Baby food time

When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods | Nutrition

For more information about how to know if your baby is ready to starting eating foods, what first foods to offer, and what to expect, watch these videos from 1,000 Days.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend children be introduced to foods other than breast milk or infant formula when they are about 6 months old. Introducing foods before 4 months old is not recommended. Every child is different. How do you know if your child is ready for foods other than breast milk or infant formula? You can look for these signs that your child is developmentally ready.

Your child:

Sits up alone or with support.
Is able to control head and neck.
Opens the mouth when food is offered.
Swallows food rather than pushes it back out onto the chin.
Brings objects to the mouth.
Tries to grasp small objects, such as toys or food.
Transfers food from the front to the back of the tongue to swallow.

What Foods Should I Introduce to My Child First?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that for most children, you do not need to give foods in a certain order. Your child can begin eating solid foods at about 6 months old. By the time he or she is 7 or 8 months old, your child can eat a variety of foods from different food groups. These foods include infant cereals, meat or other proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurts and cheeses, and more.

If your child is eating infant cereals, it is important to offer a variety of fortifiedalert icon infant cereals such as oat, barley, and multi-grain instead of only rice cereal. Only providing infant rice cereal is not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration because there is a risk for children to be exposed to arsenic. Visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administrationexternal icon to learn more.

How Should I Introduce My Child to Foods?

Your child needs certain vitamins and minerals to grow healthy and strong.

Now that your child is starting to eat food, be sure to choose foods that give your child all the vitamins and minerals they need.

Click here to learn more about some of these vitamins & minerals.

Let your child try one single-ingredient food at a time at first. This helps you see if your child has any problems with that food, such as food allergies. Wait 3 to 5 days between each new food. Before you know it, your child will be on his or her way to eating and enjoying lots of new foods.

Introduce potentially allergenic foods when other foods are introduced.

Potentially allergenic foods include cow’s milk products, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame. Drinking cow’s milk or fortified soy beverages is not recommended until your child is older than 12 months, but other cow’s milk products, such as yogurt, can be introduced before 12 months. If your child has severe eczema and/or egg allergy, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse about when and how to safely introduce foods with peanuts.

How Should I Prepare Food for My Child to Eat?

At first, it’s easier for your child to eat foods that are mashed, pureed, or strained and very smooth in texture. It can take time for your child to adjust to new food textures. Your child might cough, gag, or spit up. As your baby’s oral skills develop, thicker and lumpier foods can be introduced.

Some foods are potential choking hazards, so it is important to feed your child foods that are the right texture for his or her development. To help prevent choking, prepare foods that can be easily dissolved with saliva and do not require chewing. Feed small portions and encourage your baby to eat slowly. Always watch your child while he or she is eating.

Here are some tips for preparing foods:

Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula, or water to make it smooth and easy for your baby to swallow.
Mash or puree vegetables, fruits and other foods until they are smooth.
Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots, usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.
Cook food until it is soft enough to easily mash with a fork.
Remove all fat, skin, and bones from poultry, meat, and fish, before cooking.
Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit, and then cut the fruit into small pieces.
Cut soft food into small pieces or thin slices.
Cut cylindrical foods like hot dogs, sausage and string cheese into short thin strips instead of round pieces that could get stuck in the airway.
Cut small spherical foods like grapes, cherries, berries and tomatoes into small pieces.
Cook and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, rice, and other grains.

Learn more about potential choking hazards and how to prevent your child from choking.

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Baby teeth chart: What order do teeth come in?

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Teething chart: Which baby teeth come in first?

As you can see from the teething chart above and the illustration below, it's usually the two front teeth on the bottom (the lower central incisors) that come in first.

Even before your baby was born, tooth buds were developing under their gums. Babies typically sprout a tooth between 6 and 12 months, but it's perfectly normal for your baby's first tooth to show up at 3 months – or after their first birthday. (Some babies are even born with teeth!) It's also fine if your child's teeth come in or fall out in a different order than what's outlined here.

Lower central incisors: 6 to 10 months

Teething begins. Your baby's gums may be swollen and red where the teeth are coming through, and your little one may have other teething symptoms. The two middle teeth on the bottom (lower central incisors) are usually the first to erupt, often at about the same time.

Fast fact: Girls usually get their teeth before boys do.

Upper central incisors: 8 to 12 months

Upper middle teeth (the upper central incisors) emerge.

Fast fact: Baby teeth, or primary teeth, have wavy edges that smooth out with use.

Upper lateral incisors: 9 to 13 months

Top teeth right next to the middle teeth (lateral incisors) appear, giving your baby a row of what look like four little Tic Tacs.

Fast fact: Teeth usually emerge in pairs – one on the right and one on the left.

Lower lateral incisors: 10 to 16 months

The lateral incisors appear on the bottom. Now your baby can flash quite the toothy smile.

Fast fact: Baby teeth hold space for permanent teeth developing under the gums.

Upper first molars: 13 to 19 months

Your child's first molars – the wider teeth toward the back of the mouth – erupt on the top. They won't have much to do until the ones on the bottom show up.

Fast fact: Baby teeth are whiter and smaller than permanent teeth.

Lower first molars: 14 to 18 months

The companion molars on the bottom emerge. Now your toddler can really do some serious chewing.

Fast fact: Sometimes the first molars on the top and bottom will erupt on one side before they erupt on the other side.

Upper canines: 16 to 22 months

Also called a cuspid, the upper canine fills the gap between the incisors and first molars.

Fast fact: These teeth are sometimes called dog teeth.

Lower canines: 17 to 23 months

The lower cuspids appear.

Lower second molars: 23 to 31 months

The second molars, or very back teeth, emerge on the bottom.

Upper second molars: 25 to 33 months

The final teeth – the rear molars on the top – work their way in.

By age 3, most kids have a full set of 20 baby teeth and can give you a brilliant grin.

Growth of jaw and facial bones: Ages 4 to 6

The bones in your child's face and jaw grow and develop, creating space between the baby teeth for permanent teeth to come in.

Tooth loss: Ages 6 to 12

Photo credit: Thinkstock

Your child starts losing teeth. During these years, their grin features both baby teeth and permanent teeth as one type starts to replace the other.

Your child's teeth can fall out in any order, but baby teeth are often lost in the same order they arrived. If your child's baby teeth came in later, they may lose them later too.

The middle teeth are usually the first to go (at 6 to 7 years), followed by the ones on either side (at 7 to 8 years). The molars can be lost any time after that but will likely fall out between 9 and 12 years. The bottom canines will probably fall out between 9 and 12 years, and the top canines will come out between 10 and 12 years.

A full set: Age 13

Photo credit: iStock.com / PeopleImages

Your child will probably have all 28 permanent adult teeth at around age 13. (Their four wisdom teeth will come in when they're 17 to 21 years old.)

If you have any concerns about your child's teeth, talk to your child's dentist.

Learn more:

Taking care of your baby's gums and teeth

How to handle tooth accidents

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Karisa Ding

Karisa Ding is a freelance health writer and editor with expertise in preconception, pregnancy, and parenting content. A mother of two, Ding finds great joy in supporting new and expectant parents by providing information they need for the life-changing journey ahead. Ding lives in San Francisco with her family.

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Storage of baby food: terms and requirements for the storage of baby food

Glinskikh Elena

Published: 01/15/2023

Reading time:

606

All parents want to see their baby cheerful, active and healthy. The harmonious development of the child largely depends on the correct and high-quality diet. The market for special baby food is striking in its diversity, and everyone strives to choose the best for the child. But for the safety of the baby and its full development, it is not enough to buy high-quality products. You also need to know how to properly store baby food.

The importance of proper storage of baby food

All children need warmth, care and attention. But the child is gradually growing, while he needs to eat varied. And here the question arises: is it possible to save the cooked product until the next feeding? Here it is important to pay attention to the fact that the child's immune system is not yet strong enough, so the storage of baby food should be given special attention. The well-being and health of the baby often depends on the conditions in which and how long they are kept.

On the safety of baby food

In the Russian Federation there is a whole regulation on the safety of food for children - that's what it is called. This document sets out requirements for manufacturers and sellers of children's products related to the protection of children from toxic and chemical substances. This applies not only to baby food produced in our country, but also imported from abroad. That is why when buying infant formula, porridge, puree or other product, you can be sure of its quality and safety. The regulation requires not only the correct production, but also the packaging, storage and disposal of baby food:

Children's products are sold only through special stores or dedicated departments of supermarkets (therefore, it is better to buy them there or, in extreme cases, in a pharmacy).

Expiration dates are set by the manufacturer, who is fully responsible for the quality of his product.

Transportation of baby food is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the technical regulations for the transportation of any products.

At the same time, a number of conditions must be observed in the production of baby food:

Do not use highly acidic curd products.

Do not add soy flour or grains contaminated with impurities.

Offal is prohibited except for tongue, liver, heart and blood.

Do not include in baby food beef with a fat content of more than 12%, pork - 32%, lamb - 9%.

Do not use salted butter or products with a fat content below 82%*.

For a complete list of products prohibited in the production of baby food, you can follow the link attached to the article.

Rules for storing different types of food

Undoubtedly, breast milk is the most valuable and beneficial for a child. But there are situations when a mother needs to leave the house and she expresses milk in order to feed the baby on time. In addition, the child grows, over time he needs complementary foods. Expressed breast milk, formula-fed infant formula and complementary foods require a special approach, and it is very important to know the conditions and shelf life of baby food.

How long can open packages of infant formula and cereals be kept?

Opened jars (packages) of fruit, vegetable and meat puree should only be stored in the refrigerator. And after opening the package, you can eat only within 12 hours **. After the expiration date or 12 hours after opening the package, the product must be disposed of, since it can no longer be eaten. Yes, not only for children, but also for adults.

Many people are also wondering how long homemade baby food, such as freshly prepared vegetable or fruit purees and juices, can be stored. There are two main options to use immediately after preparation (the best) or freeze. Such a product will also be suitable for eating for 12 hours, after which it will begin to deteriorate. Frozen fruits and vegetables can be stored in the freezer for up to six months, depending on the culture. However, even frozen products have expiration dates, after which it would be wiser to throw them away than eat them.

General storage rules

A huge variety and affordable cost of products greatly facilitate the worries of preparing complementary foods for children. But along with this, many parents face another problem: where to store baby food? So that the products do not lose their qualities from the influence of external factors, the following basic rules must be observed.

Hygiene. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food and feeding your baby. The child's dishes should always be clean and stored separately in sterile conditions.

Storage location. Dry cereals and mixtures should be stored in a ventilated cupboard out of the reach of children. In caring for a baby, mothers are loaded with various problems and worries. It is difficult for them to remember everything, so it is recommended to stick a label on each product with the date of its opening. This will help you meet the deadlines.

When feeding a child with vegetable and fruit juices, puree or fermented milk products in jars, it should be remembered that after the integrity of the package, the use of its contents is allowed on average up to 12 - 24 hours. Different manufacturers may have different terms, read carefully what is written on the label! Be sure to ensure that the integrity of the packaging has not been violated even in the store. Most manufacturers on the jars have a special protection against opening. Fresh puree in jars emits a characteristic “pop” when opened, juices must have either a protective foil film or a special opening mechanism. Unopened jars of juices and purees can be stored in the cupboard, while dairy products should only be kept in the refrigerator.

Vessels for storing baby food can be glass or plastic, but must be labeled accordingly, indicating the absence of toxic impurities in the composition of the material.

Food for a child is a source of energy and a guarantee of full growth and development. Therefore, it is very important not only to buy quality products, but also to learn how to properly store them. The health and well-being of the baby, the resistance of his body to the adverse effects of the external environment often depend on this.

*FZ Technical regulation "On the safety of baby food"

**Hygienic requirements for the shelf life and storage conditions of food products. Sanitary and epidemiological rules and regulations. SanPiN 2.3.2.1324-03

Author of article

Glinskikh Elena

Pediatrician

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Contents of article

Importance of proper storage of baby food
About the safety of baby food
Rules for the storage of different types of food
General storage rules

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How much and where to store baby food in jars?

Some manufacturers write detailed storage guidelines for sealed and unopened baby food directly on the label. These rules must be observed, even if they differ from the rules for storing similar products from other manufacturers. If there is no detailed instruction, use the following recommendations.

Once again, we remind you that even unopened packaging must be stored in a dark, cool place. At temperatures above +25°C, products may deteriorate even in their original packaging.

Porridges for dilution:

The main enemy of dry mixes and porridges is moisture. Therefore, always make sure that the spoon for the porridge set is absolutely dry, and the bag itself is tightly closed after use;
Try to let out as much excess air as possible before closing, so that moisture from it is not absorbed into the product;
Keep an opened bag of porridge in a dry place at room temperature. There is no need to store cereals in the refrigerator, they quickly become damp and spoil there;
Ready diluted porridge can be stored for no more than an hour or two. An opened package can be stored for 2-3 weeks (see manufacturer's instructions). But if after a few days you notice that the powder has become damp, lumps are noticeable in it - throw it away. Even if the product looks normal, but was opened more than three weeks ago, it is dangerous to feed it to a child. You can use leftovers in adult homemade cakes.

Choose cereals for your baby

Industrial purees

Unopened can can be stored at room temperature in a dark place. An opened jar of fruit and vegetable puree will live in the refrigerator for no more than a day, and only if you follow simple rules.

Select baby puree

Do not bottle feed your baby. Put the desired portion with a clean spoon into a separate container, close the jar with the rest and put it in the refrigerator. Reheat reserved food if necessary. You don't need to heat the whole jar.

If you fed your baby directly from a jar, the shelf life of such puree is only a few hours even in the refrigerator, since the baby's saliva and bacteria got into the food on the spoon.

Important!

The shelf life of mashed meat after opening is only 24 hours, subject to the same rules. If you bought puree in a metal package, be sure to transfer it to a clean, dry jar and close the lid. It is undesirable to store opened puree in its original packaging and it is recommended to use it immediately. Closed - store in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Homemade cereals

Same rules as for diluted cereals. In the process of cooking, the porridge is ground with a blender and rubbed through a sieve. At this time, microorganisms get into the porridge from the air, so you can’t store such porridge for a long time.

Home-made puree

It is possible to increase the shelf life if the finished puree is poured into small sterilized containers, covered with cling film and immediately put in the freezer. At -18°C, this puree can be stored for up to three months.

Important!

The finished product is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 6 hours, as bacteria have probably got into it during cooking.