Helping families eat well and be active
Introducing Solid Foods
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that solids
foods should not be introduced before 4-6 months of age.
When your infant meets these age recommendations, here are
some signs that your infant is ready to start taking solid foods:
• They sit independently with support (high chair)
• They have good head and neck control
• They show interest in what you are eating
Introducing new foods:
Do not eat off the same spoon as your infant. Adult mouths have
germs and you do not want to introduce those germs into your
infant’s mouth.
By 8 to 10 months, infants begin to have the skills needed to feed
themselves. They can sit independently, grasp and release food,
chew or gum food and swallow. Make sure to avoid providing too
large pieces of food that may cause choking. Foods should be soft
and easy to handle in the mouth. Avoid cutting finger foods into
coin shapes. High-risk choking foods include grapes, nuts, carrot
rings, hot dog slices, popcorn, and large beans.
• Single-ingredient foods should be introduced first, one at a
time, every few days, to allow your infant to become used
to the taste and texture of the new food and to determine if
the child has any food sensitivities or allergies.
If your child has difficulty with stage 3 foods, which is in a pureed
form with chunks, you can simply skip this stage and offer normal
table foods. Stage 3 is a complex mix that may confuse infants
when a hidden chunk suddenly appears. • Avoid added sugar and salt. Pureeing your own foods finely
is great. There is no need to purchase commercial baby
foods. Just be sure to check for hidden chunks that may be
a choking hazard.
Foods that should not be introduced before 12 months of age:
cow’s milk, hard, round foods that could cause a child to choke,
and honey. Honey should not be given to children under that age
of 2 years due to the risk of botulism.
• It takes 10-20 tries of a new food for a baby to determine
likes or dislikes. If you try peas once and your baby makes
a face and spits it out, continue to offer peas 10-20 more
times. If he/she still spits it out, move onto another food.
But come back to peas again later.
If you are concerned about your child’s ability to handle a certain
food, you might want to offer or look for mesh feeders that allow
you to place food into a mesh bag attached to a handle. One
brand to look for is “Baby Safe Feeder”. This feeder will prevent
large chunks of a food or seeds from getting into your infants
mouth, allowing the child to suck and gum at the feeder and
obtain flavor and nutrition from the food safely.
• Offer a variety of vegetables before offering the sweeter
fruits, this helps to encourage acceptance of a variety of
flavors.
• Offer portions that are appropriate for your infant (see
“Portion Size” handout on out website).
• Use the “Hunger Cues” handout on our website to help
determine when your child is hungry and full.
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