Food is fun until they're one

[MrsSchrute]

I keep seeing this on multiple threads, but it's not true is it? Children need food after 6 months, both nutritionally and developmentally.
Where did it come from? I've searched, and can't find anything to back it up!

@zaffa actually when I had mine I was told purées only until 8 months (USA) but I ignored and used my judgement, dd1 was eating properly at 6 months (it was start weaning at 4 months then) but Dd2 was much later, just not interested. Hard foods were considered a choke risk then

Neither of mine ever accepted food off a spoon. I had to figure out my own BLW before it was a thing!

But honestly what they ate as babies has had zero impact on what they eat now at 8 and 13.

Nutrition in infancy and early years up to 2 years of age is fundament for physical, neurological and mental development. A child starts its development in the womb and will complete it in the first two years when its organs, brain included are still plastic.
How anyone can dismiss the importance of first foods is beyond me.

@LeGrandBleu - I think because I breastfed I didn't worry too much. Luckily I've had very healthy DC. I just don't get the 6 month window to introduce new tastes or they'll be ruined. They get tastes through their breast milk, anyway. And their tastes develop as they get older. They usually go through some kind of fussy stage at one point. My eldest has always been very adventurous with food, has never needed antibiotics but he didn't really eat before 1 so just not sure how accurate this 'window' is.

Pubmed is loaded with medical paper on this.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5331538/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927698/
www.karger.com/Article/FullText/478759

and from the side bars or the reference you can spend hours reading about it.
The importance doesn't only lie in what food a child will be dispose to accept and find pleasant but also the vital microbiome it will develop. Early exposure to processed or ultra processed food on a regular basis from cheerios, to crisps, puffs, sweetened baby porridge, white toast, processed cheese and the lack of vegetable variety, low fibre food will favour harmful special vs the ones that protect us.

Even if you are not a fan of the microbiome, avoiding misshaped teeth, braces, and of course cavities should alone justify a focus on vegetables and real fresh food.
Crooked teeth are linked to refined grains, so avoiding them, and avoiding building a preference in a child for such food is so far reaching, and we know this since 1930 www.ericdavisdental.com/facial-orthotropics-for-your-child/why-raise-unhealthy-children/how-our-ancestors-formed-full-faces-and-straight-teeth/

Books to consider
First bite by Bee Wilson
Dental diet by Steven Lin

To know more about the flavour window all the works of Dr Cooke
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=Lucy+cooke