It’s hard to know what first baby foods are the best. I didn’t want my little one to develop a sweet tooth because of his diet. What I found was surprising.
Like lots of natural mamas out there, I want to keep my little one from becoming a sugar baby by giving the right first baby foods. You know, the kind of kid who will only drink milk if there’s chocolate syrup included and uses French fries as carriers for ketchup.
But as I scan the grocery aisles, it’s scary to see that everything from juice boxes, to packaged cereal, to yogurt are loaded with sugar—and, to think, these products are developed for (and marketed to) children.
With that in mind, Griffin’s first baby foods included avocado, then other fruits and veggies. From there, I tried to keep banana, pear, and apple to a minimum and instead stress the veggies. Granted at six months, babies can’t handle too many veggies—the fiber is a little too hard on their digestive tracks—but I was determined to stick to the ones babies can eat, such as carrots, peas, and squashes. I wanted fruit to be more of a garnish, as opposed to the main dish.
First baby foods reality: Griffin doesn’t like veggies
He gags. He spits. He cried at the taste of pureed carrots. Peas were a pure meltdown. I even tried a soft egg yolk once, and he looked at me like I had two heads (maybe it is a texture thing?).
And yet, when I tried an avocado banana mash, everything changed. Griffin opened his mouth. He swallowed. I even detected a smile. He was digging every messy bite of this combination.
Oh, no! Griffin’s a sugar baby.
I wanted Griffin to eat on his own terms, but I wanted him to like veggies, too. So what’s a worried mom to do? Search the internet for answers, of course.
As I was reading an article on a great breastfeeding site called Kelly Mom, I saw a few facts that set me free. The article said that you shouldn’t feel bad about first baby foods that include banana, or sweet potato, or other “sweet” foods. It explained that breast milk is actually quite sweet, so it makes perfect sense that babies gravitate toward that taste at first. As babies’ taste buds mature, they’ll branch out and explore other flavors.
Phew, that made me feel better… and it made sense. In fact, I find it no coincidence that Griffin’s favorite meal is the avocado banana mash, which is high in carbs and fat—just like breast milk is.
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Thank you Kelly Mom!
This natural mama feels better about her son’s first baby foods. And I wanted to pass along this perspective in case other mamas needed to hear it too. Just because your baby likes bananas today doesn’t mean he’ll be eating Pop Tarts in ten years! You can breathe a sigh of relief, mama!
Homemade Baby Food
And, if you’re looking for some ideas that go beyond banana-avocado, this guide to homemade baby food. In it, I’ve got lots of age-appropriate suggestions, complete with prep and storage tips.
Is your child drawn to sweets?
How do you steer him or her toward vegetables and savory foods?
