HuffPost Canada closed in 2021 and this site is maintained as an online
archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our
FAQ or contact
support@huffpost.com.
feeding baby
You may have heard the saying, "Food before one is just for fun." And to a large extent, that's true. First foods allow baby to explore different textures and tastes and also takes the pressure off moms whose babies are small eaters. While you're having fun introducing baby to the wild world of food, it's still important to ensure that what you feed you little one, will provide the nutrients for them to grow healthy.
Have you heard of baby-led weaning (BLW)? The formal term is given to the practice of skipping purees for baby and going straight to "real" food they can feed themselves. Personally, the idea of skipping the pureed stage and offering my six-month-old baby finger foods sounded terrifying.
If your family has not adopted healthy eating already, the time when baby starts solids is the perfect opportunity to do so. If baby grows up among a family where fresh, nutritious foods are readily available and eaten at every meal, chances are that those habits will become part of their routines and expectations.
1. Stop trying to hide veggies and "healthy" stuff in other foods -- I can handle them straight up. Sure I may not devour those green leafies you put on my tray from day one, but unbeknownst to you, I'm slowly learning to like them.
Every few years there's a revolution in children's food and the way it's presented. The most current trend is pouched food and from what I can tell, its popularity is only increasing. They are convenient and clean with no spoon necessarily required. But are they necessarily the best choice for your family?
Snacks can be our arsenal. I view healthy snacking as added insurance that picky eaters are getting the necessary nutrients when they push their dinner away. Below I give you five (hard-won) tips to say bye-bye to battles.
Get yourself a hands-free pumping bra so you can sit and do other things while you're pumping. This was my favourite time to get things done. And, if I had to drive somewhere during the time I was supposed to be pumping, I actually pumped while I drove.
Starting baby on solids is a big deal. We're worried about them choking, not eating enough, not getting enough nutrients... Babies can feel our stress. And no one eats well when they're stressed. So just sit back and let your brilliant baby do his/her thing.
