Super Baby Food

This is the book about starting solids that my friend told me about. I like it a whole lot although I have read some conflicting information about starting nuts, and eggs as young as this author recommends. I have made some of the recipes but I know that I will not be making all or even most of Lilith's food from scratch as this book would like you to. I know many moms out there just don't have the time to devote to it. This book does have a few quick and simple recipes however that Lilith seems to like very much. The guidelines and feeding schedule for each month make the book well worth it's cost even if you don't plan on making anything from scratch. It even has shopping, pantry, safe food handling, and money saving tips. It is really worth the money.

Super Baby Food Book Sample Chapter;

When Should I Start Feeding My Baby Solid Foods?

The answer is: when your pediatrician tells you that it's OK to start solid foods. She will probably agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics, whose guidelines state that the best time to begin feeding your baby solid foods is between 4 and 6 months of age. And the closer to 6 months the better, especially if you are breastfeeding. Your baby's body in its first few months was designed to digest breast milk, or something similar to it. And, calorie for calorie, no solid food has the nutritional quality of breast milk or formula for your young baby. If you feed your baby solid foods too early, her milk intake may decrease. You'd be replacing milk, the best food for your baby, with foods that are nutritionally inferior and not as digestible. Solid foods should not replace breast milk, they should complement it.

Why You Should Wait Until At Least 4 Months

Your baby is not physically ready to eat solid foods until he is around 4 months old. Although your mother or grandmother will strongly disagree, saying that she gave her babies solids when they were only 2 weeks old, there are several reasons to wait at least 4 months before starting your baby on solid foods.

Reason 1. Your baby's digestive system is too immature for solid foods before 4 months. Although he can suck very well, he does not have a lot of saliva to help digest food. Until he is at least 3-4 months old, his system lacks certain digestive enzymes, such as an enzyme called amylase, needed for digesting cereals (starches or complex carbohydrates). His body has trouble digesting some fats before he is 6 months old. Some foods will pass through him undigested and end up in his diaper. And some high protein foods, like eggs, meat, and even cow's milk, given too early may cause problems with your baby's immature kidneys.

Reason 2. Your baby is not developmentally ready to eat solid foods. His throat muscles are not developed enough to swallow solid foods until he is at least 4 months old. And, it is not until about 4 months that he is able to use his tongue to transfer food from the front to the back of his mouth. In fact, when you touch his tongue, he reacts by pushing his tongue outward or forward. This response is called the extrusion reflex or the tongue-thrust reflex and it doesn't disappear until he is around 16-18 weeks old. The first time you feed him with a spoon, it may seem that he is spitting out the food and closing his mouth at the wrong time. But his tongue movement is simply the result of the not-yet-unlearned extrusion reflex and not because he doesn't want the food. It is not until he is about 5 months old that he will see the spoon coming and open his mouth in anticipation.

Reason 3. Your baby must have a way of telling you that he is satiated. He lets you know that he is finished breast or bottle feeding by stopping his sucking or by falling asleep. But until he becomes able to turn his head to refuse food, which occurs at around 4 or 5 months, he has no way of letting you know he has had enough solid food. Because of this inability, some people consider feeding solid foods to a too-young baby a method of force feeding. This practice can interfere with the body's self-regulating eating mechanism and lead to overweight later in life. As with adults, your baby should eat only when he is hungry.

Reason 4. Beginning solid foods too early has been associated with other problems later in life, such as obesity, respiratory problems like bronchial asthma, and food allergies. For more information on how food allergies are caused by too-early introduction of solid foods, see page 33.

Reason 5. Solid foods will not make your baby sleep through the night. Studies show that of all babies sleep through at 3 months of age, whether or not they are eating solid foods. Even if solid foods will help your baby sleep longer, that is still not a good reason to begin solid foods early. I know sleep deprivation is hell, and most of us have been there. Hang in there. One night he'll sleep right through, and then you can start feeling normal again.

Reason 6. If you are breastfeeding and give your baby solid foods too early, your milk production may be decreased.

Don't Wait Longer than 8 Months

After six months, your baby begins to need solid foods for some nutrients, such as iron, vitamin C, protein, carbohydrates, zinc, water, and calories, and delaying food may cause delayed growth. Besides playing a nutritional role, solid foods help your baby developmentally, as discussed under the section Do Not Use an Infant Feeder on page 24. It is crucial that your baby start developing eating and chewing skills between the ages of 7 to 9 months. And if you delay the introduction of solid foods past 8 or 9 months, your baby may refuse textured foods when you finally do offer them to her.

Signs of Readiness for Solid Foods

Your pediatrician looks for certain signs of readiness in your baby before advising you to begin solid foods. Some of these signs are:

She is at least 4 months old.
She weighs twice as much as her birth weight.
She weighs at least 13-15 pounds.
She can sit with support, allowing her to lean forward when she wants another spoonful and backward to refuse.
She has control over her head and neck muscles and can turn her head to refuse food.
She has stopped exhibiting the extrusion reflex when you put a spoon in her mouth.
She is drinking at least 32-40 ounces of formula per 24-hours and still wants more.
She is breast feeding at least 8-10 times per 24-hours (after the first few weeks), empties both breasts at each feeding, and still wants more.
The time between feedings becomes shorter and shorter over a period of several days.
She can bring an object in her hand directly to her mouth.
She shows interest in others eating around her.
She becomes fussy in the middle of the night, whereas before she slept through with no problem. Or her sleep periods are becoming shorter instead of longer.

Baby Food Mathematics

The signs of readiness for solid foods tend to occur around the same time in your baby's life because of a few simple mathematical facts about calories and your baby's body weight. (Math phoebes may skip the next paragraph.)

The average baby needs about 50 calories per day per pound of body weight. Breast milk and formula provide about 20 calories per ounce. Therefore, for every pound of body weight, your baby requires about 2 ounces of milk. At 13 pounds, your baby needs about 650 calories or about 32 ounces of milk. So you see, it's no happenstance that the signs of readiness coincide.

Which Food Should Be First?

The first foods you should feed your baby are those that are easily digested and least likely to trigger an allergic reaction. Opinions vary, but the most often recommended first food is commercial iron-enriched baby rice cereal. Other popular first foods are avocado, sweet potato, ripe banana, and if your baby is older, millet cereal and yogurt. You and your pediatrician should decide which food should be given to your baby at her very first meal.

Commercial Rice Cereal

Commercial iron-fortified baby rice cereal is the first choice of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Rice is very easily digested, is rarely an allergen, and thins readily when added to liquid. Most commercial cereals are refined and processed. Earth's Best is not--it is made from whole brown rice and is organic. If you wish to use commercial baby cereal, I highly recommend Earth's Best. Find it at some supermarkets, all natural foods stores, or order from some baby product catalogs or from mail order natural foods companies (page 134). Store opened boxes of cereal in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month. After 1 month, the cereal's nutrient content begins to decrease.

Homemade Whole Grain Cereals

If your baby is at least 6 months old, I recommend homemade whole grain brown rice or millet cereal as baby's first food. These cereals are easily digested and have a naturally high iron content. Please read about iron supplements on page 64. However, your baby must be at least 6 months old before he has the necessary digestive juices to handle the complex carbohydrates in these cereals. Instructions on how to prepare and store homemade whole grain cereals (Super Porridge) begin on page 190 in Part II.

Banana

Mashed ripe banana is an excellent first food for baby. As discussed on page 360, bananas are nutritious and very easy for your baby to digest. Many other cultures use banana exclusively as their first baby food. However, I have to mention that some experts caution that the sweet taste of bananas may give your baby a "sweet tooth" and cause him to refuse less sweet tasting foods later. I personally wouldn't be concerned about that. My baby started on bananas and he now happily eats brewer's yeast! If you've ever tasted brewer's yeast you know what I mean.

WARNING: Some experts recommend against feeding a young baby bananas because of the fungicides with which they (and all other imported fruits) are sprayed. Banana skins are porous, allowing the fungicides to be absorbed into the flesh. Try to buy only certified organically-grown bananas.

Avocado

Mashed ripe avocado is also an excellent first food for baby. They are so nutritious that some claim humans can live on them exclusively. Avocados are also an excellent source of the unsaturated fatty acids that your baby needs for brain development. See page 359 for more information on avocados.

Cooked Sweet Potato

Cooked mashed sweet potato is another favorite first food. It is highly nutritious and rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A). This is a great first food for your 4-month old baby, if you don't wish to start her out on sweet bananas or a processed baby cereal. Sweet potatoes are discussed in detail on page 390.

Yogurt

Yogurt is similar tasting to milk, and for this reason and many others, it is a good first food for babies who are at least 5 or 6 months old. Whole milk yogurt is recommended, because your baby needs fats. Baby yogurt, of course, should be of the plain variety. Don't buy the yogurt with sugary fruit added or, worse yet, the yogurt that has artificial sweetener. It is important to note that although yogurt may be given to a baby younger than 1 year old, cow's milk should not. If allergies to milk run in your family, you shouldn't feed your baby yogurt. Talk to your pediatrician. Milk allergy and lactose intolerance are discussed in more detail on page 36. There is more information on yogurt, including how to save lots of money by making your own (it's easy!), in the appendix on page 401.

The Consistency of the First Solid Food is Not!

"Solid" is a misnomer--to eat foods that are actually solid, your baby would need a good set of teeth, which she won't have for quite some time! Your baby's first food, after breast milk or formula, should be more liquid than solid. In fact, it should be so liquid that it pours. To get this very thin consistency, the first food should be mixed with a large proportion of breast milk, formula, or water. More about this in the section Baby's Very First Meal on page 25.

How Much Food Should I Feed
My Baby At Her First Meal?

You may be surprised at how little food you should give your baby at her first meal--no more than a teaspoon or two. The amount that she will eat at any meal depends on her age and weight, and how much liquid she is drinking. The chapter How Much Should My Baby Eat? gives more information on the amount of food you should feed your baby. The next section, Baby's Very First Meal, gives explicit directions on how to begin feeding your baby.

Another sample chapter;
Feeding Your Super Baby
at 7 Months

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Introduce These New Foods to Your 7 Month Old:

tofu
cottage cheese
homemade mixed cereals
hard-cooked egg yolk (not egg white)
asparagus
carrots
green beans
peas
summer squash
white potatoes
peaches
pasteurized, mild fruit juices/nectars, strained and diluted, such as: apple, apricot, grape, papaya, pear, peach, and prune

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There are over a dozen new foods in the list above for this month that you can introduce to your 7 month old. But there just aren't enough days in the month to introduce them all, as you have to wait at least 4 days between new foods (the Four Day Wait Rule, page 31).

The experts don't agree on the ages to introduce foods. Some recommend that you wait until 8 months before introducing egg yolks and cottage cheese, so you may want to introduce these later in the month and concentrate on introducing the new veggies. Remember that the white part of the egg should not be introduced until your baby's first birthday because it is a common allergen (page 34). Whether you are feeding your baby hard-cooked egg yolks mixed into Super Porridge or scrambled egg yolk as a finger food, be careful to cook the yolk thoroughly to kill any possible salmonella (page 38). See how to store and cook eggs on page 218. Remember to follow the warning on page 219 about checking egg yolks thoroughly before feeding to your baby.

Tofu (also called "soybean curd" or "bean curd") is a great food for babies 7 months and older. Tofu is a cheese-like product made from soybeans. You may be aware of the nutrition and health benefits of soy products. The "health food" tofu has become so popular that it now can be found in most regular supermarkets. See page 211 for how to store and freeze tofu. Mashed or pureed tofu can be mixed with your baby's fruit or veggies. Or it can be added to homemade whole grain cereal to create a complete protein (page 244) meal for your little one.

At 7 months, your baby is ready for cereal mixed with fruit or vegetables. Try Brown Rice Super Porridge (page 191) with mashed bananas, or Millet Super Porridge (page 193) with carrot food cubes, or just about any combination.

Although your 7-month old is in the process of developing the pincer grasp, he may still have some time to go before he can handle small bits of finger food. Continue to feed him the finger foods listed on page 69 for 6-month olds. The pincer grasp and more is discussed in the section Eating Milestones beginning on page 66. Soft, silken tofu is a great and very convenient finger food that can be served in strips or in small chunks.

Introduce Diluted, Strained Mild Fruit Juices at 7 Months

At about this time, you can begin giving your baby diluted, mild fruit juice. Your pediatrician may advise the introduction of juice several months earlier.

WARNING: Make sure that you give your baby only commercial baby juices or juice that has been pasteurized to kill any dangerous bacteria.

Start with mild juices, such as apple, apricot, grape, papaya, pear, peach, and prune, remembering to use the 4-Day Wait Rule (page 31). Although some experts recommend orange juice and other citrus juices at 6 months, others recommend waiting until 12 months, especially if allergy to citrus runs in the family. Citrus is one of the foods that is a common allergen (page 35). Ask your pediatrician when you should start giving your baby orange juice.

Apple juice seems to be very popular because it has a low chance of allergy, although a friend of mine uses it because it doesn't stain the carpet. It certainly is no more nutritious than other non-citrus juices, unless it is vitamin C-fortified. If you're going to give your baby apple juice, infant juice is probably your best bet because adult apple juice may still contain the pesticide alar. Although alar is no longer used on apple crops, there may be some still remaining in stored apples or juice concentrates somewhere. Why take the chance? Use apple juice that is purposely for babies and more carefully screened for alar.

Juice Should Be Diluted When First Introduced

If you buy commercial baby juices, they do not need dilution. Again, you are paying a lot for water, as with jarred baby foods. If your pediatrician OKs it, you can save money and use regular adult juices and dilute them yourself. Buy those juices that are only 100% juice and make sure they are pasteurized. Do not feed your baby juice drinks, which have added sugar. Read the label and watch out for the OSE's (pages 230-231). Although natural juice does contain a lot of sugar, it also contains many other nutrients.

When you first introduce juices to your baby, dilute 1 ounce of juice to 3 ounces of water, giving a 4-ounce serving. Over a month's time, gradually increase to half juice and half water. In subsequent months as your baby grows older, gradually increase to 100% juice with no added water, as directed in the individual chapters in this book.

Some Juices Must Be Strained to Prevent Choking

Most natural foods stores have a nice selection of organic fruit juices which I highly recommend, but they sometimes have solid particles that should be strained out to prevent choking. See how to strain on page 144. If you have a juice extractor, use it to make fresh juices from organically grown fruits for your baby and strain them very well. Juice for your baby should be pasteurized: if it is not, boil to kill any bacteria and cool, of course, before feeding to baby. Keep in the refrigerator for only 2-3 days.

It's Important that Juice Not Replace Baby Milk

To keep your baby's breast milk/formula intake up, limit your baby's juice intake to 3-4 ounces of juice per day. Babies who drink too much juice may not be drinking enough breast milk or formula to obtain the fat, calories, and protein they need for proper development. Juice also contains large amounts of sugar, and natural or not, too much sugar is not good for your baby.

Please read the warning about diaper rash and too much fruit and/or fruit juice on page 30.

Protect Your Baby's Teeth from the Sugar in Juice

Use a baby cup instead of the bottle to feed your baby juice in order to minimize the time the juice remains in his mouth. (Introducing the cup is discussed on page 71.) Don't let your baby sip from a bottle or cup of juice throughout the day--the natural sugar in the juice will remain for extended periods on his teeth and may cause dental caries. For more information on protecting your baby's teeth, see page 47. Please re-read the section Juice on page 60. Your 7-month old probably will be awkward when it comes to drinking from the cup, so fill it with small amounts of water or juice to minimize spilling.

Food Consistency for Babies 7 Months Old

Your baby's food should still be pureed or mashed to a smooth consistency, although it can be slightly thicker now than it was for a beginning eater. Puree your baby's food until it is the consistency of a thick cream.

Daily Amount of Foods for Babies 7 Months Old

Babies at 7 months of age should be eating 2 meals a day, maybe 3. Each meal should consist of 2 to 3 food servings. At each meal, your 7-month old should be eating a total of cup or 4 ounces or more. Picture the amount in a small commercial baby food jar.

Sample Daily Feeding Schedule for
Your 7-Month Old Baby

Upon Awakening breast/bottle
Breakfast two or three food servings
and breast/bottle
Lunch two or three food servings
and breast/bottle
Supper two or three food servings
and breast/bottle
Bedtime breast or
bottle of cooled boiled water
Plus water after and between meals. Offer
4 ounces of diluted fruit juice once a day.



Daily Amount From Each Food Group for a 7 Month Old

Fruits/Veggies: 3-5 servings per day, including 1 vitamin A fruit/veggie and 1 vitamin C veggie/fruit/juice serving. Each serving should be 1-4 tablespoons or 1-2 food cubes. Total of 3-20 tablespoons for the day. See list of vitamin C fruits/veggies on page 129. A vitamin A veggie is one of the Super Green Veggies or one of the deep yellow/orange vitamin A veggies/fruits listed on page 129. The Super Green Veggies are actually orange too, but their green color hides the orange. Make sure to feed your baby only those veggies/fruits that are age-appropriate, as listed in the summary schedule on pages 76-77.

Super Porridge Cereals: 2 servings per day. Each serving of cooked cereal should be - cup, equivalent to 1-2 tablespoons dry, uncooked cereal per serving, for a total of 3-4 tablespoons of dry, uncooked cereal for the day.

Tofu: Add a few tablespoons of pureed or well-mashed tofu to Super Porridge to make a high protein cereal. Tofu and other beans mixed with the grains in Super Porridge combine to form complete protein that is as high in quality as meat. See protein complementarity, page 244.

Egg Yolk: Every second day or 3-4 times per week.

Dairy: 0-1 servings of dairy. A serving is 1/3-1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4-1/3 cup cottage cheese. Plus the breast milk/formula amounts stated in next section.

Daily Amount of Liquids for Babies 7 Months Old

Breast milk or formula is still the main food for your baby. Your baby should breast-feed 5 times a day or drink 30-32 ounces of formula a day. If your baby is not drinking this much, decrease the amount of solid foods. Keep your baby's total water and juice intake to 4 ounces maximum per day. Also, please read about water on page 58.

Feeding Your Baby
The Super Baby Food Diet
At 7 Months

If you have not already done so, please read about the Super Baby Food Diet on pages 111-140.

Super Porridge

At 7 months, you can make homemade whole grain Super Porridge cereals out of more than one grain. Try rice and millet, or rice and oats, or millet and oats. Directions on making these combined cereals are found in Part II, page 195. Remember to use only grains that have been previously introduced individually and checked for allergy using the 4-Day Wait Rule (page 31).

Meat Alternatives (Protein)

At around 7 months, it is recommended that meat be introduced into a non-vegetarian baby's diet. Instead of meat, the Super Baby Food Diet uses the healthier meat alternatives to supply protein: tofu, beans and other legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, and dairy products. This month your baby is old enough to begin eating tofu, a soybean product. Next month at 8 months, you can introduce ground nuts/seeds, tahini, and brewer's yeast and, at 9 months, legumes. Your baby does not need meat to get the protein he needs, the Super Baby Food Diet supplies more than enough. See the table on page 257 of the nutrition section for the amounts of protein in the Super Baby Foods