Fruits and Veggies!

M had been only on cereal up until her half year mark. She has had rice and oats. While I guess both taste the same (actually, I needn't guess, I know as I did taste them ;)), I think oatmeal suits her digestive system better. She has also tasted juices of pears, apples and prunes. And now, we have started with mashed fruits and veggies. So, I guess this marks the beginning of solid feeding in a more holistic sense. I plan to start on everything else (proteins etc.) a month or so from now. According to the doc, yogurt and cheeses can wait till the 8th or the 9th month, and whole milk, citrus fruits, honey, nuts etc. till the one year mark. We will more-or-less stick to that.

Okay, so recording her first fruit and vegetable:

• First fruit: Malus domestica (lesser mortals know it as apple :P). If you are (and even if you are not) interested in the exact variety - it was the gala apple (organic) from California :D.

• First vegetable: Lagenaria siceraria. You know what this is? The boring bottle-gourd (from the squash family). For most of my life (and most Indians I know), have hated this vegetable. It is boring and one of the worst tasting ever. My brother actually thought I was making Manya pay for not letting me sleep at nights by forcing her to eat this. I swear that was not the point. My idea was, one, it is such a healthy veggie that goes so easy on the stomach, and two, whatever M tastes after this will definitely be better :P). 

Her Highness starts on cereal

As I mentioned in Manya's fourth month milestone post, the pediatrician recommended at her monthly checkup that I could start her on rice and/or oats cereal. And if you didn't already know, I could easily pass off as the poster girl for my doctors - I trust my docs implicitly and go by whatever they say. In the rare case, I am unable to place my faith in a doc, I find another one.

I am well aware of the ever changing first food trends and all the debates around "refined carbs" that make up baby cereal - also all the endless discussions on how introducing fruits or veggies is a better idea, or at what age to introduce solids etc. etc. Was I confused - well, Yes! But I was clear about one thing in my mind, I'd discuss with the doc and follow exactly what she said.

So, here's the game plan. I started her on rice cereal. In a couple of weeks, I plan to introduce oats. This will pretty much constitute her top feed till she is 6 months old. Except for the situation that she gets constipated - I then have been asked to give her diluted peach/prune/apple juice. At the half year mark, we start with fruits and vegetables - will post more when we reach there.

Meanwhile, the verdict on rice cereal. She has been tasting it without much fussing. Not sure if she likes it or not. Time shall tell how good or bad an eater the highness is.