Introducing new foods

[cwolff]

As I understand it, I can introduce a new few every 3-4 days provided there's not a reaction.  So when introducing, do I give it to her separately, or can I mix it in her cereal?  And should I not give her some of the other foods I've already introduced?  Like for instance, I know she loves pears, and if I give them to her she will definitely eat them.  But now I want to introduce peas.  So should I give her peas alone, peas in cereal or peas and pears together?  I'm afraid by mixing she may not get the true flavor of the new food.  I'm just a bit confused on this whole thing.  So many choices.  Thanks for any help.

[solnme]

I tried introducing new foods like this:
alone for 2 days - if he liked it we'd continue for 4 days.  If not I'd try to mix it with one of his favourites for the other 2 days.

In the beginning I  would rotate vegi than fruit.  If he didn't like it I would go back to a favourite for the last two days before introducing something else.  I tried introducing a new food right away but I think it was a little overwhelming for him. 

Found out early he didn't like fruit on its own. So I'd intro a new fruit alone, didn't like it.  Next day try again.  Didn't like it.  Third day mix it with a favourite e.g. 2 squash 1 apple.  I now find he'll eat almost anything if it's disguised just so.  We just did califlower.  Hated it until it was mixed with carrot. 

Hope this helps

I also intro new foods after he's eaten his cereal. This way he gets something and doesn't go hungry.

[LHightower]

Since my son's digestive system was sensative to solid foods, I always mixed the new food in to his oatmeal.  For example, I would offer peas mixed in oatmeal for 3-4 days for breakfast and if no reaction, I would then move peas up to the dinnertime meal.  Then I would introduce a new food, like peaches, mixed in to his cereal for breakfast the next day.  If no reaction to the peaches, then I knew I could offer them at either breakfast or lunch, etc.

Initially, I always mixed the new food in to his cereal so he was basically eating flavored oatmeal every day.  Now that he is well established on solids, I sometimes mix them together and sometimes not.  Tonight for dinner, he had oatmeal mixed with peas & brown rice followed by a portion of pureed apples.   Now he seems to like the solids either way but in the beginning he preferred them always mixed with the oatmeal.  I think it is because I used breastmilk with the oatmeal and it tasted more familiar to him.  In the beginning, the texture of solid foods really threw him!   

Best of luck!

[cwolff]

THat's great, thanks both of you.  I really like your ideas, and I think I will try both to see which works best for us.