First Foods

I started my son on veggies first. I would switch off and feed green veggies at one meal and then orange at the next and so on. To this day, he will gobble up his peas and green beans. But he really loves the sweet potatoes, and winter squash.

We gave our son these foods first: bananas, sweet potato, rice cereal (he hated it), oatmeal (liked it much better), applesauce, green beans, peas. I think no matter what order you introduce foods in (veggies before fruits, for example) they'll always like the sweet stuff better. So it doesn't really matter.

Our pediatrician recommended veggies before cereal, because once they get that taste of sugar in the fruits, it may be harder to get them to eat the veggies. I started my grandbaby on beans, then peas, and then on to the orange veggies, because of the higher sugar content in the orange ones, then on to fruits. She's 17 months old now, and is a really good veggie eater.

Doesn't matter what you start with as long as it isn't a highly allergenic food. You can do whatever you like. Although I am surprised that your ped had you start so early. Nowadays most peds have you start at 6 months, and cereal isn't really a necessity. If your son gets breastmilk, it is very sweet so it's not like you are "ruining" him on veggies, as he already has an experience with sweetness.

Hi T.!
I started cereal first and then fruits and veggies at the same time. I sometimes mix the fruit in with the cereal as well, but mostly use it as a snack when my 3 year old is having a snack. I'll do veggies in the afternoon and I've always started with carrots and sweet potatoes, then I slowly move to peas and greenbeans.
Every one is different and you'll find what works best for you and your baby, as you know already.

K. :~)

Hi T.,
I highly recommend the book "Child of Mine" by Ellyn Satter. I referred to it a ton when I was introducing solids to my son (at 7 months). It goes through the stages of eating, so it's definitely worth at least looking at it...even purchasing! Good luck!

Hi T.,

We started our daughter on cereal/veggies/fruits in this order at 4.5 mos. Once she got used the cereal, we went through the veggie & fruit process to watch for allergies. She HATED peas, I gave them to her every other day and now she loves them. She didn't care for rice cereal so we give her oatmeal. Like the others we mix fruit in with her cereal. She is now 7 months and just starting stage 3. As he gets used to the cereal texture, you can thicken it just a little as you go along.

Have lots of bibs ready. Good luck.

T.:

The american academy of pediatrics recommends waiting till 6 months to start solids...

That said.. you can use any fruits that you have in the house... usually one starts with bananas as they are easy. apples and pears can be steamed to make them into "sauce". once your boy has teeth you could try some melons...

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

Vegy's first,
You wouldn't get a vegy into your son after starting with fruits
I always started with the yucky vegy (green ones),then carrots
the sweet potatos are just like having fruit some kids really like those but then won't touch anything green.
He does sound young for vegys maybe the Dr. was talking about putting a little applesauce or banana into the cereal. And then when you start actually feeding him out of the jar start the vegys first.

Hi T.,

Look at the Gerber Stage 1 veggies and pick one to start with. I think I started with carrots, then after about a week I gave him peas, then a week later squash, then green beans. After I introduced all of the stage 1 veggies, one a week to make sure there was no reaction, I moved onto the stage 1 fruits.

Have fun!
L.

I started ALL of my kids with fruit mixed in their cereal. Then when they were eatting more, then they got veggies. One kind a week though. All of them love both and eat very healthy. Introducing them veggies more than once helps. I don't buy the "if you give them fruit they won't eat anything else". All my kids are proof of that! Start with what he'll eat. He needs to learn to eat before getting likes and dislikes! Good luck.

H.
SAHM to four great kids!

I recommend veggies first as well. Once you go through all the veggies, the move on to fruits. I started mixing the veggies with their rice cereal at lunchtime. Then after 3-4 days to make sure no reactions, I would then move to fruits mixed with rice cereal. Then give fruits in AM and then veggies in PM. You want to give new foods in AM so if they have a reaction you are more aware. It takes a while to get through all the veggies. We did... peas, carrots, squash, sweet potato, green beans. Then we moved to mix veggies. Then we moved to the fruits...pear, apple, banana, etc. Then to mixed fruits... the only "berry" I have given so far as been strawberry. Good luck!

I started all three of my kids on the green veggies first - peas and green beans. Then did the orange, as they are sweeter. Then I started fruits - starting with prunes - then moving on to the reset. After all the fruits and veggies were tried and liked, I then went on to mixed veggies, and then fruit mixes. I switched foods every three days, and always gave new foods at breakfast or lunch. I think strawberries are the only thing you are supposed to avoid until 9 months or a year.

Good luck!