Baby Food Stages

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Babies grow so fast and it's important to know what you can feed them and when. When should you start to introduce solids to your baby's diet?

Stage 1 begins around four to six months. Slowly start introducing pureed and very thin foods such as fruits, vegetables and cereals. Babies still need to be getting breast milk at this point but you may also want to start feeding them pureed sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, green beans, avocado, apples, bananas, pears and cereal. A powdery brown rice or oatmeal cereal is recommended. When a baby is first introduced to these foods their intake will be very little, however portions will gradually increase as the baby gets older and more familiar with solids. During this stage your baby still needs to be breastfed every 2-4 hours.

Stage 2 begins around seven to nine months. At this point you can introduce foods that are a bit thicker than foods introduced in stage 1. The texture of less pureed foods will help your baby get used to more solid foods. You can also begin feeding your baby pureed meat during this stage. It's good to also introduce a few more solids during this stage such as mangoes, peaches, peas chicken, turkey, tofu and yogurt. You can also try mixing cereal with fruit to add a bit of texture or mix fruit puree in with yogurt. During this stage you baby still needs breast milk up to every 4 hours.

Stage 3 begins around ten to twelve months. The purpose of this stage is to introduce a lot more texture to your baby. You can give them food that is chunky, but still soft enough for them to chew. Introduce more foods during this stage such as flax, pasta, rice, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, dates, cauliflower, onions, zucchini, beef, egg yolks, fish and cheese. Chop foods very fine or serve softly mashed. Meats should be pureed or very soft and chopped into very small pieces. Babies during this stage still need to be fed breast milk every 4-5 hours or fed 25 ounces of formula.

Stage 4 begins around 1 year. At this point your baby will be eating the same foods that you are eating and may begin feeding themselves. At this stage babies still need to be given soft food and it must be cut into very small pieces to avoid choking. They may also begin to eat any type of cereal (though avoid cereals high in sugar), citrus fruits and berries, corn, cucumber, tomatoes, eggs and fish. During this stage foods still need to be cooked and soft, or finely chopped as your baby may not develop molars until up to eighteen months. You can also start weaning your baby off of breast milk and start introducing them whole milk at twelve months. You may consider giving them half breast milk and half whole milk to help them adjust.

Each baby is unique and may start certain foods at different stages within their first year. Pay attention to how your baby reacts and feels about different foods that you may be introducing to their diet. Also remember to watch for any allergic reactions if you are introducing something new to their diet.

Summer Evans is a casual write who enjoys writing articles on baby health, nutrition for babies and healthy eating. To read more on nutrition for babies go to wholesomebabyfood.ca