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Year 1: Solids Feeding & Introducing New Foods to Your Baby in Data

So this can be yet another controversial and deeply personal topic for parents as it relates to their baby: introducing solids. I am sure there are things I will say or show here through data with which people will vehemently disagree. At the same time, I will also say upfront that I am sorry if that is the case: it is perfectly fine to have a different philosophy to solids feeding than I have discussed here, and I honestly don’t care if you disagree.

As always, I recommend checking out A Baby Feeding Journey over 14 Months (a 12 Part Series), which is the overview for our whole “baby in data” series. This will help orientate you on all aspects our data focus on our baby’s first year, including breast milk feeding, (breast milk) pumping, formula feeding, diapers / poop / pee, traveling with baby, baby illnesses and vaccines, and more.

This journey, for us with solids feeding, was very personal for us because like traveling and discussed in our Baby Feeding on Planes & Traveling Globally Told Through Data, eating anything and everything across global cuisines, foods, drinks, and ingredients of the world is a big part of our lives. We wanted the same curiosity and love of food to hopefully be instilled in our child and wanted to give her the best chance to be a little foodie.

Now there is no definitive science behind a lot of what I am going to say now beyond anecdotal evidence and correlation findings in studies.

  • Firstly, we wanted to try things within our control to mitigate/prevent the chances that our baby would be allergic to any food or ingredient. Our general idea here was ensuring mom, while pregnant, had a very diverse diet of all cuisines, all the ingredients that are the typical allergies people in society have, and otherwise not stopping any food type not making its way to the uterus.
  • Secondly, after baby was born, we wanted to continue that philosophy of a varied diet for mom, so that the breast milk (which ended up being mostly pumped as discussed in the post A 1+ Year Breast Pumping Journey in Datawould also have “flavors” of this diet that our baby would ultimately consume.
  • Finally, we were quite aggressive (by the standards and guides we read) in introducing lots of different foods to our baby very quickly and on repeat. Spoiler: our baby had well over 300 different foods/ingredients by the end of year one and the 14 month journey overall.

Milk, Eggs, Nuts (inc. Peanuts which is a legume technically), Shellfish, Sesame, Soy, Fish, and Wheat are amongst the most common allergens people have across the globe. Then, there are other “food types” to consider, like spicy (hot) foods, strong flavors (especially for a western audience) like durian and various pungent cheeses, and harder to find foods like Moreton Bay bugs, alphonso mangoes, stink beans/petai, and quail eggs, which we just wanted to expose our baby to just to see how she reacted and if she would enjoy.

The 6-month mark is typically when experts recommend starting solids for baby these days in the West, assuming your baby is showing all the necessary readiness signs. This used to be earlier in prior generations and still is in certain cultures. We started briefly in month 6 itself as you will see below, but it was after her 6-month birthday during month 7 when we really started the main solids feeding journey and weaning baby. We did try to avoid added sugar mostly (outside of fruits), and for first five months was mostly little or no salt added from a seasoning perspective. As noted, with all spices, including black and white pepper, we were very forward with.

Table 1: Solid Feeding & New Foods Over Time

Chart 1: Solid Feeds, New Foods & Diapers (7-day moving average)

Some Highlights:

  • So during month 7 (6 month old baby) we started the main part of the solids feeding journey, which averaged out to about 1 solids feed per day (usually middle of day). Then from months 8 to 10, we averaged about 2 solid feeds per day (with a slight dip in month 9 due to travel) as solids became the major part of the diet. During months 11 and 12, as we got closer to one year of age, we went to about 3 solid feeds per day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, where solids were her main diet with some augmentation from breast milk (and a little formula). Finally in months 13 and 14, post year 1, an additional solid feed came about due to snacks and more restaurant eating for baby.

  • As for new foods, let’s look at it by day from month 7. Not surprisingly in month 7, when she was eating one solids meal per day, it averaged out to about 1 new food per day. In months 8 and 10, when she was eating 2 solids meals per day, she was also eating about 2 new foods per day (month 9 was more like 1 new food per day, and again the first plane travel trip did disrupt this month). In month 11, she averaged about 1.5 new foods per day, and then month 12, she was eating 2 new foods per day. Finally after turning 1 year old, in months 13 and 14, baby dropped to less than 1 new food per day. Month 13 was skewed heavily to when we were traveling internationally, and then by month 14, which was when we were back home in New York in the winter (Jan to Feb 2023), she was introduced to only two new foods that entire month.

  • Given number of feeds per day were increasing, new foods by day just gives one view our baby’s solids journey. Looking at this from a new foods per feed, this looks more like a continual downward trend. In months 7 to 11, this was closer to 1 new food per feed but trending down. In months 11 and 12, this was closer to every second solid feed including a new food. Then by months 13 and 14, this dropped off heavily.

  • We talked about this Baby’s First Year of Diapers (all the pee & poops), which we will repeat here. Her pooping frequency rose pretty dramatically from 1x a day to 2x per day at month 10. And pooping remained at above 2x per day right through this data series to month 14. Month 12 (30-day month) and month 14 (31-day month) at 69x in the month were her biggest raw numbers, albeit month 12 at 2.3x per day was most frequent. Her poops also became a lot stinkier as she ate more solids and drank less breast milk and formula.

  • Below you can see all the new foods and ingredients as our baby first consumed them. With very few exceptions, she had all of these foods multiple times. The ones she didn’t eat much were things like Moreton Bay bugs, which required being in a certain place in the world, and from a certain venue. Sometimes, there were big gaps in having certain foods due to seasonality, cost, ability to source, or just the food just being incredibly indulgent (and expensive!) like lobster or durian.

  • We tried our best to get the top allergen-type foods into our baby’s diet in the early weeks and months, although somethings like shellfish we waited to get it from a better source or place. We very purposefully made sure baby had common allergens like dairy, nuts, and peanuts at least several times per week. For some of our favorite foods like the fruits mango and durian, we wanted her first experience to be the “best.” Her first mango was alphonso (from India) and her first durian type was Musang King (frozen, from Malyasia). There were also a lot of spices and herbs in the earlier periods of solids introduction, as these were key ingredients in various meals and dishes.

Overall our baby definitely likes stronger flavors, things with texture she can gnaw or chew on, and was open to (hot) spice pretty early on, to the surprise of everyone around including seasoned caregivers. She had odd quirks like not initially being a big fan of commonly perceived favorite baby foods, like avocado or potatoes, but when served in different forms like avocado toast or potato cooked in a curry, then she embraced it more.

Baby has been pretty good with greens and other vegetables from the beginning of her solids journey through now , as her curiosity plus excellent cooking and variety of preparations from mom meant she had a good life. She loves fruit, especially berries, mangoes, and citrus. Anytime we introduced something new to her like jackfruit, passion fruit, or muscat grapes, she was immediately ravenous.

She loves her carbs, especially noodles (in all shapes and sizes) and rice, which is great since she is embracing her Asian heritage. She also loves bread, especially when the bread is toasted or whole grain/wheat, and particularly high quality, naturally leavened loaves from local bakeries. Unsurprisingly, meat and seafood were very easy foods to feed her, especially when prepared with flavorful spices in global cuisines.

Baby did start to develop (for her at least) some picky tendencies, or what is referred to as “toddler selectivity,” at about the 1-year mark, especially with things like having a strong carb preference. This also coincided with a period of heavy travel and declining breast milk output as noted above, which could have played a part due to erratic routines. However, we did notice that when got back to New York about half way through month 13 and then month 14, most of this toddler selectivity did go away when back in her normal, everyday routine, although she certainly does have favorites and things she doesn’t like as much, but will still eat (begrudgingly and/or slowly), but may just come back to later in the meal.

Overall to date, we have lucked out, as per our wishes expressed earlier. Let’s hope baby’s curiosity as a tiny foodie continues as new pressures come into play, like peer groups, introduction to refined sugar, and more processed foods enter her line of sight.

Table 2: New Foods & Ingredients by First Day Consumed

DayWeekMonthFood or Ingredient
921Prune Juice
180266Avocado
181266Mango (Alphonso)
185277Mango (Ataulfo)
187277Lime
189277Asparagus
191287Broccoli
196287Cauliflower
198297Apricot
198297Peanut Butter
199297Nectarine
203297Pineapple
204307Oats
206307Flaxseed
206307Banana (Jamaican)
207307Kiwi
208307Strawberry
209307Chia Seed
209307Spinach
211317Garlic
211317Extra Virgin Olive Oil
212317Egg (Omelet)
212317Banana (Cavendish)
212317Toor Dal
212317Moong Dal
212317Avocado Oil
213318Sweet Potato (Garnet)
214318Plum
215318Tahini
215318Mustard Greens
215318Cumin
215318Coriander
215318Hing
215318Cayenne Pepper
215318Ginger
215318Cilantro
215318Turmeric
215318Thai Green Chili
215318Yellow Onion
215318Curry Leaf
216318Peach
218328Lychee
218328Black Lentils
218328Cucumber
219328Yu Choy (You Cai)
220328Cinnamon
220328Black Pepper
220328Sumac
220328Zucchini
220328Whole Milk Cow Yogurt (Greek Style)
222328Butter
222328Ribeye Steak
222328Gai Lan – Chinese Broccoli
223328Cardamom
223328Nutmeg
224328Almond (Butter)
224328Paprika
224328White Pepper
225338Garam Masala
225338Tomato (In Dal)
225338Masoor Dal
227338Carrots
227338Peas
228338Sardines
230338White Rice (Jasmine)
230338Brown Rice (Basmati)
230338Milk (Whole, Cow)
231338Chard
231338Lemon
231338Blueberries
232348Coconut Milk
232348Raspberries
232348Sweet Potato (Japanese)
233348Black Eyed Peas
233348Bay Leaf
235348Salmon
236348Cashew
236348Guava
236348Kimchi (Cabbage)
237348Quinoa
237348Cabbage
238348Plantain
238348Bell Pepper
239358Chicken
239358Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
240358Egg + Wheat Noodle (Chinese)
240358Thai Guava
241358Summer Squash, Yellow
241358Thyme
241358Cherries
243358Grapefruit
243358Goat Cheese
245359Amchur (Sour Mango Powder)
245359Roasted Cumin Powder
245359Black Cardamom
245359Yogurt (European Style)
246369Buckwheat Noodles
247369Garlic Scapes
249369Chicken Broth
249369Pork Broth
249369Dried Scallops
249369Papaya
250369Watermelon
256379Red Currant
257379Orange
259379White Navy Beans
260389Beef, Wagyu, Ground
260389Pasta (Wheat)
260389Semolina
260389Oregano
260389Blackberries
260389Kale
261389Macadamia Nuts
261389Pumpkin Seeds
263389Snow Peas
263389Basil
263389Chives
264389Honey Crisp Apple
265389Sourdough Bread
265389Eggplant
265389Grapes
266389Ricotta (Cow’S Milk)
267399Pork
268399Kasoor Methi
269399Black Beans
269399Mandarin (Fruit)
270399Beets
270399Tofu
271399Rainbow Chard
272399Urad Dal (Whole; Aka Black Gram); Black Lentil
2754010Ube (Purple Yam)
2774010Fresh Soy Milk
2774010Durian
2774010Hibiscus
2774010Lemon Verbena
2774010Yucca
2774010Tofu Pudding
2784010Nutritional Yeast
2784010Red Potato
2794010Seaweed
2804010Enoki Mushroom
2804010Scallion / Green Onion
2814110Holy Basil
2814110Oyster Sauce
2814110Soy Sauce (Dark)
2814110Soy Sauce (Light)
2814110Sugar
2814110Fish Sauce
2814110Butternut Squash
2824110Walnuts
2834110Sticky Rice (Nuo Mi Fan)
2834110Pear (Bartlett)
2834110Mushroom/Scallop Stock
2844110Corn
2854110Bamboo Shoots
2854110Cornstarch
2854110Chinese Black Vinegar
2874110Green Lentils
2874110Asian Pear
2894210Kabocha Squash
2894210Arugula
2904210Pistachio
2904210Romaine Lettuce
2914210Green String Beans
2924210Brussel Sprouts
2934210Honeynut Squash
2944210Whole Green Moong Dal
2964310Farro
2974310Lemongrass
2974310Brown Sugar
2974310Makrut Lime Leaf
2974310Star Anise
2974310Shallots
2984310Hazelnuts
2984310Bosc Pear
2994310Vanilla Extract
2994310Baking Powder
2994310Pumpkin
2994310Allspice
3004310Baby Corn
3014310Delicata Squash
3014310Corn Tortilla
3014310Mozzarella
3024410Buttermilk
3044410Whole Wheat Flour
3044410Baking Soda
3054411Masa
3064411Lemon Grass
3064411Coconut (Flakes)
3064411Beef Chuck
3074411Gala Apple
3074411Parsnip
3094511Shishito Pepper
3124511Lobster
3124511Cream
3124511Mayonnaise
3124511Oyster
3124511Cheddar
3154511Rye
3154511Caraway Seeds
3164611Barramundi
3174611Blood Orange
3184611Shiitake Mushrooms
3194611Yuzu
3204611Turkey
3204611Tofu Bread
3224611Gemelli Pasta
3234711Split Urad Dal
3244711Sprouted Tofu
3254711Cha Siu
3254711Chang Fen (Fresh Flat Rice Noodle)
3254711Jackfruit
3264711Chives
3264711Grass Jelly
3264711Pecorino
3274711Taro
3284711Persimmon
3294711Israeli Couscous (Pearl Couscous)
3294711Orzo
3294711Red Quinoa
3304811Pomegranate
3314811Smoked Pressed Tofu
3314811Fennel Seed
3314811Pho Rice Noodles
3314811Bean Sprouts
3314811Mint
3344811Udon
3344811Broccoli Rabe
3344811Mirin
3374912Shaoxing Rice Wine
3374912Wood Ear Mushrooms
3374912Celery
3374912Mung Bean (Bean Thread) Vermicelli Noodles
3374912Mo Gua (Fuzzy Melon)
3384912Okra
3414912Flour Tortilla
3424912Lingonberry
3424912Camembert
3434912Chives (Regular)
3434912Mustard
3434912Horseradish
3445012Emmental Cheese
3445012Swiss Cheese
3445012Gruyere Cheese
3445012Ham
3445012Parsley
3434912Multigrain Bread
3455012Lamb’S Lettuce
3455012Black Truffle (Whole)
3455012Veal
3455012Potato Bread
3455012Red Perch Fish
3455012Leeks
3465012Cream Cheese
3465012Dark Beer (Cooked)
3465012Red Wine (Cooked)
3465012Cranberry
3465012Cod Fish
3485012Broccolini
3495012Paneer Cheese
3505012Acai
3525112Spelt (Flour)
3535112Cantaloupe
3565112African Bird’S Eye Chili
3565112Cha Lua
3565112Annatto Seeds
3565112Pate
3565112Congealed Blood
3565112Broken Rice
3605212Feta
3605212Phyllo Dough
3605212Lamb (In Gyro)
3605212Vanilla Bean
3615212Olive
3625212Tea Leaves (Burmese)
3625212Abalone
3625212Thai Purple Rice
3635212Kidney Beans
3635212Shrimp
3635212Moreton Bay Bugs
3645212Miso
3645212Duck
3645212Beef Cheek
3655312Whole Prune
3655312Honey
3655312Edamame
3665313Cashew Cheese
3665313Portobello Mushroom
3665313Haloumi
3655312Watercress
3675313Rose Water
3675313Labne
3675313Maple Syrup
3675313Dill
3685313Mustard
3685313Zucchini Flowers
3685313Pepperoni
3685313Mussels
3705313Passion Fruit
3705313Dried Cranberry
3715313Grana Padano Cheese
3715313Fig
3715313Teff
3735413Quail Egg
3735413Fava Bean
3735413Dark Palm Sugar
3765413Stink Bean
3815513Saffron
3835513Goji Berry
3975714Kumquat
4045814Pecan
4246114Croaker Fish