Starting Solids Foundations

A course on how babies learn to eat and how to support the journey. 

For daycare professionals, caregivers, babysitters and family members of babies 4 months and up.

*Includes access to all our courses, live webinars, on-demand content, downloadable resources, and much more!

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  • Level: All Levels
  • Evaluation
  • +10 Videos
  • Resources
  • Certificate

Course Features

Taught by leading healthcare experts

Reviews the latest research on starting solids

Discusses evidence-based allergen introduction

Dispels common myths & misconceptions

About this course

Our virtual course for professionals and students who want to advance their knowledge of how babies really learn to eat. 

Led by our award-winning team of pediatric feeding therapists, doctors, and dietitians, the course offers evidence-backed strategies for introducing solid food to baby and includes resources that you can use to help parents successfully introduce solids to baby. Available in English and captioned in either English or Spanish.
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Course Content

Video includes

Comprehensive Goals in Starting Solids

Determining the Optimal Start for Solids

Recognizing Neurodevelopmental and Motor Cues

Key Recommendations for Starting Solids

Guiding Parents through Solids and Self-Feeding

Clarifying Misconceptions about Solid Foods First

 Understanding Mastication and Swallowing

Choking Prevention

Allergy Awareness

Research on Early Solid Food Introduction

Nutritional Essentials

Caregiver Role

Course instructors

Meet our Instructors

Led by award-winning pediatric feeding & swallowing specialists, this course covers a range of topics from reflexes and cranial nerves to the complex interplay of oral motor skills, and environmental factors that influence choking risk.
Kim Grenawitzke
Senior Feeding + Swallowing Specialist (OTD, OTR/L, SCFES, IBCLC, CNT)
Specializing in infant and child feeding, eating, and swallowing, Kim has spent the majority of her career in pediatric acute care at some of the largest children's hospitals on the west coast, focusing specifically on neonatal (NICU) feeding and swallowing, breastfeeding with high-risk infants, and infant/pediatric cardiac rehabilitation. In addition to her hospital-based work, Kim has worked with families struggling with breastfeeding, transitioning to solids, selective/picky eating, tube weaning, and oral motor/chewing. Kim is a mom of two in Michigan.

Rachel Ruiz
MD, FAAP
Dr. Ruiz is a mom of three, a board-certified general pediatrician, and a pediatric gastroenterologist. She completed her undergraduate at Dartmouth College, doctorate of medicine and pediatrics residency at Vanderbilt University, and pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Ruiz is an attending pediatric gastroenterologist at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and an affiliated clinical instructor of pediatric gastroenterology at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. She treats a wide range of children suffering from constipation, abdominal pain, swallowing difficulties, inadequate weight gain, inflammatory bowel disease, fatty liver and other liver diseases, and Celiac disease. In her part-time position at Solid Starts, Dr. Ruiz reviews content for evidence-based accuracy, analyzes choking data and trends, and is a trainer for Solid Starts PRO.

Venus Kalami
Pediatric Dietitian + Nutritionist (MNSP, RD, CSP)
Inspired by her mother’s work serving nutritionally vulnerable mothers and infants, Venus is dedicated to bridging nutritional inequities in her work. As a pediatric dietitian in gastroenterology, she works with children with celiac and inflammatory bowel diseases, food allergies, picky eating, and more, while exploring research and program development. Venus completed her Registered Dietitian training at Stanford Medicine and her Masters in Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Off the clock, she practices her polyglot skills, sings jazz, and subjects her husband to unconventional culinary creations.

Course Lessons

Course reviews

"This course helped me become more competent and confident with counseling parents during their child’s transition to solid food."
Lauren
"When counseling families on introducing solids I can now present data based on research studies regarding the safety of finger foods first as well as discuss overall mechanisms of choking / choking protection."
Rachel
"This course has provided me with some of the research backing to explain to parents the benefits of starting with solids and not only purees. I hope it will help me to (at least) encourage parents to use a combined approach."
Kristin
"I have already started to implement principles from this course into patient treatment to help provide them with improved opportunities for success during mealtime. Several of the handouts and resources are very effective in helping parent buy-in, education, and carryover to home environment for pt to truly succeed." 
Caroline
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