Starting the baby on solid food can be a fun time as they reach a new milestone and get to try fresh foods and flavours.
When to start solid food
We recommend waiting until 5-6 months to start giving your baby solid food. Until then, breastmilk or formula should be their sole source of nutrition (and if you start solids between 4 and 6 months, the food will not be intended to substitute for milk in providing any nutrition—it is developmental in purpose). If babies are given solid foods, including baby cereal, before 4 months, their digestive system may not be ready. It may increase their risk of food allergies and may increase their risk for obesity. Also, it’s crucial that you do not give your baby cereal in a bottle unless your doctor recommends it.
Not all babies will be ready to start solid foods simultaneously. You’ll want to make sure your baby is doing the following:
Can sit up in a high chair or on your lap with good head control and minimal support. They don’t, however, need to be able to sit independently
- Seems interested in food (watching you eat with interest, reaching for food, or opening theirmouth for food) Can move food from their mouth and swallow. If you give your baby a spoonful of cereal orbaby food and they push it back out or it dribbles down their chin, they may not have thisability yet. Wait a week or two and try again.
- Can move food from their mouth and swallow. If you give your baby a spoonful of cereal or baby food and they push it back out or it dribbles down their chin, they may not have this ability yet. Wait a week or two and try again.
How to feed your baby solid food?
This is a necessary time to set healthy food habits from the start and introduce your child to a wide variety of nutritious foods, especially fruits and vegetables. When first starting solid foods, choose a time when your child is not hungry or trying to avoid frustration.
Introduce new foods gradually, one at a time. There is no medical evidence that you need tointroduce foods in any particular order. You can use jarred baby food or baby cereals or create yourown using a blender or food processor. You should cook all fresh foods with no added salt if youmake your own. You should cook most fruits and vegetables until they are soft and don’t requirechewing.
As you feed your baby, watch for cues that they are complete, such as turning their heads or spitting out food.
Over time, encourage your baby to use spoons and fingers to feed themselves. By helping your baby learn to feed themselves, they will also learn to self-regulate how much they eat.
To give your baby finger foods, ensure the food is soft, easy to swallow, and cut into small pieces. Some good first-finger foods are cut-up bananas or avocados, scrambled eggs, soft pasta, and cut-up potatoes and peas.
If your baby doesn’t like something the first time, try again! It sometimes takes 10-15 tries over a while before a baby will accept a new food.
Babies with food allergies or food allergies in the family
In the past, doctors advised parents to avoid foods that were common allergens (such as dairy, eggs, peanuts, and other nut products). However, recent research indicates that late introduction of such foods can increase their risk of allergies. Before starting solids, talk to your paediatrician for recommendations for your baby. Babies at high risk for food allergies (severe eczema or strong family histories of allergic disease) might be referred for allergy testing before starting foods commonly associated with allergies. If you are concerned about this, consult your paediatrician.
If you notice a change in your baby after eating a particular food, such as diarrhoea, a rash, or vomiting, consult with your paediatrician.
How much and how often should I feed my baby?
When you first start giving your baby solids, they only need a few spoonfuls or small pieces of food. At this age, solid foods do not replace breast milk or formula but rather complement it.
Between 6 to 12 months, breastmilk or formula is still an essential part of your baby’s diet and will still provide most of your baby’s nutrients as your baby learns to eat solids. Their digestive system is also immature and needs time before fully processing solid food. However, you can start to incorporate more complex proteins like meats and move toward giving “meals” of solids that may begin to replace 1-2 milk feedings each day. Unless you and your paediatrician have discussed allergy concerns, raw honey is the only food to avoid.
As your baby grows, it will increase how much solid food they eat and gradually decrease the amount of formula or breastmilk feedings they need. So, while a younger baby usually requires milk every two to three hours, by their first birthday, they may only need three or four milk feedings each day.
After 9 months, you should be offering your baby two to three healthy meals per day. Frequently these meals can be foods you and your family are eating at mealtime, just put them into sizes and textures that are safe for your baby. Put a portion in a blender or baby food grinder, mash food up or cut it into small pinkly-diameter pieces (your baby’s pinkie) to decrease choking risk.
Continue to feed your baby breastmilk and/or formula for your baby’s first 12 months. You can continue breastfeeding after 12 months if you and your baby desire.
What about vitamin D and iron supplements for breastfed babies?
If your baby is breastfed, talk to your paediatrician, as they may recommend that you give your baby a vitamin D and/or an iron supplement during their first year.
From 6 months on, when solids are starting to supply some necessary nutrients, meats, such as turkey and chicken, are rich in iron and are good options to introduce to your baby. Beans and legumes are also iron-rich. Iron-fortified cereals are also an option to increase your baby’s iron intake.
What should my baby drink at mealtimes?
Offer your water in a cup. Do not give your baby juice or sugar-sweetened drinks since those can damage teeth and lead to obesity.
When can I switch to cow’s milk instead of formula or breast milk?
After your baby is one-year-old, you may give them whole cow’s milk as long as they have a balanced diet of solid foods. Try to limit milk to 500ml/day to prevent a decrease in appetite for solid foods. Alternative dairy (such as soy, almond, rice or coconut) is acceptable if they are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. If your child is not eating a balanced, solid food diet, is overweight or has other health issues, speak to your paediatrician for guidance.