Introduce Vegetables into Your Baby's Diet

Somewhere between milk and steak you’re going to need to introduce your little bundle of joy to vegetables. This guide will make it a cinch.

When Will My Baby Be Ready For Vegetables?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding until your baby is six months old. However, there has been some controversy among Academy experts regarding when to start solids. Some support the Committee on Nutrition who state that you can safely start your baby on solids anywhere from four to six months of age. Your baby is an individual and the best way to decide when to start solids is to follow these guidelines:

• Your baby’s birth weight has doubled.
• Your baby has good control of his neck and head and can sit up with some support.
• Your baby is starting to show interest in food when you or the rest of the family is eating.
• Your baby can indicate that he is full by pulling away when you offer food or by clamping his little mouth shut.

When your baby has met the above requirements and you’ve discussed any questions with your pediatrician it’s safe to give him solids. Healthy as they are veggies can wait. Iron-fortified rice cereal is the first and best solid to give your baby. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of dry cereal with breast milk or formula and offer the cereal to your baby twice a day. After your baby has tried the various flavors of infant cereals on the market such as barley and oatmeal you can move on to a new solid food -- vegetables.

6-8 Months: Starting Vegetables

Vegetables should be introduced after cereal and before fruit. Fruits in certain forms can be healthy but some little buggers pick up that sweet fruit taste and won’t adapt as well to the stronger taste of vegetable. To successfully integrate veggies into your baby’s diet try the following tips.

• A typical daily serving of vegetables for a 6-8 month old is 3-4 tablespoons twice a day.
• Start with strained pureed green vegetables and move on to strained yellow and other brightly colored varieties. Two great first choices are green peas or green beans. After the green veggies you can introduce a more colorful choice such as carrots, yellow squash, or sweet potatoes.
• Introduce one vegetable at a time and wait 2-3 days before offering another variety. This gives your baby a chance to adapt to one flavor and gives you a chance to watch for allergic reactions.
• All vegetables you serve to your 6-8 month old need to be finely strained and pureed. You can buy tiny jars of pre-made baby food or make it yourself.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against serving beets, turnips, and collard greens to babies less than one year of age. Studies have found that these veggies can contain large amounts of nitrates. In young babies nitrates can cause a low blood count (anemia).

8-12 Months: Continuing Vegetables

• A typical daily serving of vegetables for an 8-10 month old can vary from 3-4 tablespoons four times a day to over a cup of veggies daily. Your baby is an individual and servings will depend on the size of your baby and how your baby likes and tolerates veggies. As your baby nears his first birthday continue to increase his serving size of vegetables to accommodate his appetite.
• If your baby is not having any trouble eating strained vegetables you can advance to junior strained (less pureed more mashed) and very tender vegetables from the family table.

Choosing Power Packed Vegetables

All things are not created equal and that includes veggies. During his first year of life your baby will grow faster than he ever will again. Think of it this way. If you currently weigh 130 lbs and you were growing as fast as your baby is growing then you’d weigh 390 lbs by the years end. That’s a lot of growing. Babies need great nutrient rich choices (made by you) to accommodate their metabolism and growth rate. For instance a baby requires more Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Calcium per pound of body weight than an adult male.

Luckily there are many power packed veggies to choose from for your baby. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, and carrots are full of vitamin A (beta-carotene) which is vital to healthy eyesight, normal cell development, immune defenses and more. Nerve and muscle processes both rely heavily on thiamin and green peas are a good source. Red sweet peppers, green peepers, and broccoli contain high amounts of vitamin C, an antioxidant which also assists in iron absorption. Calcium is an integral part of bone structure and plays a major role in blood clotting, maintaining blood pressure and much more. Broccoli, lima beans, soybeans, and squash are healthy choices if you’re aiming for calcium.

Vegetable Preparation & Serving

Cooking up a batch of vegetables for your baby can save you money (those tiny jars don’t come cheap) and can save your baby nutrients. Commercial baby foods are perfectly safe but some have added water, starch, or sugar which can dilute the nutrients your baby is receiving. Plus you can quickly whip up a batch of veggies while you cook for the rest of your family.

To make babyfood at home all you really need are fresh or frozen vegetables, a knife, and a fork. If you make a lot of homemade babyfood you could invest in some kitchen tools that make life easier such as a blender, babyfood grinder, food mill, or food processor. To make babyfood just pit and peel vegetables, cook in microwave or on stovetop until very tender, and mash up. To create a purée style food with only a fork you can mix in small amount of breast milk or formula until it’s the right consistency. Freeze homemade babyfood in ice cube trays and pop one or two cubes out per serving. You can save babyfood in the freezer for one month and freshly made in the fridge for three days.

Vegetable Safety

Always follow these tips when dealing with vegetables for your baby.

• Never serve unpeeled vegetables, corn kernels, raw or, crisp cooked vegetables to your baby. All are choking hazards.
• Know what an allergic reaction to a vegetable may look like. Your baby may experience coughing, wheezing, congestion, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive gas, itchy skin, hives, or rashes. If you suspect your baby is allergic to a specific vegetable talk with your pediatrician. If the vegetable causes very severe symptoms call 911.
• Always wash your hands before feeding your baby.
• Always wash each vegetable you serve and the utensils you use to prepare them.
• Only serve as much as your baby will eat because you’ll be throwing away any excess. A dish or jar of food that your baby has eaten from contains bacteria from his mouth and you should never serve leftovers.

And lastly, always hang out with your baby while he eats. Don’t serve food in a bottle or sippy cup. Make meal time a fun together time and your baby will enjoy his vegetables and get the important nutrients he needs during his first year.