Starting Solids with My Little One: A Non-Diet Dietitian’s Perspective

I am not an infant feeding expert (yet?), though I am a dietitian who wholeheartedly supports people in having peaceful relationships with food. Food enjoyment and body trust have absolutely been at the forefront of my mind since having a child – especially now as we are introducing solid foods. This is a really fun time to be both a dietitian and a mom (quite literally, I am drafting this as my seven month old contact naps on me). When I watch my child eat it’s like I am constantly alternating between pairs of glasses — looking at the way my child eats from parental and professional lenses. My mind buzzes with parallels I draw between what it's like fostering my kid’s relationship with food while also supporting my adult clients in healing their relationships with food. 

I am so interested in the topic of introducing solids that I could spend all day talking about it. For now, I will just share a few thoughts and connections that I keep coming back to during this important stage: 

• The importance of exposures. Doing new things can be so hard and I get to see my child do this everyday. We have had many meals where the main accomplishment is sensory play and not much food is consumed. There have also been times where my child is eating bite after bite, even after some gagging. The other day, I even got to see him growl as he took a bite of bread. It's a gift to see my child’s confidence grow over time. As far as new foods go, we have a cute chart on the fridge that encourages us to offer a wide variety of foods — we don’t usually eat turnips but I guess now would be a fun time to have some. I am reminded of sensory approaches to feeding which acknowledges how eating does not begin at the mouth — we first start engaging with a food when we are in the same room with it, and many steps later comes chewing and swallowing. All of this emphasizes the importance of exposure and practice with food as a means to increasing our tolerance and/or enjoyment of various foods. 

• Trusting the process. There are many ways to feed a baby and the most important thing is to meet the child where they are. We have incorporated a mixture of purees and solids, all aligned with Baby Led Weaning, and have been open to seeing what works for our child. What we have realized so far is that purees are much more exciting for him because he likes self-feeding purees with his bright-colored spoons (we think the green one is his fav). We are centering trust in our child’s ability to know what works best for him right now, knowing it will change from day to day. When it comes to trust, it’s a foundational principle in Satter’s Division of Responsibility — a key resource for caregivers navigating mealtimes with young children, and a worthwhile read for anyone who’s interested in learning more. 

• Letting go of “shoulds.” Embracing imperfection has been helpful during this big change in our routine with starting solids. We have had our fair share of “oopsies” come up as we are learning our new routine, like forgetting to use bibs or letting the child drop puree on the dog. We keep learning and iterating on these experiences so that things feel easier over time. It’s okay to not get it perfect the first time, or the tenth. We just keep showing up and doing our best. These are the types of affirmations that come up in my work with clients. 

• Approaching with neutrality. It’s never too early to describe food and bodies neutrally with little ones. Describing the texture, color, taste, and temperature of the food is a fun way to engage with kids during mealtimes. And better yet, it plants small seeds over time that all foods fit and no foods are “better” than other foods. As we look beyond where our high chair sits at the table, we see the “This is a Body Neutral Zone” sign on our fridge — a daily reminder that our bodies are worthy of respect and nourishment. It’s important for us that neutrality with food and body is at the center of these formative experiences for the kiddo. 

  
  

  

Finally, I’ll leave you with a few resources I have really leaned on during the introduction of solids:

• Solid Starts 

• Feeding Littles

• Ellyn Satter Institute

Thanks for reading!

Nicole