One of the questions I get asked most often is, “What does Rauri actually eat?”
The answer is pretty simple.
She eats what we eat.
We didn’t buy much baby food. We didn’t make separate meals. We didn’t rely on puffs, crackers, or the traditional kids menu. Instead, we invited her to the family table and made it a priority to teach her from the beginning that real food is normal food.
If you know my husband at all, you know he’s very particular about food. Not just the type of food, but where it came from, how it was raised, and how it was sourced. Long before we had children, he cared deeply about the quality of food we put into our bodies. Once Rauri was born, that passion took on an entirely new meaning.
One of the biggest conversations we had after she arrived was about brain development through food.
How do we give her the strongest foundation possible?
As we started researching infant nutrition, one thing kept standing out to us: breast milk is naturally rich in fat. In fact, roughly half of the calories in breast milk come from fat.
Think about that.
God’s design for a baby’s first food isn’t low-fat, highly processed, or stripped down. It’s rich in the very nutrients a rapidly developing brain and body need.
Somewhere along the way, I think we’ve done ourselves a disservice by reducing these foods to the word “fat.” Fat became something to fear. Yet healthy fats are essential for brain development, hormone production, nutrient absorption, growth, and overall health.
At the same time, we’ve normalized transitioning babies from breast milk to puffs, crackers, cereals, and ultra-processed snacks.
That never made much sense to us.
So when we started solids, we made a different choice.
We chose to prioritize nutrient-dense foods first.
Not because we’re trying to be perfect.
Not because we think everyone should do it exactly the way we do.
But because we wanted her first experiences with food to teach her that real food is normal food.
One thing that surprised me most was how quickly she learned to enjoy these foods.
People often assume children only want chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese, but children learn what food is through exposure. If we consistently offer them real food, many of them learn to enjoy real food.
Rauri genuinely gets excited about eggs, salmon, avocado, lentil soup, sweet potatoes, and slow-cooked meats because those foods have always been normal in our home.
This was never about perfection.
It wasn’t about fear.
And it certainly wasn’t about judgment.
It was about building a foundation.
A foundation that teaches her that meals come from farms, gardens, animals, and kitchens.
Not packages.
A foundation that teaches her that food isn’t just fuel.
It’s information.
It’s nourishment.
It’s one of the greatest gifts we can give a growing child.
Some of Rauri’s favorite first foods included:
- Some of Rauri’s favorite first foods included:
- Butter & ghee
- Avocado
- Egg yolks, scrambled eggs, and fried eggs
- Full-fat Greek yogurt
- A2 milk
- Protein pancakes
- Chicken skewers
- Green beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Salmon
- Ground beef
- Pot roast
- Shredded beef
- Lamb shank
- Chicken broth
- Lentil soup
- Plums
- Prunes
No special baby food.
No separate menu.
Just real food shared around a family table.
Because we’re not just feeding a child.
We’re helping build a healthy adult.
