Solid foods
When should I start feeding my child solid foods?
What types of foods should I feed my child?
- Cereals Cereals are usually the first solid food added to your baby’s diet. Generally these are introduced to infants between 4 and 6 months of age. Cereals should be fed with a small spoon and should not be given in the baby’s bottle. This is because an infant should be taught to differentiate between what he eats and what he drinks. Start with rice cereal, which is less likely to cause allergies than other cereals. Barley and oatmeal may be tried 2 or 3 weeks later. A mixed cereal should be added to your baby’s diet only after each kind of cereal in the mixed cereal has been separately introduced.
- Vegetables and fruit Strained or pureed vegetables and fruits are the next solid foods introduced to your baby. The order in which you add vegetables and fruits to your baby’s diet is not important. However, you should introduce only one new food at a time and no more than 3 new foods per week.
- Meat and protein alternatives By 7 to 8 months of age your baby should be ready for strained or pureed meats and protein alternatives (such as beans, peas, lentils, cottage cheese, and yogurt). Babies who are only getting breast milk and no other solids can develop a zinc and iron deficiency. This can be prevented by starting pureed red meats between 6 and 8 months.
Are there foods I should not feed my child?
How do I spoon feed my child?
Place food on the middle of the tongue. If you place it in front, your child will probably push it back at you. Some infants get off to a better start if you place the spoon between their lips and let them suck off the food.
Some children constantly bat at the spoon or try to hold it while you are trying to feed them. These children need to be distracted with finger foods or given another spoon to hold.
By the time they are 1 year old, most children want to try to feed themselves and can do so with finger foods. By 15 to 18 months of age, most children can feed themselves with a spoon and no longer need a parent’s help to eat.
When can my child have finger foods?
Finger foods are small, bite-size pieces of soft foods. They can be introduced between 9 and 10 months of age or whenever your child develops a pincer grip.
Most babies love to feed themselves. Since most babies will not be able to feed themselves with a spoon until 15 months of age, finger foods keep them actively involved in the feeding process.
Good finger foods are dry cereals (Cheerios, Rice Krispies, etc.), slices of cheese, pieces of scrambled eggs, slices of canned fruit (peaches, pears, or pineapple), slices of soft fresh fruits (especially bananas), crackers, cookies, and breads.