Page 64 - Winter2009

Growing Wise Kids

INCLUDING BABY AT THE FAMILY TABLE: THE EASE OF BABY-LED WEANING
By Jen Allbritton, CN

Traditional wisdom requires mashing and included “milk” made from bone marrow, liver
blending early foods for baby. However, as baby (often pre-chewed), soft-cooked egg yolks and
matures, allowing him to enjoy the foods from well-mashed tubers (along with breast milk or
the family table is easy and enjoyable. Baby-led homemade formula). Pre-chewing food, usually
weaning, or what I like to call the “less-stress meats, softens the food and adds enzymes from
method” of feeding baby, allows the older baby the saliva to aid digestion. Mashing also makes
to confidently feed himself with many of the food more digestible, ensures that baby gets
same foods the rest of the family is eating. Be- enough to eat and—most importantly—protects
sides time-saving benefits, allowing baby to take against choking.
charge of feeding Nutrition pio-
himself also sup- neer Adelle Davis
ports speech and says in Let’s Have
motor development Healthy Children,
and encourages an first published in
overall more ac- 1951, “As soon as
cepting attitude to- our children could
ward wholesome sit up comfort-
foods. So let baby ably, they were
join in at the family usually put in the
table and dig in! high chair near the
dining room table
KEEPING TO during meals;
TRADITION thus they were
Cultures still Cultures still included in the
living their living their tradi- family social life
and since children
tional ways offer
traditional real, whole foods to learn by imitation,
ways offer their weaning babies Chase heartily enjoying a bowl of soaked oatmeal they could observe

real, whole with special prepara- with butter, blueberries and raw honey. how they would even-
tion to ensure that
tually be expected to
foods to their they are soft and digestible. Cynthia Lair details eat. After teeth appeared—the signal that a baby
weaning a sampling of traditional first foods in her book is physically and emotionally ready for solids—I
babies with Feeding the Whole Family: “Around the globe, started offering tiny bites of nutritious foods
babies start solids on a variety of foods. In prepared for the family; they were usually placed
special Oceania babies are given pre-chewed fish, grubs on the high-chair tray for finger-feeding. Thus
preparation and liver. The Polynesians prefer a pudding-like solids were gradually introduced, but neither of
to ensure mixture of breadfruit and coconut cream. Inuit my babies ate meals until about the age of eight
babies are started on seaweed and seal blubber, or nine months. No foods were purchased or
that they are while Japanese health care providers recommend prepared especially for them; and neither was
soft and a thin rice porridge, eventually made thicker and allowed baby cereals or canned baby foods.”
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digestible. topped with dried fish, tuna, tofu and mashed It is natural to be nervous about feeding
pumpkin.” Closer to home, traditional foods baby solid foods, yet it need not be complicated
62 Wise Traditions WINTER 2009