This is a unique moment! After 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding or 4 months of formula feeding, the first foods other than milk start to be introduced into the baby’s daily routine. The first baby food marks an important milestone in your baby’s development, and it’s sure to cause a unique reaction with the first spoonful or new taste they try.

Time for Introducing Foods – Juices

The introduction of new foods is guided by the baby’s pediatrician. According to the World Health Organization, breastfeeding should be exclusive until the sixth month1, and then other foods should be presented to the baby. The first step in this transition is juices. The most commonly used juices are usually:

  • Lime orange
  • Apple
  • Carrot
  • Papaya
  • Melon
  • Beetroot

Vegetable juices? Yes! These are rich in vitamins and can be a stepping stone to the first baby food besides being excellent2. Making juice is very simple; most are prepared by blending with filtered water in a blender or, in the case of orange, squeezing it and always straining for babies younger than 7 months. Juices should be offered as soon as they are prepared so that the vitamins are fully present when given to the baby.

Sweet Purees

The second step in introducing your baby to food is sweet purees. These can be made with more common fruits. Of course, citrus fruits should be avoided as much as possible because they are not tolerated well by babies and the acidic taste can be easily rejected. Silver banana, apple banana, apple, pear, papaya, melon, and many others can appeal to your baby’s taste since sweeter foods may be more pleasing to their palate.

Savory Puree

The third and final step is the introduction of the first savory puree. This savory puree should be made with one ingredient at a time to check the baby’s acceptance. Initially, it can be made with potato, carrot, parsnip or Peruvian parsnip, yam, and later more foods can be added together.

Tip for the First Baby Puree

A good tip is to offer a different flavor of puree to the baby each day for the first week and see which one they enjoy most. In the second week, a more varied puree can be introduced. Here is a savory puree recipe:

  • 1 small potato
  • 1 piece of pumpkin (kabocha type)
  • Half a carrot
  • 2 spinach leaves
  • 2 small slices of chicken breast
  • Onion and salt or sea salt

How to Prepare

With a tiny drizzle of olive oil, sauté the chicken and onion. Then add the vegetables and cover with filtered water. Salt should be added in moderation or even left out, depending on the mother’s preference and pediatrician’s guidance.

The meat must be removed before the soup is mashed, strained, or blended. Meat should only be given to the baby after 11 months. The first puree can be passed through a sieve, blended in a blender, or with a hand mixer, although some experts recommend never using a blender.

Chewing should be encouraged from an early age. The BLW method (Baby Led Weaning) is good evidence that babies do not choke so easily; this method means the baby eats by using their own hands.

Learn More About the BLW Method

Tips on washing fruits and vegetables both for juice and baby food – Carefully wash all fruits or vegetables to be juiced or used in the first baby puree. A specific sponge for this purpose can be quite useful. Wash the food with a sponge free of chemicals using only running water; this is very important.

Reader’s Experience

See below for the tips and testimony of Daiane Stachanczyk, 25 years old and mom to 7-month-old Melissa, a blog reader who shares her experience with her baby’s first puree.

Famivita: Was your baby exclusively breastfed or was formula introduced?
Daiane: No. We introduced formula when Melissa was 4 months old; she woke up a lot at night and was not gaining weight at all, so this was the solution we agreed upon with her pediatrician.

Famivita: When was the first non-milk food introduced to your baby?
Daiane: At 5 months, due to low weight, the pediatrician recommended introducing other foods. Good morning Patricia!

Famivita: What was the first solid food your baby tried, both sweet and savory?
Daiane: The sweet one was banana and the savory was chicken puree with carrot and parsnip.

Famivita: Juices – what was the first fruit your baby tried? Which one does she like most these days?
Daiane: The first fruit juice was lime orange, she loved it and it’s still her favorite.

Famivita: Does your baby already eat regular food or still eats purees?
Daiane: She already eats regular food by her own choice; when she turned 7 months, she started to refuse purees, we tried regular food and it worked.

Famivita: Share a memorable or funny experience with your baby’s puree.
Daiane: Melissa learned to blow, and the fun was blowing the food; she had a lot of fun with it, though we didn’t as much.

Famivita: A puree recipe for moms about to start introducing new foods to their babies.
Daiane: 2 parsnips, half a carrot, spinach leaves, 1 chicken fillet cut into cubes, garlic, onion, and olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil, fry the chicken, add the parsnip and carrot, when they are almost cooked add the spinach, after cooking, blend with a hand mixer to break down the pieces.