What do infants eat in other countries?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I thought we were being very conservative with introducing foods to our nine-month-old - she has eaten only fruit and vegetable purees and some grains to date. We asked our pediatrician about introducing plain yogurt and egg yolks, which are recommended in several baby books, and she thinks we are moving too fast and to stick to grains, fruits, and veggies for the first year. We've managed to introduce her to about 20 kinds, and luckily she likes most. But I'm curious - what do babies in other countries eat for first foods and as they start to wean?

[Anonymous]

A variety of foods -- including meat, spicy foods, and what adults are eating.

[Anonymous]

Back home we feed the baby out of mom's plate. We just mash it up. Until I came to the

[Anonymous]

US I've never heard of kids allergies or not feeding babies peanuts, honey... We feed EBF babies fruit juices, water and tea when it's too hot out. We bathe babies every day... so many things are different but we can't ignore the weather, genetics and cultural aspects.
Listen to the doc is still the safest.

[Anonymous]

termites.

[Anonymous]

This is a good question. I started wondering this when I was pregnant and then nursing and was told to avoid fish and spicy foods. I thought about the cuisine in Asian countries and wondered whether babies' digestive systems evolve differently in different cultures; because otherwise, what would pregnant women and babies eat in countries with lots of fish and spicy foods in their diets?

[Anonymous]

Well, in my particular Asian country (Vietnam), make their own rice cereal by grinding rice into a fine meal and cooking it. We then introduce foods by mashing it up as well. My baby was eating pho noodles, the broth, and little bits of the meat, cilantro, and spring onions at about 8 months.

Having just spent some time in Italy, they make babyfood with much more adventurous proteins than those found in the US. My baby had rabbit and proscuitto babyfood jars while in Rome...and the jars indicated that they were for babies 6 months and up. I tasted them myself and they seemed pretty bland with just a touch of meat flavoring...similar to the meat babyfood jars here. He also had plenty of pasta with a variety of meat sauces at about 9 months. Even though Italians make their pasta very al dente, he seemed ok with the texture.

Your doc is super conservative. My doc ok-ed yogurt and egg yolks at 6 months. Interestingly, he's an allergist and said that, since we're feeding my older son PB&Js and other nuts on a regular basis, we might as well start my younger son on PB at 1 year (or at least not restrict it) b/c he's exposed to it anyway.

[Anonymous]

I am from South America and I have fed my kids (I have 4) from what we are eating as a family since they started solids. A lot of soups, mashed vegetables and fruits, fish, meat, poultry, spices, herbs, beans, you name it. At the beginning we pured or mashed what we were eating and afterwards cut it real tiny and made sure it was soft and easy to chew. No allergies whatsoever and really healthy children.
The only thing I avoided was honey before 12 months.
My Ped here has always been ok with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:termites.

your baby food here sold in jars in stores is a way healthier than that, right?

[Anonymous]

I find it a little bizarre that your DC is not eating any meat...I thought even in the US they tell you to feed them meat b/c of the iron...?
In France, babies the age of yours eat meat, poultry...etc, and even honey (with fruit puree), which apparently is a no no in the US...

[Anonymous]

OP, question for you.... why do you feel that you have to be conservative in the foods that you offer her?

[Anonymous]

I am French but have lived for many years in the States. In France, after a baby's first experiences with foods (like basic fruit, veg, and cereal), a baby basically starts eating family foods, just pureed or even cut up finely. I think one reason this is not happening so much in the US as frequently is that (not all--and probably not DCUM type people as much--lol) many US families eat so unhealthfully. Even they can't imagine feeding a baby the terrible things they put into their own bodies. The jar baby food in the US, even for older babies past first tastes, is not inventive or tasty. I'm not kidding, French babies eat tastier things--some spices, different mixes of foods. "Rice and chicken" seems like the most complex jarred baby food here. In France, we take so much more time in preparing food and it's normal to spend hours every day preparing and eating food. We just don't have that time here.

[Anonymous]

In Egypt, ful medames for breakfast (fava beans). My kids love it! Great iron, protein, and fiber content.

http://mideastfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/fulmedames.htm

[Anonymous]

After the baby is six months old we just smash our food or put it in the blender, babies eat whatever we eat.

[Anonymous]

My baby is almost 9 months and while i won't give him milk or peanut butter yet I make sure he gets a taste of whatever we are eating. He usually likes it much better than the bland food. He tried lamb and vial all all kids of other things. He still gets most of his nutrition from formula and cereal but I see no problem with letting them try certain things before they're a year old. I'm probably more conservative than my mother (Eastern European) who probably would have fed him anything at 4 months.