Little City Kitchen Co. Blog

We have  another round of questions on today’s Scoop on Starting Solids blog series.  Our favorite guest blogger, Dr. Julia Getzelman, founder of GetzWell Pediatrics covers topics today on introducing solids to a “distracted” little one, addressing common baby digestion concerns, and I’ll kick things off answering a question about where I source ingredients that go into baby food from Little City Kitchen Co.

A reminder to readers – submit your baby food-related questions by posting a comment on our Great Baby Food Giveaway blog, and if we feature your question, you win a free pack of baby food from Little City Kitchen Co., just like Kathy, Christine, and Scarlett did this month – congratulations guys!

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Question from Christine:  I’d like to learn more about your adventures in securing organic and fresh ingredients for your baby food.

Jill:  I buy as much directly from the farms as possible, always organic.  The majority of fresh fruits and vegetables are bought from local organic farms that sell at the same farmers markets as I do (easy pickup and I like supporting other market vendors).  My favorites are J&M Ibarra, Allard Farms, and Riverdog.

My brown rice comes from Massa Organics, an awesome local rice and wheat company.  I use exclusively the Native Forest brand of coconut milk because they’re the only organic brand that comes in a non-BPA lined can.

If I can’t get it from the farms directly, I go through a local organic distributor called Veritable Vegetable, or for small quantities of things, I hit up places like Whole Foods or Berkeley Bowl.

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Be forewarned, because next we’re going to talk about a topic that was bound to come up eventually, and one that is near and dear to any new mom’s heart.

Yup, that’s right people, we’re going to talk about poop………

Question from Scarlett:  My 6 month old has been eating solids for about a month. Since she started, she has been very constipated, despite feeding her high fiber foods like prunes and sweet potato. How can I change her diet to make to make it easier on her?

Dr. G: Some babies aren’t ready for starchy foods like sweet potato right away.  You could try leafy greens (kale, collard greens, chard), broccoli, and zucchini–these might help.  If not, beets often “move things along.”

Keep in mind, however, that constipation isn’t just a delay in stooling but hard/dry bowel movements.  So, if she is delayed but happy, that’s OK.  Probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids in the form of high quality fish oil are sometimes necessary to treat true constipation.  Some children do become constipated with the introduction of solid foods despite giving them high quality, whole foods and these are the kiddos for whom I advise using omegas and probiotics.

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Question from Kathy L:  I’ve just started my six month old on solids, but she seems to like chewing on the bowl and spoon more than anything else. When do I start worrying about her not getting enough nutrition from breastmilk along and pushing for her to actually “eat” the solid foods?

Dr. G: Each baby is unique and some are ready to eat solids at 4-5 months while others seem to be happy exclusively breast feeding longer.  In some cases kids don’t begin to really “take” to solid foods until closer to 9-10 months or more.  By 1 year most children are getting the bulk of their calories from solid foods.  So, there’s no rush.

A healthy child will let you know when she’s ready.  You can keep trying by introducing different flavors and foods to her, but she may only take a bite or two and then be distracted by the bowl and the spoon for a few more weeks or months.

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For any of you Peninsula Kaiser mom’s…come to our baby food cooking demonstration as part of the One Day Wellness Workshop held at Kaiser in Daly City.  It’s this Tuesday from 2-5pm (baby food stuff is from 2:45 – 3:45pm).  No charge, so join us if you can!  Have a great week everyone!

Our Scoop on Starting Solids blog series kicks off today with two questions from readers pertaining to introducing solids and cooking with spices.  I’ve enlisted the help of one of our favorite guest bloggers, Dr. Julia Getzelman, founder of  GetzWell Pediatrics, to provide her perspective on these topics.

A reminder to all readers – submit your baby food-related questions by posting a comment on our Great Baby Food Giveaway blog, and if we feature your question, you win a free pack of baby food from Little City Kitchen Co.!

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Question from Lisa M: I have heard conflicting opinions on when the best time to start solid foods really is – is it early or is it later? I think this relates to allergies. So I am trying to understand what solid foods to start in addition to breast milk and when.

Dr G: My belief, and the research is beginning to support this, is that babies are good at deciding when they are ready to begin eating solids.  Sometime between 4 and 6 months most infants will become interested in food.  They will watch intently as mother eats, get excited when they smell food cooking, and may even mimic chewing as they observe others at meals.

When you see these signs, you may begin feeding your baby.  A minority of babies won’t be interested in solid foods until later than 6 months and in those cases should continue to breast feed until they are ready.

Feeding should be a fun process of introducing solids to your baby.  You may begin with any vegetable (or combination of vegetables—think lots of different colors!), steamed, pureed, and combined with a little breast milk or formula to get to a smoothie-type consistency.  The first few times a baby eats, he/she may make funny faces, and may only take a bite or two of what you have prepared.  Don’t let this discourage you.  Just forge ahead and continue offering healthy, organic vegetables to which you might consider adding a little olive oil and fresh herbs.  Most babies like flavor as much as we do!

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Question from Jen A: I am curious about adding spices to my baby’s food, but I am worried that not all are safe for him.  Are there some spices that I should avoid?

Dr. G: Spices contain important antioxidants and other benefits, and babies like flavor.  The more variety you provide to your baby from the get-go, the more adventurous eater your baby will be in the long run.  Other than salt, there is no spice, that your baby may not try.  And keep in mind that a funny face doesn’t mean a rejection.  Furthermore, some babies/kids need to try a certain flavor over a dozen times before liking it.  So don’t give up!

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Julia Getzelman is the founder of GetzWell Pediatrics, and is the only board certified, primary care, integrative pediatrician based in San Francisco.  For more information on GetzWell Pediatrics, check out their website here.

Join Little City Kitchen Co. and GetzWell Pediatrics for free workshops at the San Francisco Birth & Baby Fair on Saturday, June 25th.   Dr. Getzelman will be leading a Vaccines Q&A, and Jill will be leading a cooking demo for parents wishing to make their own organic baby food.