I’ve had a lot of fun starting solid foods with my little one this year. She’s responded very well to healthy whole foods like sweet potato, acorn squash, broccoli, avocado, eggs, salmon, and coconut oil.
But I’ve noticed that when she goes on playdates with the other kids, she’s exposed to a lot of finger food like Cheerios, Goldfish, and Puffs. Though they are convenient, there are many reasons I’ve avoided feeding my baby these packaged snack foods.
As a rule, for myself but especially for a baby, I stay away from foods with a long list of ingredients that I can’t recognize. Processed foods are tough on the baby’s immature digestive system, and these “white” foods are nutritionally empty.
I’m concerned about starting a bad habit that I'll regret later. Many moms with older kids told me they wish they had been more adventurous with introducing foods, stuck to whole foods, and stayed away from anything related to bread and sugar.
My baby literally only knows what I provide (she doesn’t even know that bagels exist at this stage!), so I want to provide the best.
I also want her to experience all of the tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, savory). I want to be careful not to favor sweetness.
I know that one day she might be a picky eater, but for now, at 9 months, she loves everything, so I might as well give her the most nutrient-dense options.
I do, however, see the benefit of developing hand-eye coordination by eating bite-size snacks. And I understand that if the baby is at the playground and all of the kids are eating snacks, she will also want to eat and will grab their food. So we needed some alternatives for on-the-go snacks.
