We just started solids with our little guy, Issa, about 2 weeks ago, on his 6 month birthday. Up until then, he was (of course!) exclusively breastfed. His first food was not what you may imagine. Most babies these days start out on rice cereal. Being a nutritionist--a Real Food kind of nutritionist--that was not on our list. At all. Ever. Rice cereal is really just starch and synthetic nutrients. In other words, they are a refined grain and are in essence, just sugar. Iron from iron-fortified cereal has only about a 4% absorption rate, and the synthetic form of iron used makes zinc absorption poor. Whole grain baby cereals aren't much better. They contain anti-nutrients which not only make them difficult to digest (and therefore more allergenic), but also block nutrient absorption. Not what you're going for, right? In addition, did you know that babies don't even make amylase, the digestive enzyme that breaks down starch, until closer to 1 year of age, and that they do not have a full set of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes until about age 3? I didn't either until recently. I had never learned this, and I have a Master's Degree in nutrition. Go figure! We are not taught these things by conventional medicine and nutrition--public and professionals alike (I'm so glad I found Integrative and Functional Medicine/Nutrition!!).
So, what did we start him on?
Only the most nutrient-rich foods we could possibly feed him, besides mama's milk: soft-boiled egg yolk first, and then small amounts of frozen grated grass-fed beef liver added to yolk after 4 days on the just the egg. I also am adding just a few granules of Real Salt for trace minerals. The boy laps it up. I had read that babies love the taste of liver in the book, Super Nutrition for Babies, but didn't fully believe it until my own experience with Issa.
Why egg yolk?
To start, eggs are brain food! They contain saturated fat and cholesterol, which babies need a lot of for brain development. In fact, mom's milk is about 50-60% fat, over half of which is saturated, accompanied by sizable doses of brain-healthy cholesterol (yes, healthy!). Eggs also contain choline, which is needed for both brain and eye development/health. Pastured egg yolks are also rich in Vitamin A and D, Omega 3 fats, B vitamins and contain some iron.
Why liver?
Liver is one of the most nutrient-rich foods you can find. We're taught that veggies are where the nutrients are, but animal foods are far superior in both nutrient content and bioavailability (our bodies' ability to use a nutrient). Babies' iron stores from in-utero are running out at about 6 months, and liver has lots of iron, not to mention B-Vitamins, Vitamins A, D, E and K, folate and more. It is very rich, so just a little each day is all that is needed--up to 1 chicken liver or 1 oz of beef/calf liver every other day; or up to 1/3-1/2 oz per day. I am taking cod liver oil, which he gets via breast milk, so I do not plan to exceed this.
You may be wondering about food safety.
We use only organic pastured eggs (lowest salmonella risk and best nutrient profile) and grass-fed liver that has been frozen for a minimum of two weeks to kill any pathogens. Soft-boiling protects the heat-sensitive enzymes, fats and cholesterol in the egg yolk. Destroying the enzymes by over-cooking the yolk, makes it hard to digest and therefore allergenic. Plus, a runny yolk is safer texture-wise for young babies. It's very important to omit the white of the egg completely, as the white is allergenic. I recommend practicing your technique and perfecting it before actual introduction.
What's the trick with the egg?
Here in Albuquerque, we are at 5,000 ft, so the time it takes to soft-boil an egg is twice and long as sea level cooking. I boil my egg for 6 min, 45 sec, rinse it with cold water and then peel it. I take a smooth-edge paring knife and gently cut around the egg about 1/4 of the way down, so that when I remove the top, I can see the top of the yolk. I then take a different clean knife and pierce the yolk, then turn the egg so that the yolk contents pour into my small glass serving bowl. Then I add my grated liver and sea salt (this can be done while the egg is boiling to save time). All the while Issa is watching me impatiently, and is only happy when he is finally able to devour his favorite meal!
Next Up:
After two weeks, we began offering him a solid in the afternoon. First, mashed banana, because raw bananas actually contain amylase to assist babies' digestion of the starch. He is also now eating mashed avocado, which he enjoys more when he is very hungry. Raw avocado is also teeming with enzymes that aid its digestion (particularly lipase, which breaks down its fat as it ripens) and rich in monunsaturated fat, folate and the antioxidant glutathione (much-need for liver detoxification!). Tonight, I will be roasting a grass-fed beef marrow bone and scooping out the marrow for him. Remember that babies need lots of fat, and marrow from grass-fed cows is a great source. Long-forgotten with the onslaught of commercially prepared baby foods, marrow was once a common staple in babies' diets. I can't wait to see how Issa likes it!
