Introducing new foods can be exciting and fun for children and parents!

You have to plan ahead to pack real food snacks with an ice pack when venturing out or traveling. It may not seem as easy as a boxed or packaged snack, but you do get used to it!

Some handy snacks ideas to help add some variety for kids that I love:

• sliced up hard boiled eggs

• steamed veggie sticks (until tender)

• oven roasted sweet potato fries or jicama fries

• small cut up pieces of chicken or other tender slow cooked meats

• avocado slices with pink salt

• well-sourced deli meats rolled up

• roasted cauliflower

• kale chips seaweed snacks, and

• berries.

You can find some of my fave recipes linked here.

Babies and small children have their own taste preferences, opinions, and growing levels of independence. Not every child will tolerate the same tastes and textures, and even if they do, they may do it at different paces. The key to introducing new flavors or textures is to repeatedly try, and to try differently. There are, of course, many ideas of what makes a correct ‘first food’ as there are so many options. A good place to start is with nutrient-dense and non-starchy whole foods that have a low chance of causing an allergic response and let your little one be as independent as possible when eating.

Always consult your healthcare professional before introducing solid foods to your baby!

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Recipes, meal plans and nutrition tips to improve overall health are available here.