5 months old, shortly after starting his baby-food. Wearing feeding-silicone-bib around his neck,
it is convenient because even if the food falls out of his mouth it is not spilled around.

　This time, I would like to speak on “baby-food,” I’m sure all of us have eaten. Baby-food is a practice and important step of development to be able to eat the same food as the adult, yet owing to the baby’s individuality there are ups and downs･･･. Some baby over eat and other baby do not eat enough. There seem to be mothers, as numerous as the stars in the sky, who worry about the likes and dislikes of the baby. However there is no one who continues to drink mother’s milk to adult, soon or later everyone will graduate from baby-food and so, I think it is important to positively cope with it.
　Baby-food does not just mean one step from a suckling to an infant, but in general, it starts around 5~6 months old to compliment nutrients not sufficient only by mother’s milk, and supplementing energy according to the growth of the baby. In fact, half a year old baby tends to become deficient in such as iron and vitamin D. According to the guideline of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare that when the following signs, “baby can firmly hold up its own head, can roll over and sit for more than 5 seconds, and pushing out spoon and others are reduced when they are put into baby’s mouth (attenuation of feeding reflex), and show interest in foods” are confirmed then it is the time to start the baby-food. In my home, my son could hold his head and roll over quite early and often put his fingers in his mouth and sucked them, yet I waited for his digestion and absorption organs to develop and started to give baby-food on the day of his 5 months old.
　The baby-food in Japan starts with a spoonful of rice-broth (strained 10-parts-water rice-porridge) or mashed 10-parts-water rice-porridge. After giving it for number of days and when he is used to it, then next is a spoonful of vegetable. And after number of days and getting used to the vegetable, then next is a spoonful of fine-grained-tofu…..as such, from very small amount to gradually increasing the amount and variety of foods, by observing how baby is accommodating. The first 2 months is called “baby-food beginning,” and the baby-food is given only once a day and most of the nutrients are taken from mother’s milk or baby-milk, and because digestion and absorption organs are yet very premature, all of foodstuffs must be given in creamy potage form. Foodstuffs given in this period are “source of energy (carbohydrates),” “source of vitamins and minerals (vegetables・fruits),” “source of proteins (tofu and white-meat fishes)” and they should be prepared in good balance. It is the same with both old and young that good balanced diet is important.
　By the way, the result of questionnaires on baby-food to mothers, the largest numbers of their answers were that “it takes time and is tiresome to make.” It is because at the beginning it is once a day, and the mid-period (around 7~8 months old) it is twice a day, and in the latter-period it increases to 3 times a day, and so the time consumed in making baby-food becomes quite long. Besides cooking for adults, making baby-food in addition and also feeding the baby takes time. And it is common to hear that slow eating baby takes over an hour and mother must stay beside the baby every meal. In these situations, though I would want to say for the sake of the mothers to not to become over fatigued, and it is alright to save some effort in preparing baby-food —— however, there are special attention required in saving mother’s energy. Presently, tempting voices are attractive, and consents are easily gained mainly in SNS such as “Let’s live at ease, and let’s depend on commercial products. It is alright that children are alive.” It is important not to be misled by the temporary “raku (ease),” and not to abandon the significant part of intrinsic nature.
　I consider that infant-food is very important as the initial step in the development of taste-bud, digestion and absorption function of the child and it is no exaggeration to say that it affects the whole life. And so, during this infant-food period, it is better to start giving variety of foodstuffs one by one carefully according to the infant’s development level, and to learn the variety of taste, and it is better not to mix the foodstuffs all together but carefully give it one by one. In this respect, I do not recommend to depend too much on the commercial baby-food from the early stage. The demerits of the commercial baby-foods are pointed out that variety of foodstuffs are mixed together and so it is not possible to distinguish the taste and texture of each one of the foodstuff, and the nutritional balance is biased, and the taste (salt content) is stronger than the handmade food, and also the concern of food-additives contained. Comprehending above facts, and in case of using it, wisely adopt it in small amount or not every day but on some busy days. Instead of depending on commercial baby-food, at present, there is small potion freeze-bag and with some household idea of using ice-cube tray, we could wisely utilize handmade frozen cooking, and by saving time and effort we mothers could spend enjoyable baby-food life!

Initial baby food, after a while he is gradually getting use to eating.
From left below, clockwise, anno-sweet-potato, fine-grained-tofu, green peas and onion.