Why should babies start with single-grain cereals?
It’s rare for a baby to have an allergy to a single-grain cereal like rice cereal. These cereals are iron-fortified, and it’s also a bit of insurance to give a little more iron early on. Therefore, the first thing you give them is palatable, easy to digest, doesn’t cause allergies, and gets the show on the road. But if parents asked me why they couldn’t start with fruit, I’d say that there’s no reason why you can’t. The key is that you just start with one new food at a time, no matter what it is, and watch for problems. Pureed pears or squash, or mashed bananas or avocados, are other examples of good options. Except for highly allergenic foods, the digestive system can pretty much handle what comes its way by 4 to 6 months.
