Welcome to the Fortified Family! I’m Katie Ferraro, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and mom of 7 and I specialize in baby-led weaning. I’m passionate about feeding strong families and making food fun.
With 7 small kids and 5 in school, morning times are hectic at our house. I’m still streamlining my breakfast system - but here are 4 fast breakfast ideas that are helping me stay (relatively) sane!
If there’s an area of infant feeding I get asked about daily, it’s how to safely introduce potentially allergenic foods to babies. You guys sent me ALL of your questions, and I sat down with Dr. Ron Sunog - pediatrician and author of “Eat the Eight” - for a live Babies & Food Allergy Q&A video, featured here.
What do you do if your baby’s iron levels come back low? Here’s a rundown of my daughter Hannah’s course with low iron levels at her 12-month pediatrician well-check, why I declined supplemental iron drops and how we used food to help bump her hemoglobin level back up.
Helping your baby transition to solid foods is an exciting - but scary process. When it comes to choking prevention and intervention, the ONE thing you can do to ensure your baby is starting solid foods safely is to take an infant CPR course.
Ever feel “stuck” about new meal ideas to feed your family? If you’re stuck in that recipe rut, I’ve got just the antidote - a brand new book from Aileen Cox Blundell with over 150 recipes your entire family will enjoy…including your baby-led weaning babies!
I’m a big believer that preparing wholesome food for your family shouldn’t cost a lot. Here are 10 of my favorite baby-led weaning kitchen tools that I hope will help you and your baby save some serious time and stress as you start solid foods.
Baby Saybie - the world’s smallest baby born at 23 weeks and just over a half pound is home from the hospital. It’s the same NICU our quadruplet babies were at, and I connected with their clinical team to share pre-term infant nutrition tips and a bit about our time in the NICU with quads.
Have you heard about the “Big 8”? They’re the 8 foods that account for about 90% of food allergy in North America. In this post I sit down with Ron Sunog, MD author of “Eat the Eight” to learn more about why parents aren’t actually offering babies allergen foods early and often.
The one time I don’t like babies? When they’re cutting teeth! Teething messes EVERYTHING up…including that new solid food schedule you’re trying out. But check out this frozen teether treats recipe to soothe your baby’s aching gums.
With 7 kids and a full time job, I don’t get to attend in-person nutrition events as often as I would like anymore. But when I hear about a good one, I want in!
Starting solid foods means some serious changes are coming to a baby’s diaper near you! Constipation is a very real - and really challenging - side effect of moving away from a liquids-only diet. Why is your baby constipated? Is it even a problem? And if so…what can you do?
Certainly nobody sets OUT to feed their baby the wrong way…but mistakes happen. Here are 5 common baby-feeding blunders, and a few tips about how YOU can avoid them.
Your baby choking on food while learning how to eat is a rare - but real - risk. I surveyed my audience asking for real life choking stories, and the many responses I received were eye-opening and at times harrowing. Here are their stories…
Recently I surveyed my audience of moms with babies from asking, “Whats the #1 thing holding you back from trying new foods with your baby?” Here’s what you said…
You probably know that your baby needs iron from outside sources starting around age 4-6 months. But not all iron is easily absorbed, so here are 3 easy ways to boost your baby’s iron absorption from foods.
We all know babies are cute - but when it comes to self-feeding they are incredibly capable too! Here are 5 feeding-related things you might not have realized your baby can do.
Protein is important for kids’ growth and development. But parents often wonder if their toddler is eating enough protein…and is that protein coming from the right places?
I love a self-feeding baby as much as the next mom, but I know that many people are put off of baby-led weaning because of the mess. And while it’s not really possible - or practical - to create a totally mess-free environment, here are a few ways you can mitigate the mess with a BLW baby.
When it’s time for baby’s first bites of real food - do you toss it on the tray and call it a day? No way! Here are 5 reasons why baby benefits when you use a baby plate or bowl!
It’s full steam ahead with baby-led weaning in my house right now! Our 6-month old twins Gus & Hannah just started solids using the principles of baby-led weaning…but with a twist: self-feeding purees by spoon.
