I just started my 6-month-old on solids. Are the only foods she can eat right now the ones that are on the shelves in stores?

Far from it! This is an exciting age for learning the best flavors from your family’s food culture. The idea of baby food is something of a recent shared cultural myth. For most of human history, including when my father was born, it basically didn’t exist. But by the time I was born, most children in America were fed baby food in jars.

My book Feeding Baby Green is filled with tips, recipes, and ideas for feeding kids from pregnancy through age 2 (and a glimpse ahead to age 9). I suggest 21 families of plant foods you will want to teach your baby to learn during those oh-so-brief months of spoon-feeding.

Besides providing safe, nutritious food for right now, the goal is to use these magical months to teach your baby to enjoy the healthy foods your family eats. One of the best ways to do this is to take whatever you are eating (almost), put it in a portable baby food mill at the table, and spoon feed some of the mixture to your baby.

What about one food at a time? And waiting 3 to 5 days between new foods? Babies become more adventurous eaters when introduced to new foods rapidly. Waiting does nothing to decrease allergies, only makes the detective work a bit easier if one arises. But not that much easier.

What about high allergy foods like nuts, eggs, and fish? The Academy of Pediatrics says (and I agree) that there is no good evidence that delaying any food beyond 6 months of age decreases the likelihood of allergies. In fact, the opposite may be true. Of course, if a child is allergic to a particular food it is wise to avoid it, usually for at least 3 months.

What about carrots? Go for it! You may have heard that it’s best to only feed jarred carrots or other root vegetables because of nitrates. Feeding Baby Green explains this myth in detail. By age 4 to 6 months, this is not a problem. – though I do favor organic produce, which tends to be lower in nitrates as well as in pesticide residue.

What about choking? Whether choosing finger foods (not whole raisins) or spoon foods (not straight peanut butter) be aware of shapes or textures that present a choking risk. Choosing textures they can swallow easily is generally more important than limitations on varieties of foods, with few exceptions.

What about honey? Honey can contain botulism spores that can cause an infection in babies. It’s best to avoid for the first year.

What about other infections? This is the time to be good about food preparation, washing produce, cleaning cutting boards, etc. I also suggest you avoid the same things not best to eat during pregnancy:

• Raw or partially cooked eggs, fish, meat, or poultry.
• Unpasteurized soft cheeses
• Too much fish, or any fish especially high in mercury or PCBs.
• Food from cans with BPA in the lining, or stored, heated, or served in plastic containers with BPA. Ok, this isn’t an infection, but good to keep in mind in pregnancy and now.

What about when you’re on the go? Three thoughts:

• I’ve tried carrying the KidCo portable mill with me to restaurants. Inexpensive, easy, and works when I’m eating out.
• You can use a food processor or electric mill after a meal at home, puree what’s left, and freeze single servings in an ice cube tray that you can bring with you and use later.