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Introduction to Solid Foods

From six to twelve months of age, breast milk or iron fortified infant formula should still be the main source of nutrition for your baby; however, at six months most babies are ready for solid foods and need the extra iron that solid foods can provide.

As your baby gets older (close to six months of age), watch for signs that she is ready for solid food. If solid foods are started too early or too late, there is a greater chance of problems.

Solid Foods Too Early

• Higher risk of food allergy or intolerance.
• May not get enough breast milk or formula.
• May cause your baby to choke.
• Hard on baby's kidneys and digestive system.

Solid Foods Too Late

• May be slow to accept solid food.
• May have hard time chewing food.
• Baby may be low in iron and other nutrients needed for growth.

Be patient with your baby when you start to introduce solid foods. It is a new experience and some babies need more time to adjust than others.

Gagging is normal for babies learning to eat. Feeding your baby small amounts of food at a time and taking your time between spoonfuls may help prevent gagging. If your baby continues to gag a lot, and starts to refuse food, talk to your health care provider or call the Healthy Children Info Line 519-883-2245

Here you will learn about when to start solid foods, the signs to watch for when your baby is ready for solid food, the type of first solid foods, feeding and serving solid foods safely, warming, making and determining amount of solid foods, types of table foods, foods to avoid, food allergies, and sample menus.

Teddy Bear Picnic

When to Start Solid Foods

You can start offering solid foods when your baby is around six months old and showing signs of being ready:

Signs Your Baby May Be Ready For Solid Foods

• Your baby is around six months old
• Sits alone or with little support and can control head and neck well
• Is interested in food when others are eating
• Watches spoon and opens mouth when spoon comes
• Closes lips over spoon

What Are the First Solid Foods for Baby

Iron-rich foods are recommended as the first solid foods to give your baby. Infant cereals that have added iron and meat and meat alternatives are good sources of iron.

Cereal

Choose infant cereals with added iron and start with a single grain cereal (eg. rice) before mixed cereals. After 3-5 days you may give another single grain cereal like barley, or oatmeal.

Cereals can be mixed with breast milk or formula. Cereals that have formula added should be mixed with water only. Read the label and follow the mixing directions on the package.

Cereal should be given to your baby on a small spoon. Never add cereal to your baby's bottle!

Meat and Meat Alternatives

This includes cooked egg yolk, turkey, lamb, beef, chicken, pork, fish and well cooked legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans) and tofu.

Serve puréed meat or meat alternatives first. Iron from meat sources is better absorbed than iron from non-meat sources.

It is important to keep feeding time happy. If your baby does not like the taste of meat as a first food do not force her to eat it. Try again at a later time.

Baby food 'dinners' found in jars are low in meat. Buy meats and vegetables on their own and mix them yourself.

Feeding Solid Food to Your Baby

Your baby should be fed sitting up and facing you, fastened safely in a high chair or infant seat. Give baby one new food at a time, about 3-5 days apart. Serve foods on a small spoon from a dish (never give cereal in a bottle). Begin with a small amount (about a teaspoon) and gradually increase the amount. Start with thin smooth puréed foods.

Do not force your baby to eat. If your baby turns her head away or loses interest in the food, stop feeding and try again another day.

Around 7 - 8 months move to thicker, lumpier food and when your baby is eating lumpy foods well, you may try giving chunkier and mashed foods (around eight months).

Serve Solid Foods Safely

• Look to make sure that the baby food jar has a plastic seal on it.
• Check the expiry date of any food given to baby - do not use if it is past that date.
• Listen for a 'popping' sound when the jar is opened for the first time.
• Put a small amount of food into a dish - never feed your baby food directly from the jar or container. Throw away any food that is left uneaten in the dish.
• Refrigerate remaining food in the covered jar or a sealed container. Put the date on the jar or container and after three days throw out what is unused.

Warming Food

Hot Water Bath

A hot water bath is the SAFEST WAY to warm bottles, jars or containers of food.

Microwave

Be very careful if you choose to heat your baby's food in the microwave. Microwaves heat food and liquids unevenly and can create hot spots that can burn your baby. Stir the food and test the temperature before serving it to your baby. Use the back of your hand to test the temperature and to be sure the food is warm, but not hot.

How to heat food in a microwave...

Put food into a microwave-safe dish and heat on low to medium setting. Food may heat unevenly so mix the food well before testing the temperature.

Different foods heat at different rates. If heating more than one type of food in a dish, test the temperature of each food separately.

How Much Do I Feed My Baby

Let your baby be your guide. Your baby's appetite will change from day to day. Your baby will let you know when she has had enough by turning away or closing her mouth. Babies lose interest in eating when they have had enough to eat. Look for these signs and trust your baby.

Never force a baby to eat!

Don't worry if your child does not eat much at times - that is normal.

If you are concerned about the amount of food your baby is eating, talk to your health care provider or call the Healthy Children Info Line 519-883-2245.

Making Your Own Baby Food

Making your own baby food can save money and can give your baby different foods than what is found in jars. You can vary the texture of food easily and some babies may like the taste of homemade food better than jarred food.

Cook and store food properly. As a general rule, be "clean and quick". Follow these basic recipes but change the amount of liquid if you need to change the texture. Begin with smooth textures and then move to thicker, lumpier textures, as your baby gets better at eating solid foods.

Food	Liquid	Makes
Cooked Vegetables 3/4 cup (200ml)	Water 3 tsp (45ml)	1/3 - 1/2 cup (75 - 120ml)
Cooked Fruit  1/3-1/2 cup (75-120ml)	Fruit Juice or Water 2 tsp (10ml)	1/3 - 1/2 cup (75 - 120ml)
Cooked Meat 1/2 cup (120ml)	Water or Breast Milk 4 tsp (60ml)	1/3 - 1/2 cup (75 - 120ml)

Equipment Needed

• Pots or microwave safe dishes for cooking foods.
• Blender, food processor or food mill (hand grinder) or wire sieve and wooden spoon for blending/pureeing.
• Fork or potato masher for mashing lumpy foods.
• Ice cube trays or cookie sheets for freezing single portions.
• Plastic freezer bags or containers to store frozen food.

Tips

• Before you start, wash your hands and all equipment well.
• Cook food quickly in a small amount of water, or steam.
• Do not add butter, gravy, salt, herbs, sauces, spices, sugar, honey or molasses to recipes.
• Cooked, ground meats (ground beef, chicken, pork, turkey or veal) may be easier to puree than other meats.
• Cooked or frozen vegetables can be puréed. Avoid canned vegetables - they are high in salt.
• Cooked, fresh, frozen or canned (in own juice) fruit can be puréed.
• Remove seeds and tough skin from vegetables and fruit before processing.
• Do not refrigerate puréed food longer than three days.
• For freezer storage, place purée in ice cube trays or "drop" spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, put in freezer bags and label for storage.
• Vegetables and fruits can be in the freezer for 6-8 months; purées made with milk 4-6 weeks; and cooked meats for 10 weeks.
• Thaw only the amount of purée needed for a meal.
• Thaw frozen baby food in the refrigerator. Once thawed, heat cubes in a double broiler or place in a bowl to be put in a hot water bath. Never refreeze thawed purée.

Starting Table Foods (7-12 Months)

Once your baby is eating puréed and mashed foods well, slowly offer lumpier foods (around 7-8 months). Even with no teeth or only a few teeth, your baby can learn to chew. If lumpier foods are given too late, it may be hard to get your baby to try them.

Over time, increase the lumpiness of the foods until your baby is eating minced and diced soft foods from the family table.

Babies enjoy touching and holding food. Offer your older baby finger foods such as bread crusts, dry toast, soft minced or diced meats, shredded cheese, pieces of soft fruits and cooked vegetables from the family table.

Foods to Avoid

Always stay with your baby and watch when she is eating and make sure she is sitting down while eating.

Do not give your baby foods that are hard, small and round, or smooth and sticky that may cause choking such as: 

• Popcorn
• Hard Candies
• Gum
• Raisins
• Peanuts or other Nuts
• Seeds
• Fish with Bones
• Large Cheese Cubes
• Pieces of Raw Vegetables
• Some Dry Cereals
• Honey*
• Peanut Butter
• Egg White

*Do not give honey to children under one year old. It can cause food poisoning (infant botulism).

Prepare foods in a way that makes them safer to eat (e.g. cut wieners lengthwise before dicing, grate raw fruits or vegetables, cut grapes into quarters, remove pits and peel from fruit).