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!
Is it correct to say baby only needs yolk and raw liver until he’s 10 months?
Also. What about dairy? When can I introduce raw milk and yogurt?
woww!! youve got some heck of a nerve thinking you know the right way to raise everyones kids!!!! i am appalled at your extremely ignorant post. what makes you think you know whats best for kids? oh, and i love the way you slam the “experts” as you put it. it makes no sense at all that YOU should know more than people who actually do this for a living. you are FALSELY advising all of the parents on here!!! your post was rediculous. EVERYONE EATS GRAINS BEFORE THEY ARE ONE. they are actually quite important in a childs diet. you do not know what you are talking about, and before you miss advise parents again you may want to check with one of those “experts” you are slamming. they know a heck of a lot more about childhood feeding than you do. as far as the juice thing goes, if you get 100 percent juice (which EVERYONE does) then it is NOT just sugar water and it is a great way to get childrens fruit into their diet. please refrain from posting things that are untrue, and stick to talking about things that you actually know.
Caroline, your ignorance is quite visible and obnoxious. For being such an expert yourself, at least I would expect you to make some EDUCATED statements. “100 percent juice….is NOT just sugar water” I would recommend you do some research before you make such statements that do nothing aside putting you in ridicule. Many toxins have been found in what you so strongly assure is 100% juice. I could say so much more, but I will for now, simply direct you to do some research so that you may actually have an educated opinion.
Caroline! I applaud you willingness to stand up for sanity! This blog is crammed full of asinine and dangerous information posing as fact. As I read I am beginning to wonder if one would not be better off just doing the opposite of what is posted here! This should be illegal!
Sarah,
At what age is it appropriate to introduce water kefir & milk kefir?
Thank you!
My question is: My sister and her husband make their own apple juice. Would this still not be the best idea?
I’m late to the party here, but oh well.
So I was very interested in this article when I saw it posted on facebook the other day and was digging it as it talked about ditching the rice cereal as a first food advice, but then my interest waned after that. I think the article should be called the 1/2 Right Way to Feed Babies. Babies absolutely don’t need rice cereal. It’s absurd doctors still tells us otherwise. Mine did just a month ago.
However, the other piece the experts are still telling us that is also WRONG is to SPOON-FEED PUREES. There’s no need for and it can actually be harmful. Babies are smart and should be allowed to control what goes in their mouth (much like breastfeeding). You set up a safe eating environment where the baby can sit up well, start them on soft foods they hold like banana or a ripe bear, and let them explore the food. They will learn to mash the food up with their teeth or gums and to swallow. If they don’t want to swallow it, they will gag (not choke) it up. This is the most intelligent and appropriate way for them to learn to eat solids. Pushing pureed foods in to the babies mouth can lead to aspiration when all they can do at that point is inhale the food. No thanks.
Baby-led weaning (aka baby-led solids) makes more for sense biologically and nutritionally. They eat real food with the family and learn by doing.
Also, breastmilk is the only sustenance that is needed for the first 12 months not 6. It is about playing and learning not nutrition before that point. Babies don’t need the extra nutrition until their first birthday. You can start solids at 6-12 months whenever baby is ready interest and development wise.
My two cents.
I figured this very thing out for my second. I spoon fed my first child for his entire first year (!), and it was so exhausting. He was a great eater, but my goodness, spoon feeding took forever, 4 times a day. For our 2nd child, I started by letting her play with some of the food we were eating at each meal. Her fine motor skills shot through the roof, and this little girl can get food to her mouth so quickly! I knew that breastmilk was the foundation of her diet, and was providing everything she needed, so I finally wasn’t worried that she was getting a “balanced” diet. She now eats everything we eat at 11 months (we eat a low-ish carb, wheat-free diet in our home, since my son seems to have a wheat sensitivity of some sort, and it’s easier to cut it out for all of us), and is growing, sleeping, and developing very well.
Great two cents, B. 🙂
Sarah,
Just curious, as my daughter approaches 1 year of age., when I switch from raw milk formula to just plain milk… should I continue to add some of the ingredients from the formula for added benefit, or is it not necessary anymore?
Thank you, Kim
Would love to see the research studies that support your recommendations. Any comments on research showing that delaying the introduction of gluten beyond 7 moths of age increases the risk of celiac disease? What research do you have to support waiting 2 years? If you could send them to me that would be great! I assume you have resources and research to support your very strong statements.
Are you kidding me??? You want me to start my kid off on a cholesterol ridden food, then add in the filter out of an animal’s body? And you work for Weston A. Price??? How disappointing. Please read the China Study…my rudeness aside, please read it.
If you knew anything about WAPF, then you would know that kids NEED cholesterol. While liver may filter toxins, it doesn’t store them, and yes, it is very nutritious. China Study has been debunked before.
Both my sons were breast fed and self weaned when they were ready. I had to return to work so I pumped and stored milk and continued to pump as long as possible. When I started to dry up we started adding a goat milk formula (home made similar to the one on the Mercola website but a little different) fortified with various vitamins and minerals. They have both done great on that formula and we had the peace of mind knowing what was in it!
We did give them egg yolks from our own free range hens as well as banana, advacodo, home made apple/pear sauces as they were ready. They started reaching for our plates around 8 months so they got a little taste of what ever we were having along with their food. I did chew the meats for the boys as needed.
Both boys are vaccine free and very healthy very active kids!
Hi there!
I was wondering whether some of you have practised chewing food for your babies/children? Seems pretty natural to me, and was the nearly only way to make my baby eat meat.
I suppose that traditional cultures were doing that and this way you give the baby your bacteria too (I guess that in our sterilised and pasteurized culture that may sound horrifying to some people, but to me it is a good thing :))
I did that with my kids. Yes, I did get some funny looks from DH and others but I didn’t waver. Neither one of my kids was eager to eat meat so I used that especially for meat but for other food, too.