First Foods: Avocado and Banana

First it starts with fake oxytocin in labor, and then fake breast milk postpartum, and then fake food. After boxed rice cereal is jarred baby food. And then, it's Gold Fish and Cheez-its. Until finally my child is a sugar addict and doesn't even recognize the taste of a baked sweet potato or steamed broccoli. He recognizes food brands and thinks that he can only eat "kid food" in packages. And then, soon, he won't eat anything that isn't puffed, artificially colored, or contain less than 12g of sugar per half a cup.

I bought a box of rice cereal three years ago for Nate when he was four months old because I didn't know any better. I later realized that making my own rice cereal was cheaper and healthier. And this time around with baby number two, I don't even think rice cereal needs to be a first food.

West's first foods are banana and avocado. I take a ripe banana, peel down the sides, and scrape out a small amount. I cut the avocado in half and scrape out small bites for him straight from the avocado. He started out eating about a 1/2 teaspoon and then slowly increased his appetite to a tablespoon, which is where he is now. He is five months old.

Now this isn't rocket science, but I knew nothing about babies when I had my first. I looked outward toward the baby food aisle for answers.

Should we really be diving right into the billion dollar market of boxed processed cereals for our babies? My pediatrician recommends it and most moms do it. What do you do?