The Complete Guide to Starting Baby on Solids

April 27, 2022 Infant

The time has come to start your baby on solids. What age is best? Is rice cereal needed? And what about baby-led weaning? We’ve got the answers (and more) in our complete guide to feeding your baby.

Most babies are ready to start solid foods around 6 months of age. If your baby is able to sit up on their own, and shows interest in food by opening their mouth when food is nearby, they may be telling you they’re ready.

STEP 1

Start at the Right Time

Most major health organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend starting solids around 6 months, but earlier may be okay (not before 4 months though), depending on your baby’s development. Here are signs your baby may be ready for solids:

STEP 2

Provide Nutritious First Foods

If you are exclusively breastfeeding you’ll want to keep a watchful eye on iron. Around 6 months, baby’s iron stores run low and human milk alone can’t cover baby’s high needs. The goal is to work up to two servings of iron-rich foods daily with sources of vitamin C rich foods, which help your baby absorb iron.

STEP 3

Pace the Progression

Offer foods that are nutritious and match your child’s eating skills. Learning to eat is challenging, so offering your baby food with small steps up in texture is important:

STEP 4

Be Responsive

Did you know that babies know how much food they need? Being responsive, or tuned in, to their needs helps children get the right amount of food they need to grow properly. Here are some tips:

Feed baby in a quiet place (without TV or other screens) in a high chair, at regular times during the day.
Avoid putting baby to bed with a bottle or adding cereal to it unless advised by your doctor.
End the meal when your child shows signs they’re done (turns head away, throws food, etc). And if your child wants more food, keep feeding them.

STEP 5

Go for Variety

Take advantage of baby’s willingness to eat by introducing healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, fish and lean meats. By the time a child is eating table foods, they can eat what the family eats.

Don’t forget these top 5 safety tips:

Help prevent choking by avoiding round, hard foods like hot dogs, whole grapes, raw veggies and chunks of cheese or peanut butter. Chop food into half-inch pieces.
Avoid regular offerings of foods like cookies, cakes and sweet drinks until children are over 2 years old.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting 2-3 days between introducing each new food to watch for allergic reactions (like rash or diarrhea).
Skip the juice: your baby doesn’t need it. If you do choose to offer juice, wait until your baby is at least 6 months old, offer only 100% fruit juice and limit to 4-6 ounces a day.
Avoid cow’s milk and honey the first year.

Putting it all Together

The servings sizes below are average for each age group — your baby may eat more or less than this.

MEAL	4-6 MONTHS	6-8 MONTHS	8-10 MONTHS	10-12 MONTHS
BREAKFAST	1-2 Tbsp. infant rice cereal* 1-2 Tbsp. fruit or veggie	2-4 Tbsp. infant oat cereal 2-3 Tbsp. fruit or veggie 1 cooked egg yolk mashed with milk	4-6 Tbsp. infant whole wheat cereal 2-4 Tbsp. fruit Egg mashed with milk or chopped egg omelet	Infant cereal Scrambled eggs Chopped, soft cantaloupe
SNACK	-	-	-	1/2 cup yogurt with cut up banana
LUNCH	-	1-4 Tbsp. infant rice cereal 2-3 Tbsp. fruit or veggie	2-4 Tbsp. mashed beans or chopped meat Toast strips 2-4 Tbsp. fruit or veggie (chopped)	1/2 grilled cheese sandwich with tuna, cut into pieces 1/4 cup cooked carrot slices
SNACK	-	-	1/4 cup plain yogurt 2-4 Tbsp. fruit mixed in	Grated apple without the skin 1/2 string cheese quartered or stringed
DINNER	1-2 Tbsp. meat 1-2 Tbsp. fruit or veggie	2-3 Tbsp. meat or meat alternative 2-3 Tbsp. fruit or veggie	2-4 Tbsp. meat, poultry or tofu Mashed potato 2-4 Tbsp. veggie	Chopped chicken Mashed or cubed sweet potato Chopped green beans and pear

Understanding Trends

Today, some of the most popular trends in feeding baby include making homemade baby food, baby-led weaning (skipping the spoon), using a mostly plant-based or vegan diet, and pre-chewing baby’s food. Just because these are popular doesn’t mean they’re right, or even healthy, for your baby.

The following table explains flashy feeding trends, their benefits and drawbacks:

Popular Feeding Trends: The Good and Not so Good

FEEDING TREND	WHAT IT IS	GOOD	NOT SO GOOD	HOW TO MAKE IT WORK
Starting Solids Too Early	Offering baby cereal or other pureed food before 4 months of age.	None.	Higher risk for overfeeding, too much weight gain, choking, and food allergy.	Hold off on solid foods until your baby is between 4 and 6 months, and shows signs they’re ready.
Homemade Baby Food	Making baby food from scratch; very few or no jarred foods used.	Fresh, flavorful purees; can add spices like garlic and onion to introduce new flavors.	May feed only fruits and vegetables when other foods are needed; may keep baby on pureed food longer than ideal.	Spice up homemade baby food to introduce more complex flavors; introduce chopped table foods between 8 and 9 months.
Baby-Led Weaning (Skipping the Spoon)	Baby eats food that easily dissolves — with their hands most of the time, and is sometimes fed with a spoon.	Baby may be more in tune with their fullness; less likely to be overweight; solid foods are introduced at 6 months.	Underweight is more common; nutrients like iron may be low if iron-rich foods are not offered; choking or low intake in some babies who aren’t ready for the texture of solids offered.	Supervise baby when eating; avoid hard foods that baby could choke on, provide a variety of foods from the food groups; target iron and zinc-rich foods; learn about baby’s nutrient needs.
Avoiding Baby Cereal	Parent uses other first foods, like veggies, instead of iron-fortified cereal.	Avoids refined grains, which some have proposed a link to later obesity and diabetes (not proven).	Missing iron, a high priority nutrient. Giving babies iron-fortified cereal from 4 to 9 months of age prevents iron deficiency anemia.	Use other iron-fortified cereals like barley, wheat or oats; offer pureed meat as a first food (a good iron and zinc source).
Plant-Based Diets (Vegan)	A vegan diet excludes animal-based foods including meat, poultry, pork, fish, dairy and eggs.	Can meet the needs of growing babies if planned carefully. Plant-based diets offer life-long health benefits.	Several vital nutrients for baby may be missing: iron, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, fluoride, DHA and protein.	Talk with your WIC registered dietitian, who can help you plan a healthy vegetarian diet for your baby.
Pre-Chewing Food	Chewing whole food first before offering it to your baby.	May help baby manage and digest certain, tough to chew foods.	Spreads bacteria that causes cavities. Higher risk for infections (herpes, “mono” and “strep”).	Offer appropriate foods such as fork-mashed or chopped items when baby is ready to advance texture. Don’t share utensils.

As you can see, there are many important goals of feeding your baby the first year:

Meeting your baby’s changing nutrient needs
Providing textures that match their eating skills
Safely challenging them to eat “real, grown-up” food at the right time
Introducing them to different flavors
Being responsive to help them enjoy eating

That’s a lot to accomplish! The good news is you have plenty of time to do this, and with the right advice and step-by-step help, you and your baby will sail through this stage with flying colors!