How to Start Solids E-Book

Franka Lederbogen

• Herausgeber: Studienscheiss Verlag
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 147

Beschreibung

Introducing solid food safely and in a baby-friendly way Introducing solid food is an important developmental step for babies and presents many parents with problems: When is the right time? What can I offer my baby? How can I make sure my baby is doing well? There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the introduction of solid foods. However, with the right approach, starting your baby on solid food can be an exciting adventure for the whole family. This book is your guide to successfully introduce solid food safely. Baby-led weaning: Introducing solid food for your baby – pureed or not In contrast to the classic “step-by-step solid food plan with baby puree” for introducing solid food, this book recommends a needs-oriented start to solid food. The basic idea is that you don’t need to follow a rigid plan when introducing solid foods, but rather pay attention to your baby's needs and offer more variety. To this end, various concepts (baby-led weaning, purees, etc.) are presented and supplemented with recipes for healthy baby food and baby-friendly finger food. The most important basics about starting solids for babies If you are looking for information on a modern and individual introduction to food complimentary to nursing/formula, you will find it in this edition. Practical step-by-step instructions, combined with sound nutritional knowledge and the latest scientific findings, ensure an optimal start to solids. Everything you need to know about introducing complementary feeding is in this book. Among other things, the following topics are presented: Knowledge of the introduction of solid foods Signs that your baby is ready for solid foods Introducing solid foods with pureed food Introducing solid foods baby-led weaning style Suitable and unsuitable foods Feeding and independent eating Baby-friendly nutrition Nutrients and allergies Equipment needed to start solid foods Complimentary food preparation and storage A balanced baby plate Frequently asked questions about starting solids Recipes for the first four weeks In addition to detailed information on starting to wean your baby, you will find numerous tips on how to implement this and baby-friendly recipes. A 4-week step-by-step plan guides you through the first four weeks of introducing solid foods – whether pureed or not. You will receive precise instructions on how to gently and individually introduce your baby to solid food. The recipes have been carefully put together and can be prepared quickly and easily. Food lists and additional variation ideas make preparation easier for you and ensure an optimal start to solid food. Not a “normal” baby guidebook This book about modern complementary feeding is not your typical parenting guidebook with glossy photos and incomprehensible theory – it is a collection of proven methods combined with practical knowledge and healthy complementary feeding recipes. The layout of the book was deliberately kept minimalist; unnecessary explanations and images were avoided. This is not only sustainable and environmentally friendly, but also promotes a focused approach: The focus is on nutritional strategies and baby-friendly recipes. Introducing solids made easy – modern, simple and safe! This practical guide makes starting solids a breeze. Franka Lederbogen, a nutrtitionist and trained specialist in baby-friendly complementary feeding, provides an overview of the most important rules, answers the most frequently asked questions and shares her best recipes for starting solids. The mother of two knows what challenges the introduction of complementary feeding entails – and how to overcome them. In this book, she shares her many years of experience and presents her nutritional concept for an individual and safe start to solids.

Leseprobe

Create a happy eater!

How to Start Solids

Starting Solids for Your Baby with Puree and Finger Foods (The Basic Book for Starting Solid Food and Baby-Led Weaning, Including a 4-Week Guide)

Franka Lederbogen

veggie +

The German National Library lists this publication in the German National Bibliography; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at www.dnb.de.

How to Start Solids: Starting Solids for Your Baby with Puree and Finger Foods (The Basic Book for Starting Solid Food and Baby-Led Weaning, Including a 4-Week Guide) by Franka Lederbogen

Studenscheiss GmbH

Oppenhoffallee 143,

52066 Aachen, Germany

[email protected]

Managing Director: Dr. Tim Reichel, M. Sc.

Registry court: Local Court Aachen

Registration number: HRB 19105

VAT ID No.: DE295455486

1st edition, December 2024

© 2024 veggie + (an imprint of Studienscheiss-Verlag)

ISBN: 978-3-98597-214-2 (Softcover)

ISBN: 978-3-98597-215-9 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 978-3-98597-217-3 (PDF)

ISBN: 978-3-98597-218-0 (EPUB)

All rights reserved. The contents of this book are protected by copyright. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or processed by electronic systems without the permission of the publisher.

Disclaimer: The recipes presented in this book as well as the theoretical explanations on the subject of introducing complementary feeding are the result of the author's practical work. All tips, explanations and recipes described are merely suggestions as to how certain effects can be achieved with certain means. The use and implementation of the described tips are at your own risk. Neither the author nor the publisher accept any responsibility for consequences of any kind whatsoever that have occurred or will occur after the use of one or more of the tips or recipes described.

Copy editing and proofreading: Delia Hansen, Piet Retief

Editor: Hannah Dautzenberg, Aachen

Cover design, layout and typesetting: Tim Reichel, Aachen

Illustration: Jameel Akhtar / vecteezy.com

Photo: Franka Lederbogen, Singapore

Manufacturer: Studienscheiss GmbH, Aachen

Printed in Germany

www.studienscheiss.de

Content

Introduction

A happy eater is a good eater

Important information about the book

The modern way of starting solids

No two starts on solids are the same

Myths about starting solids

Starting complementary food

The basics for your happy eater

How to introduce solid foods

What is complementary food?

Why complementary food?

When should I start complementary foods?

The three signs of readiness

Starting solids with purees

Baby-led weaning

Milk feeds and solid foods

Responsive feeding and eating independently

Is my child eating enough?

Nutrients and digestion

Gagging and choking

Rules for the safe introduction of complementary foods

Suitable and unsuitable foods for babies

Food allergies

Beverages other than milk

Complementary food equipment

Preparation and storage

The first 4 weeks

Starting on solids step by step

First week of feeding solids

Avocado

Cauliflower

Potato

Parsnip

Sweet potato

Broccoli

Spinach

Pumpkin

Second week of feeding solids

Sweet potatoes and red lentils

Spinach and egg

Broccoli and potato

Avocado and almond butter

Green beans and chicken

Tomatoes and chickpeas

Parsnip and beef

Third week of feeding solids

Pumpkin, carrot and ginger

Peas, fish and rice

Bell peppers, zucchinis and onions

Eggplant, lentils and parsley

Potatoes, egg and broccoli

Curried sweet potato and chicken

Beef with vegetables and herbs

Fourth week of feeding solids

Banana three ways

Tomato and mozzarella with basil

Pasta with spinach and salmon

Muesli and berries

Rice with green asparagus and chicken

Sweet potato pancakes with hummus

Tomatoes, beans and beef

Mealtime trials

Common challenges when introducing solids

What’s next?

The next steps in introducing complementary foods

A balanced baby plate

How many meals should your baby have a day?

The pincer grasp

Dairy milk, dairy products and alternatives

Eggs in the first year of life

Nuts for babies

Sugar during the complementary feeding period

Solids foods list

Vegetable and fruits

High-calorie foods

Iron-rich foods

Baby-friendly herbs

Frequently asked questions

FAQ on complementary foods

About the book

The approach

Sources and literature

About the author

Thank You

Reading Tips

One-pot recipes for babies (without purees)

Puree-free snacks for on the go (solid food to go)

Vegetarian introduction to solid foods (puree-free)

Sugar-free baking for babies (Original)

Sugar-free baking for babies (Christmas edition)

Bonus material

Complementary feeding should be a positive experience for you

and your baby. Above all - it should be fun!

Franka on Instagram:

@babyidaeats

Introduction

A happy eater is a good eater

Hi, I‘m Franka, mom to two wonderful “baby-led weaning” babies and a nutritionist specializing in baby-friendly complementary foods. Good, healthy and varied food has been my passion for over 20 years. It was clear to me from the very beginning of my life as a mother: The easy and safe introduction of complementary foods for my girls is vital to me. Who wouldn‘t want to have happy eaters at home?

Since 2019, with my successful blog babyidaisst.com and the Instagram account @babyidaeats, I have helped many parents, whom I support with advice on introducing solid foods. In the same year, I completed further training to become a specialist in baby-friendly complementary feeding with puree and finger foods to build on the content expertise with more scientific facts. My books, instructions, and online courses have already made the start of complementary feeding easier for many parents and helped them to introduce their babies to healthy food in a fun and safe way.

The first year of a baby‘s life holds many challenges for us as parents. But after having two children and talking to other parents, I came to realize one thing: With common sense, plenty of gut instinct and trust in myself and my competent babies, these challenges can be overcome. Sleepless nights, developmental leaps and all those intense phases in the first few months of life sometimes made me doubt what I was doing and even question my role as a mom. But in the end, the important thing is not to let yourself be unsettled - and this also applies to the introduction of complementary foods.

Nursing follows its own rhythm. Over time, you get the feeling that you understand your baby and have introduced some routine into everyday life. Now, the next new and big topic looms on the horizon: starting solids with thousands of questions and uncertainties.

My daughter Ida didn‘t want to “work“ according to any complementary food plan. This led to frustration and starting solids was anything but fun. The attempt to replace breastfeeding with solids ended in disaster - we both cried. The classic method of introducing complementary foods was simply not for us. There had to be another way. I want to spare you and your baby the stress, frustration, and uncertainty that I went through and give you a method of introducing solid food that will allow you to relax when you start feeding solids to your baby. That‘s why I wrote this book.

With two girls and my own business, I‘m one of those pragmatic mothers. I rarely have time to cook from an elaborate recipe. That‘s why I‘ve made this book as practical and easy-to-use as possible. This book is designed to show you a simple, healthy and safe way to start complementary feeding. A way that makes the introduction of baby-friendly foods a joy for everyone involved. The aim is for your baby to not only be a happy eater, but also to love healthy food in all its forms.

Important information about the book

I have written this guide to introducing complementary foods because it is time to show a modern way of starting on solids. I want to move away from a rigid feeding schedule that is receiving increasing criticism. Intuitive learning to eat takes into account the individual needs of babies and parents.

I have written this book with great care, based on the knowledge of my training and my decades of experience with healthy nutrition. The recommendations described come from official sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the German National Breastfeeding Commission and other experts in German- and English-speaking countries. Nevertheless, this book is not a scientific nutrition guide. It cannot replace a personal visit to a pediatrician or nutritionist for children.

All recipes have been compiled without taking into account individual intolerances and allergies. Therefore, I recommend that you check in advance whether the ingredients in the recipes are suitable for you and your family or whether various foods may need to be substituted.

Let me guide you through every single day with a recipe for nutritional food. I will also give you recommendations for preparing finger food and purees and provide you with information about the individual foods. You will also learn which foods can be combined, which spices go well with them and what variety is appropriate for the first few days.

We start with vegetables and supplement the meals with other healthy foods in order to offer as much variety as possible during this time. I also add meat, dairy products, and allergens. This way, your baby learns right from the start that there is more to food than just carrot and potato puree. Ideally, complementary food could be given about an hour after the last milk feed so that your baby is not too full, but also not too hungry. You should offer baby the usual milk feed after complementary food. This way you continue to provide all the important nutrients. At the same time, digestion is promoted. Basically, it doesn‘t matter which meal you start with. If possible, start with a meal that the family eats together and that fits in well with your daily routine.

This book of recipes has a modern, sustainable and minimalist design. That‘s why the publisher and I have dispensed with photos and colorful pictures. However, you still have the opportunity to get a visual idea of all the complementary food recipes, as I have personally made and photographed every complementary food dish. In addition to this book, you will receive a digital photo book from us, in which all the recipes are illustrated.

But that‘s not all. I have also created each of the food and shopping lists from this book. This way you can save the lists, print them out and take them with you when you go shopping. In addition to that, you will receive my four-week complementary food plan as a print template so that you can hang it up in your kitchen. To make sure that your complementary feeding start is a success, I have also created a clear checklist for you, summarizing the most important points. To get this bonus material, simply click on the link at the end of the book or scan the QR code. This will take you to the website of the veggie + publishing house where you can register for the bonus content, free of charge. As an extra you will receive samples of my other cookbooks and can be inspired by the baby-friendly complementary food recipes.

That’s it for now. I hope you have lots of fun when you start your baby on solids with the introduction of complementary foods!

The modern way of starting solids

No two starts on solids are the same

Anyone who follows my blog and Instagram account will know that my daughters were not given purees. Instead, I followed an approach that I have had very good experiences with: baby-led weaning (BLW). I will explain exactly what this means in the next chapter. I have also delved into the topic of baby purees through my further training as a specialist in baby-friendly complementary feeding with and without purees.

Even though the introduction of non-pureed complementary foods is on the rise in Europe, the majority of parents still introduce complementary foods according to the classic complementary food schedule. Their babies‘ first meals in particular consist of puree (often on the advice of pediatricians and midwives). At the time my daughter Ida started her solid food journey, I was almost seen as an exotic figure in my environment with my alternative baby-led weaning approach – although the classic complementary feeding schedule is anything but baby-friendly, as Herbert Renz-Polster describes very vividly in his German blog post “Zoff ums Beifüttern”1. Many baby meal plans suggest replacing breast/formula milk feeds with purees far too early, which can lead to early weaning. However, breast/formula milk should remain the most important source of nutrients in the first year of life.

Through conversations with my ever-growing Instagram community, I found out that most parents would prefer to introduce complementary foods with purees and finger food. My approach to introducing solid foods in this book is intended to meet this wish. I want to move away from the step-by-step complementary feeding schedule towards a baby-friendly complementary feeding introduction that is needs-oriented, individual, and based on current findings.

On-demand breast and bottle feeding, is now widespread and established as a recommendation by experts. So why should giving complementary food be any different? With this book, I will show you a way to create an individualized way to introduce solid foods to your baby.

It‘s about getting to know food, having fun discovering a sense of taste, and learning all the skills needed to eat. Among other things, this lays the foundation for a healthy relationship with food later on in life. I would encourage you to see the introduction of complementary foods as a process in which your baby is given the opportunity to experience food independently and at their own pace. Give your baby the chance to eat independently while taking this journey together.

Myths about starting solids

Before we start with complementary feeding, we must first dispel popular and widespread myths about introducing solids to babies. Many statements and, above all, claims about starting baby on solid food have been around for decades. They are firmly anchored in people’s minds, even though they have been refuted for years and are, simply put, wrong.

Myth #1: All children must start complementary feeding at the same time, at the age of four months

Babies should start complementary foods when they are physiologically ready for them. This maturity is not reached on a calculated day, but over a varied period of time. The baby is most likely ready for solid food between the fifth and seventh month of life.2 I will go into the right starting point in the next chapters.

Almost all recommendations state that complementary feeding is possible from the fourth or fifth month, but only if the baby is ready for it. The latter part of the statement is often overlooked. Your child and their stage of development determine the start of complementary feeding and not some arbitrary date.

Myth #2: Complementary food means purees

The introduction of complementary foods is done with baby purees, right? If we look at how babies are fed worldwide3 or travel back 150 years in time, it quickly becomes clear that this cannot be the only way to achieve the goal. After all, the hand blender was only invented in the middle of the 20th century. The fear that a child will choke on food that has not been pureed is therefore a misconception.4 The human body has the ability to protect itself from choking, even as a baby. More on this in the chapter “Gagging and choking”.

Myth #3: Introducing solids means spoon feeding

As a continuation of myth no. 2, babies do not need to eat puree or be fed with a spoon. Babies are able to grab baby-friendly modified foods and put them in their mouths from the time they are ready to eat.5 A spoon held by another person is not absolutely necessary and may pose a risk of choking.6 You can count on your child’s skills. Sure, it takes some practice, and you can’t do it without messes. But babies learn to eat with a spoon after just a few months if you let them. They control the amount they want and need to eat. 7

Myth #4: Solid food replaces breastfeeding or bottle-feeding

The classic solid food schedule suggests this myth without really addressing it. However, it is quite clear that introducing complementary foods and weaning are two different things. Regardless of how you introduce solid food, breast/formula milk remains the most important source of nutrients in the first year of life at least.8 The amount of puree that a six-month-old baby can eat without initially getting a tummy ache cannot replace the calories and nutrients of a milk meal. As a general rule:

Complementary food is not a substitute food!

This is an additional food to the usual milk feed/meal. Babies only start to demand less milk towards the end of the first year of life. More on this in the chapter Milk feeds and solid foods.

Myth #5: Introducing solid food needs a fixed food plan

A plan for the introduction of complementary foods provides a certain amount of security and is not a bad idea in principle. However, a fixed food plan is not necessary. All children are different, eat differently, and like different foods. If your baby is simply different and doesn’t follow a plan, this is more frustrating than successful. It is therefore important to find out what works for you.

Myth #6: Babies who eat, sleep better

Probably the most common piece of advice I’ve received: “Why don’t you give her puree for supper, then she’ll sleep better”. Sleeping and sleeping through the night are developmental steps9 that may go hand in hand with the introduction of complementary foods. But one has nothing to do with the other. I therefore do not recommend giving your baby a lot of food in the evening in the hope that it will ensure better sleep.