Starting Solid Food - Infant Solid Food
Infants are ready for solid food when they have good control of their head, neck, and can sit without support (usually around 4 – 6 months).When you first introduce solid food make sure the food are liquidized – keeping the food close to the texture of milk.
Start at one feed per day for a few weeks before introducing a second feed. By the end of an eight weeks period, your baby should be eating solid three times a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
When your baby is coping well with pureed food and starts to get some teeth you can start to thicken her food. By the time she’s about 8 months old she should be eating mashed rather than pureed foods.
At around one year of age, you can begin to include finely chopped foods as well as wider variety of meals. And, your baby eating routine should be well established (three meals and two snacks a day).
Baby Solid Food - Preparing Infant Solid Food
In the beginning it is worth while to prepare fruits and vegetables and freeze them in an ice cube tray. This ensure that you have the right amount for each meal and it also save you a lot of time for preparing a tiny bit at each feeding.
Take care when you reheat frozen foods and stir well to remove hot spots. Avoid using the microwave because microwave food may produce hot spots which can injure your baby. Frozen foods are best heat up using hot (but not boiling) water or a food warmer.
Infant Solid Food - Baby First Solid Food
The foods and tastes you first introduced your baby to may influence her palate for the rest of her life. Wait until she’s at least six months old (1 year old if possible) before introducing wheat and nut products, dairy products, eggs, citrus fruits, and fried or fatty foods into her diet.
Here are some baby first solid foods that you can consider:
- baby rice
- mashed banana
- mashed potato
- pureed vegetables such as zucchini and carrot
- pureed fruit: pear, apple, and apricot
Always wait a couple of days between starting one new food and the next. This will help you to pinpoint the type of food that irritates your baby. |
