How To Choose Baby’s First Bread

Contrary to what you might read or see on some social media accounts there is absolutely no need to make your baby a special "first bread" recipe. Once again, nutrition and feeding our little people doesn't need to be so complicated. Their guts don't need time to become developmentally ready to handle gluten and grains. Claims like this are not based on any quality evidence nor is the idea that breads purchased from bakeries or supermarkets lack nutrients.

Bread on its own offer a great source of energy as well as a source of fibre, B vitamins, iron, zinc and even protein (bread is more than just carbs after all!). It can be super filling though and solo isn't a balanced meal so adding toppings or serving it as part of a meal is a good idea.

Bread is usually made from wheat flour and wheat is a top 9 allergen. Bread is a household staple so can be a simple and easy way to introduce your bub to wheat. Check out our blog on introducing allergens if you want to know more about how to do this. Some breads will contain soy flour (this is common in many breads from the bakery section of major supermarkets) and some gluten free or speciality varieties also contain egg or sesame. It is always wise to read the label before offering to bub to ensure bread doesn't contain a top 9 allergen you haven't yet introduced.

So, it is safe and totally fine to offer bread to your bub from 6 + months, or when starting solids…but what should you look for when it comes to purchasing bread?

Sodium

Once you have ticked off the allergen check on the ingredient list, sodium is the next big thing to look for when it comes to buying bread for bubs. Again, we don't want parents stressing out about bread or counting milligrams of sodium. The sodium content is just something to keep in mind, when looking for bread to purchase for your little one.

Many breads are super high in sodium and it can actually be pretty difficult to get brands that are less than 120mg/100g which is what you are aiming for with sodium for it to be classified as a "low sodium" food.

Coles brand bakery breads have about 230-270mg per serve but a serve is 2 x slices and most babies aren't eating this much. So, where you can, opt for lower sodium options as close to 120mg per 100g as you can and under 400mg per 100g.

Here are a few lower sodium options:

• Bill's Organic sourdough range (can be purchased at Woolworths) 230mg per 100g (93mg/serve) and is about $8 per loaf
• Coles and Woolworth bakery breads are about 230mg per 100g. and $2-$4 per loaf
• Edward's Sourdough Dark Rye (purchased at Coles, Woolworths or IGA) has 237mg per 100g (this is two slices) and 116mg per serve
• Purelife Ezekiel Sprouted bread ($13 per loaf) with 1mg/serve and per 100g. You can order this online.
• Naturis Organic Salt Free Wholemeal $7.40 per loaf- can be found at speciality health food stores and you can search for these by state online. It has 8mg per 100g of sodium.

In comparison, a Baker's Delight wholemeal loaf has 467mg per 100g and 355mg per serve (which is two slices). So, you can see when it comes to buying bread the targets for low sodium are pretty hard to meet, especially if your household goes through a lot of bread and $13 a loaf is just not going to work for you. This doesn't mean you shouldn't include bread in bub's diet. Where you can pick lower sodium options and offer it as part of a meal or snack. If you're concerned about the sodium just offer it less regularly if you can't source a suitable low sodium option. Having a super low sodium option for bubs under 12 months (that you can keep in the freezer and use over a few weeks) and something more affordable for the rest of the family to smash through is another option too.

How to prepare it:

A lot of parents don't know this but fresh bread can be a choking hazard. Bread, although soft, once moistened in the mouth with saliva becomes sticky and a claggy ball forms. This can be hard for a baby to break up and swallow. Thankfully, there is a quick and easy fix to this. Just lightly toast the bread and add some moist toppings like avocado, hommus, yogurt or even puree you have on hand. Keep in mind spreads like nut butters are also very claggy and thick and if you use a lot they can be a choking hazard.

Other tips when it comes to serving up bread:

• Avoid bread with large seeds or whole grains as this is also a choking hazard
• Cut into long finger length strips so they are easy to grab for little hands
• Mix it up- variety is key! Offering white bread is fine but getting them use to sourdough and wholemeal is also great.

The Take home:
Bread offers a lot for our little ones. You absolutely don't need to make your own filled with expensive ingredients. It is a quick and easy base for lots of food and flavour! Keep an eye out for lower sodium options and reduce choking risk with a few tweaks.

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