digest.

5) Start small. Introduce maybe one food at a time for perhaps longer than your doctor would recommend. Maybe every couple of weeks start something new. Keep it fresh, lightly cooked, add digestive spices like ginger, curry, cardamom, cinnamon etc. Try your food! If you wouldn't eat then why should baby like it? I keep meat to a minimum unti one year and then only small amounts of something like turkey. I think you will find legumes and good oils combined with veggies to be very complete foods for baby's nutrtion and protein demands. Their systems are immature and I find meats can be 'cloying' or too rich to process by young bodies.

6) Observe! Your baby has a unique system and is an individual so the things on that list of new foods may not all work for your baby's digestive system. I like to empower parents to check the stool and look for signs of gas or reflux and adjust what they are doing to change that dynamic or eliminate foods that cause the issue. You are the parent and know your baby best!

I like to store baby food in glass mason jars in the freezer to avoid plastics. Even BPA free can still contain undesirable compounds.

Using whole foods can result in a much healthier beginning for babies, and parents can be snacking on these great foods too as mom and baby's health are intimately connected, especially when nursing. When I treat infants for issues like colic, reflux, or eczema, I almost always look at what is being ingested including mom's breastmilk and sometimes formula. Food is medicine and starting baby off right may be easier than we think for their health now and for the rest of their lives. I encourage all parents to begin foods slowly and strategically as to give baby their best beginnings in this world. Keep trying new things and get excited about making your baby's first foods!