If there is anything that our modern culture gets totally wrong, it’s how to feed babies and properly introduce solid foods. Pediatricians, dieticians, and other “experts” are quick to recommend that the perfect first food for babies at about the age of 4-6 months is rice cereal.
Not only is this advice completely misguided, it is also extremely harmful to the long term health of the child. Such advice contributes greatly to the epidemic of fat toddlers and the growing childhood obesity crisis.
Rice cereal is not a healthy first food for babies
Rice cereal is an extremely high glycemic food. This means that it spikes the blood sugar rapidly. It also contains ample amounts of double sugar (disaccharide) molecules, which are extremely hard for an immature digestive system to digest. The small intestine of a baby mostly produces only one carbohydrate enzyme, lactase, for digestion of the lactose in milk. It produces little to no amylase, the enzyme needed for grain digestion.
Interestingly, avoidance of allergies is one of the reasons cited by pediatricians for using rice cereal as the first food! While rice may be gluten free, it is by no means disaccharide free. Thus, it can contribute to the development of allergies and other autoimmune disorders just the same as a gluten containing cereal such as wheat or spelt. This is why going “gluten free” does not solve digestive ailments in the majority of children with autoimmune issues linked to grain allergies.
This approach may reduce symptoms somewhat, but it does not solve the problem entirely. The disaccharide molecule is still present in high amounts in gluten free grains. A similarly hard to digest starch molecule is present in grain substitutes such as potato flour, arrowroot, bean flours, etc.
Rice Cereal Now, Weight Issues Later?
Why then, is rice cereal so very popular as a first food to feed babies? One reason is that it is so readily accepted by the baby (who wouldn’t like a food that spikes the blood sugar? It is a bit of a “high” after all) and it fills them up like a lead brick leading to longer and more frequent periods of sleeping and more passive behavior in general. Be aware that there are still some misinformed doctors that advise mothers of babies that do not sleep well to introduce rice cereal as early as 3 months old – sometimes right into the baby bottle if the tongue thrust reflex hasn’t yet disappeared preventing the baby from taking food off a spoon! This is a recipe for childhood weight problems if I’ve ever heard one.
If your baby zonks out right after eating on a frequent basis, this is a major clue that what the child has just eaten was not easily digested (this goes for breastfeeding too .. a poor diet that is not digested well by the breastfeeding Mother will result in toxins in her breastmilk which will have an opiate like effect on the child).
Dr. McBride’s book mentioned above discusses this huge issue of toxins from undigested food and gut pathogens in the breastmilk as well. The same goes for adults, by the way. If you get sleepy after eating, it’s because what you just ate isn’t getting handled very well by your gut. The body is basically compensating for the brick in your stomach by putting you to sleep so that a sufficient amount of energy can be diverted to digestion.
Even Health Canada recognizes the dangers of cereal as a first food for babies and recommends against it.
So What is the Right First Food for Babies?
A baby’s digestive system is much better equipped to handle fats and proteins than carbohydrates. For this reason, a wonderful first food for babies is a soft boiled egg yolk from a pastured hen. Take care to only use the yolk and not the egg white which contains difficult to digest proteins. For my own children, I started giving a taste of a soft boiled egg yolk from my own plate starting at about 4-6 months old. Just a taste! If the child is completely uninterested, then try again in a week or two.
If the child likes the little taste that you put on her tongue or lip, then give her two tastes the next day and three tastes the next day, gradually building up to the entire egg yolk. Never force the child to eat. Remember that egg yolk is an extremely rich food and force feeding any rich food can cause the child to vomit.
Benefits of Egg Yolk for Babies
Egg yolk from pastured chickens contain ample amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and natural cholesterol which are critical to a child’s mental development and may be lacking in breastmilk depending on the quality of the mother’s diet. Children who receive sufficient omega 3 fats in their diet tend to speak clearly and understand verbal direction from the parents at a very early age.
I just went back and looked at my children’s baby books and all 3 of them (even the boys) spoke short sentences by 15-17 months of age. First words (Mama or Dada) occurred around 7 months. While these sentences were very simple (“Get that”, “Don’t want that”, “More of this”) I have no doubt that getting ample omega-3 fats from their diet played a big part in their ease of communicating at an early age. The pronunciation was clear enough to be understood even by those outside the family too.
At 6 Months of Age
At about 6 months of age, grate a bit of raw, grassfed beef or chicken liver into the warm egg yolk for baby to eat. This mimics the traditional practice of African mothers who would chew raw liver and then give small amounts to their babies as a first food.
Make sure that the raw liver is frozen for a minimum of 14 days as recommended by the USDA to eliminate any risk of parasites. Mashed banana is also a wonderful carbohydrate to add around this time. Banana digests very easily due to the copious amounts of amylase present. When the enzyme is present in the food, there is no need for baby’s small intestine to produce it herself.
If you can’t source quality raw liver in your area, desiccated liver powder can be used instead.
At Age 10 Months
At the age of 10 months or so, add pureed meats, fruits and vegetables. Introduce one at a time to reduce any chance of a reaction. Best also to avoid high starch veggies like potatoes and sweet potato. These veggies contain very complex starch molecules. They are much more difficult to digest for baby than non-starchy vegetables. Take the time to make your babyfood at home with organic ingredients, and mash the veggies withgrassfed butter.
It is worth the effort! Organic jarred baby food is not only overpriced. It is microwaved, watered down and contains no healthy fats to facilitate absorption.
Consumption of veggies with a bit of healthy fat like butter increases mineral absorption tremendously! You can freeze your homemade baby food in ice cube trays. A quick thaw in a small sauce pan (not the microwave!) makes for a fast and nutritious meal.
Soups made with homemade broth rank as one of the most nutritious foods for babies at this age. The gelatin in the homemade broth is protective against any intestinal bugs. It facilitates digestion too so that baby absorbs as many nutrients as possible.
When Should Grains be Introduced?
It’s a good idea to delay introduction of grain based foods and starchy vegetables for as long as possible. Grains are the hardest foods to digest of all.
Some experts advise that a child pass his/her second birthday before eating these foods. Whatever you decide, it is wise to forgo them until well after the first birthday. Even then, the grains should be properly prepared. This means they are either sprouted, sour leavened or soaked to ensure maximum digestibility. This careful preparation breaks down some of the hard to digest starches, gluten and anti-nutrients such as phytic acid.
It will take every ounce of your will power to keep the grain based foods out of your child’s mouth until well after her first birthday. In fact, the longer you can delay, the better. Teething biscuits, cheerios, crackers, and bread are all favorite foods for moms to feed as soon as the child can sit up in a high chair and grab from a plate. The first thing most parents give a baby at a restaurant is bread from the bread basket.
Babies may love it, but don’t do it!
Resist the temptation to use these foods as a pacifier. Commit to offering only truly nourishing fare at such a young age. The time will come soon enough when your child will have more control over his/her food choices. Wisely use this time of complete control to make sure every calorie baby eats is nutrient dense and easily digested!
Skip the Fruit Juice!
On a final note, whatever you do, skip the fruit juice! Fruit juice from the store, even if organic, is just sugar water. All the nutrition, enzymes and probiotics has been pasteurized away. It just spikes the blood sugar and increase the risk of obesity.
Juice also kills a child’s appetite for hours, even a day or two. Many a Mom has told me that when she took away the fruit juice, within a few days, a picky eater suddenly started eating!
The one exception would be freshly pressed juice diluted with some filtered water. Fresh fruit juice is full of enzymes and nutrition and would be an acceptable drink for baby on occasion. This is acceptable after age 10 months or so.
Still unsure where to start? This video on how to prepare the best first food for baby can help too!
I posted on August 16th, but then after reading some of the moms who are writing in defense of Sarah’s blog, I decided to re-read mine to see if or how I wrote it could have been offensive. I want to apologize if my words came across harshly. I do enjoy Sarah’s posts and actually agree with much of the education she puts out there. I was simply pointing out the cultural considerations. However, when I looked to the posts written before mine, I can see how mean some of them really are! Downright insulting! I agree wholeheartedly that there’s no need to name call. Those people writing negative and insulting posts should probably take a good look at what they’re eating (physically and spiritually!) There’s just no need. Thank goodness for people like Sarah who take the time to help inform other moms.
I find it ironic that many of the angry comments share the same way of speaking/typing. Makes me wonder if one person is trying to strengthen their side by making it seem they have more support than they really do… hmmm… ; )
I personally plan to feed my daughter primarily breastmilk for the first year with very limited solids starting around 9-10 months and even afterwards I plan to continue breastfeeding in addition to solids. From the research I’ve done it’s what feels right to me, though plans may change depending on my daughter’s interest (or lack thereof) in solids.
This site is hers, we are coming here for her opinion. Why should she sugar coat it or dumb it down simply because some people get their panties in a twist after reading something they don’t 100% like? If you don’t like what is written, then go elsewhere. Problem solved.
I don’t understand why some people have a problem with the way this article is titled or written. So what if she is straight-forward in what she says, and confident in her convictions about this matter. I am grateful for Sarah and this blog and the advice she brings. If I don’t agree with something she says I will research it, but I don’t get offended at a controversial wording of a title or article. I believe she is just passionate and relaying what she has learned to whoever will listen – humbly. If people are “turned off” by the way she writes, that’s their problem. And that’s too bad for them. Obviously there is more to learn for all of us, including the author of this blog post, but I am thankful that she brings awareness and valid points to things most people don’t know about (such as the problem with rice cereal).
Sarah,
I think it’s wise to be careful on how to advise people to feed their babies. Your article just comes off a bit righteous, even if I agree on most of it! My babies weren’t fed rice cereal – instead, we did what my husband’s family has given babies interested and ready to eat. After soaking (washed) colored beans overnight, it is cooked with bits of pig fat. The finished liquid, with some beans squashed (leaving skins out) is given as the first food for baby. This is what my kids got. However, raw meat or even egg yolk is unheard of in my husband’s culture (he grew up in a tiny farm town in the Andes). Kids are healthy, strong, beautiful facial structure and teeth and no allergies! American women in the US, sadly, don’t have their own roots to rely on and no way to learn. I have my mother-in-law and family, who still reside in this part of the world, that can teach us their way. But it’s just relative to culture and where you grow up. Otherwise, moms may make mistakes or get turned off. It’s really unfortunate. So compassion and consideration for the culture and where we live, what we have access to, is needed.
Sarah, I trust that you have thick skin. 😉 I find myself longing to defend you when I read such attacking posts. I will refrain. Everyone must do his/her own unbiased, in-depth research. No matter which approach we take to feeding or immunizing our children, each can be seen as a calculated risk. We must research like crazy (on both sides of the issues), then try to make wise decisions, praying that they are the right ones.
Clearly, something is desperately wrong with our nation’s children, so things must change somehow. Time and more research will (hopefully) tell. And won’t those who speak so critically of you feel a bit small if further research reveals that THEY, in fact, have been in the wrong? I sincerely hope that you receive some apologies in the years to come.
Interestingly, the more I educate myself on both sides of these issues, the more the side YOU present emerges as valid. As I have researched further, it has become evident that your recommendations are well-founded. I have recently read (and have been challenged by) “A Compromised Generation,” “Healing the New Childhood Epidemics,” and Dr. Sears’ “Vaccine Book.” I am also enjoying “Nourishing Traditions.”
I appreciate the work you do. It spurs me along in my “digging deeper.”
May those who read your blog read with a bit more open-mindedness and respond with a bit more grace.
Blessings!
I think you should stop giving your advice in a manner that you state as fact. I find many troubling things within your post. The one that sticks out most is that you call butter a healthy fat… You should probably take some science classes and learn about anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and development. By the way people…. The idea that vaccinations cause autism was completely bunk in case you missed it. Please educate yourselves on how to do appropriate peer reviewed research.
You mentioned using butter with veggies. I cannot afford the good quality butter at this stage in life. Is the normal store bought butter ok to give my child, or is baby better off without that kind then?
I am SHOCKED to see so many ignorant women who actually believe ANYTHING this woman has to say. All of you are crazy! Follow me…..I’ll take you all to the looney tune house….NOW! Unbelievable.
By the way, this bad modern medicine and these stupid doctors you’re all talking about….well, they most likely will be saving your life one day!! ***idiots***
Right on. This is ignorance at its finest.
LOL! Agreed!
Do you have links to the research that says breast fed babies fall asleep because their milk is “toxic”. I’m fascinated by this unknown tidbit but it needs proof to hold water. Thanks!
I find it interesting that none of your input about when to feed babies solids is backed up by research based organizations. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for 6 months, and then given solid foods.
I too, agree that babies should not be given rice cereal, and a great approach to feeding babies it to wait until they show the signs of being ready to eat solid foods, and introduce baby lead weaning.
Additionally, recommending that something be frozen according to the USDA guidelines is not an optimum idea, considering that this organization is full of corruption, and they tend to recommend many things that are not nutritionally sound.