When your child begins to display their first baby teeth, it often means that it’s time to discover solid foods. Though we don’t recommend going from breast milk to steak, there are still many different types of foods that can be prepared to give your child a happy healthy diet. Let’s explore some foods that are easy on new baby teeth and also beneficial for their oral health.

Best Foods for the Best Beginning

When you begin the journey into solid foods with your baby, the most important thing to remember is to give them foods that are soft on their gums. Even if they have more than one or two baby teeth, there is still plenty of soft gum space that could get damaged by harder foods.

Baby Cereal

This is often the first solid food that is given to babies. Though the flavor is rather bland, the texture will help infants learn how to swallow thicker foods, as well as teach them to use spoons.

Fruits & Veggies

These are great first foods for newly-toothed babies as they are very healthy and easy to soften up to the level you want. Some ways to incorporate fruits & veggies:

• Mash pieces of banana
• Puree a handful of peas
• Bake a sweet potato and mash with a bit of milk
• Boil or steam carrots and puree
• Peel and smash up avocado
• Mash a russet (or any white) potato with milk

As your baby gets older and more teeth poke through, try making these foods chunkier, or add variety with:

• Finley shredded soft meats
• Little bits of cheese
• Small pieces of pasta

Foods to Avoid

Prior to introducing new foods, it’s important to remember that your baby may have food allergies you’re not yet aware of. Exercise caution when selecting what foods to introduce them to. Also, take notice of the size and density of different foods that may seem harmless when you eat them, but could pose a dangerous choking hazard for babies. To avoid these and other hazards, here are several foods you should avoid feeding for your baby’s first foray:

• Honey. Honey can contain bacteria that is tolerable for adults and children over the age of one, but can be hard to digest for those under the one-year mark.
• Hard or sticky food including includes marshmallows, hard candy, and anything else that can easily be a choking hazard.
• Raw fruits and veggies can be hard for a few baby teeth to bite through. Raw carrots, grapes, and broccoli can also be choking hazards, even when cut up into the smallest pieces.
• Whole nuts are also a choking hazard. Nut allergies are also on the rise, and are one of the most common allergies experienced by children.
• Unpasteurized products. Milk, cheese, and juices that aren’t pasteurized can carry the risk of food poisoning in young babies.
• Certain fish and seafood. Shellfish (shrimp, crab, scallops) can cause allergies if a seafood allergy runs in your family. In addition, some fish like swordfish and mackerel have a high mercury content and should be limited even in adults.

Be aware that some foods can cause gas in young tummies which can cause discomfort. These can include:

• Onions
• Dairy
• Wheat
• Beans
• Cruciferous veggies (cabbage, broccoli)

As your baby grows, so will his or her love of the foods that you are introducing. When choosing these foods, it is also important to consider how new foods will impact your baby’s oral health. For more information on oral care for babies, schedule your child’s appointment at Tendercare Dental in Tigard!