How Do You Introduce Solid Foods To Your Baby?
The introduction of solid foods usually starts at 6 months of age. Check with your baby's pediatrician for their recommendation on when to introduce solid foods to your baby's diet.
General Guide
Introduce one single-ingredient food at a time. Wait three to five days before introducing another new food, to make sure your baby doesn't have an unhealthy reaction to a food. Only use a spoon to give food. Never mix infant foods in the baby's bottle. Use of an infant "feeder" is not recommended because baby won't develop proper feeding skills.
Typical Portion Sizes and Daily Intake for Infants
|
Age (months) |
Food (Portion Size) |
Feedings Per Day |
|
0-4 |
|
8-12 |
|
4-6 |
|
4-6
|
|
6-8 |
|
3-5 |
|
8-12 |
|
3-4
2-3 |
The following foods are not recommended for infants because of the risk of choking:
- Popcorn
- Peanuts
- Raisins, whole grapes
- Uncut, stringy meats
- Hot dog pieces
- Hard, raw fruits or vegetables such as apples, green beans
- Sticky foods such as peanut butter, which can get stuck in the back of mouth
- Any other pieces of food that the infant cannot chew because they do not have advanced chewing skills yet. Unchewed food can block the airway, because babies cannot cough and clear their throats on their own.
Other General Feeding Guidelines:
- Milks other than those just for infants—such as cow's, goat, rice, or soy milk—are not appropriate before 1 year of age. Avoid rice milk before the age of 4 years.
- Do not give honey until 1 year of age because of the risk of botulism.
- Avoid juice before 1 year of age. When introduced, only give juice (100% only) in a cup, not a bottle, and limited to 4 ounces per day.
- Sugar-containing foods and drinks and foods with added salt are not recommended for infants.
- In store-bought baby foods, avoid fillers such as modified food starch or tapioca. Baby food desserts are not recommended because they have added sugar.
