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Starting Solid Foods

Up until this point, your choice of food for your baby has been limited to breast milk or iron-fortified formula. That all changes now as a whole new world of food possibilities is opened to you. With some common sense and the guidelines outlined here, you will start your baby on the path to healthful eating.

When is my baby ready to start solid foods?

  • 4-6 months of age and
  • When she has doubled her birth weight and
  • When she loses the reflex to push the nipple/bottle/spoon out of her mouth with her tongue

What should I keep in mind as I start feeding?

  • This is supposed to be fun! Do not force her; if she rejects the spoon or looks confused or insulted try again later
  • Sit the baby upright for feeding to prevent choking
  • Expect it to be messy!
  • Do not put cereal or other solid foods in the bottle

What is the first food to start with?

  • Infant iron-fortified rice cereal – mix the cereal with pumped breast milk or formula in a bowl and feed it off a small teaspoon or baby spoon
  • Start thin (more milk than cereal), start slow (1-2 times a day), and start with a morning feed (in case of allergic reaction)  
  • Gradually thicken the cereal as she gets used to eating
  • Once she has tried rice cereal, you may try oatmeal or barley cereal
  • ALL NEW FOODS SHOULD BE SEPARATED BY 3-4 DAYS so that if she has an allergic reaction to a food you will know which food caused it
  • Signs of an allergic reaction are significant diarrhea or vomiting, body rash, difficulty breathing

Which foods come after cereal?

  • Once you have tried a single-grain cereal for a week, you can move onto vegetables
  • Add veggies once a day, often at the noon-time meal
  • The most common veggies with which to start are GREEN (peas, green beans, avocado) and YELLOW (carrots, squash, sweet potatoes)
  • Wait to introduce the more fibrous veggies until closer to 9 months like broccoli and spinach
  • You can prepare your own vegetable or use commercially-prepared jars
  • However there are a few foods which you should not prepare at home to avoid excess nitrates: carrots, turnips, spinach, collard greens, beets

Can I start fruit YET?

  • Yes, once you have tried some green and yellow vegetables move on to fruits, usually introduced with the cereal meal
  • MOST fruits are great but NO citrus fruit, raspberries, or strawberries until 15-18 months of age
  • Common fruits to start with include banana, apple, peach, plum, and pear

What about juice?

  • Babies do not need juice; it only reduces her appetite for more nutritious foods and increases her risk for excess weight gain
  • No juice should be given to babies less than 6 months of age
  • If you choose to give your baby juice, it should be from a cup only (not a bottle) and total less than 4 ounces per day

What about water?

  • Regular water intake is started at 6 months of age
  • Put tap water in a sippie cup and let her practice and experiment with taking water several times a day
  • Goal water intake is at least 4-6 ounces per day under 1 year of age
  • Water in the five boroughs of New York City is fluoridated which is good for babies’ emerging teeth

How much should I feed my baby?

  • At first, just spoonfuls
  • 2-4 ounces of food per meal at 5-8 months of age
  • 6-8 ounces of food per meal at 8-10 months of age
  • 8-10 ounces of food per meal at around 1 year of age
  • Keep in mind that every baby is different. Your baby may take a little more or a little less than the guidelines outlined here

When do I add protein?

  • At 8-9 months of age you can introduce meats (chicken, turkey, beef, veal, lamb, or fish), whole milk yogurt, cheese, tofu, egg yolk, and wheat
  • Often the protein is added to the evening meal and given alongside a fruit or veggie
  • Avoid fish known to be high in mercury: shark, swordfish, mackerel
  • No egg white until 1 year of age because it tends to cause more allergic reactions
  • No shellfish until 2 years of age also because it tends to cause more allergic reactions

What are finger foods?

  • Once your baby can sit up alone and bring her hands to her mouth you can give her finger foods to help her learn to feed herself
  • This usually occurs around 8-9 months
  • Finger foods should be soft, easy to swallow, and cut into small pieces
  • They can include but are not limited to well-cooked bits of vegetables or meat, bits of banana, small pastas, peas, small pieces of crackers or bread
  • Popcorn, whole grapes or raisins, hard or sticky candy, gum, raw vegetables and other firm round foods should be avoided to prevent choking

When do I let my baby use the spoon?

  • As her ability to use her hands improves, let her play with a spoon at meal times
  • Once she can hold the spoon, you can dip it in her food and let her try to feed herself or alternate spoonfuls from you with her own attempts (10-14 months of age)
  • Also around 8-9 months most babies are able to handle coarser blends of food (ie stage 3) which she could try to feed herself

How much formula should I give as the baby eats more food?

  • At first, when a meal is rather small, offer formula at meal times
  • Once the meals consist of 4-6 ounces of food offer water at meal times and formula in between meals
  • From 6-12 months, 4-5 servings of formula or breast milk are common, totaling 20-30 ounces per day

When do I stop the formula?

  • At 1 year of age you can stop formula (or breast milk if you wish) and introduce whole cows milk
  • You can do it abruptly or more gradually over a week or two if she has trouble adjusting to the different taste
  • Goal is 16-24 ounces per day
  • It is not unusual to see loose stools for 1-2 weeks during the transition to cows milk

What other foods can I introduce at 1 year of age?

  • Egg white and honey