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Essential nutrition for your older baby
A guide for transitioning to solid foods for babies
Is your baby ready for solid foods?
Feeding solid foods can be a fun time for you and your baby — new tastes, textures, and flavors. But you also might be balancing work and home life now. And with all of these changes, you probably have a lot of questions about solid foods and finger foods for babies.
Talk to your health care professional before you begin, but here is some information to help you get ready for this exciting time and make the transition go smoothly.
When to introduce solid foods to babies
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, solid foods can be introduced to babies between 4 and 6 months old. At this age, babies learn to use their tongue to move food to the back of the mouth, and mouth reflexes are developed enough to let them swallow solid foods.
To ease the transition, the makers of Similac® suggest combining cereal with baby formula or breast milk for your baby’s first solid-food experience. In a bowl or cup, mix 4 to 5 tablespoons of breast milk or Similac baby formula, such as Similac® Advance®, with 1 to 2 tablespoons of single-grain cereal. Warm it up, but do not make it hot. Always test the temperature before giving it to your baby.
About baby food allergies
Introduce only one new finger food at a time, waiting three to five days before introducing any other new foods to check for allergies. Milk, egg, or peanut allergies occur in up to about 5% of babies. If you think your baby is allergic to a food you have fed him, wait a week before trying it again. If your baby has a similar reaction, such as fussiness after eating, he's probably sensitive to that food.
Note: If your baby's symptoms include coughing, a rash, diarrhea, or vomiting, call your pediatrician immediately. If your baby is having difficulty breathing, call 911.
Learn more about baby food allergies or visit the Tummy Trouble Tool to troubleshoot almost any feeding issue.
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Your baby’s first bites: one food at a time
Your baby is not walking yet, but it might be time to take baby steps when it comes to feeding your baby solid foods. Every baby is different, but yours will let you know how much she wants to eat and what she likes and dislikes. She also will eat different amounts on different days. When introducing solid foods, begin with single-ingredient foods. Wait three to five days before introducing each new food to check for allergies.
Most pediatricians recommend starting with a single-grain cereal, because it is easier for babies to digest. Once your baby has tried a single-grain cereal, and when you are both ready, you can introduce your baby to single-ingredient foods, such as any Stage 1 jarred baby food. Here is some basic information to help you and your baby get started.
Is your baby ready for single-grain cereals?
The answer is yes if, between 4 and 6 months, your baby can:
- Sit with support.
- Hold her head up and turn away when full.
- Take food from a spoon and learn to swallow.
Is your baby ready for single-ingredient jarred foods?
The answer is yes after your baby has tried cereal, and can:
- Sit with support.
- Hold her head up and turn away when full.
- Take food from a spoon and swallow.
Do solid foods help your baby sleep through the night?
There is no scientific evidence that feeding your baby solids early in the evening helps her sleep through the night. Babies fed solids early do not sleep through the night any sooner than babies not fed solids early. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that solids can be introduced between 4 and 6 months of age.
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Adding variety to mealtime: finger foods for babies
Now that your baby is eating single-ingredient foods regularly, she probably wants to try more foods. From about 6 months, you can add combination foods to your baby's diet for extra variety and flavor. Here are some basic tips and guidelines to help you and your baby get started.
Is your baby ready for combination foods?
The answer is yes when your baby is about 6 months old, and can:
- Sit well without support.
- Keep his head upright while sitting.
- Eat a wide variety of single-ingredient foods.
- Eat solid foods about three times a day.
Does your baby dislike a certain food?
If your baby makes a funny face, it does not mean she dislikes the food. Your baby will need time to adjust to a new taste. Use the new food for your baby's first bite of solids for a few days. The first day you try new food, your baby might make a face and spit the food out. The second day your baby usually will swallow the first bite but might refuse the second. But if you continue this pattern, your baby probably will develop a taste for new foods — even strong-tasting vegetables.
Is it time for your baby to use a cup?
With a little help, your baby can start drinking from a cup as early as 6 months.
Drinking from a cup can help wean your baby from the breast or bottle later on. Wait until your baby can sit up unsupported. Look for a spill-proof baby cup with a spout.
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Introducing more flavors and textures into your baby’s solid foods
From about 8 months, you can keep adding new foods with more complex tastes and textures to your baby's diet. Your baby might want more "grown-up" foods; however, be sure to offer a balanced diet by introducing Stage 3 foods.
Here are some basics to help you and your baby make this transition.
Is your baby ready for complex tastes?
The answer is yes when your baby is about 8 months old, and:
- Can pull up from a sitting to a standing position
- Can walk by holding on to furniture
- Wants to eat with her fingers
- Mashes food well with her gums or teeth
- Enjoys a variety of tastes and textures
Blending your baby’s mealtime and playtime
Your baby probably is trying to feed himself with a spoon now, often without much success, and might be enjoying his new eating skills. You can help your baby learn and have fun by letting him hold on to the spoon while feeding. Letting your baby play with his food is a healthy part of development because it allows him to practice grasping, painting, picking up, stacking, and throwing — which might encourage him to eat while he touches.
You also can start introducing foods with new textures, such as oatmeal, noodles, and peas. Your baby also will like chewing on hard but dissolvable foods while teething.
Choking hazards for babies
Your baby can potentially choke on any object that is more than a half-inch in diameter. Never give your baby popcorn, hot dogs, whole grapes, or fruit with seeds, such as cherries. And, of course, never give your baby any nuts or seeds.
Have you noticed a yellow tinge to your baby's skin?
This could be a harmless condition known as carotenemia, but check with your health care professional. Babies can turn yellow with as little as 2 tablespoons of pureed carrots every day for five to seven weeks. The color will subside if you stop feeding carotene-rich foods, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and peaches, for a couple of days.
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The truth about food allergies in babies
As you start solid foods, introducing your baby to one new food for three to five days at a time is a good way to check for allergic reactions in your baby.
Here is some basic information about babies and food allergies.
Other problem foods for babies
Fresh strawberries sometimes can cause food reactions in babies. Cooked strawberries usually do not because heat pasteurization destroys the substance responsible for reactions.
Some potentially high-allergen foods usually not fed to babies are fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts. Any food can cause an allergy. Check with your health care professional if your baby shows any sign of an allergic reaction.
How to recognize an allergic reaction in your baby
Baby food allergy reactions vary greatly. Symptoms can include difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, skin rash, coughing, runny nose, or watery eyes. If you see anything unusual in your baby when you add a new food, call your health care professional immediately. Introducing just one new food every three to five days can help you detect a food that triggers an allergic reaction. If your baby is fussy after eating a specific food, you can find help by troubleshooting the problem with the Tummy Trouble Tool.
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Dos and don’ts for feeding your baby solid foods
Even though talking is still months away, your baby might be telling you something. These dos and don’ts will help you figure out your baby’s feeding signals and make the transition to solid foods as easy as possible for both of you.
Here are some hints to help make mealtime entertaining instead of frustrating.
