Ready to progress your baby from liquids (formula or breast milk) to more solid foods? Are they ready? How do I know? What do I make for their first meal? Feeding is an area fraught with many questions, and can be a stress point for families. In this post, we’ll break down some of these questions to help you prepare for the feeding journey with confidence.
How do I know my baby is ready to begin trying solids?
Around 4 to 7 months of age, your baby will begin to:
These are all green light cues to begin adding food to your routine. Please remember that starting solids before 4 months of age is never recommended. If you have questions, always check with your pediatrician.
What will their first meal be and how do I introduce it?
A helpful plan is to start them out with a few sips from their bottle/breast at a feeding, and then introduce their first food. This could be infant cereal, apple sauce, mashed avocado, pureed sweet potato, etc. Use a small child sized spoon, scoop some food, and bring it to your baby’s lips. Allow them ample time to smell and taste this new food. They might not eat it, might pull away, or cry. Not to worry! Trying new things can be scary, and continuing to present new smells, textures, and tastes are all great ways to help your baby become a good eater.
My child had their first food- what next?
The goal of the first meal, and then subsequent meals, is to explore food. Children are still getting the majority of their nutrition through breast milk/formula, and focusing on new tastes, textures, and smells is the goal at this time. Eating is messy! Children will use their hands, bring their hands to their mouth, spread the food around on their tray, and dump their food on their head! An infant will not use a spoon on their own right away, but allowing them to hold the spoon while you feed them, helps them to develop fine motor skills as well as associate the use of a spoon for eating. Ultimately, you want to introduce different foods, tastes, and textures one at a time, 3-5 days apart, to allow a child to get used to the new food and to make sure there are no food allergies or sensitivities.
Will they be eating puree forever?
It might feel like this to you! But as your child’s oral motor skills develop, they will be able to take on thicker purees, mashed foods, and small chunks of food. By the time your child is around 9 months, they will likely already be eating from a variety of food groups including cereals, grains, vegetables, fruits, proteins (meat/fish), and dairy (yogurts/cheeses). Find more information about the first year of eating solids here (link).
If you still have questions about your child’s feeding progression, please click here to book a free 15 minute consultation with one of our providers.
Reference: CDC’s Infant and Toddler Nutrition website. (2022, June 3). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/index.html
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