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!
Hi Melissa, babies all develop at a different rate but generally speaking after 1 year you can begin giving soaked, sprouted, or sourleavened grains to toddlers with no ill effect. I would forgo any modern wheat products like refined carbs (goldfish, cheerios etc) for as long as possible though I realize the child will come across it at some point at a party or whatever. These products should NEVER be in your home.
Thank you for the great information! I receive regular scolding from my 8 month olds pediatrician for not having offered her rice cereal, and I don't intend to give in to that. I have yet to introduce grains of any kind, and am struggling with the decision of when to do so, but need more information to convince my husband to wait as well. Do you have any sources, or anything you recommend that I read and share with my husband and the pediatrician regarding amylase production at different ages and stages of infancy and early childhood, etc.?
Hi Grace, egg yolk starting around 4-6 months, banana is great around 6 months as it has a lot of amylase in it (the enzyme for carbohydrate digestion). Most babies don't produce much of this enzyme on their own until about 10 months.
Excellent article! We decided to not give our 9 month old any grain products until she's well over a year old and it's been difficult to deal with family/friend's questions (and rude comments) about our resolution. Lately, I've been wavering a bit in my mind about the subject (those teething biscuits and melting puffs look oh so appealing and convenient!), but you post was so encouraging and reaffirmed our decision to wait on the grains.
How do you prepare your egg yolk? Do you boil the egg (shell on) and then scoop it out (nourishing traditions way)? or is there an easier way of doing it? Also, why are beans such a bad choice for baby if they are prepared the right way (soaked overnight, etc.)? At what age can baby have beans?
We do most of our shopping at our local farmer's market and buy pastured meat, etc. (follow nourishing traditions diet, etc.). I noticed in NT when we were first debating when to start giving our daughter foods (and then in your post as well) that we should wait till 10 months to start on pureed foods- why? Is the only thing you recommend giving them until 10 months egg yolk?
I struggled with the 10 month timeline because our daughter started reaching for (and clearly enjoying) food around 6 months. She loves banana and avocado and pureed meat (with homemade stock). I've read a variety of different books on the topic and opinions are so conflicting about when to introduce solids to your child. We've pretty much tried to pay attention to our daughter's signals and only give her nutritionally sound food when she is interested (as well as making sure I'm getting nutritionally sound food as well since she is still breastfeeding all the time).
Thanks!
Beans are one of the worst choices you could feed a baby. A soft boiled egg yolk may gross you out (not sure why?), but it is the right food for baby at that young age. No plant food would come close to being as digestible or nutritious. Don't rely on your own reasoning here as the results could be disastrous in the long run. Traditional cultures have way more understanding on this.
I just gotta say something: Although the ideas on your blog are enticing, and many FEEL like good advice, the authoritarian voice with a lack of proof or sources leaves me feeling wary. More sources, and not just anecdotes, would be an improvement to this site.
Also, on another page (comments now closed), you talk about the low probability of contracting a debilitating disease as a reason to not immunize. Isn’t it uncommon to contract these diseases because they have been almost eradicated by immunizations?!
Jenn, those were my thoughts exactly! +1!
Thank you! It’s tough to be a mom and sort through all the “info” out there, isn’t it?!
This is very interesting, and I appreciate the info. I really don't want to feed egg yolk to my baby though. We have a history of allergies in the family, and eggs is a very common allergen (not just the white). I also think it's gross. I'm not a vegetarian, just grossed out by many animal foods. What about beans? Would smooshed beans be a good first food, since they have protein, or are they too starchy?
I know this comment is a long time after you posted this article, but I hope you will be able to read it. I just wanted to say thanks for all of the great information it has helped me a ton! I also have a question regarding what to do after you have followed modern medicine and it has caused problems with your child. I have a two year old that is starting to have some serious health issues that I think have been caused by following modern medical advice such as giving him vaccinations and feeding him the standard American grain filled diet. He has always had many allergies and now I think is about to be diagnosed with juvenile rhematoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder. You said in your article that going gluten free would not solve anything for autoimmune disease. Does this mean that if I can put him on a completely grain free diet it might reverse or stop the damages? Then help his gut to heal and possibly have a chance at being normal? There is so much on the internet and I'm just trying to digest it all and weed out the correct information. I'm sure you do not want to give medical advice, but if you could point me in the right direction I'm willing to do what it takes. Thanks for this great website.
Monica
My daughter is 9 month's old today and she LOVES egg yolk. I feel like she would eat three a night if I kept feeding her. We do baby led weaning, so egg yolk is the only thing I actually spoon feed her. So I just give her one a night. Should I be giving her more? Or maybe give her one at each meal? She really only eats dinner but its starting to want to pick at my breakfast and lunch meals.
P.S. I am in LOVE with your site. Its been such a help so far. I have been slowly, but surely, incorporating WAP and traditional foods into our life, but only having the NP cookbook to go off has been intimitading. After seeing your Kombucha video, I finally had the guts to order a scoby and stop buying it (not that I can right now anyway).
Anonymous, you don't say WHICH island you're on. How much of your food supply can you shorten to your own doorstep? Tomatoes and zucchini will grow almost anywhere. Get chickens, and feed them table scraps and let them forage for grubs and grass so their eggs will be nourishing. Does anyone around you have a backyard pig? Can you buy a share in it to get a piglet, or half the meat when the sow is butchered? Backyard animals generally eat better than (industrially) farmed animals.
Being in a remote location means that your diet will not be as varied as it could be, but people have lived on very monotonous diets for millenia and survived.
Check out the GAPS diet for all three of you.
I find every ones post so informative and interesting and so very scary . I have a 3 moth old baby and I was asking my self what In the wold I am going to feed him here on this Forsaken Island when time comes for solids. There is NO ,I REPEAT NO organic food here ,let alone grass fed hens. All food available has been imported from the US and because of the cost ,no one bother to import anything Organic ,because the regular food here cost 3 times more than the Organic one in the US .I have 8 y.o w/t Autism and feeding him is a nightmare ,He is extremely picky and his diet is so limited. Of course the little one is not vaccinated and I was and am determent to breast feed as long as I can . The baby is only breast fed ,but MY diet is horrible (not by choice ) I also live w/t my In Laws and On a daily basis am criticized that don't give the baby water and formula. I can find eggs and liver here,but they are w/t horrible quality and the veggies are like You are chewing on a rubber ! They have NO juice in them . If it is Not for Rice and potatoes My oldest will starve him self to death .My diet on the other hand Is what ever My Oldest don't eat from his plate and PB& J sandwiches and Oats and some Pesticides Fool Fruits if I can afforded ,For comparison One Apple here is minimum of a $1 one pear is minimum of $2 and so on ! This days I feel ,like I have a reaction from just about anything I put in my mouth ,so it is obvious that I have GI inflammation and need to be on a strict diet ,just as My older son .I have little bit of Probiotics w/ch I save for My 8 y.o. So there is No way I will take his Supps .No Organic yogurt here .I can go on and On .
So ladies ,Please advice me what to do ! How and w/t what exactly to feed the little one when time comes .He has good appetite and is a chunky baby (unlike his brother ) But My milk gives him colics sometimes and I hate to see him cry and it is all my fault (what I eat fault )
Make your own yoghurt and grow your own greens even indoor in pots if you have to. It is easy and good for you