For the first several months of your newborn’s life, their diet will consist exclusively of breast milk or baby formula. Their liquid diet gives them all of the calories and nutrients they need to grow and develop for the first part of their young lives. Then, when they’re around four to six months old, your baby might start showing interest in the foods you’re eating and want to sample other things off the menu. When do infants start eating solid food? Typically, this happens around this age, but every baby is different. Here’s everything you need to know to transition your baby from liquid to baby solid food.
How to Know if Your Baby is Ready for Solid Foods
Your baby will let you know when they’re ready to try new foods. Every child is different, but there are common signs that your baby wants solid foods and is ready to try them. You’ll know your baby is ready to expand their diet when:
- They can sit up mostly on their own.
- They show interest in the food you’re eating: leaning toward you or opening their mouth when you’re eating.
- They can sit up with little or no support.
- They bring their hands, toys, or other objects to their mouth.
- They signal that they’re full by pulling away or closing their mouth.
As you observe these signs, you might wonder, when can you introduce solid food to babies? Pediatricians recommend introducing solids gradually, ensuring your baby is ready for new textures and tastes.
How to Prepare for Solid Foods
The only supplies you need to transition your baby to solid foods are yourself, your baby, and something tasty to eat. That being said, these supplies could help your baby’s first meals go more smoothly.
High chair: A high chair gives your baby a dedicated space for all their meals. A good high chair will help your baby sit upright, and the straps will keep your baby safe and secure. Eating in a high chair teaches your baby eating independence by giving them the space to feed themselves. They’ll learn the context of meal time, eating at certain times in a specific place. And the bonus is that a high chair is designed for easy disassembly and cleaning.
Bibs: Your baby won’t be good at eating right away. After all, they’ve never done it before. A bib will protect your baby’s tiny wardrobe (at least a bit) from spills and stains. Some baby bibs are made of plastic, rubber, or easily cleanable materials. Some even have a little pocket at the bottom to prevent dropped food from getting away and making cleanup even more effortless.
Weaning spoon and bowl: Weaning spoons are made of gentler materials than conventional flatware to minimize injury to your baby’s gums. Meanwhile, a weaning bowl features a suction cup on the bottom to keep them stuck in place and reduce messes.
Giving Your Baby Their First Solid Foods
Introducing your baby to their first solid foods is such an exciting milestone! It’s a fun time to see their facial expressions as they experience new tastes and textures for the first time. Let your little one take the lead. Let your baby get messy, make mistakes, and even play with their food, which helps children learn to feed themselves. Sit with your baby when they eat, and let them sit with you when you eat. Babies watch their parents and caregivers and mimic their behaviors; eating together will help them learn. Here’s how to get from the first bite to a well-rounded palate.
- Wash up: Wash your hands and your baby’s hands before mealtime.
- Safety first: Check all food temperatures to make sure they’re not too hot, secure your baby in their high chair, and never leave them unattended during meal time.
- Avoid unnecessary additives: Look for foods free from added salt, sugar, or seasonings. By contrast, vitamin-fortified baby foods may be appropriate. Talk to your pediatric provider if you have any questions about the contents of your baby’s food!
- Start simple: Your baby’s first foods should be simple single-ingredient foods. Popular first foods include pureed peas, carrots, bananas, apples, squash, and avocado. Some experts recommend starting with vegetables and waiting a while to start offering sweeter fruits to ensure your baby enjoys a wide variety of foods. Best first solid foods for baby include these purees, which provide essential nutrients and help them adjust to different flavors. Oatmeal and rice cereal are other popular options.
- Choose one food: Give your baby just one new single-ingredient food at a time, and stick with that food for 3 to 5 days. Watch for any adverse reactions like diarrhea, rash, or vomiting. If anything arises, you’ll be confident about which food was responsible. If you’re concerned about a potential reaction, your pediatric provider can discuss a plan for introducing new foods safely.
- Add variety: Once you and your baby are comfortable with a variety of single-ingredient foods, move on to two-ingredient foods. As your baby’s eating skills improve, you can transition from pureed foods to mashed, lumpy, and finger foods. Offering a variety of textures can be as important to healthy eating habits as a variety of tastes. As your baby gets teeth, you can also offer small pieces of meat, fruit, or steamed vegetables about the size of your baby’s fingertip. Since every baby is different, you might wonder, how much solid food should a 6 month old eat? At this stage, your baby will likely start with a few spoonfuls once or twice a day, gradually increasing as they become more comfortable with eating solids.
- Be patient: At first, your baby may not eat much. You might end up with more food on their hands, face, and high chair than in their mouth, but that’s okay! All of that helps your baby get used to the idea of eating. It may take some practice for them to get the hang of it. Similarly, your baby may need several tries before they learn to enjoy a particular taste or texture, so don’t give up after a single feeding.
- Pay attention: As your baby transitions from liquid to infant solid food, keep an eye on their growth and development to ensure they are getting adequate nutrition. Talk with your pediatrician about any questions or concerns you may have. In the meantime, pay attention to what your baby is telling you. They’ll let you know what they like and don’t like and when they’re hungry and full.
Balancing Solid Foods With Breastmilk
Breastmilk or formula should remain your baby’s primary source of nutrition until they turn one. Solids are meant to complement milk feedings, not replace them, as your baby learns to explore new foods. Start with small, easy-to-digest foods while continuing regular nursing or bottle feedings. Over time, your baby will begin to eat more solids but still rely on milk for essential nutrients and hydration. Maintaining a balance ensures a smooth transition to a well-rounded diet.
As you introduce solid food for baby, maintaining a proper infant solid food schedule can help ensure a gradual, healthy transition. Keeping track of what your baby eats and how they respond to different foods will help you make adjustments as needed.
