From abc's to 123's... what you need to know about baby's nutrition.

Feeding Baby

The ABC's of Getting Started

Good nutrition is never more critical than before age one. In fact, the most important predictor of children’s physical, intellectual and social growth is nutrition during infancy. Infants develop fast, and their tummies can’t hold much food, so every bite needs to deliver good nutrition. Avoid foods with added sugar and salt. Infants have no taste for added salt or sugar, and it is better not to encourage a taste for them.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most infants are ready for solid baby food about six months of age. Your baby will exhibit signals that will let you know that he or she is ready to try solid baby food. Some infants will get very hungry between feedings. You may also notice that they will start to move their tongues back and forth and side to side. Another maturing signal is when they gain control over head and neck muscles. Most pediatricians recommend starting with rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula when your baby is ready. Check with your doctor to be sure. Start with first-step foods such as iron-fortified cereals. Next, serve puréed green beans, peas, pumpkin, squash and potatoes. It is important to start vegetables before fruits so that your baby develops a taste for savory as well as sweet foods. We recommend starting with Organic Baby’s vegetable products like jarred Sweet Potatoes, Carrots or Frozen Winter Squash.

Starting about one month after vegetables, offer puréed fruits like apricots, nectarines, peaches, applesauce, pears and plums. (Citrus is too acidic.) Organic Baby babies’ favorite flavors are Jarred Banana, Jarred Apples & Plums and Frozen Pears. Try Organic Baby Jarred Corn & Butternut Squash or Jarred Prunes & Oats after baby has mastered the first simple foods. Once your baby is eating vegetables and fruits regularly, at about ten months, discuss introducing meat starting with chicken with your doctor. Other suggestions for next foods ? try easy to hold folds from Woodstock Farms Organic like Frozen Organic Peas and Frozen Peach Slices.