I read about BLW when I was pregnant. I even joined the BLW FB group (I grabbed the photos from here). The outcome that advocates claim were raising non-picky eaters who are independent eaters. That convinced me to try BLW. We didn't really go hardcore BLW. But we tried to follow these basic principles since our baby started munching at 6 months:
1. We prepared almost all her meals. And we did not mash her food.
Her first food was sayote. We peeled and cut the vegetable (french fries-size), steamed, then served after it cooled down. The sayote strips should be solid enough to retain their shape but when you press it between your finger, they should be soft enough to turn into mush. You would be surprised how hard those baby gums are; they can do the mashing. Oh, steamed food is not bad. I was surprised that Baguio beans and other veggies would taste sweet when steamed.
2. We eat together. We let her sit on her chair and eat her food with her hands.
Let your little one explore. Yes, she'll play a bit with her food and it's gonna be messy but that's part of it and that's how kids learn. We did show her how to do it at first. Nanay and Tatay ate the same sayote strips with her, and later on banana, tofu, avocado, papaya, string beans, kamote and kalabasa. Those were my kid's first food.
3. Introduce 1 food at a time. Steer clear of honey, peanuts, citrus and eggs until she turns 1.
We watched out for allergic reactions whenever we give her new food. We also allowed 2 days for her to get used to the new taste. It's rather exciting watching your child try something new and the look on your child's face as she tries a new texture and taste is priceless. Don't worry if your baby doesn't eat much. Milk is still their primary food. As your child grows, offer small and frequent meals.
4. Teach your little one how to chew. Don't panic when your child gags. Show her how to use that gagging reflex.
Exaggerate chewing movements. With our child, we even have a chant. Each time she brings food to her mouth, I chant NGUYA NGUYA NGUYA, NGASAB NGASAB NGASAB (from an Aklat Batibot, Sina Linggit Laban kay Barakuda) while showing her how to chew. And when she gags (and she will i tell you so be ready for it), show her how to dislodge the food by clearing your throat and coughing. Make sure your child is never left unsupervised when eating. And read on and practice Heimlich maneuver before you go on a BLW journey.
5. Eat local and all the colors of the rainbow.
You probably know the song Bahay Kubo. Sing it and you have a good list of first food you can introduce to your baby. Don't forget to let her try even the ones you don't like. My baby never liked ampalaya but we keep offering it once in a while. She still doesn't like it but I know some babies who love the bitter taste!
When she turned 1 year old, we gave her regular cooked food. She ate what we ate (this means we tried to eat healthy too and made sure to go easy on the spices). Her first cooked ulam were tinola and pakbet.
When she was two, we attended Tamang K.A.I.N. - Kid and Infant Nutrition Seminar organized by
Breastfeeding Pinays. We learned that kids should not just be eating greens but all the colors of the rainbow. And all the parts of the plant-- flower, fruit, sprout, leaves, seeds, stalk.
Yes, I know it takes a lot of work to make your child eat right. But I am rewarded each time we eat and she feeds herself. That means I've got an independent eater who let's her Nanay eat peacefully at mealtimes :)
