References:
- Sick Kids-About Kids Health – Introducing Solids
- UnlockFood.ca – Introducing Solid Food to Your Baby
- La Leche League International – Starting Solids
When Can My Baby Start Solids?
- Your baby’s body is not ready to take solid food until 6 months of age
- It is recommended that a baby is exclusively breast or bottle fed until 6 months
- For infants at a high risk of developing an allergy it is recommended that common allergenic foods are introduced around 6 months
- An infant would be considered high risk if there is a parent with a strong food allergy
- These common allergenic foods are:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Seafood
- Sesame seeds
- Soy
- Tree nuts
- Wheat
Signs Your Baby is ready to Eat Solids:
- Can hold their head up when eating
- This helps prevent choking
- Able to sit up and lean forward
- Tongue thrust reflex is gone
- Able to move food from front to back of mouth with their tongue
- This may take practice
- Showing interest in foods
How Should I Introduce Solids to My Baby?
- Include baby in family mealtimes
- Allow baby to explore food with fingers
- Avoid distractions like TV and toys
- Babies should be focused on their feeding to help create an awareness around fullness and to prevent choking
- Always supervise your baby while they are eating
Introducing Solid Foods:
- For the first few months the amount of food that the baby eats is not important as long as they are still breast or bottle feeding
- The first few months are just to get the baby used to the taste and texture of food
- Choose a time to begin when your baby is happy and alert
- Offer your baby a quarter of a teaspoon of food
- Place the spoon between their lips and see how they react
- They may open their mouth for more or the food might slide out
- Introduce solids once per day for the first few days
What Textures Should I Start Feeding My Baby?
- Start with a variety of textures
- Try pureed, mashed, lumpy, ground, and finely minced
What If My Baby Refuses to Try Solid Foods?
- It may take multiple tries for your baby to accept a new food
- Offer the food again in a few days
- Mix food with breastmilk or formula
- Let your baby feed themselves
- Offer foods at different temperatures
How Much Should My Baby Eat?
- Let your baby decide how much to eat
- Your baby will close their mouth when they are full
What Foods Should I Start With?
- Iron fortified baby cereal
- Rice, barley, and oatmeal
- Comes in flakes and you can mix it with breast milk or formula
- Pureed meat or chicken
- Mashed, hard boiled egg
- Full fat cheese and yogurt
- Cooked beans, lentils, and chickpeas
- Pureed vegetables like peas, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans
- Babies tend to prefer yellow vegetables to green vegetables
- Fruits like mashed banana
- Introduce fruits after your baby has accepted vegetables into their diet
Tips for Starting Solids:
- Introduce new foods one at a time
- Look for reactions like diarrhea, vomiting or rash after each new food
- If your baby is able to tolerate allergenic foods such as peanuts or eggs, try to provide them to your baby a few times per week to maintain the tolerance
- Foods that are a potential choking hazard such as grapes should be cut into smaller pea sized pieces
- Continue breast of bottle feeding as usual when you start introducing solids
When Should We Stop A Feeding?
- If your baby becomes fussy, turns their head, spits out the food, or throws the food they are giving you signs they are not hungry, do not force them to continue eating
When Should I Introduce Water To My Baby?
- Once your baby is around 6 months old you can offer your baby water in an open cup in moderation
- Avoid giving your baby mineral water, and drinks with sugar, sweetener, or caffeine
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