Posted @withregram • @thefamilynutritionist Not sure how to prepare foods for your infant? Concerned about what they can easily manage?⠀⠀
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FIRST, know that whether you do purées, table foods or a combo of both, there’s no ONE RIGHT way to feed your baby. Do what works best for you and your family, all while keeping your baby safe. ⠀⠀
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We chose a combination of purées and soft table foods for my daughter because it just depended on the situation, environment, what was available and some foods are already in puree form. ⠀⠀
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When preparing table foods for keep in mind these basic principles:⠀⠀
1️⃣ Cut food into the size of an adult pinky or two This allows your baby to grab onto the food item and hold on to it. Infants do not develop the pincer grasp (picking things up with pointer and thumb) until roughly 8-10 months. If your little one has developed this or is starting to show signs of this, you can start to offer smaller pieces they can pick up. ⠀⠀
2️⃣ Make sure the food item is soft and easily mashable. Think cooked black bean squishing between your fingers easily. Your infant has zero to few teeth, therefore they are relying on their gums to mash the food. ⠀⠀
3️⃣ You can always modify your foods so that slippery or more wet foods are easy to grab. Such as a banana with the peel on the bottom or an avocado slice with part of the peel on or slippery foods rolled in hemp hearts or infant cereal. Otherwise, working with what I suggested in the first point can be just enough sometimes. ⠀⠀
4️⃣ Lastly, stay calm and trust your baby. Watch them explore new foods and textures at dinner time with you! Plus, if you give them a few items off your plate, you’re spending less time spoon feeding and more time enjoying your meal and watching your little one develop new skills and a healthy relationship with food.
