Seven Months

Seven Months

Your baby should be eating two to three meals per day and having breast milk or formula with each meal.  Each meal should consist of approximately  ½ cup of food, but remember that babies are human and will want more or less depending upon the day and their personal needs.  The goal is that they gain weight and grow appropriately while learning good eating habits, which do not include gorging on forced food.  Even at this age, children should learn to respond to their internal cues for hunger and fullness, and parents need to respect their limits.  If your child is not interested in food, simply try later, but do not make it a battle, as you will never win.  A child will not starve him or herself even at this young of an age.  As always, though, if you have concerns, consult your pediatrician.
Around this time you may begin to thicken food (a relative term) as you and your baby are comfortable with it.  Some recommend introducing hard-cooked egg yolk, but not egg white, which contains the most common allergens, but consult your pediatrician before offering. This is also a prime month to focus on veggies.  Some common favorites are carrots, asparagus, green beans, peas, summer squash, and white potatoes. 

Most all of these items can easily be cooked in the microwave; if preparing them fresh, simply cut, submerge them in water and then cover while cooking.  Cook times vary, but are ready when they are soft and ready to be pureed.  Do not cook your child’s food in plastic containers, especially if you do not know whether they are BPA-free, but you do not need to register for all-new microwave-safe cookware either.  A ceramic cereal bowl covered by a salad plate works really well for small dishes or re-heating. 

 

Recipe: Basic Asparagus for the Whole Family

(Treat asparagus as you would fresh flowers: do not expose them to prolonged heat and keep their ends in water)

The white end will be discarded, so after washing, you will need to snap the ends of the spears.  This can be done individually by gently applying upward pressure to the two ends of the spear until it breaks, generally a few inches up from the bottom, or do one or two in this manner and then hold the bunch together and cut the spears with a knife in the general area where the sample pieces broke. 

 

Bake: Preheat the over to 400.  Spread the asparagus in a single layer across a baking sheet.  Leaving some plain for the youngest eater, drizzle the remainder with a few sweeps of EVOO and a little kosher salt.  If you like spice, add a dusting of cayenne.  Bake until spears are a brilliant green.

Puree and serve or freeze.  You can serve the "adult" asparagus warm or chill and then add it to a salad.

 

Carrots, green beans, and certain squashes appear on the high nitrate list, which means that initially, they should only come from baby food manufacturers, who can test the nitrate level in foods.  To lower the nitrates in all foods, experts suggest preparing food soon after purchase or freezing immediately.  Most experts recommend not preparing these foods at home until 8-12 months, but some recommend as soon as six months; follow your physician’s guidelines on this point.  Below are the fresh foods that some say may be high in nitrates:

Nitrate List: Beets, Carrots, Green Beans, Spinach, Squash, Strawberries,Turnips, and Cantaloupe

The only baby food that I routinely purchased were the high nitrate food but found that having them made life easier because I could mix other fresh foods into them to get a consistency that my son liked.  Also as commercial baby food is mainly water, it made it easy to add cereal to a meal, which is a good way to ensure sufficient iron intake.  In fact, many physicians recommend continuing an iron fortified cereal until your child is at least one-year-old.

Green Bean Puree

(also appropriate for chicken, summer squash, etc.)

Place washed and prepared beans in casserole dish.

Surround beans with fresh peeled and cut garlic and chopped onion, a dash of pepper and some parsley or rosemary.  Quantities used will be according to taste.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees until thoroughly cooked and soft.

Immediately puree and freeze or serve.
Growing Up: Combine green bean puree with baked chicken, rice, rice cereal, or a baked potato, and Plain Yogurt for a kick of taste and calcium. 

You may also try other infant cereals; though the most commonly available will be oat, barley, which is common in infant multi-grain cereals, is also an option.  As always, read the label of the multi-grain cereal to see what other grains are included and thus will be introduced to your child.

Mom and Dad Meals

Summer Squash Pasta

Bring pot of water with 2T of EVOO to boil for pasta.  Cook pasta as directed.  We love either a spinach or sun-dried tomato pasta, but whole wheat is also delicious. 

Mince and sauté 6 large cloves of garlic and one medium Vidalia onion in 2T of EVOO in large pan with a lid.  Salt to taste.

Quarter (length-wise) and then slice (about 2/3 in thick) 6 medium squash and place in pan with onions and garlic (will serve about 4 people).

Wash two stalks of oregano and two sprigs of basil and place, uncut, on top of squash.  Reduce to low/medium heat and cover.  Allow to cook until squash start to soften, stirring occasionally.

Juice one lemon over the entire pan, reduce heat to low, and cover.  

Cook just until squash is cooked through, not mushy.  Remove herbs and discard.  

Slice fresh tomato and grate fresh Parm.

 

Six to Seven Months

Six to Seven Months

Depending upon when you started solids, at six months, food is joining breast milk or formula for one or possibly two meals per day, but it is not replacing the breast or bottle at those feedings, as they are still the primary source of nutrition.  As food is introduced, make sure that your baby is continuing to get enough fluids.

Pumpkin, sweet potato and butternut squash are three great Super Foods that most babies cannot resist.  Beware, they are not easily absorbed and baby’s poo may closely resemble their dinner, so do not be shocked.  They are, however, easily prepared, especially pumpkin, which is best and easiest store-bought, as it has a smoother texture than fresh pumpkin.  Sweet Potatoes and butternut squash are best baked, but a sweet potato can be cooked in the microwave. 

Recipe: Butternut Squash Puree



Butternut Squash Quick Peel:
Cut off wide bottom section.
Stand remaining column up and
then shave skin off with sharp knife.

Cut the squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds

Put the halves face down on a in a dish filled with about ¼ inch of water and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Turn the squash face-up and continue cooking until meat is soft

Scoop out meat, place in food processor, and add liquid as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Puree

Wash the potato and puncture it with a fork or knife.

Place in an oven at 400 degrees until soft or

Place in a covered dish in about 1/2 inch of water and microwave until soft.

Once ready, hold hot potato in oven mitt and make an incision in the skin, which will easily peel to reveal the meat.

Both of the above make great batch recipes or use the rest for a meal for the rest of the family.

Other foods for the six month plus crowd

Peaches, prunes, apples and pears are all great for aiding in constipation, but need to be cooked at this age.  You may try mango and pears raw toward the end of six months. 

 

Recipe: Pear Apple Sauce

(great batch recipe)

Peel and slice pears and apples into uniform pieces and place in a baking dish.  You may also leave the skin on for cooking and peel before pureeing. 

Add enough water to coat the bottom of your baking dish.

Cover dish and bake at 350 degrees until apples are soft.

Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency; puree and freeze or serve immediately.

Growing up: once introduced, add a sprinkle of cinnamon before cooking

Recipe: Pumpkin Apple Sauce

(fall favorite for the whole family)

Peel and slice 5-6 apples and place in baking dish lined with foil (easier clean-up)

Pour can of organic pumpkin over apples (fresh is more trouble and can have a chunkier texture)

Cinnamon to taste (if baby has ben exposed).

Enough water or apple cider to coat bottom of baking dish.

If you are not using sweet apples, you may need to add a sprinkle of sugar to taste, especially as the pumpkin flavor can be a little drab.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees until apples are soft.

Puree and serve, refrigerate or freeze immediately.  Both of my children love this and will eat it for every meal and snack, so it never stays around long enough to freeze!

Mom and Dad Meals

Butternut Squash White Bean Soup

(a favorite during the winter that tastes best a few days after cooking, so make extra)

324 calories per serving

3 bacon slices (we do a few more)
Remove slices and crumble. Reserve 2t of drippings.

1c chopped onion
2/3 c chopped celery
3 garlic cloves minced
4c (plus some!) cubed and peeled butternut squash
¼ c dry white wine (always add a little extra)
4c chicken broth
1t ground cumin
¼ t ground red pepper (we like it hot and add more)
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
¼ c whipping cream
1T chopped oregano1t salt
¼ t ground black pepper
2 15oz cans Great Northern beans rinsed and drained
3T toasted pumpkin seeds

To drippings, add onion, celery, and garlic and cook three minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add squash and cook another three minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in chicken broth and add cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, and cloves; bring ot a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until squash is tender (5+minutes). Stir in cream, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans and again, bring to a boil.
Allow soup to stand for as long as possible (you will understand when you have the leftovers!). Serve each bowl with pumpkin seeds and bacon sprinkled on top.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

6 medium sweet potatoes (will serve 6)

4 cloves of garlic 

Medium onion

12oz. low fat cream cheese

1 can of black beans (more may be used)

½ lime (juiced)

Pinch of Cumin (more to taste)

Cilantro (to taste)

Black Pepper

Salt (optional)

Cayenne Pepper

Soft shells

Cheddar Cheese

Tomatoes

Enchilada Sauce

Preheat oven to 400C.  Clean potatoes and place in boiling water with skins on.  Mince garlic and onion and place in large bowl with cream cheese, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, black pepper, cayenne, and salt.  Once soft, drain water from potatoes, soak in cold water, and peal once cool.  Add potatoes to above bowl and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.  Gently stir in beans. 

Place shells in oven safe container.  Coat with thin layer of cheddar cheese and place in oven to melt.  Remove from oven, fill with potato mix, fold and secure with a toothpick.  Drizzle enchilada sauce and bake until shells are crisp.  Top with tomatoes , additional enchilada sauce and serve.    

 

Six Months: First Foods

First Foods

Rice Cereal: most baby food manufacturers make a basic rice cereal that is fortified with iron and a myriad of other vitamins.  Ask your doctor if they prefer a brand or simply pick up two and compare what percentage of the daily recommended allotment of vitamins that they contain, if you cannot decide, buy both, as your son or daughter may have a preference, as some cereals are more coarse.  Mix the cereal with breast milk or formula to the desired consistency.  The side of the box will have a guide for you but you are basically seeking the consistence of water at the first meal.  Get your camera ready for the first bite. 

After 3-4 days of the rice cereal, consider introducing ripe avocado or banana.  Avocados are considered to be a “complete food” and the most nutritious fruit in the world; they are a good source of Vitamin E, iron, folic acid (a major ingredient in your pre-natal vitamin) and aid in the absorption of nutrients.  Bananas are great for energy and can help to stop diarrhea, which is a handy tool to have available.   Best yet, neither have to be cooked and mash easily with a fork, though they may need to be thinned. 



Notice the dark, wrinkled skin in the picture, as it, plus the ability to squeeze the fruit means that it is ripe.

Tip: If you are not familiar with avocados, do not be intimidated.  A ripe avocado will “give” to pressure, not unlike a ripe peach.  To cut, hold it length-wise in one hand and put the full blade of the knife into the center of the avocado until you contact the pit.  Turn the knife around the entire avocado.  Once you have an incision, grab the top half in one hand and the bottom in another and twist.  To save the fruit, simply place the halves back together or, if they are a staple in your household, buy as "avocado saver."  Avocados, much like bananas, will brown in the refrigerator, so I will generally scrape off the top when serving on the second day.

Info: You should note that avocado, banana, kiwi, and latex have similar proteins and an allergy to one may indicate an allergy to another.  Consult your physician.

These are great first foods because though they give fiber, they are easily digested and babies generally like the mild taste.  If the first exposure is not a success, always remember that is may take up to fifteen exposures to a food before a baby deems it familiar and likes it.  They also have a smooth texture that can be mixed with other foods to help introduce them to a baby with texture issues.  So as to insure optimum iron absorption, I like to mix my son’s rice cereal in his mashed banana or avocado, which gives him flavor and helps his body absorb the iron.

The First Six Months & Decision to Start Solids

Basic Nutrition in the First Six Months

At the risk of sounding like every other book out there: breast feed.
Breast milk is the perfect diet for your child for the first six months of life and should be continued if at all possible as a compliment to other foods for at least twelve months….or as long as you and your baby are both happy. 
The more you learn about breast milk, the more impressed you will be.  It can keep an infant thriving for months, boost the immune system, get rid of warts, and cure eye infections, not to mention rip the fat off of mom and help her recover from childbirth.  It is also one less thing to pack when taking baby out, which alone is an excellent reason to breast feed for as long as possible. 

The first couple of months are not easy; with a tiny stomach, baby is feeding constantly, but gradually you will find a rhythm that works for both of you, at which point it becomes more manageable (translation: you learn how to be a human cow AND get your evening glass of wine). 

Starting Solids

Deciding when to start your child on “solid” foods (in the loosest sense of the word), has been made into an agonizing decision, much like many others in parenting because everyone has an opinion on when and what and no two sources give the same information.   Many sources now agree that six months is the optimal time for starting solids whether because of a diminished chance of an allergic reaction, loss of the tongue-thrust reflex, or gaining the ability to sit up, and most sources agree that you should not wait too much beyond six months.  Then the question becomes, what to feed first and how many days does one wait to test for an allergic reaction?
Regardless of the age at which you start solids, the golden rule is isolate the new food (i.e. only serve one NEW food at a time) and serve it for three to four days straight, as takes multiple exposures for an allergy to develop . This is not to say that your child must live off of only one thing.  The rule is to simply not serve multiple new foods, so that if there is a reaction, the offending food can easily be determined.
You should also serve the new food for lunch or breakfast, so that if there is a reaction, it would not occur at night.  I also did not start more allergy-prone foods on Friday’s or the weekend, as any reaction would mean a trip to a strange clinic or ER versus my doctor’s office but these decisions should be made based upon your comfort level. 

Fruits & Veggies: Recommended Daily Servings and Serving Sizes

School-aged children should consume a minimum of five servings of fruits or vegetables per day, and for many parents, that seems like an impossibility, especially as french fries and ketchup do not count.  But as the US Department of Agriculture set serving sizes based upon the portion-size of an average person, nutritional value and ease of use, a serving size may not be what you think.

 

My Plate is intended for ages 2+.
For specific help with preschoolers,
the USDA offers help through
customized daily food plans.

¾ cup (6 oz.) 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice

1 medium piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, pear, peach)

 

½ cup raw, cooked, frozen, or canned (in 100% juice) fruit (melon, 6 strawberries, 15 grapes, or applesauce,)

 

½ cup raw, cooked, frozen or canned vegetables (approx. 5 broccoli florets, 10 baby carrots, 1 Roma tomato, an ear of corn, or 1/2 of a baked sweet potato)

1 cup raw leafy vegetables (salad greens)

¼ cup dried fruit (raisins, plums/prunes, apricots)
 
½ cup cooked, canned or frozen peas and beans (legumes)

For the visual learners, ½ cup of a fruit, vegetable or legume looks like a scoop of ice cream, 1 cup of salad is the size of a tennis ball, and ¼ cup of dried fruit would fit in a golf ball.  If you cannot remember what foods go with which ball-size, My Plate is another visual reminder of how meals should break down by food group.

So if five servings is the minimum number of servings of fruits or vegetables, what is actually suggested?  For children, age 2-6, that number would fall between five and nine servings combined, though for younger children, many experts specifically recommend at least three servings of vegetables and two of fruit. Growing children and teen girls need at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit per day, while teenaged boys should target at least five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit.

Interestingly, the USDA has determined that avocado does not count as a fruit or vegetable serving (it is actually a fruit), as it contains too much fat.  Whatever.  Avacados are an amazing source of dietary fiber, of which most diets could use a healthy dose. 

Troubleshooting: Tips for Dealing with a Finicky Eater

Finicky Eater

Some children will always be good eaters, others will barely eat anything.  Regardless of where your child falls, their appetite will generally taper slightly around ten months, but around one year, they may start to develop an opinion, and be warned, that opinion will change. 

I felt such guilt if my son did not eat a good meal, while simultaneously wanting to dump the wonderfully prepared meal that he had wasted on his head.  I knew not to enter into a battle with him over it, as it would only make it worse, but I did not feel comfortable with saying, “you have spit your food out three times, and one more time will mean that you are just not hungry,” until my pediatrician shared that by one, children only need one good meal per day.  That does not mean that they only eat once per day, but it does relieve the pressure of three successful meals.

How to Deal

-Consistently feed them what you want them to eat from the beginning.  Do not feed them tater-tots and ice cream and then expect them to like carrot sticks.  Kids are no different from adults, they will like what they know.

-Do not defeat yourself by assuming that they will not like things, as it may be your opinion limiting their diet, not theirs.  Present food neutrally, without reservation or apprehension, and check your opinion at the door. 

-Do not limit presenting foods to meal time.  If your child is interested in the bell pepper that you bring home from the store, cut it open and offer them some, even if it is right before dinner.  It is amazing what children will enjoy when they feel like it is an adventure or that they are in control of their food. 

-Even if they do not like a food, put the-food-in-question on their plate.  It takes up to fifteen exposures to develop a true opinion of a food, and as children get older and more rooted in their convictions, it may take up to 89 exposures, so introduce foods early and often.

-Let them enjoy the food.  Keep manners in perspective, but if they want to make a sandwich of odd items, mush things, or eat with a straw, let them enjoy the foods, as that positive experience is a part of their perception of that food. 

-Do not make an issue out of eating.  Do not overly reward the good or punish the bad.

-Actions speak louder than words.  If everyone at the table is enjoying their vegetables, your baby will want to try what you are eating. 

For more suggestions on coping with a picky eater, consider this article by Dr. Alan Greene, as posted by Horizon Dairy.

 

Texture

If you do not have texture issues with food, you will not understand how it can cause such an adverse and dramatic reaction, but if your little one starts to spit out certain foods or chunkier purees, you may be in the initial stages of a crash course in food texture. 

Before getting too frustrated, first try taking a step back in consistency and blend purees until they are completely smooth.  You may also have to momentarily stop feeding baby things that you cannot blend to a perfectly smooth texture.  To keep variety in your child’s diet, you might try commercially prepared baby food versions of certain foods, but regardless of commercial or homemade, only try a sample size of a food so that you do not get frustrated by wasting money and wearing the offending food and still having an unhappy and hungry little one.   

 

 

A Crash Course in Making Baby Food

Not sure if making baby food is right for you?  Visit our post that walks you through the process step by step and provides insight on making homemade baby food easier and more economical.

 

Step 1: Kitchen

The primary attribute of baby-food is its consistency, so the main thing that you need is something that will reduce the food to its most liquid and smoothest point. 

There are mechanisms that will allow you to cook, blend, etc. all in one container and they will espouse the virtues of being able to do it together, but there is nothing to stop you from doing the same thing with what you likely already have in your kitchen, such as a small handy chopper or even your blender, and it can save you hundreds of dollars. 

Making your baby's food will require some planning ahead to limit stress at meal time.  I recommend cooking in large batches, as that meals prep is merely defrosting and mixing.  Cooking in batches also allows food to be prepared in the oven, which gives certain foods a much richer taste and makes other foods much easier to liquefy. 



Chef Buddy Ice Cube Trays
This polypropylene ice cube tray set
comes with lids to make freezing easier.

Some great items to bake in batches are green beans, butternut squash, and sweet potato (see our recipes).  Once they have baked, you need to puree and freeze them immediately, so after baking, simply place the food in a food processor or blender with water or, better yet, the liquid in which they were cooked, if applicable, and blend to the desired consistency.  By using the stock, no nutrients lost in cooking are actually lost, making the meal that much healthier and tastier.



Freezing is as simple as pouring the puree into ice cube trays.  I covered the trays with wax paper but other things would work, too.  If you are concerned about ice cubes trays containing BPA, stainless steel or BPA-free trays are available.



Black & Decker 1-1/2-Cup One-Touch Electric Chopper

Once frozen, I put the cubes into baggies labeled with the date and name of the food, as pureed foods start to look alike.  Those bags would go into larger bags; one was for green vegetables and the other orange/yellow vegetables.  Fruits, which I tended to use more at breakfast were stored in another bag.  This system allowed me to quickly reference my inventory of a given color of vegetable so that I never ran out.  It also was a good reminder to pull from both bags to ensure that my son got a variety of colors in his diet.

For daily meal prep, I used a one cup "handy chopper" that retails  for as little as $15.  The small chopper was great because it could reduce most anything to the desired consistency and then with a twist, serve as a bowl.  It was also dishwasher safe, which is a must for any baby item.   
 

Step 2: Food

To state the obvious, organic food is expensive, and some deem unnecessary.  You have to choose what works for you ad your pocketbook. 

One great way to help prioritize is the Environmental Working Groups “Dirty Dozen” and "Clean Fifteen;" the lists are produced annually and available as an app for shopping convenience.  These lists rank the foods that contain the highest level of pesticide residue on the part of the fruit or vegetable that is actually consumed. 

The “Dirty Dozen” does not factor in antibiotics or hormones, which is the reason that I created a "Must Buy Organic" list for an infant or toddler’s diet. It is estimated by opting organic on just the “Dirty 

Though low-tech, it is a great
reference for what you need
and how to buy it.

Dozen” that a person consuming the recommended daily servings of five fruits and vegetables per day could reduce their pesticide intake by up to 80%.

Farmers markets are a tremendous option for both organic and locally grown foods, but Costco works well also.  To make organic more affordable, try the store's brand.  Perhaps the best savings tip is to know what does not need to be organic, such as asparagus, avocado, corn (though most corn is genetically modified), kiwi, mangoes, onions, pineapples, sweet peas, oranges, grapefruit, and watermelons. 

Bananas, a staple for many children, appear on both clean and dirty lists, depending upon who you ask, due to bananas being contained in an inedible peel that is porous.  As my son eats a banana daily, I treat the banana like other foods he consumes daily (e.g. milk, yogurt, grains): I buy organic whenever I can but do not lose sleep when organic is not an option.

What can make organic food even more expensive is that it has a shorter life-span than the same food treated with chemicals.  So as not to waste money, buy only what you plan to cook and freeze or can consume during the safe-life span of the food.  To extend the horizon on the food going bad, consider fruits that have not yet completely ripened.

In reality, you will not buy fresh food exclusively, if for no other reason than peanut butter is too convenient, yogurt is easier bought than made, and sometimes, we all just need to indulge.  In the case of yogurt and peanut butter, which can be healthy staples of a child’s diet, you need to know how to read a label and ingredient information to make an informed choice about what your child is consuming, as there are differences between products.  As for the indulgence, it tastes better if you are uninformed so just enjoy the treat! 

Step 3: Prep

Nutrients in foods are lost when food is exposed to heat, air, light, and water.  Thus, finely chopping a vegetable and then cooking it until soft destroys nutrients, but the consumer of your food is going to need it cooked until there are no hard spots and pureed until it is unrecognizable, so applaud yourself for feeding your child healthy fresh foods and be done.

There are ways that you can minimize and reclaim the loss of nutrients, and some methods even help with taste, so if you can employee one of these methods, all the better:

-so that nothing has to cook for longer than necessary, chop your foods into uniform pieces.

-Steam vegetables in a tightly closed container so as to trap nutrient-containing steam and minimize cook time.

-if you cannot steam and choose to boil, use as little water as possible and if making a puree, try to reclaim the nutrients by using your cooking water to thin the puree.

-Microwaving requires little water and time to prepare the food, thus making it a quick and nutrient friendly way to cook.  Cooking with a covered dish further reduces cook time.  The most economical, BPA-free method of cooking, and dishwasher-space-saving way to cook is in a small cereal bowl with a salad or other small plate covering it.

-Baking ads flavor and requires little water, but a great deal of time, so it is a great way to prep large batches.

-Food safety dictates that you not leave food at room temperature for extended periods so, bake, puree, and freeze quickly.

-If you cook frozen vegetables, they should not be re-frozen, so determine serving size based upon what can be consumed during the food’s safe refrigerator life.