First Foods (1978)

[Music] The first year of life is a wonderful time when a baby grows from an almost helpless infant into a fascinating little person. It's not always easy, but it can be a rich and rewarding time for babies and their parents. [Music] By the time the first year is over, the baby can sit and crawl and stand and communicate in one way or another. [Music] They also grow at a remarkable rate. Most babies triple in weight during that first year and get to be one and a half times as tall as they were at birth. All that growth and development takes a lot of energy and energy comes from food. [Music] Every new parent has to contend with an army of self-styled experts on baby feeding. Grandmothers who think that plump babies are healthier. Friends and relatives, baby food manufacturers, and others often try to encourage the early introduction of solid foods. It's not a good idea. Thanks, boy. The fact is that your baby really doesn't need anything but mother's milk or the formula designed to be like mother's milk until he or she is about 3 months old or perhaps even older. these uh preparations, the mother's milk or the formula contain all the nutrients that the baby needs except perhaps for a little iron. But then the baby is born with a store of iron in his or her liver which is designed to last him several months. In addition, the baby itself will tell you that he or she is not ready to eat solid food because their muscle control isn't very good at that age. their tongue and their cheeks and their jaw don't move independently of one another and the net effect is that they spit out the food that's given to them instead of swallowing it. Uh there is also the matter of allergies. Uh we think that the a baby fed solid foods too early, a variety of solid foods is much more likely to develop allergies uh than if she or he wait until uh they're old enough uh to take in those solid foods. And then there is the matter of obesity. Uh there is a growing body of doctors who think that a baby fed solid foods too early is much more likely to get to be a fat baby. And the problem is that this fatness is likely to last for the rest of his or her life. So all in all, you should wait until the doctor or the nurse or nutritionist tells you it's time to feed solid foods. And this won't happen before 3 months. And it's at that time likely to be very simple food like an iron fortified cereal usually barley or rice. I need more. I need a lot. There are some things you can do to make introducing solid foods easier. [Music] I try to pick a time of day when I'm relaxed and when the baby is in a good mood and hungry. It's such a great time to get to know my baby and for her to feel close to me. Was that good? Was that good? Was that good? I usually begin with one or two teaspoons of cereal mixed with formula or milk that I've warmed up. It should be kind of thin because it gets thicker as it stands. You ready? It's a good idea to use a small spoon, too. When a few mouthfuls are spit out, don't be upset. Remember, it's a new experience, and it doesn't necessarily mean that the baby doesn't like the food. You like this, don't you? As with everything else, eating semiolid foods takes a little getting used to. But don't force the baby to eat. Another week or two won't matter. Hi, Doodle. Hey, noodle. Shut up. Shut up. While many mothers use commercially prepared baby foods, a rapidly growing number are making their own. Do you want to have some beef stew? I really like to make my own baby food. It doesn't take too much extra time if you just take the regular vegetables and meat that you've prepared for your regular dinner and before you season them, you put them into a little food mill and grind them together. The baby can end up with food that's nourishing, different, and prepared at home, which makes it a little nicer. Sometimes if you use a lot of meat, it could be a little dry. So you could take some of the cooking juices and add that until you get the proper consistency. You might want it thinner for a younger baby and as the baby gets older, a little thicker. Do you want to have some more? Look what mama has for you. Oh yes. Beef stew. M. That's delicious. All those nice peas and carrots and tomatoes. Do you like that? Tastes pretty good, doesn't it? There are a few things that are important when you're preparing homemade baby foods. You see, babies are very susceptible to food born illnesses caused by bacteria in poorly handled and stored foods, more so than older children or adults. The first rule then is to be sure that everything is absolutely clean. your hands, the food, the equipment, the whole kitchen. Food should be as fresh as possible. Vegetables should be washed with a vegetable brush. And don't add salt or sugar or any other sweeteners. The food tastes fine to the baby without them. If you taste the baby's food, be sure you don't put the same spoon back into the food because any germs you have could spread to the baby. A blender or a simple food mill can make the preparation of your own baby food really easy. Foods can be frozen in a variety of ways. In rigid plastic containers, plastic bags, or small packets of plastic or aluminum foil. You can also freeze foods in individual pop out ice cube containers. Or you can freeze an entire tray and then pop the contents into a plastic bag that you seal tightly. And that's just about it. Just a few simple things to remember. Making your own baby food is really easy and safe if you follow the rules. There are times when commercial baby foods are very useful. When you're on a trip, for example, if you do buy commercial foods, be sure to read the labels. Contents are listed with major ingredients in descending order. If carrots are first on the list, that means the jar contains more carrots than anything else. Keep an eye out for products that have unnecessary ingredients like salt or sugar. There are a few things you should remember when you use commercial foods. Wash the jar thoroughly before you open it. When you open it, listen for the pop. This tells you it has been properly sealed and hasn't spoiled. Unless the baby will eat everything in the jar, it's better to feed from a dish and store the rest in the tightly covered jar in the refrigerator. That's good. Yeah, that's good. Make you grow nice and strong. Take this out and we'll be all ready. I'll just take this. Babies don't have to eat only strained or pureed foods for very long. By the time they have enough teeth, they can begin to eat soft, mashed foods from family meals. You really don't need to buy junior foods. They're just an unnecessary expense. Instead, give your baby things like meat and vegetables that are well cooked and ground, chopped, or mashed, like meatloaf, omelets, or tuna fish. How are we doing here? Is it good? You like that? Here, try this. As the baby develops the ability to chew and to handle foods with his or her palms and fingers, add foods that can be picked up, like soft peeled fruits, cooked vegetables, or small pieces of meat. Avoid foods that might cause the baby to choke, like peanuts or potato chips. Like this. By seven or eight months, most babies are drinking from a cup and eating a wider variety of foods. There's no need to introduce babies to sweet treats when they can have plain fruits or fruit mixed with plain yogurt or other more nutritious desserts. Can we get him? Once they begin to pick up foods, babies want to start feeding themselves. This is another new experience for them. Be patient. Even though the food seems to go everywhere but in the baby's mouth, they enjoy feeding themselves, and in time, they become adept at it. Remember, too, that babies at any age don't necessarily eat as much as adults often think they should. Babies are individuals. By the time they're a year old, they have their own likes and dislikes, and they're not always hungry at the same time each day. [Music] The first year of life can be a wonderful experience for both parents and children. Good nutrition during that year will set patterns which hopefully will last a lifetime. [Music] D [Music] la da. D [Music] [Music]