I always had a hard time swallowing the concept so many pediatricians push on us – that we must start with grain cereal as baby’s first food. In the back of my mind, it screamed that this was not the right way to introduce food so I searched out alternate thinking on the issue. As a result, I tracked down an amazing book called Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett.
The authors explain how to create a love for good food in your child that starts from the very beginning. It sheds what has become the accepted norms for introducing infants to food over the last generation. They suggest instead to allow your baby the freedom to experience food in its natural state. The book offers step by step instructions on how to introduce whole foods (for example celery stalk or quarter of apple) instead of pureed baby foods, while continuing to supplement their diet with breastmilk or formula.
I’ve been successfully using my own variation of baby-led weaning with my second son and we’ve had an extremely positive experience. I firmly believe this method teaches children to love fruits and vegetables first before grains. In a world of growing childhood obesity, this is a message we all must learn.
Stay tuned for an upcoming series on why starting cereal first may not be the best idea, even though most pediatricians still highly recommend it.
P.S. We’re gearing up to teach you exactly how to easily start using our version of the baby-led weaning concept – so get ready for loads of great blog posts, videos, tutorials 
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