I wanted to create a quick and simple way to keep track of what foods my daughter has tried so far on our journey with solids. After going through challenges with my son’s picky eating, I wanted to take what I learned from experience as well as our occupational therapist to try to avoid it this time around with my second child. This is not meant to be a “one and done” approach, as research shows that repeated exposure is key to your child acquiring their actual taste preferences and getting used to new foods. I created this for more of a visual for parents to simply check, cross out or highlight foods that they have exposed their baby to in order for them to get a better idea of ones that they have not yet introduced. However, be sure to keep exposing after the first try!
I have a separate category for allergens. Again, research has proven that “early and often” allergen exposure has been linked to prevention of allergies developing later on. Please follow the guidance of your pediatrician and use this as a tool to follow with your own discretion at your own preferred pacing.
When introducing new foods, I made sure to wait a few days in between trying another new food to make sure my children did not have reactions or sensitivities to those foods.
I hope that this helps just a little bit. I know for me, it can be overwhelming to keep track of what foods have tried with my baby (especially with a busy toddler around), so this helps me to decide what we should try more of or add to next week’s grocery list to try next!
