5 Seemingly Unhealthy Foods for Babies that are Actually OK

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<v SPEAKER_1>How is the mental load of motherhood going for you?

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<v SPEAKER_1>This baby stuff is a lot, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Well, my goal is to give you one less thing to worry about, and that's, hmm, what am I going to feed the baby?

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you are looking for a one-stop solution that literally teaches you exactly how to safely help your baby learn how to eat real food, I want to invite you to join my signature online program called Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro.

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<v SPEAKER_1>This is the most comprehensive Baby-Led Weaning program.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Out there, I give you 20 weeks of meal plans for Baby-Led Weaning to help your baby safely eat 5 new foods a week, which means they're going to finish their 100 First Foods before turning 1.

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<v SPEAKER_1>As one mom who recently joined the program said, quote, our lifestyle does not give us any mental capacity to think more about what to do with this baby.

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<v SPEAKER_1>This program caters to our needs.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Inside of the program, I have my 100 First Foods content library to show you exactly how to safely prepare all of the 100 First Foods for your baby's current age and stage.

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<v SPEAKER_1>My 100 First Foods daily meal plan is also included in there.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's all in one place.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And a mom in our program, she said she joined because, quote, I'm too tired of trying to figure out so many different things at once.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I want someone to tell me what to do to catch up my nine month so we can stop using the same familiar foods we've been feeding her.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you are a type A organized person, or like, let's say you want to be that kind of person, you want to be more organized in what you feed your baby, then I created the Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program for you.

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<v SPEAKER_1>You can sign up at babyledweaning.co.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I have one program with all the stuff you need inside of it to get this thing done and get on with your life.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Again, that's babyledweaning.co.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Check it out, and I hope to see you there.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you are in the market for a new highchair, I just got a Mockingbird highchair, and I absolutely love it.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now you might know Mockingbird from their famous single to double stroller.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And usually when a stroller brand launches a highchair, not to be rude, but sometimes it is not that awesome, that is not the case with Mockingbird.

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<v SPEAKER_1>They totally knocked it out of the park on this highchair.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So in order to support a safe swallow, I only use highchairs with adjustable footrests.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And the Mockingbird highchair, their footrest has four heights to choose from.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And that's better than a lot of brands that say they have an adjustable footrest, and it only goes to two like very random heights.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you use a tray, the Mockingbird highchair also comes standard with the tray, so you don't have to buy it separately like you do with a lot of other brands.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And the tray has three depth positions to grow with your baby too.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The tray liner pops off, and you can throw it in the top rack of your dishwasher for easy cleaning.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, because of the Mockingbird highchair's unique design, you can also use it safely without the tray, and I love that you can just pull your baby right up to the table to participate in mealtimes and baby-led weaning.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Probably my favorite feature, though, are these beautiful soft silicone straps that are so easy to clean, and then they have this genius low-profile hook system behind the chair to hold the straps back when you're also cleaning.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Basically, this highchair has it all.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And it's really reasonably priced for a very beautiful and safe modern highchair.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Mockingbird is offering a very nice deal for our listeners right now.

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<v SPEAKER_1>When you purchase the Mockingbird highchair, you will get their Early Eaters Dishware Set, which also includes a cup, spoons, it has a suction bowl and a lid, and a silicone bib.

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<v SPEAKER_1>That whole set is free.

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<v SPEAKER_1>That's a $45 value when you buy the highchair and use the code Baby-Led at checkout.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So just head to hellomockingbird.com, put the Mockingbird Highchair and their Early Eaters Dishware Set into your cart, enter the code Baby-Led and the Dishware will be free.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Again, that code is Baby-Led, L-E-D, at hellomockingbird.com and definitely check out the Mockingbird Highchair.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And when it comes to those types of animal protein foods, for sure we do not offer soft, solid pieces of meat like pork chops or steak to Early Eaters.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Huge choking hazard.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But that doesn't mean that all cuts of beef or pork are off the table, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>For example, I love beef chuck roast and beef brisket.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Or if you make country style beef ribs the right way, those make nice, soft, shreddable strips of meat.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I always say, if you can shred the meat between your fingers and your thumb, then it's perfectly safe for your baby to eat with their gums.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Hey there, I'm Katie Ferraro, registered dietitian, college nutrition professor and mom of seven, specializing in Baby-Led Weaning.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Here on the Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro podcast, I help you strip out all of the noise and nonsense about feeding, giving you the confidence and knowledge you need to give your baby a safe start to solid foods using Baby-Led Weaning.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Well, hello, and welcome back.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Today, we're going to be talking about five seemingly unhealthy foods for babies that are actually okay.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I was thinking about this topic, because I recently did an episode about the opposite back in 467.

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<v SPEAKER_1>We covered five seemingly healthy baby foods to avoid.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And as a dietician, I don't love listing foods that babies can't eat.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I prefer to think of all of the foods that babies can eat.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So in that episode, I covered some of the foods that we avoid and why, and then provided some alternatives.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But in this one, it got me to thinking about foods that people just tend to think, oh, that's totally not safe for a baby to have.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But if you modify it slightly, it can be absolutely safe for your baby to eat.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So that's what we're covering today in this episode about five seemingly unhealthy foods for babies that are actually OK.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I like to start each of these mini training episodes with a baby-led weaning tip of the day.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And today's tip is the word healthy, even though I use it in the title.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's kind of clickbaity, was because the word healthy, it's not a legally enforceable or recognized term as far as food packaging goes.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The word healthy is subjective, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>It can be interpreted in a lot of ways.

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<v SPEAKER_1>What you consider to be quote unquote healthy might not align with another person's dietary needs or their preferences.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So some people would view foods that are high in natural fats, like avocados, for example, to be unhealthy, because they might, for whatever reason, be on a low-fat diet.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, although that hopefully kind of went out of fashion in the 1990s.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But you get the idea, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>There are foods that contain beneficial nutrients that other people might say, well, those nutrients don't align with what I need right now, etc.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So healthy is most often used as a marketing term, meaning that companies can use it to promote their products.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And they do not have to meet any specific legal standards.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So the FDA has, that's the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, they do have guidance on how the term healthy can be used in labeling.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But these are guidelines, they are not strict laws.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And companies are pretty much free to use the term healthy, as long as it does not mislead consumers about the overall nutritional profile of the food.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So I want you to hang tight, because in this episode, I want to share five unhealthy foods, that you will hear touted in the media, oh, those are unhealthy or those are not good, that are actually okay for babies.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I'll share which one or which variation of that is okay, which ones you want to avoid, and then a resource where you can find out more about each of them.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So, let's go ahead and get started.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I want to start with one of my least favorite foods on the planet, which is peanut butter.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Personally, I just don't like it.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I don't like the way it smells.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I don't like how sticky it is.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Every Thursday, which my kids have half day on Friday, so I have to make lunches Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday for them to go to school.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I make peanut butter and jelly once a week, and it's on Thursday and they know it and they freaking love it.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I hate it.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I won't even put it in my reusable silicone bags.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I use those stasher bags for lunch because the peanut butter is so hard to clean.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I'm just like, I freaking hate peanut butter.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So sorry about the peanut butter diatribe.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But when it comes to peanut butter, parents like, well, yeah, it's a total choking hazard.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I remember watching one of my cousins give her baby a peanut butter sandwich when I was in college and was in my nutrition throughout my life cycle class.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I was like, abhorred.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I was like, did she just keep that baby peanut butter?

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I learned in life cycle nutrition that peanut butter is a choking hazard.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But now that I am a dietician and have had my own kids and teach baby led weaning, I know that peanut butter is not a choking hazard if it's prepared properly.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So yes, we want to avoid thick globs of nut butter.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Like peanut butter straight out of the jar, that is not a good idea for an early eater, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Because it's so sticky that it could easily become lodged on the roof or the sides of your baby's mouth and pose a choking hazard because they don't have the mouth muscles and the muscular strength yet to be able to dislodge that from the roof or the sides of their mouth.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But peanut is really important, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Peanut protein, that's one of the top nine allergenic foods, those nine foods that account for about 90% of food allergy.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So thinned out peanut butter, if you take peanut butter and you mix it with breast milk or formula, or I'll do unsweetened applesauce sometimes, or yogurt if the baby's already had cow's milk protein without an allergic reaction.

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<v SPEAKER_1>You just don't do two new allergenic foods at the same time, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>So if the baby's never had milk and they've never had peanut, I don't thin out peanut butter with cow's milk because if they had a reaction, how would I know if it was from the cow's milk or the peanut?

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<v SPEAKER_1>So back to the peanut butter, if you thin it out so that it's thin enough to slide off of your adult stainless steel spoon, that is an indicator that it's thin enough for your baby to be able to move around their mouth.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So a thinned out peanut butter product is perfectly fine, but you also can get peanut protein into your baby with peanut flour.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So I make these peanut flour pancakes, which are super easy.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Or if you want a low mass, no stress way to do peanut, I love baby peanut puffs.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So you've maybe seen these peanut puffs.

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<v SPEAKER_1>They're not like the little star starchy puffs.

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<v SPEAKER_1>They kind of look like Cheetos and they have peanut protein in them.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I like the ones from the brand PuffWorks Baby.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So PuffWorks Baby makes a baby peanut puff.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's no added sugar.

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<v SPEAKER_1>There's just a smidge of salt in there.

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<v SPEAKER_1>That's for preservative.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And it's the softest puff on the market.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So your baby's, these puffs dissolve like right in your baby's mouth, and you don't even need teeth to start them.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So if you want to check out the PuffWorks Baby peanut butter puffs, the affiliate discount code Baby-Led, I think that works for 15% off at puffworks.com.

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<v SPEAKER_1>They also make a baby almond puff, and you can get a case of half almond and half peanut if you want to check them out, both of those.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The almond one just heads up, that's how I introduce tree nut.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The almond PuffWorks Baby puff also contains peanut, so you want to make sure you do the peanut one, which is only peanut on its own a number of times without reaction, and then do the almond one later, separately, a couple days later or a day later, as a way to introduce them to almond, which is tree nut.

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<v SPEAKER_1>You can knock two of the top nine allergenic foods out with one case of puffs.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So again, that code is Baby-Led for 15% off at puffworks.com.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The second seemingly unhealthy food parents ask about all the time are herbs and spices.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Like, oh, babies need to eat bland food, or I wanted to give my baby this but had too much seasoning on it.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, herbs and spices are perfectly fine for your baby.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Let's start with what do we want to avoid?

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<v SPEAKER_1>We do want to avoid any super spicy herbs or spices that could be potentially injurious to your baby, but everything else is totally above board, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Your baby's actually already been exposed to lots of these flavor compounds, right?

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you were eating, let's say, a spiced food, that you had cumin and your taco meat when you were pregnant, some of those flavor compounds transfer via your amniotic fluid.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And let's say you had some cardamom in an Afghan stew that you were eating when you're breastfeeding.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Again, those compounds will transmit via your breast milk.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So your baby's already been exposed to some of these.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And if there are seasoning, spices, herbs that you use in your family or cultural cooking, go ahead and do it for your baby.

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<v SPEAKER_1>We just avoid any added sugar, added salt, and then of course anything that's super spicy.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you want to learn more about how to flavor, season, and spice your baby's food, back in episode 48, I interviewed Kanchen Koya.

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<v SPEAKER_1>She is the author of the book Spice, Spice Baby with lots of great ideas about seasoning and spicing your baby's food safely.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Again, that's in episode 48, but don't be shy about offering your baby seasoned food, and babies do not need to eat bland food.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Hey, we're going to take a quick break, but I'll be right back.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The next seemingly unhealthy food is all of this hullabaloo online about like, babies can't eat grains, or babies can't eat starches.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I teach an online workshop called Baby-Led Weaning For Beginners, and at the end, there's a Q&A session, and parents submit questions via question box, and I can't tell you how often parents ask about like, well, I heard babies can't digest grains.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you have 20 foods on your 100 First Foods list, Katie, that are starchy foods, and I do, and most of those are whole grains, how's a baby going to digest those?

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<v SPEAKER_1>You would actually be surprised to know that your baby has the anatomy to digest foods like grains as early as three months of age.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, that's at the point when their digestive system gets to the point where it could potentially handle the compounds in those foods.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, of course, we don't feed three-month-olds starchy or grain foods because they're not safe to swallow anything except infant milk.

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<v SPEAKER_1>That's breast milk or formula.

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<v SPEAKER_1>We wait until after the six-month mark, when they're sitting relatively on their own, and they're showing us they have the head and the neck control and the trunk strength to support a safe swallow.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And then it's perfectly fine for babies to start learning how to eat those starchy or those grain foods.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, I would recommend that you avoid refined white bread foods, okay, because refined grains where all the nutrition has been removed.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So the kernel, which is the middle of the grain, which is where the nice fat and the B vitamins and the iron is, if you take that out of processing and you take the bran, that protective outer layer where all the fiber is, okay, when you make white refined bread products, you remove the bran and you remove the germ, and you're just left with the endosperm, which is just like the pure starch, okay?

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<v SPEAKER_1>That's not ideal for babies because we've removed all of the good nutrition.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But if you offer the whole grain food prepared safely for the baby, okay, any of those 20 grain foods and even more, there's lots more whole grain foods out there.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I just have 20 of them in the starchy foods list on my 100 First Foods list.

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<v SPEAKER_1>They're perfectly safe if they are properly prepared.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So if you want to grab a copy of that 100 First Foods list, it's on that free online workshop that I teach called Baby-Led Weaning For Beginners.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Everybody on that workshop gets a copy of my original 100 First Foods list, so you'll never run out of foods, including grain foods, that are totally safe for your baby to eat.

00:14:21.159 --> 00:14:23.519

<v SPEAKER_1>You can sign up for that workshop at babyledweaning.co.

00:14:25.619 --> 00:14:33.599

<v SPEAKER_1>And I would really encourage you to get in the habit of offering your baby a variety of carbohydrate-containing grain, or whole grain, if possible, starchy foods.

00:14:33.599 --> 00:14:37.839

<v SPEAKER_1>Because the last thing you want to do is get stuck in that pasta, potatoes, and rice rut.

00:14:37.839 --> 00:14:40.059

<v SPEAKER_1>And we see that so much with parents of toddlers.

00:14:40.859 --> 00:14:50.179

<v SPEAKER_1>They know that children need carbohydrates to fuel their body, but they don't know how to offer anything except refined white grains like pasta or rice.

00:14:50.179 --> 00:14:54.059

<v SPEAKER_1>And potatoes, you know, in moderation are fine, but they're primarily starch, okay?

00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:58.079

<v SPEAKER_1>And so we want to be offering a greater variety of texture and taste and nutrition.

00:14:58.079 --> 00:15:01.279

<v SPEAKER_1>And the whole grains, they have a ton of iron in them, too.

00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:02.939

<v SPEAKER_1>Not to mention some plant protein.

00:15:02.939 --> 00:15:13.599

<v SPEAKER_1>You can start those around the six-month mark, when your baby's got that all-important flavor window open, or when they will like or accept a wide variety of foods, even the wacky whole grains from the hundred-first foods list.

00:15:13.599 --> 00:15:15.679

<v SPEAKER_1>All right, the fourth food that's seemingly unhealthy.

00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:18.179

<v SPEAKER_1>I hear a lot of misinformation about cow's milk.

00:15:18.179 --> 00:15:22.559

<v SPEAKER_1>Parents will say, Oh, I'm thinking about joining your program, but I want to go dairy-free.

00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:28.559

<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, if your baby has a diagnosed cow's milk protein allergy, then yes, you do need to avoid dairy foods.

00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:36.699

<v SPEAKER_1>And while that is more common than some of the other allergenic foods, it is still not common for infants to be allergic to cow's milk protein.

00:15:37.139 --> 00:15:41.939

<v SPEAKER_1>And so we see a lot of misinformation, parents saying things like, oh, I think my baby is dairy intolerant.

00:15:41.939 --> 00:15:44.979

<v SPEAKER_1>And there's no such thing as being intolerant to dairy.

00:15:44.979 --> 00:15:50.739

<v SPEAKER_1>Back in episode 286, I interviewed one of the world's leaders in this area, Marion Grouch.

00:15:50.739 --> 00:15:53.139

<v SPEAKER_1>Marion talked about, is my baby dairy intolerant?

00:15:53.139 --> 00:15:57.359

<v SPEAKER_1>And she talked about this condition called food protein-induced allergic proctocalitis.

00:15:57.359 --> 00:16:17.979

<v SPEAKER_1>I'm talking to the parents who very early on in your breastfeeding journey, if your baby had blood or mucus in their stool, and you started removing a whole bunch of dairy from your diet and you're nervous that your baby is quote-unquote allergic to cow's milk protein, you might unnecessarily be withholding those cow's milk protein foods when there's absolutely no reason that your older baby, who's now six months of age or older, needs to be.

00:16:17.979 --> 00:16:26.999

<v SPEAKER_1>So if that was you, if you're like, oh my god, I'm freaking out about dairy because back in the day, I couldn't eat dairy when I was breastfeeding, go listen to episode 286 with Marion.

00:16:26.999 --> 00:16:32.699

<v SPEAKER_1>Other times parents will say things like, well, we tried some yogurt, we tried some low-sodium cheeses, and the baby's face broke out in a rash.

00:16:33.179 --> 00:16:38.379

<v SPEAKER_1>There's lots of reasons why babies get atopic dermatitis or contact rashes on their face.

00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:43.399

<v SPEAKER_1>And it very, very infrequently is a side effect of being quote-unquote, allergic to a food.

00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:51.239

<v SPEAKER_1>And we covered this back in episode 274, I interviewed another global leader in pediatric food allergies, Carina Venter, she's a PhD dietician.

00:16:51.239 --> 00:16:54.279

<v SPEAKER_1>And that episode is, baby has skin reactions to milk, egg, and peanut.

00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:55.439

<v SPEAKER_1>What should I do next?

00:16:55.439 --> 00:17:04.279

<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, we talked about what the true signs of allergic reaction are, but more often than not, what parents are describing is not a true food allergy.

00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:16.539

<v SPEAKER_1>And so while food allergies, when they are real and diagnosed, are very serious, what we end up with are lots of parents whose babies do not have cow's milk protein allergy, and they're unnecessarily withholding all of these dairy foods.

00:17:16.539 --> 00:17:24.719

<v SPEAKER_1>Now, it certainly is true that we want to avoid fluid cow's milk in place of infant milk, so in place of breast milk or formula prior to age one.

00:17:24.719 --> 00:17:28.839

<v SPEAKER_1>Breast milk or formula is sufficient to meet your baby's needs for the first six months of life.

00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:33.439

<v SPEAKER_1>Then you start adding complementary foods, but you're continuing that infant milk.

00:17:33.439 --> 00:17:41.499

<v SPEAKER_1>It's only at or after the one year mark, where from a nutritional standpoint, a baby will be fine if you discontinued the infant milk and started on cow's milk.

00:17:41.499 --> 00:17:47.439

<v SPEAKER_1>Lots of you who are breastfeeding may wish to continue breastfeeding beyond age one and into age two, and that's fantastic.

00:17:47.439 --> 00:17:52.719

<v SPEAKER_1>If you're formula feeding at age one, you'd like to stop that and start offering the baby whole milk cow's milk.

00:17:52.719 --> 00:17:57.099

<v SPEAKER_1>We don't do any reduced fat, non-fat, or low-fat dairy products for children under the age of two.

00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:02.499

<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, that's because they need the fat from that full fat dairy for their still developing brain.

00:18:02.499 --> 00:18:09.719

<v SPEAKER_1>But it's perfectly fine to use cow's milk protein as an ingredient in or as a supplemental food to the infant milk that your baby is getting.

00:18:09.719 --> 00:18:14.399

<v SPEAKER_1>And we want to introduce your baby to cow's milk protein because it's one of those top nine allergenic foods.

00:18:14.399 --> 00:18:18.219

<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, that's one of the nine foods that account for about 90% of food allergy.

00:18:18.219 --> 00:18:20.879

<v SPEAKER_1>We want to do it early and often.

00:18:20.879 --> 00:18:23.779

<v SPEAKER_1>All right, so after dairy, the fifth seemingly unhealthy food.

00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:28.639

<v SPEAKER_1>I hear a lot of parents say, oh, well, I'd love for my baby to eat meat, but it's not safe for babies to eat red meat.

00:18:28.639 --> 00:18:32.279

<v SPEAKER_1>And I'm not sure why red meat gets singled out, but it is true.

00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:36.679

<v SPEAKER_1>We want to avoid solid pieces of meat like steak, for example.

00:18:36.679 --> 00:18:40.379

<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, your baby cannot easily chew steak.

00:18:40.379 --> 00:18:43.859

<v SPEAKER_1>Just steak can be a choking hazard even for older toddlers.

00:18:43.859 --> 00:18:47.539

<v SPEAKER_1>But that doesn't mean all beef is off the table or other red meats.

00:18:47.539 --> 00:18:55.019

<v SPEAKER_1>As I always say, if you can shred the meat between your fingers and your thumb, then it's safe for your baby to eat with their gums.

00:18:55.019 --> 00:18:59.239

<v SPEAKER_1>Okay, so steak, I don't care how good your steak is, you're not shredding it between your fingers and your thumb.

00:18:59.239 --> 00:19:12.979

<v SPEAKER_1>But if you take another cut of beef, let's say beef chuck roast, or I love beef, or I love country style beef ribs or beef brisket, if you cook those properly for your baby, you get these nice soft shreddable strips of meat, which are perfectly safe for your baby to eat.

00:19:12.979 --> 00:19:19.259

<v SPEAKER_1>And it's not just beef, other types of meat like lamb and pork and chicken, we can make safe for early eaters to eat.

00:19:19.719 --> 00:19:29.739

<v SPEAKER_1>And if you'd like instructions and videos on how to make all of the foods on the 100 First Foods list safe for your baby to eat, but particularly those meats, because that's the one that gives parents a lot of problems.

00:19:29.739 --> 00:19:36.019

<v SPEAKER_1>I have 100 First Foods content library with all the videos and the instructions and the recipes for different ages and stages.

00:19:36.019 --> 00:19:38.959

<v SPEAKER_1>That's inside of my program, Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro.

00:19:38.959 --> 00:19:40.939

<v SPEAKER_1>You can sign up for that at babyledweaning.co.

00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:45.499

<v SPEAKER_1>I also have my full 100 First Foods daily meal plan in there.

00:19:45.499 --> 00:19:56.999

<v SPEAKER_1>So if you're like, I don't want to pick out the food that they're going to eat today, I did it for you, five new foods a week, 20 weeks of new foods, your baby's going to eat 100 foods, all with the recipes and the instructions on how to make them.

00:19:56.999 --> 00:20:02.099

<v SPEAKER_1>And they get progressively more challenging as your baby gets progressively better at eating.

00:20:02.099 --> 00:20:07.319

<v SPEAKER_1>Again, the program is called Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro, and you can sign up at babyledweaning.co.

00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:13.659

<v SPEAKER_1>So don't forget pieces of steak that are unshreddable or solid pieces of meat that you can't shred, like pork chops, for example.

00:20:13.659 --> 00:20:20.339

<v SPEAKER_1>That's not safe for your early eater to eat, but soft, shreddable strips of meat perfectly fine for your baby to eat.

00:20:20.339 --> 00:20:21.759

<v SPEAKER_1>All right, let's run them down again.

00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:26.999

<v SPEAKER_1>Foods that a lot of people think are unhealthy or unsafe for babies that are actually totally fine if you make them the right way.

00:20:26.999 --> 00:20:28.279

<v SPEAKER_1>Number one, peanut butter.

00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:29.779

<v SPEAKER_1>Number two, spices and herbs.

00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:31.879

<v SPEAKER_1>Number three, starchy or whole grain foods.

00:20:31.879 --> 00:20:33.079

<v SPEAKER_1>Number four, cow's milk foods.

00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:34.959

<v SPEAKER_1>And number five, red meat.

00:20:34.959 --> 00:20:41.219

<v SPEAKER_1>I will put a link to all of the resources that I mentioned in today's episode on the show notes, which you can find at blwpodcast.com/foursevenone.

00:20:43.999 --> 00:20:46.939

<v SPEAKER_1>A special thank you to our partners at Airwave Media.

00:20:46.939 --> 00:20:53.359

<v SPEAKER_1>If you like podcasts that feature food and science and using your brain, check out some of the podcasts from Airwave or online at blwpodcast.com.

00:20:54.819 --> 00:20:57.379

<v SPEAKER_1>Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you next time.

00:20:57.379 --> 00:20:57.659

<v SPEAKER_1>Bye now.

00:21:06.686 --> 00:21:16.166

<v SPEAKER_3>From the terrifying power of tornadoes to sizzling summer temperatures, AccuWeather Daily brings you the top trending weather-related story of the day, seven days a week.

00:21:16.166 --> 00:21:24.586

<v SPEAKER_3>You can learn a lot in just a few minutes with stories about impending hurricanes, winter storms, or even what not to miss in the night sky.

00:21:24.586 --> 00:21:29.626

<v SPEAKER_3>So, listen and subscribe to AccuWeather Daily, wherever you get your podcasts.

00:21:29.626 --> 00:21:32.846

<v SPEAKER_3>That's AccuWeather Daily, wherever you get your podcasts.