When mine were infants I was unable to nurse as there weren’t enough calories in my milk to keep them alive (I know now that this was likely due to the low fat diet I was following!) so they did go on formula, but I’m a big advocate of nursing at least 6 months and preferable up to a year.

For baby foods, I did make a lot of my own, but mainly because of finances, not because I thought it was healthier.

Curious….when did they stop making baby meats? or I should say pureed baby meat? I was looking at the baby food section in the store the other day and was surprised to see that they were no longer on the shelves! (Note…a look at the Gerber site does have meat, but all contain corn starch!)

I think I remember my grandmother telling me thats how she fed all four of her kids as well.

My grandmother is 91 years old and still plants some of her own veggies. Her mother lived to be 102.

My first question is about the vegetable choices. Currently my son is eating squash, sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, green beans, carrots and spinach. The fruits he’s been eating are apples, mango, pears, peaches, and blueberries. I’m pureeing everything and he loves them all. He doesn’t like avocado and banana makes him constipated. I understand that the Grok diet discourages starchy veggies like sweet potatoes and legumes. Looking at my list, that doesn’t leave much. What veggies should I be prioritizing? Should I not be feeding him so many sweet potatoes (they are currently his favorite and he gets them for both lunch and dinner).

My second question is with regards to meat. I have not yet introduced him to meat but your article recommends putting meat through a mill. Would babies of our ancestors be eating meat at such a young age? Chewed up by mom? I can’t imagine being able to chew up chicken soft enough for him at this point. And does the fact that he only has two teeth and not able to masticate the meat on his own not indicate that it’s too early for meat? And what are your thoughts on iron for babies as I’ve chosen not to feed him iron fortified cereals.

Thanks!

I just wish I’d had the resources available to me 30 years ago when my son was born. I tried to do the best I could with the knowledge I had at at the time. I breastfed for almost a year, but had to give it up when I had to return to work full-time. I scrupulously avoided any added sugar in my son’s infant diet. But I did rely a lot on the jars of baby foods – picking only those with no listed additives.

But I was also in the “grains are good” mindset, and tried to use mostly only whole grains which I felt were better.

I mean I *tried*. My son whined and begged for the soft spread margarines because they were easier to spread on his (whole grain) bread, but even then I knew instinctively that they had to be crap. I mean how come something that tasted so dreadful really be any good. So I made my own “soft spread” by mixing softened butter with an equal amount of olive oil in the blender. It stayed soft and spreadable in a tub in the fridge, and my son was happy.

But now, 30 years later on, I know I could have done much better if I’d only known then what I know now.