Giving Babies first Foods

I know that the traditional first foods are cereals like rice cereal but that sounds kind of weird to me personally.  Why would you give your baby something that is highly processed?  USA Today reports: "White rice -- after processing strips away fiber, vitamins and other nutrients -- is a 'nutritional disaster' ... White rice and flour turn to sugar in the body 'almost instantly,' ... raising blood sugar and insulin levels."

I gave Baby Bear fruits and veggies way before she had any grains.  Baby Bear did not start solid foods until 6 months old, but Mini started showing signs of wanting to eat earlier.  She began to imitate with her mouth the way that we were eating and she was also really into looking at food. I wanted to wait until 6 months, but she wanted it now!

At 4 months- she actually yells "ah ah ah ah" when she sees us eating and she is hungry.  {It is not the same sound she makes when see wants to nurse or drink her bottle.  That is more of a "hu hu hu" sound and she jumps excitedly for that.} She know what she wants and will not eat something that she doesn't like (store bought baby veggies were a no-go. I purchased some so that I could keep them in the diaper bag, but she is so picky).

My crazy Grandma was giving me a hard time about feeding Mini natural foods, crazy huh!!  It's like saying to someone eating an apple that they should eat a TV dinner instead! How could fresh unprocessed avocado,banana, or sweet potato be bad!?

 fresh made sweet potato!

When did you start to give your babies solid foods? What kinds of foods did they like?