What Kind of Solid Foods to Start Feeding My Daughter

Everything is trial and error! I started feeding my daughter steamed veggies (gradually shortening the steaming time as she got use to chewing) and went right into all kinds of fruits. I was worried about choking and didnt want to take any chances, so I would cut everything up. I fed her grapes, blueberries, all the scary stuff, just cut small enough to not choke, but big enough for her to handle on her own. There is an awesome cookbook that I use all the time. It is called First Meals by Annabel Karmel. I really think the most importaint thing is to have fun with it. We do, and there is not one thing that my daughter wont eat (or she could have just inherited my love for food!) Enjoy!

-K.-

cooked peas are great, they are small and soft. you can also do cooked chicken just cut it into really really tiny pieces. My girlfriend gives her son cheese cut up really small. They can have pretty much anything cut up small enough, but nothing with honey until after the age of 1. If there are food allergies in your family you might want to ask her doctor what you should avoid. But there really isnt any rush, nine months is still young. My son in ten months and the only solids he gets are peas and puffs. Everything else is babyfood. That way I know he is getting his recommended daily servings of fruits and veggies. But if you are looking for an easy snack the puffs or the freeze dried gerber fruits are great! My son gets them stuck on the back of his tongue sometimes and it triggers his gag reflex and he vomits. So I have to stare at him the whole time, but my girlfriends son does not have that problem. Good luck and have fun!

My sons favorite baby food was avacado! comes in it's own bowl, can be cut into managable chunks just fine and easily dissolves. Plus it's chock full of omega-3's, poly and mono unsaturated fats which are SOOO good for you!

Also, he loved hot dogs! Just make sure to cut them into little bits and only give a few at a time as babies tend to shove all they can in their mouths at one time :)

cheerios

when she can pick up the cheerios pretty well..

then move on to other foods.

canned peaches cut up small (dry them so they are not too slippery)

Kraft cheese crumbles are little pieces of cheese perfect for picking up... look by athe shredded cheese at the store.

canned veggies like carrots peas and green beans.

Hi B.~
Anything that breaks down quickly in her mouth is probably ok. I would opt for the baby puffs instead of cheerios for the dissolving factor. If she does okay, move on to something else like soft fruits and veggies or noodles. Just be careful not to introduce too many things too fast. You'll need to watch for reactions. This is a fun stage as you get to see her discover what she likes and doesn't like. Good luck!
~L.

Hey! I started my son on anything soft - mased potatoes, bannanas, overcooked carrots. You could even start with cherrios - they get soggy pretty quick and are easy to eat. Then it is really up to your daughter and what she can handle. Just offer her a variety of things - you never know what she might like!

I truly believe the best and most healthful first foods are avocados and bananas. Thats what I started my son on and he did really well with that. The avocados are great for omega fatty acids, essential for brain development. Good luck!

I used the Gerber Graduates line mixed with regular table food. They have peaches, green beans and stuff - no preservatives, easy to pick up - that work out well. They also have meat sticks (like Vienna sausages, but softer) which I peeled the outside off.
I *tried* to avoid hotdogs at first (the nitrates and all) but it was a losing battle. There's always spaghetti (cut up), mac and cheese, and any canned veggie cut up small.
Luckily, they don't come with the food hangups the rest of us have - they are a blank canvas! My son tried anything I put in front of him and it was only when he was 2 1/2 or so that he developed the "I won't like it!" syndrome.

B.~
A great book to check out is "First Meals" by Annabel Karmel. It's full of age appropriate food ideas for infants and toddlers!

:)

Try the Gerber fruit & veggie puffs and also the Gerber lil' Crunchies and Wagon Wheels. Little pieces of bread and spiral noodles are good too. My son likes the pasta salads, like Suddenly Salad. Just cut the spiral noodles in half once to make them a little smaller. I was totally paranoid about choking. Just start of small and slow. Good luck.