Schedule For Feeding Baby Solid Foods

Time Frame

• Most babies will be ready to begin eating solid foods when they have complete head support. This is about the age that a baby loses the reflex that forces him to spit out any food that might be given to him with his tongue. This is called the extrusion reflex. Look for this between ages 4 to 6 months. Babies do not all develop the same so if you attempt to feed your baby with a spoon and he spits it right back out then the best idea is to wait a few days and simply try again.

Types

• Most parents will introduce infant rice cereal as the first food between ages four to six months. This is mixed with either formula or breast milk to the desired consistency and the spoon fed. This is the recommended choice by most pediatricians because it is easily digested. Initially, the rice cereal mixture is relatively thin and made by mixing a couple tablespoons of cereal and slowly adding the liquid. As time passes and your baby is receiving the cereal well you can thicken it by just adding less liquid. The baby should eat this twice a day, according to Dr. Spock.

Vegetables &Fruits

• Slowly add pureed vegetables or fruit around age 6 months. Some parents choose to make their own baby food and others buy it commercially. Some parents choose to give their baby vegetables first so that they learn to eat those before being introduced to the sweeter option of fruits. Other parents decide to first add fruits to the rice cereal. The order of how food is given is a matter of preference but it is important that foods are introduced individually and slowly. The reason for this is, in the event that a baby has a reaction to a particular food, the parent will know which food to avoid.

Meats

• After your baby has been eating infant cereal, fruits or vegetables then it is time to introduce meats, around age 7 to 8 months. Meats are important to the diet of a baby because the meats are loaded with good vitamins such as iron, protein and zinc. It is important to also introduce meats individually and slowly in the event of a food allergy. Parents can puree cooked meats or buy jarred baby food meat instead.

Finger Foods

• Around 8 to 12 months of age, a baby can also begin to eat soft foods that the rest of the family eats. Mashed potatoes, diced bananas, cooked and cubed sweet potatoes are good foods to start with. Offering them before they are seasoned is a good option. Jarred baby foods also offer third stage foods which are not pureed as much as the other jarred baby foods and offer more texture. After your baby has developed his fine motor skills better and can pick food up with his fingers then you can introduce such foods as other diced fruits, cooked and cubed carrots and dry cereals.

Warning

• Foods that babies should not be given include nuts, raw vegetables and candy. These can be choking hazards for any baby. For the first year babies should not eat wheat, egg whites, cow's milk or peanut butter because of possible food allergies. Due to the threat of botulism, babies under one year of age should not be given anything that has corn syrup or honey in it.