Six months is the earliest recommended age (per the American Academy of Pediatrics) for babies to start solid foods. And even then, they're pretty much considered an "extra" - not a substantial part of the diet until about 9 months. By 9 months, babies should ideally be taking 3 regular food meals per day in addition to nursing. Figuring out how to incorporate all these feedings around naps and with family meals is a bit of a challenge and we're sort of in transition with that now. Sophie typically nurses around 7, 10, 1, 4 and 7 through the day and currently takes 2 food meals per day, but not at regular times depending on naps. What we're working towards is nursing at 7, 11, 3, and 7, with food meals at 8:30, 12:30 and 5:30/6-ish. Then naps can fit in between 9 and 11 and between 1 and 3. I anticipate that being the routine in the next month or so. Obviously, it's not always exact, but it sure helps to have an idea so we can be consistent with the babysitter and know how to plan for outings.
In the meantime, we're working through one new food at a time - four days between each new food - to watch for allergic reactions. Reactions may include rashiness around the mouth or bottom, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. (None so far and I don't anticipate any as food allergies are not common in our families.) And of course we stay completely away from the common allergenic foods until after the first birthday: cow's milk, peanuts (pb), shellfish, egg whites, citrus & berry fruits (except blueberries are okay), honey, etc. Wheat is another common allergy, though I choose to introduce it carefully around 9/10 months.
Since there are so many foods to try and a four-day wait period between, my calendar is filled with post-it notes for the next few months of what I'd like to introduce and when. That way I keep track of when she started each new food and don't waste time with moving onto the next. The order of foods introduce is not an exact science. I prefer to start with a grain - rice or oatmeal is fine - and then work through basic fruits and veggies like sweet potatoes, squash, pears, apples, green beans/peas. At 7 months, I start with meats: turkey, chicken, legumes (i.e. lentils), egg yolk. (Sophie will get to eat turkey with us on Thanksgiving!) And then shortly after try dairy: yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, melted/shredded mild cheeses. Finger foods follow and pretty soon we're doing lots of wonderful concoctions like turkey apple meatloaf, lentils with rice and veggies, scrambled egg yolk "omelet" with green pepper, mushroom and cheese, etc.
I love making my own baby food because, aside from the obvious (huge!) cost savings, it allows me to control the quality of ingredients, adjust the texture to my baby's needs, and play with lots of preservative free combinations. (Besides, meat in a jar grosses me out.) I even add spices for extra variety after about 8 months. How about apples with cinnamon, squash with nutmeg or chicken with basil? Sophie ate a whole avocado (mashed with banana) on her own the last 3 days! Loved it! And this way, the kids are eating like the rest of the family right off the bat and are more likely to transition into table foods easily.
Starting with grains, I buy a short-grain, brown rice or steel-cut, whole oats and grind them into a powder in the food processor. Then store in an airtight container and cook on the stove top as needed with 1 cup water to 1/4 cup powder for ~10mins. Fruits and veggies are pretty easy too. Just bake or steam any item and puree. Once you have a prepared food, it can be scooped into ice cube trays or specially designed food storage cubes (see onestepahead.com), labeled with food name and date and frozen for up to 3 months. Pop frozen ice cube trays into a labeled freezer bag. So we use the ice cube trays for food at home and lidded food cubes (1 or 2oz sizes) for the babysitter. Meat can be baked in whole pieces or use a ground meat. It's easiest to puree or grind cooked meat after it's fully cooled. Add milk or broth to thin and give an added boost of nutrition when pureeing meats or starches.
Sweet potatoes:
And here's what my freezer looks like now. I reserve a whole shelf for baby food 'cause it's only going to increase from here! This time around I have a deep freeze, though, so that will be a big help.
We start green beans tomorrow, carrots on Saturday and turkey next Wednesday just in time for turkey day!
For more info and ideas, visit: http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ or check out Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron.
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