I had a blast at Fox 5 San Diego this morning with Shally Zomorodi!  We talked about what I consider the #1 myth about about baby food.

“What is the best first solid food for babies?”

9 out of 10 people would answer, “White rice cereal of course.”

I remember when I was eleven years old, I had my first real exposure to taking care of a baby (that was not my little brother that is).  When it came time to start giving her solid foods, I was taught to pour the rice cereal flakes in with some water, and add half a spoon of that along with half a spoon of apricot from a baby food jar.   I thought that is what you did.  And what everyone did.  So when I had my daughter, I just assumed that is what you did.

This is a perfect example of why I am so passionate about conscious parenting.

Many parents do things because they think they are “supposed to” or “they” say that’s what you do.

Conscious parenting, however, challenges that.  Being a conscious parent is about being thoughtful, or taking pause, with what we do with our children, and not just going along with what everyone else does without thinking about it.

A conscious parent asks, “Why do I think I’m supposed to feed rice cereal?” and then finds out the answer.

We are all busy, and being a new parent brings that to a whole new level.  That’s why many parents are on what I call “auto-pilot.”

#1 baby food myth: Rice cereal should be baby’s first solid food

According to Dr. Alan Greene, 98% of babies are fed rice cereal as their first food.

Not only is it not the best first food, but it’s actually problematic.

Turns out, there is no scientific basis for why people began feeding rice cereal to babies.  Over fifty years ago, food companies began marketing their rice cereal product to consumers and we bought into it (literally and figuratively).

Why is white rice cereal bad?

We’ve all heard the term “empty calories.” In my field, we refer to the concept as “nutrient density.”  Meaning, how much nutritional bang for your buck are you getting for your caloric intake.  You compare 100 calories of white rice, to 100 calories of brown rice, and what do you get?

Source: www.drlam.com

White rice cereal is a processed food, where the fiber, minerals and beneficial nutrients are essentially stripped away, leaving a simple sugar.  Because there is no fiber, the sugar rushes directly into the bloodstream at an alarming pace, and causes an insulin spike, which then causes a crash a little while later.  That’s why if you eat a donut, which is white flour and sugar, you are hungry and tired about half an hour later.  It’s like a tornado hitting your system and leaving quickly.

Healthier foods provide a slower, steady stream of energy, without stressing the body more than it needs to be.

In reality, when you feed your baby white rice cereal, you are essentially giving your baby the equivalent of a candy bar.  The body processes it as though it was a sugar, with very little nutrient value.

So what should be a baby’s first food?

What NOT to feed instead

I always like to advise a parent use common sense – jarred baby food is made by someone else, it is not as fresh, and has to be heated to really high temperatures, which destroy the vitamin content.  Many brands are high in sugar, salt, and have been processed to ensure their long shelf life.  In addition, many grocery stores have been caught with expired baby food on the shelves, making them even less appealing.

But here’s the other thing that many people are NOT aware of.  Jarred baby food may contain ingredients not required by the FDA to be listed on the food label.

I know for me, I don’t want to take my chances.

If I was to buy jarred baby food, I would be sure to buy organic.  While it is a step in the right direction, it would not be my  ideal choice either.  Many organic brands have a high salt content and therefore, like other jarred foods, it loses nutritional value because of the shelf life issue.

Why is homemade the best option?

• You control what goes into the food – no reading food labels, etc.
• No preservatives or food additives
• More nutrition for your baby because it’s made from fresher food

Whether you believe this or not, I am still going to mention another benefit  here.  Many cultures believe that the exercise of creating a meal for your family, with love, is healthier for you than when a stranger makes it.   Everything in the universe travels on energy, and love energy is the purest of all.  This affects the properties of the life force in the food.  Like I said, you may not buy it, but I had to add it in as a concept because many people do – for an example of this visit http://www.annidaulter.com/conscious-cooking)

When to start solid foods

A good rule of thumb is at 6 months of age, though some pediatricians suggest starting between 4-6 months.  Even more recently, the discussion is around even waiting until the child is even older.

When starting solid foods, one popular suggestion is to mix the first food with either breastmilk or formula (whatever your child is used to), in order to have the food have a familiar smell and taste to what they are already used to.  It’s not mandatory, but many people go this route because it makes sense and increases the acceptance of the new food.

My favorite first baby food: Avocado

I love avocado as a first food because of its healthy fats (great for brain development), protein, and a variety of nutrients.  It really is a super food, and an easy one to use at that.

To prepare, simply mash it with a fork.  No complicated process there. (unless of course, you are on live TV, then it is a little complicated  🙂  – see above clip if you are curious about what that means)

My other first favorite foods

Sweet potato

Please make sure the sweet potatoes are organic – potatoes are on the top worst foods in terms of pesticides and I consider the sweet potato in the same category

Cooking tip:  Be sure to save and use the steaming water in the blender also, as the vegetables will leach some of the vitamins into the water. 

Bake or steam some peeled sweet potato, and mash it with a fork.  Or, you can puree it in a blender.  Thin with breastmilk or formula if needed.

Carrots and sweet peas

Please make sure the carrots are organic – they are on the top worst foods in terms of pesticides

Steam them, and then blend.   I prefer steaming to boiling because it needs less water, and it retains more nutrients that way.

By about 8-9 months many babies also can eat the following:

(many of these I have listed as organic, because they are on the top worst foods to not buy organic, and this is especially important for babies!)

• Organic greens (spinach, kale, collards) – make sure this is organic
• Organic apples – make sure these are organic
• Black beans
• Organic chicken (organic)

You could also use one of the baby food steamers and blenders that are on the market, which make this even simpler.   (For the Beaba Babycook that I used in the segment, visit http://www.beabausa.com/product-videos.cfm

How to store the food

Once the food is blended or pureed, fill ice cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen, store them in individual ziploc bags.

Because they are small, they don’t take long to thaw.  Every few days, I take out the amount of food I’ll need for the next 2-3 days and put into the fridge.  Or, if I had gotten lazy and hadn’t done that, I would heat up the cube of food in either a baby food warmer, or by taking a little bowl, and putting it in a hot bowl of water (a makeshift baby food warmer).

(Or, you can use the Babycook steamer I mentioned before to defrost also.)

DO NOT MICROWAVE the food (even on defrost setting)

This changes the molecular structure of the food and renders it not only lower in nutrients, but actually makes it unhealthy.  (for more info on why I haven’t used a microwave in about 7 years  http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/health-hazards-to-know-about/microwave-ovens-the-proven-dangers )

Two final pieces of advice

First, there is no need to season the food and add sugar or salt.  These are completely unnecessary.  There is plenty of flavor in these natural foods – especially if you buy organic.

Secondly, enjoy the process of feeding your baby.  Realize that it takes time, and that introducing different tastes and textures are part of the learning process.  Babies may not like a food at first, but it could be because they are unfamiliar with texture, so be patient and don’t give up too soon on a particular food.  And remember, this exercise is less about nutrition (because breastmilk gives baby all the nutrition it needs for the first year), and more about the experience and learning.

Don’t make the mistake of being a stressed out parent forcing the food, because this could set up food aversions later.  Remember, your baby feels your energy, and is looking to you for clues about how to feel about the experience.  If you have fun, and are relaxed, baby will be also.