Introducing solid foods to your baby

Breast milk or formula is the only food babies need for the first 6 months of life, at which point solid foods can be gradually introduced. Before you begin offering solid foods, talk to your health professional. He or she will want to be certain that your baby is physically and developmentally ready.

Your baby may be ready to begin eating solid foods if he or she:¹

• Is at least 4 months of age. Ideally, your baby should be fed exclusively with breast milk until 6 months of age.
• Demonstrates a curiosity about solid foods and your family's eating behavior.
• Has started to transition from using the sucking reflex to swallowing and does not push a spoon or other object out with the tongue when it is placed in the mouth.
• Can sit with support.
• Has good head and neck control.

When you and your health professional have determined your baby is ready to begin eating solid foods, keep these general guidelines in mind.

• Iron-fortified, single-grain infant cereal should be offered first. Do not add cereal to bottles, but rather spoon-feed your baby a mixture of cereal with breast milk or formula, gradually thickening the consistency. Generally, rice cereal is introduced first, followed by barley and oatmeal cereals. Pureed or mashed fruits, vegetables, and meats can follow. Be sure to include foods rich in vitamin C, which helps your baby absorb iron.¹
• Feed your baby a small amount-about 1tsp to 2tsp-of a new type of food for 2 to 3 days along with foods he or she has already been eating. Observe your baby for 7 days before introducing another new food. This strategy helps you quickly to identify a food that may be causing a reaction, such as a rash. ¹
• Make sure foods are strained or mashed and that there are no pieces that could cause your baby to choke.
• Begin offering finger foods, such as dry cereal, when your baby has started eating solid foods well.

Avoid feeding your baby:¹

• Foods with added spices, salt, or sugar.
• Canned spinach, beets, turnips, carrots, or collard greens until at least 6 months of age. These food products may contain too much nitrate from the canning process and cause illness.
• Cow's milk or honey until 1 year of age.
• Eggs until 2 years of age.
• Peanuts, other nuts, fish, and shellfish until 3 years of age.

As you introduce new foods, it is important to pay attention to your baby's cues. When your baby's head turns away from a spoonful of food, don't force it. But try again later. Let your baby tell you when he or she is full. Also, it may help to introduce new foods when your baby is well rested.

Your baby will rapidly gain new eating skills, such as chewing, swallowing, and using cups and utensils, between 6 and 12 months of age. Offer your baby a variety of nutritious foods and allow him or her to explore different tastes and textures.

For more information about feeding your baby, see the topics Bottle-Feeding and Breast-Feeding.

Citations

1. American Academy of Pediatrics (2008). Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 3rd ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.