Eggs or no eggs?
As a first time mom, everything is anxiety-causing, especially when just starting to introduce your baby to solids. I wasn’t an exception. I worried about which foods to give, how to offer them, which ones to avoid, how to store food, whether to give it the second day, whether to reheat (and potentially lose nutrients), how to freeze, etc. I was trying to listen to my motherly intuition but my brain often took over and needed proof, facts, research, medical advice. Ahh, the reality of doing this baby business the first time around. Moms of multiple kids laugh at people like me and themselves when they remember how it all started. Anyway, by 8 months I let go and relaxed. By then, baby led weaning was fully underway and I was more brave about everything.
That said, being concerned about eggs as a first food is a pretty justified fear. Egg white is one of the big allergy-triggering foods. Many pediatricians still recommend to avoid it until 12 months. Egg yolk, on the other hand, is commonly known as a great first food for babies. I did do my research and found out that these days the more progressive crowd of doctors are suggesting to offer whole eggs right from the start. Our pediatrician has also encouraged me to give Soren anything (except for honey) right from 6 months of age. So I did. At 7 months, omelets was (and to this day is) my son’s favorite food. You will see many variations of them on these pages.
Adding vegetables to an omelet is a great way to add nutrients. For those little ones who refuse vegetables, sneaking them in an omelet is a good way (or an attempt) to get your baby to eat them. I have nothing against hiding vegetables in dishes. The most important thing is for your child to receive as many nutrients, flavors, textures, colors and food groups as possible early! Do whatever it takes and whatever is easier to accomplish it.
METHOD
There is no particular trick to this omelet. Whisk 2 eggs with a little bit of milk – mothers, coconut, cows – whichever your child is taking these days. Add chopped leftover steamed broccoli. Cook on low heat on a pan covered with a lid. Until Soren turned 12, I scraped the top of the omelet discarding the crispy bottom. If you leave the omelet in a pan to cool off, then your omelet will not stick.
If you don’t have any egg allergies in the family, I would encourage you to offer it to your baby as early as 6-7 months.
Good luck.
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