Introducing your baby to solid foods can be an exciting and challenging time. This milestone marks the transition from infant to toddler. All the nutrition a newborn needs for supporting healthy growth and development is either breast milk supplemented with iron or baby formula. Several months after a baby’s birth, caregivers must begin adding solid foods to supplement milk because the baby needs extra calories and nutrients for continued growth.
Timing is key. Introducing solids too early could be dangerous, as younger babies have underdeveloped muscles and lack the coordination to move food from mouth to throat and then swallow. This can lead to choking, aspiration or respiratory infections like pneumonia. Offering solids too early can also lead to inappropriate weight gain that is associated with short- and long-term health complications. Introducing solids too late can lead to delays in growth, eating and talking. Starting too late may also increase the risk for developing food allergies. If parents miss the ideal window for starting solids, introducing those new foods will likely be more difficult, as babies can develop an aversion to solids.
When is Baby ready? There are two aspects to consider when you’re considering whether your baby is ready to start eating solids: age and physical milestones. Beginning to offer foods between 4 and 6 months of age is the general recommendation. However, regardless of age, it’s important to make sure your baby is also showing signs of physical readiness, such as sitting in an appropriately supportive seat and being able to control the head and neck while sitting. A baby that is able to perform these tasks will likely have concurrently developed the appropriate muscles needed to effectively move food in the mouth and swallow it.
When your baby is old enough and physically ready, begin with a single-grain cereal of oats or rice. Feeding with a spoon helps develop the baby’s ability to swallow. Initially, offer a very small amount of thin cereal after breast or bottle feeding. Gradually increase the thickness and quantity over time as your baby tolerates. After your baby has success with eating thicker cereal, begin to offer pureed fruits, vegetables and meats. No sugar or salt should be added to these first foods. Over time, offer foods with increasing thickness and greater texture, which will eventually encourage your baby to learn to chew soft pieces of food.
Offering one new food at a time for three to five days is helpful in the case of an allergic reaction—you’ll more easily be able to identify the food causing the reaction. Include a wide variety of flavors and textures. If your baby rejects a new food, continue to offer it. It may take several instances, even up to 15 times, before a baby will eat a new food. Do not limit healthy foods because of fat or cholesterol content. As you integrate solid foods into your baby’s diet, continue to provide 28-34 ounces of breast milk or formula daily through the first year. By 12 months of age, the child should be eating three meals daily with three to four healthy snacks.
Avoiding the introduction of highly allergenic foods, like peanuts, eggs or strawberries, in an attempt to prevent food allergies is not recommended. In fact, experts advise quite the opposite. Small amounts of allergenic foods like peanut butter should be introduced early and in a safe manner, such as mixing a small amount into cereal. Early introduction of these foods actually has been shown to decrease the associated food allergies. If your baby does show signs of a food allergy or intolerance, alert your pediatrician.
The only foods to absolutely avoid for a baby less than a year old are honey, dairy or plant-based milks, and foods that pose a choking hazard. Honey has a very small potential to transmit the organism that causes botulism, which is fatal to babies. Choking hazards include foods in medium to large chunks, grapes, raw apples or carrots, nuts, hot dogs and hard candies. The only regularly offered fluids in the first year should be breast milk, formula or water. Animal and plant-based milks are deficient in the nutrients needed for proper nutrition and growth in the first year and can cause health problems like anemia. Fruit juice is not generally recommended in the first year of life, but, if you do give it, your baby should be at least 9 months old and only 100% juice should be offered.
When introducing your baby to solid foods, prioritize timing, readiness and safety. Studies have shown that the eating habits established in the first years of life influence eating habits in adolescence and adulthood. So start healthy, expect a mess and savor those funny faces from new flavors. As always, bring any questions or concerns to your child’s pediatrician for individualized guidance.
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