Which baby food is the best to start with

Do's and Don'ts for Baby's First Foods

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Breastfeeding has been shown to improve infant, child and maternal health outcomes and help control healthcare costs, but how long should breastfeeding last and when should parents introduce solid foods?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend exclusive breastfeeding, meaning the infant receives only breast milk, during the first six months of life for optimal nutrition and health benefits.

Once solid foods are introduced, health professionals recommend continuing breastfeeding through 12 months of age and, after that, as desired by mother and baby. Introducing your baby to solid foods is an exciting milestone. When you start introducing children to the world of solid foods, you are helping them shape their relationship with food and establish a healthy eating style. The timing for introducing solid foods will depend on the infant, but it is not recommended before the age of four months or after the age of six months.

Not sure how to get your baby started on solid foods? Consider these helpful tips.

Is Your Baby Ready to Transition?

Each child's readiness for solid food depends on their own rate of development. Signs a baby may be ready to start solid foods include sitting up with minimal support, demonstrating good head control, bringing objects to the mouth or grasping at small objects. Check with your pediatrician before starting solid foods.

Getting Started With Solids

Solid foods may be introduced in any order. However, puréed meats, poultry, beans and iron-fortified cereals are recommended as first foods, especially if your baby has been primarily breastfed, since they provide key nutrients. Only one new single-ingredient food should be introduced at a time.

Softer textures are very important when first introducing foods. Infants usually start with pureed or mashed foods around six months. As infants develop chewing and motor skills, they are able to handle items like soft pieces of fruit and finger foods. As the child ages, a variety of healthful foods is encouraged.

Weaning From Breastfeeding

When deciding if you should wean your baby to a bottle or a cup, consider their developmental readiness. Between 7 and 8 months, most infants will drink small amounts of liquid from a cup or a glass when someone else holds it. Older babies and toddlers often have the coordination to drink fluids from a cup by themselves.

If your baby is under 12 months of age and you are not continuing to breastfeed, wean from breast milk to iron-fortified infant formula. If your baby is 12 months or older, whole cow’s milk is appropriate.

Food Safety Do’s and Don’ts

Food safety concerns for infants and toddlers include food allergies, choking and risks for foodborne illness. Keep the following safety tips in mind:

Do talk with your pediatrician about the risk of food allergies. Introducing one new food at a time, every several days, allows time to monitor for allergic reactions. Current evidence does not indicate needing to wait beyond 4 to 6 months before introducing potential allergy-causing foods such as eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts and fish. In fact, introducing peanut-containing foods as early as 4 to 6 months of age may help prevent a peanut allergy. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends introducing potentially allergenic foods when other complementary foods are introduced to an infant’s diet. Parents with concerns about food allergies should discuss how to include these foods with their pediatrician.

Don’t feed your baby solid foods from a bottle. It can be a choking hazard and despite a popular misconception, putting cereal in a baby's bottle won't help with sleeping through the night. Other foods that are considered to be choking hazards are listed below.

Do supervise your child while eating. Infants should be able to sit upright and face forward when you first introduce solid foods. This makes swallowing easier and choking less likely.

Don’t feed directly from the jar of food but instead spoon some food into a separate dish first. Feeding directly from the jar may introduce bacteria from your baby's mouth to the spoon and back into the food, creating a food safety issue.

Don’t feed honey to children under 12 months of age due to the risk of foodborne illness.

Examples of appropriate solid foods listed by age:

6 months:

• Well-cooked and pureed meat, poultry or beans
• Ground, cooked, single-grain cereal or infant cereal with breast milk or formula
• Cooked and pureed vegetables
• Mashed banana or avocado

9 months:

• Well-cooked, minced or finely chopped meat, poultry or beans
• A variety of cooked vegetables cut into small, ½ inch pieces, such as squash and green beans
• Sliced and quartered bananas or small pieces of other soft fruits

12 months:

• Soft, shredded meat, poultry or fish
• Small pieces of cooked vegetables
• Small pieces of soft, easy to chew fruits
• Mixed food dishes the family is eating in appropriately sized pieces

Not recommended for those under 4 years of age due to the risk of choking:

• Popcorn and whole kernel corn
• Nuts and seeds
• Large chunks of meat, poultry and cheese
• Candy, gum drops and jelly beans
• Hard, raw fruits or vegetables such as apples, celery and carrots
• Whole grapes and cherry tomatoes, unless cut into quarters
• Hot dogs, unless cut into strips and age appropriate, bite-size pieces
• Sticky foods, such as peanut butter, which can get stuck in the back of the mouth – peanut butter is okay if spread thinly on bread

For toddlers and preschoolers, chop grapes, meat, poultry, hot dogs and raw vegetables and fruits into small pieces (about ½ inch or smaller).

Nurturing Healthy Relationships with Food

Establishing a positive feeding relationship during infancy can have lifetime benefits. Keep in mind that children are responsible for how much and whether they eat so always wait for your baby to pay attention to each spoonful before you feed them. Don't be afraid to let your baby touch the food in the dish and on the spoon. You wouldn't want to eat something if you didn't know anything about it, would you? In addition, know the cues that your baby is done eating. A common cue babies are full is head turning.

Whatever happens, don't get discouraged and enjoy the experience. With a little patience and creativity, you can make your baby's first solid food eating experience fun for everyone involved!

Looking for credible nutrition information and recommendations? The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' network of credentialed food and nutrition practitioners are ready to help!

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The Ultimate Guide to Baby’s First Foods from 4-6 Months Old

If you have a baby between 4 and 6 months old, you’re probably starting to think about what their first foods will be…which means you probably have questions about baby’s first foods, too! Things like: “When should I start?” “Do I need to stick to single-ingredient foods?” and “How do I safely introduce common allergens like peanut butter without freaking out?!” Chances are, you miiiiight be a little overwhelmed at the idea of first foods, too. I know it’s a lot to think about, but the good news is that you’ve found your way here! And now that you’re here, I can help.

As a mom of two and a pediatric dietitian, I’m writing this post to help you navigate the nerves and the new chapter that is buying, preparing, and serving up baby’s first foods! Whether you’re going for purees, baby-led weaning, or a combination of both, consider this your ultimate guide to what first foods to serve and how to introduce them to your baby safely.

P.S. Don’t forget to save this post! I know it’s one you’ll want to come back to again and again.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Skip right to the first foods info you’re looking for:

• When To Serve Baby Their First Foods
• Safety For Baby’s First Foods
• Purees vs. Baby-Led Weaning: What’s Right For You?
• The Best Foods To Introduce Baby To Between 4 & 6 Months Old
• The Ultimate Baby’s First Foods List
  • Best Finger Foods & Baby-Led Weaning First Foods
  • The Best Pureed First Foods
  • The Best Easy-To-Make First Foods
  • The Most Nutritious First Foods
  • The Best Vegetarian First Foods
  • Foods That Should Be Avoided
• Baby’s First Foods Chart: What, When & How To Serve Common First Foods to 4- to 6-Month-Old Babies
• First Foods For Babies With Allergies

When To Serve Baby Their First Foods

Although some people will serve baby’s first foods earlier, I recommend starting solids closer to the six-month mark. You want to avoid adding rice cereal or any other food to their bottle, and instead, begin solids when they display the signs of readiness listed below. By waiting to serve baby’s first foods until they’re truly ready, you increase their safety and chances of success as a new eater. 

Signs of Eating Readiness

Your baby is ready to start solids if they:

• Can sit upright
• Can sit unsupported
• Have good head and neck control
• Have some practice bringing toys or objects from their hand to their mouth
• Show an interest in food (By reaching for what you’re eating, intently watching as others eat, etc.)

Can I Give My 4-Month-Old Baby Food?

Some pediatricians may okay solids around four months, but again, I generally recommend waiting until closer to six months, and when baby is displaying those signs of readiness. 

There are more benefits to waiting than there are to starting earlier. Before six months, babies get everything they need from breastmilk or formula, so starting solids early won’t help them sleep better, grow faster, or, you know, become a professional athlete!

If you want to get your four- or five-month-old baby involved in mealtime, I recommend getting them acquainted with food and eating in these ways:

• Sit them near you while you’re eating
• Give them a silicone spoon to hold (I like NumNum GooTensils, EZPZ Tiny Spoons, and Olababy Training Spoons) and let them practice bringing it to their mouth
• Give them teething toys, like Sophie, or this elephant, to desensitize the gag reflex

FAQ: Do Formula- and Breast-Fed Babies Have Different Nutritional Needs?

Formula and breast milk are both completely nutritionally satisfactory for the first six months of life and beyond. So when it comes to starting solids, it doesn’t matter whether your baby has been receiving breast milk or formula. 

That said, babies who are exclusively breastfed should receive a Vitamin D supplement, as levels in breastmilk are low. Formulas on the other hand are typically fortified with Vitamin D, so formula-fed babies don’t need one. Another thing to consider for a baby’s nutrition is iron. Babies build up an iron reserve from their mothers while in utero, but these stores begin to decline around six months of age for all babies.

Safety For Baby’s First Foods

Safety is a huge concern for parents when starting solids. Whether you start with baby foods, purees, or baby-led weaning, there are certain parameters to follow to make sure baby’s intro to food is safe and successful.

Choking Hazards for 4- to 6-Month-Old Babies

Choking hazards for babies ages four to six months old include any foods that are hard, crunchy, sticky, or chewy, as well those that are dangerous shapes.

Common hazardous foods are:

• Chips
• Popcorn
• Pretzels
• Raw Apple
• Globs of Nut Butter
• Hot Dogs
• Grapes
• Large seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, for example)
• Whole nuts

Many of these foods can be prepared safely to minimize the risk of choking, but they remain a choking hazard if they’re in their “natural” states until children turn four years old.

You can minimize choking risks by making sure your child is seated upright and strapped in a high chair with good trunk support. Foot support on a high chair is also helpful when your baby is starting out because it reinforces their stability, and when they’re more stable, they can chew and swallow more safely!

AAP & CDC Recommendations

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend starting solids around six months of age, but not before four months. Again, some pediatricians may okay solids around four months of age, but I usually recommend waiting until six months to make sure baby is showing the physical signs of readiness I outlined above.

The one exception may be for introducing certain allergens to certain infants, depending on their inherent level of risk. Speak with your pediatrician or allergist to see if they want to start your baby on certain foods early.

Purees vs. Baby-Led Weaning: What’s Right For You?

Before you serve baby their first foods, you’ll need to decide what kinds of foods you want to offer. And while there’s a lot of dialogue and opinions about the “best” way to feed a baby, I want you to know there isn’t one right way to do this. You can start with purees or baby-led weaning, or you can do a combination of both.

Tip: If you take a puree approach, help them learn to self-feed by offering baby preloaded spoons and letting them bring the food to their mouth.

Babies are very intuitive about getting the nutrition they need, so full permission to opt for the feeding style that’s comfortable for you. They’ll be able to get enough to eat either way! If simple textures feel easier and lower-stress for you, start with purees. If you’re ready to tackle preparing foods in a way that’s safe for baby, go for baby-led weaning. And if you’re on the go a lot or need a caretaker to feed your baby sometimes, maybe a hybrid approach is best. It truly doesn’t matter as long as you’re helping them foster independence in eating, and offering a variety of different foods. 

One thing that DOES matter when it comes to feeding your baby is letting them be in charge of how much they eat (while you learn to interpret their hunger and fullness cues). And you can do this whether you’re feeding them purees or finger foods.

Baby Signs Of Hunger: 

• Reaching for food
• Moving toward the spoon
• Opening their mouth
• Pointing to food
• Excited at the sight of food

Baby Signs Of Fullness:

• Turning away from food
• Batting spoon away
• Clamping mouth shut
• Playing with/throwing food 
• Significantly slowed pace of eating
• No longer showing interest

The Best Foods To Introduce Baby To Between 4 & 6 Months Old

A common question I get is, “What baby foods should I introduce first?” And really, there isn’t one “best” first food. You do not have to start with only baby cereal or only veggies or fruits. In fact, you shouldn’t! Research shows that introducing babies to a wide variety of foods early on is what’s most beneficial. 

That said, my favorite first food is avocado! It’s a wonderful source of healthy fat, and it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals. Fat is essential to the developing brain and central nervous system, so we want to prioritize it within a baby’s first foods and make sure it’s completely unrestricted during their first two years of life. 

(We also want to prioritize iron, because it’s a common dietary deficiency, and our babies begin to run out of the iron stores they got in utero by about six months.)

It’s Okay If Baby’s First Foods Have Multiple Ingredients!

You may choose to serve solely single-ingredient foods like avocado or sweet potato, but know that it’s not necessary to do so. It can be really helpful to serve a variety of new foods together, so they get used to different tastes and textures. Plus, there are nutritional benefits to mixing foods. For example, yogurt—a common first food for babies—can be fortified with mashed fruit, nut butter, or hemp seeds to up the nutritional value. (But if you ever notice a reaction or suspect an allergy to a component of a food combination you’ve been serving, stop serving the suspected allergen and contact your pediatrician.)

PSA: Skip The Baby Cereal

The recommendations from years past telling parents to start with rice-based infant cereals are outdated now. Rice cereals aren’t super nutritious, and we don’t want to rely too much on rice due to potential exposure to arsenic. So instead of cereals, offer new foods in safely-prepared forms. This is way more nutritious, and it exposes them to different flavors, textures, and nutrients which are beneficial for growth and development and can protect them against food allergies and picky eating.

The Ultimate List of Baby Foods

I’m covering allll the best kinds of baby foods separately, so you get all the juicy info and context you need. Then, I’m combining them all into one big, bad, comprehensive list of the best first foods for baby at the end.

SKIP TO THE LIST

Best Finger Foods & Baby-Led Weaning First Foods

For baby’s first foods, I like to suggest approachable options like avocado, sweet potato, and banana. These can be prepared and served baby-led-weaning-style by cutting them in wedges or crescent shapes that can be gripped with a palmar grasp. Bananas can be served as halves or in thirds-long ways. Just stick to serving items in longer shapes, about the width of two adult fingers, for the first few months of BLW. This way, baby can hold them and bring them to their mouth. Once your baby is a little bit older—usually around 9 months—many foods can be served safely in smaller pieces.

The Best Pureed First Foods

If you’re going the puree route, you can start with many of the same foods. Just mash up the sweet potato, avocado, banana—or whatever else, really!—and serve those as purees.  You may want to thin them some with breastmilk or formula.

But shortly after starting with these foods, I would move on to introducing allergenic foods, because the early and repeated introduction of allergenic foods can be protective against the development of food allergies in babies, specifically for peanuts. Foods like yogurt and peanut butter may be good early options for allergenic introductions and are already in pureed form. Just start with small amounts.

The Best Easy-To-Make First Foods

Foods that are naturally soft are the easiest to prepare for young eaters. Banana, yogurt, apple sauce, and avocado are all great options that are easy to serve with little to no prep. You can also mix creamy nut butter with yogurt and incorporate other mashed fruits, like raspberries and blackberries, to ramp up the nutritional value while keeping prep extremely low. 

Don’t feel like you need to shy away from foods that aren’t naturally soft, either! Many other fruits and veggies, like sweet potato, broccoli, and pears, can also be safely served with simple steaming or roasting techniques. Just make sure to cook these foods until they’re soft enough to be smashed between your fingers, so baby can safely enjoy them, and present them in a shape or style that they can safely navigate. (Soft foods can also be served to them on a pre-loaded spoon if they can’t be eaten by hand, yet.)

Low-Prep First Food Options:

• Banana
• Yogurt (Can mix with mashed berries or nut butter)
• Apple Sauce
• Avocado
• Steamed Veggies (Soft enough to mash between your fingers)

The Most Nutritious First Foods

There are so many great, nutrient-dense choices for baby’s first foods that are safe by six months of age no matter what type of foods you serve. (But it’s true that, if you take a baby-led weaning approach, you’ll probably have more options.) Sardines and salmon (fresh or canned) are both loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, protein, and tons of vitamins and minerals, which make them highly nutritious first foods! From the plant kingdom, sweet potato and avocado are nutrient-dense foods with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and magnesium.

The Best Vegetarian First Foods

Vegetarian foods are some of the best first foods for baby! There are tons of wonderful and nutritious fruit and veggie options that suit young eaters, like berries, bananas, avocados, potatoes, broccoli, squash, and many others. Non-produce vegetarian items are great first foods for baby, too. Think tofu strips, eggs (yolk and white), beans, nut butter, and oatmeal. 

Just be sure you serve these in safe shapes and forms, and that they’re soft enough to be mashed between your fingers. Always avoid serving things that are hard, sticky, or chewy, and keep in mind that many raw vegetables and fruits are choking hazards (like celery and apple).

Foods That Should Be Avoided

While most foods have a place in most diets, there are some foods to avoid serving your 4- to 6-month-old baby:

Added Sugar

To make sure our babies get the most nutrition possible during this important phase of growth and development, it’s best to avoid added sugar for children under two. Added sugar doesn’t have much nutritional value, so it’s best to limit it as much as possible and avoid it altogether if possible.

Want to offer baby fun, homemade foods like cookies, bars, and muffins once they are fully established on solids? You still can! Just use the recipes in my No Sugar, Still Sweet cookbook, where everything is sweetened with fruit alone.

Honey

Babies should strictly avoid honey before 12 months of age. Honey can be contaminated with spores of a bacteria called clostridium botulinum. In babies under one, these spores can multiply and produce a dangerous toxin that causes infant botulism.

Related: Honey for Babies & Toddlers

Sodium

Finally, sodium should be limited. For babies ages four to six months, the recommended sodium limit intake for a day is 110 mg, which includes any sodium present in breast milk and/or formula.

Fruit Juice

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no fruit juice before 1 year of age. Juice offers very few nutritional benefits and therefore isn’t a helpful addition to a baby’s diet.

• Under 1: No Juice
• Age 1-3: 4 Oz Daily Max
• Age 4-6: 4-6 Oz Daily Max
• Age 7-18: 8 Oz Daily Max

The Ultimate Baby’s First Foods List

• Avocado
• Sweet Potato (Mashed or Steamed)
• Broccoli (Steamed or Roasted)
• Pears (Steamed or Roasted)
• Butternut Squash
• Mango
• Banana
• Yogurt*
• Nut Butter* (Mixed-In To Purees or Spread Thin on Toast)
• Oatmeal
• Apple Sauce
• Mashed Raspberries
• Mashed Blueberries
• Mashed Blackberries
• Canned Sardines*
• Canned Salmon*
• Potatoes (Mashed or Steamed)
• Squash (Steamed or Roasted)
• Tofu Strips*
• Baby-Safe Eggs* (Try omelet-style and cut into strips!)
• Beans (Mashed)

*Common Allergens

Baby’s First Foods Chart: What, When & How To Serve Common First Foods to 4- to 6-Month-Old Babies

BABY’S FIRST FOOD	WHEN TO SERVE	HOW TO SERVE
Avocado	6 Months or Later	Mashed, mixed-in to sauces, and purees, or in wedge shapes baby can grip (BLW).
Oatmeal	6 Months of Later	Prepare with breastmilk or formula. Option to mix in yogurt, nut butter, mashed berries, or mashed banana.
Banana	6 Months or Later	Mashed, mixed into sauces and purees, cut in halves or third-long pieces (BLW).
Sweet Potato	6 Months or Later	Roasted or steamed so they’re soft enough to mash between your fingers.
Mango	6 Months or Later	Cut into wedge-shaped pieces that baby can grip. Or, give baby the pit to work on!
Eggs (Common Allergen)	6 Months or Earlier (If advised by a pediatrician or allergist)	Prepare eggs omelet-style and cut them into strips baby can grip.
Yogurt (Common Allergen)	6 Months or Earlier (If advised by a pediatrician or allergist)	Serve yogurt as-is or mix it into sauces, oatmeals, or purees.
Nut Butter (Common Allergen)	6 Months or Earlier (If advised by a pediatrician or allergist)	Mix nut butters into oatmeal or purees, or spread them thinly over toast.
Berries	6 Months or Later	Mash berries into a thicker, jam-like consistency before serving. Consider mixing mashed berries into other foods.
Tofu (Common Allergen)	6 Months or Earlier (If advised by a pediatrician or allergist)	Cut into thin strips that baby can grasp and fry them up in a pan. Serve cool or warm, not hot.
Broccoli	6 Months or Later	Steamed or roasted so it’s soft enough to mash between your fingers.
Apple Sauce	6 Months or Later	As-is or mixed in to oatmeal, yogurt, or purees.
Canned Sardines (Common Allergen)	6 Months or Later	Whole piece or mashed with other foods.
Honey	1 Year or Later	At 1 year or later, serve mixed-in to yogurt, sauces, or purees, or spread thinly on toast.
Fruit Juice	1 year or Later	At 1 year or later, offer up to 4 oz per day.
Sugar	2 Years or Later	Avoid added sugar before age two, then introduce it gradually and only as-needed.

First Foods For Babies With Allergies

Food allergies have grown in prevalence over the last 50 years, and it’s now estimated that about 7% of babies have a food allergy! And while that can make choosing a baby’s first foods a little scary, the good news is that up to 80% of kids can grow out of their food allergies. (Especially when those allergies are milk and eggs!)

Important Information on Allergic Reactions & Introducing Allergens

For at least the last decade, parents were told to wait until 12 months or older to introduce the top eight allergens (peanut, tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish) to their babies. Now, things are different. Today, we recommend introducing allergenic foods to your baby when they start solids, which, for most children, is around six months old. Introducing allergenic foods at this point in your baby’s development can reduce the risk of developing some food allergies—especially allergies to eggs and peanuts.

For Babies With Known Allergies

If your baby is already known to have a food allergy, do not introduce that food. But, if baby has certain risk factors WITHOUT a confirmed allergy (like eczema or a family member with a food allergy), consult the pediatrician. You may be referred to an allergist who will determine the best course of action with an introduction.

Introducing Allergens: What To Watch For

Mild allergic reactions may look like new hives around the mouth or face.

More severe reactions can include:

• Vomiting
• Lip Swelling
• Widespread Hives
• Face Or Tongue Swelling
• Difficulty Breathing
• Changes In Skin Color
• Sudden Lethargy Or Limpness

If you notice any of these severe signs, seek emergency medical help immediately.

Make Starting Solids Simple

I know that getting ready to start serving your baby their first foods is nerve-wracking. But with the right info (which you now have) and prep (which you’re equipped to do), I promise you it can be a great experience. Now that you know all the things about safety, allergic reactions, which foods to serve, and how to serve them, go in with your bases covered and just enjoy the time spent with your little one.

I also know that if you decide to go with solids, you might be a little extra nervous about things like gagging and making all foods baby-safe. And, I get it! These things can be intimidating the first few times. Lucky for you though, you’re not alone! You’ve got me in your corner. I’ve been there before, I’ve helped so many parents navigate through it, and I know you can do it, too.

To help you up your confidence, ditch the unnecessary doubts, and feed them well right from the start, I put together my research-backed Simply Solids guide. If you’re about to start—or already on—your baby-feeding journey, Simply Solids is a must-have.

START THE CAR! Simply Solids Is Usually $15, But Right Now It’s Free

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Trust me, you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t grab your copy right the heck now 👇

Baby’s First Foods

Kacie Barnes, MCN, RDN, LD

Summary of baby first foods 4 to 6 months some ideas in case you want a printer friendly list!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Course Breakfast, Dinner, lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 2 servings

Calories 50 kcal

• Avocado
• Oatmeal
• Banana
• Sweet Potato
• Mango
• Eggs (Common Allergen)
• Yogurt (Common Allergen)
• Nut Butter (Common Allergen)
• Berries
• Tofu (Common Allergen)
• Broccoli
• Apple Sauce
• Canned Sardines (Common Allergen)

Avocado

• Mashed, mixed-in to sauces or purees, or in wedge shapes baby can grip (BLW).

Oatmeal

• Prepare with breastmilk, formula, canned coconut milk or water. Option to mix in yogurt, nut butter, mashed berries, or mashed banana.

Banana

• Mashed, mixed into sauces and purees, cut in halves or third-long pieces (BLW).

Sweet Potato

• Roasted or steamed so they’re soft enough to mash between your fingers. Or, serve mashed with a spoon.

Mango

• Cut into wedge-shaped pieces that baby can grip. Or, give baby the pit to work on!

Yogurt

• Serve yogurt as-is or mix it into sauces, oatmeals, or purees.

Nut Butter

• Mix nut butters into oatmeal or purees, or spread them thinly over toast.

Berries

• Mash berries into a thicker, jam-like consistency before serving. Consider mixing mashed berries into other foods.

Tofu

• Cut into thin strips that baby can grasp and fry them up in a pan. Serve cool or warm, not hot.

Broccoli

Apple Sauce

• As-is or mixed in to oatmeal, yogurt, or purees.

Canned Sardines

Calories: 50kcal

Keyword baby

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Fruits, vegetables or porridge: when and where to start feeding

The first feeding is an important and very interesting stage in the life of the whole family. For a child, this is the first step towards "adult" nutrition, for parents - a difficult but memorable experience. The FrutoNyanya blog tells how to understand that a child is already ready for the first experiments with nutrition, and what is the best way to start getting acquainted with new tastes.

When and how to introduce complementary foods

Of course, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods is set individually for each child, because there are quite a few factors that affect the age for introducing new foods. Therefore, before adding complementary foods to breastfeeding or formula, talk to a specialist who is observing the baby.

Standard recommendation - if the child is active, healthy, growing and gaining weight, the first complementary foods are recommended to be introduced at 4-6 months. At this age, the innate reflex of pushing out food fades in children, the ability to swallow semi-liquid food is formed, their digestive system gradually matures, immunity becomes more stable, and most importantly, interest in new food is shown.

Important rules for parents:

• Be consistent and gradual when introducing complementary foods. Start with ½ teaspoon and work up to the age-appropriate serving over the course of a week (usually listed on the baby food package or in the materials usually provided by caregivers to parents).
• It is advisable to schedule an acquaintance with a new product for the first half of the day so that you can track the reaction to it. That is, the first meal is breast milk or formula, and after 2-3 hours you can eat porridge or vegetable puree.
• No need to stop breastfeeding or bottle feeding as soon as the baby starts eating "adult" food. Remember that complementary foods are an introduction to the product, not a full meal.
• Do not introduce two or more products into the diet at the same time. In the event of an adverse reaction to complementary foods, you will not be able to accurately determine its source.
• Do not rush to give complementary foods "out of age". Even if it seems to you that the child is already ready to gnaw apples and chew bananas, do not rush to transfer him from homogeneous puree-like food to pieces.
• With the introduction of complementary foods, you can start giving the baby and water. Better - a special nursery and small portions in between feedings (up to 150-200 ml per day).
• Complementary foods should be postponed if the child is currently teething too actively or feels unwell. If you are facing events that will affect the life of the whole family, then it is also better to wait with a change in diet: moving, vacation - all this affects the psyche and condition of the baby too much. Postpone the introduction of complementary foods until life becomes stable again, and then take out jars of zucchini.
• It is important to respect the age norms and not to exceed the portion of the new product. For example, if the product packaging says that 150 grams of vegetable puree per day is enough for children at the age of 6 months, it is so. If you increase the portion too quickly when introducing complementary foods, this can result in indigestion, regurgitation, and even an allergic reaction.

One of the main tasks of complementary foods is to teach a child to distinguish between feelings of hunger and satiety and to form healthy eating habits, because the first experience affects a person's preferences not only in childhood, but also in adulthood.

Vegetables or fruits

Photo: Wiktory / shutterstock / fotodom

One-component vegetable purees or dairy-free cereals are usually chosen as the first food for children. In this case, the choice depends on the characteristics of the child. Usually children with reduced body weight are advised to start with cereals, and those with excess weight and a tendency to constipation - with vegetable puree.

To start weaning, choose dry baby buckwheat or rice porridge. You can cook porridge not on water, but on a mixture or breast milk, it will be tastier and more satisfying. You can use ready-made dry baby cereals that you can find in stores: they are additionally enriched with vitamins, macro- and microelements necessary for the growth of the child, do not contain sugar and other additives, and, of course, save you time that can be spent on communication with a baby or vacation.

As the first vegetable food, experts recommend choosing green and white vegetables because of their delicate fiber - zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower. The first purees should consist of only one type of vegetable. At home, achieving a smooth puree consistency is not so easy, it will take more time and effort to prepare it, and it is also very difficult to check the safety and organicity of the selected vegetables. Therefore, for the nutrition of young children, experts recommend children's industrial products. Their composition undergoes strict control of raw materials, recipes and the preparation process. For example, the FrutoNyanya assortment includes hypoallergenic mashed potatoes from zucchini, cauliflower and broccoli, which are suitable for the first feeding of a child.

If the child has taken well one type of vegetable, you can offer another, gradually expanding the diet. As they grow older, other foods are added to complementary foods: fruit and meat purees, cottage cheese, kefir and sour-milk yogurts, baby juices and cookies. The timing of the introduction of these products is also determined individually after a visit to a specialist who will focus on the dynamics of weight gain, height and a number of other important indicators of the child's health.

Experts recommend introducing meat from one-component meat purees - they contain only one type of meat. For the first acquaintance, you can add hypoallergenic rabbit and turkey purees to your child's diet. Meat is very important in the nutrition of young children, it is a source of amino acids, iron and vitamins necessary for proper growth and development. According to the general recommendations of experts, meat complementary foods should be introduced no earlier than 6 months.

Cottage cheese and dairy products are a source of calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A and B, as well as animal proteins and fats. They help strengthen joints, muscles, promote healthy growth of the child and the proper development of his nervous system. According to generally accepted practice, cottage cheese is recommended to be introduced into complementary foods after 8-9 months or closer to a year. Sometimes a specialist can advise cottage cheese earlier. As the first cottage cheese, it is better to choose a product without flavorings, and when the child grows up, offer him children's cottage cheese with fruits or berries, but without added sugar.

It is better to start acquaintance with fermented milk products with children's biolact and sugar-free yogurt, starting from the age of 8 months. Fermented milk products hold the record for the content of calcium, which is involved in the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems and is necessary for growth. In addition, dairy products for children contain probiotics (beneficial microorganisms) and prebiotics (dietary fiber) - both of which are necessary for the normal functioning of the intestinal microflora. A healthy microflora, in turn, supports the child's immune system.

From 8–10 months, pieces may appear on the baby's menu. One of the best options for switching to an "adult" table would be a combined puree, for example, with pieces of meat and vegetables, which will introduce the baby to a new consistency and help strengthen chewing skills. You can also prepare and introduce vegetable "soups" chopped with a blender or mashed with a fork, steamed vegetables or turkey or rabbit cutlets into the children's diet. It is important to take your time here: if you start to introduce more solid foods into the diet too early, this can lead to digestive problems.

The first solid food is the next stage in your baby's growing up. Of course, I would like to quickly see how he eats mashed potatoes with a cutlet and drinks compote, but in this matter it is better to be patient: add different foods gradually, do not be afraid of vegetables and a negative reaction to any of the products. If the baby refuses broccoli now, this does not mean that in a month this product will remain on the unloved list - choose different ways of serving, consult with specialists, follow the reaction, and also - do not forget about a varied diet for yourself. In the end, in a few months, the baby will become another participant in joint lunches and dinners and will increasingly pay attention to the nutrition of his parents. So, perhaps you will also have to fall in love with broccoli.

Photo: Nina Buday / shutterstock / fotodom

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Diet for a child aged 4-6 months

Your baby is already 4 months old. He has noticeably grown up, become more active, is interested in objects that fall into his field of vision, carefully examines and reaches for them. The emotional reactions of the child have become much richer: he joyfully smiles at all the people whom he often sees more and more often, makes various sounds.

You are still breastfeeding or have had to switch to formula or formula feeding. The child is actively growing, and only with breast milk or infant formula, he can no longer always get all the necessary nutrients. And that means it's time to think about complementary foods.

The optimal time to start its introduction is between 4 and 6 months, regardless of whether the baby is receiving breast milk or formula. This is the time when children respond best to new foods. Up to 4 months, the child is not yet ready to perceive and digest any other food. And with the late introduction of complementary foods - after 6 months, children already have significant deficiencies of individual nutrients and, first of all, micronutrients (minerals, vitamins, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc.). In addition, toddlers at this age often refuse new foods, they have delayed development of chewing skills for thick foods, and inadequate eating habits are formed. It is important to know that, no matter how strange it may seem at first glance, with a delayed appointment of complementary foods, allergic reactions more often occur on them.

When is it advisable to introduce complementary foods as early as 4 months, and when can you wait until 5.5 or even 6 months? To resolve this issue, be sure to consult a pediatrician.

As a rule, at an earlier age (4 - 4.5 months), complementary foods are introduced to children at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia, as well as children with insufficient weight gain and with functional digestive disorders.

The optimal time to start complementary foods for a healthy baby is between 5 and 5.5 months of age.

The World Health Organization recommends that breastfed babies should be introduced to complementary foods from 6 months of age. From the point of view of domestic pediatricians, which is based on extensive practical experience and scientific research, this is possible only in cases where the child was born on time, without malnutrition (since in these cases the mineral reserves are very small), he is healthy, grows well and develops. In addition, the mother should also be healthy, eat well and use either specialized enriched foods for pregnant and lactating women, or vitamin and mineral complexes in courses. Such restrictions are associated with the depletion of iron stores even in a completely healthy child by 5-5.5 months of age and a significant increase in the risk of anemia in the absence of complementary foods rich or fortified with iron. There are other deficits as well.

The first complementary food can be vegetable puree or porridge, fruit puree is better to give the baby later - after tasty sweet fruits, children usually eat vegetable puree and cereals worse, often refuse them altogether.

Where is the best place to start? In cases where the child has a tendency to constipation or he puts on weight too quickly, preference should be given to vegetables. With a high probability of developing anemia, unstable stools and small weight gains - from baby cereals enriched with micronutrients. And if you started introducing complementary foods with cereals, then the second product will be vegetables and vice versa.

If the first complementary food is introduced at 6 months, it must be baby porridge enriched with iron and other minerals and vitamins, the intake of which with breast milk is no longer enough.

Another important complementary food product is mashed meat. It contains iron, which is easily absorbed. And adding meat to vegetables improves the absorption of iron from them. It is advisable to introduce meat puree to a child at the age of 6 months. Only the daily use of children's enriched porridge and meat puree can satisfy the needs of babies in iron, zinc and other micronutrients.

But it is better to introduce juices later, when the child already receives the main complementary foods - vegetables, cereals, meat and fruits. After all, complementary foods are needed so that the baby receives all the substances necessary for growth and development, and there are very few in their juices, including vitamins and minerals.

Juices should not be given between feedings, but after the child has eaten porridge or vegetables with meat puree, as well as for an afternoon snack. The habit of drinking juice between meals leads to frequent snacking in the future, a love of sweets is instilled, children have more tooth decay and an increased risk of obesity.

With the start of the introduction of complementary foods, the child is gradually transferred to a 5-time feeding regimen.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods:

• Preference should be given to children's products of industrial production, they are made from environmentally friendly raw materials, have a guaranteed composition and degree of grinding
• Complementary foods should be offered to the baby by spoon at the start of feeding, before breastfeeding (formula feeding)
• the volume of the product increases gradually, starting with ½ - 1 spoon, and in 7 - 10 days we bring it to the age norm, subsequent products within the same group (cereals from other cereals or new vegetables)
• can be entered faster, in 5 - 7 days
• start introduction with monocomponent products
• it is undesirable to give a new product in the afternoon, it is important to follow how the child reacts to it
• new products are not introduced in the event of acute illnesses, and before and immediately after prophylactic vaccination (should be abstained for several days)

When introducing a new type of complementary food, first try one product, gradually increasing its amount, and then gradually "dilute" this product with a new one. For example, vegetable complementary foods can be started with a teaspoon of zucchini puree. During the week, give the baby only this product, gradually increasing its volume. After a week, add a teaspoon of mashed broccoli or cauliflower to the zucchini puree and continue to increase the total volume every day. Vegetable puree from three types of vegetables will be optimal. The portion should correspond to the age norm. Over time, you can replace the introduced vegetables with others faster.

After the introduction of one vegetable (bringing its volume to the required amount), you can proceed to the intake of porridge, and diversify the vegetable diet later.

If the child did not like the dish, for example, broccoli, do not give up and continue to offer this vegetable in a small amount - 1-2 spoons daily, you can not even once, but 2-3 times before meals, and after 7 - 10, and sometimes 15 days, the baby will get used to the new taste. This diversifies the diet, will help to form the right taste habits in the baby.

Spoon-feeding should be done with patience and care. Forced feeding is unacceptable!

In the diet of healthy children, porridge is usually introduced after vegetables (with the exception of healthy breastfed children, when complementary foods are introduced from 6 months). It is better to start with dairy-free gluten-free cereals - buckwheat, corn, rice. At the same time, it is important to use porridge for baby food of industrial production, which contains a complex of vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is already ready for use, you just need to dilute it with breast milk or the mixture that the baby receives.

Children suffering from food allergies are introduced complementary foods at 5-5.5 months. The rules for the introduction of products are the same as for healthy children, in all cases it is introduced slowly and begins with hypoallergenic products. Be sure to take into account individual tolerance. The difference is only in the correction of the diet, taking into account the identified allergens. From meat products, preference should first be given to mashed turkey and rabbit.

Diets for different age periods

Explain how you can make a diet, it is better to use a few examples that will help you navigate in compiling a menu specifically for your child.

From 5 months, the volume of one feeding is on average 200 ml.

Option 1.

If your baby started to receive complementary foods from 4-5 months, then at 6 months his diet should look like this:

	Breast milk or VHI*	200 ml
II feeding 10 hours	Dairy-free porridge** Supplementation with breast milk or VHI*	150 g 50 ml
III feeding 14 hours	Vegetable puree Meat puree Vegetable oil Supplemental breast milk or VHI*	150 g 5 - 30 g 1 tsp 30 ml
IV feeding 18 hours	Fruit puree Breast milk or VHI*	60 g 140 ml
V feeding 22 hours	Breast milk or VHI*	200 ml

* - infant formula
** - diluted with breast milk or VHI

Option 2.

I feeding
6 hours Breast milk or VHI* 200 ml II feeding
10 hours Dairy-free porridge**
Fruit puree 150 g
20 g III feeding
14 hours Vegetable puree
Meat puree Vegetable oil
Fruit juice 150 g
5 - 30 g
1 tsp
60 ml IV feeding
18 hours Fruit puree
Breast milk or VHI* 40 g
140 ml V feeding
22 hours Breast milk or VHI* 200 ml

* - infant formula
** - diluted with breast milk or VHI

Option 3.

:

I feeding 6 hours	Breast milk
II feeding 10 hours	Dairy-free porridge** Breast milk supplement	100 g
III feeding 14 hours	Vegetable puree Meat puree Vegetable oil Breast milk supplement	100 g 5 - 30 g 1 tsp
IV feeding 18 hours	Breast milk
V feeding 22 hours	Breast milk

** - diluted with breast milk

Up to 7 months, increase the volume of porridge and vegetable puree to 150 g and introduce fruit puree.

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