Ashley was such an awesome guest that she's the first to appear on the Toxin Free Mom To Be podcast for a second time!

Last week, Ashley taught us all about how to introduce first foods. But, since she also has additional training in pediatric feeding and picky eating, she was also the perfect gal to tell us which foods are good to start feeding with.

The Importance of Iron

One fact brought up by Ashley that really stuck out to me, was the importance of iron - especially during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childhood. In fact, iron is one of the top nutrient deficiencies in children (source).

She also pointed out how one role of iron is to aid in absorbing nutrients. So you could theoretically be consuming enough nutrients  but not actually absorbing them if you don't have enough iron. And since children go through so much growth, they are especially vulnerable to negative effects of not having enough micronutrients.

Interestingly, liver (yes, like the actual organ from a cow or chicken!) is not only a potent source of bio-available vitamin A, but also heme-iron. 

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and the idea of eating organs isn't the most appealing (trust me, I get it!) I have linked my favorite freeze-dried and encapsulated liver supplement below in the 'Resource' section. 

Other topics discussed during this episode:

• Top nutrient dense first foods recommended by a pediatric feeding specialist
• Why it is especially important for children of this age to eat calorically dense foods (especially ones high in fat).
• Foods to stay away from as first foods or how to serve them so they do not pose a choking hazard
• Why it may actually be better to serve first foods as stick shapes vs. cubes or purees
• Reasons to ditch the rice cereal
• How to approach picky eating and to realize it is a normal phase children go through
• Top tips from a feeding specialist on how to create positive food experiences for little ones
• What a "no thank bowl" is and why it can be so helpful

Resources:

• Ashley's website: helpinghandsOT.com
• Book for extreme picky eaters: Just Take a Bite
• Instagram: @helpinghandsOT ; @chemistkarma (host)
• Ancestral Supplements - Also supported by the Weston A Price foundation, this is my favorite high quality beef liver. The product is freeze dried and encapsulated (so you get all the benefits, without having to actually eat it!) This company even gets 3rd party testing done to ensure it is pesticide free and they never add fillers of any sort.
• Treat Yourself Inc. - My favorite non-toxic toothpaste and deodorant. Code TOXINFREE saves you 10% storewide!