Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid To Start Your Baby with Meat as a First Food

I’ve been getting lotssss of questions about introducing solids since I started posting glimpses on my stories; if I’m doing baby led weaning, what foods, etc. so let me dive in!

First off, I’m not doing “baby led weaning” versus “purées.” I’m giving her what she shows interest in. She does show more interest when we sit down to eat as a family, so I will give her a strip of what we’re eating for dinner, whether that be salmon, beef, dark meat or chicken, or steak; making sure the strip is as long as my pinky finger, so it’s large enough she can grasp it, and suck it to get the juices out. The salmon will flake off into pieces, but I cook it so it’s flaky enough that the pieces will melt in her mouth

I’ve also offered purées, liver patee, Ground beef & carrot purée, and sweet potato with bone marrow purée. She didn’t really care to be spoon fed, but she would suck it off my finger, and will bring the spoon to her mouth if I place it on her tray

Some days she shows a lot of interest, bringing food to her mouth again and again, while other days she won’t touch it, and once she even screamed at the sight of food. I don’t force it. I’ll either try again later that day, or wait until tomorrow. I try to offer something daily, to get her exposed, but I also know that when she’s truly ready, she’ll show me

Okay, so why meat first? Once babies turn 6 months old their nutritional needs go up. Specifically, their need for iron, DHA, and zinc shoot up, and breast milk is no longer enough to support those *specific* nutrients. In fact, babies need for iron & zinc at this time are even higher than adults. (breast milk is still AMAZINGGGG for baby, so don’t think you need to stop or switch!)

This is why many pediatricians recommend rice cereal around 6 months, as it’s fortified with iron. However, synthetic vitamins are not the same as those nutrients naturally found in food. Rice cereal is generally nutrient poor and highly processed- hence the fortification with synthetic vitamins, and contains no naturally occurring nutrients for baby. So, I personally choose to offer her iron rich sources straight from the source itself. As we get into more routine meals, I will be sure to offer an iron rich food with all meals, even if that means mixing whipped bone marrow with veggies & fruits.

Babies eat so little at first that it's important to give them the most bang for their buck in terms of nutrition. Hope that helps!