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Feeding Our Cave-baby

Written by Julie Kelly

Nov. 10, 2014

I usually post Ivy-related things on Instagram, but it occurred to me today that you might be interested in how our little cave-baby eats. We are working on a more comprehensive guide to feeding Paleo babies, but for now, here’s a little peek into how we've been feeding Ivy over the last few months!

Tweet: There is no such thing as baby food - @juliekellynbt | http://ctt.ec/c4JLH+ #Paleo

I generally approach feeding with this in mind, “There is no such thing as baby food.” She eats what we eat. I’ve done very little pureeing, mashing or blending for her. When we started to introduce foods I tried those methods, but it just didn’t feel right to me. First of all, she wasn’t that interested in anything from a spoon, she much preferred eating from my fingers. I used some vegetable mash as dip or sauce for other soft vegetables and let her figure out how to use her gums to eat it. This encouraged chewing from a very early age.

She got so good at mashing and chewing with her gums that I let her have shredded, and even pre-chewed meats as well. That’s right. Pre-chewed. I’m that person. I didn’t want to be, but it was clear to me that it was a natural thing for Ivy to want to eat what I was eating, literally. There is also evidence that slightly pre-chewing or softening meat in a parent’s mouth can help the baby introduce important enzymes that aid in digestion of the complex proteins found in meat.

Do what is right for you, but I typically follow Ivy’s lead when trying to decide how best to feed her. The last thing I want to do is impose some strange habit on her simply because everyone else is doing it. I let her eat with her hands, taste everything we eat, feed her from my plate and introduce and many flavors, spices, herbs, and textures as I can. She can be seen above eating USWellness Meats Head Cheese, smoked salmon, steamed summer squash, sauteed broccoli, kale, and slow cooked pork, lamb, and beef.

There is a lot to talk about when it comes to feeding little ones. I’m happy to share what I’ve encountered in this last year with Ivy. If you’d like more baby feeding information, inspiration, and ideas, stay tuned! We’ve got an in-depth project in the works. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop, and don’t forget to subscribe to The Paleo Baby Podcast!