In this article
Starting babies on solid food can be a really fun time for you and your little one, especially if you're beginning to get board of the repetitive bottle or nursing routine. Most parents choose to start baby food around age 6 months — once baby is showing signs of readiness, like holding their head up and showing interest in your food. Once they've hit these milestones (and you get the okay from your pediatrician), you're good to go.
But it's very important to keep safety in mind during this stage, too. As you're researching baby meal ideas, keep in mind what you serve isn't nearly as important as how you serve it — and being prepared for something to go wrong.
Starting babies on solid food safely
Set your baby up for success by making it a habit to serve all baby meals safely. That means feeding them while they sit in a high chair that properly supports them as they sit help to reduce the risk of choking. In addition to advising parents to always feed babies in a sitting position, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also warns parents to avoid feeding your child in a car or stroller.
When you begin, follow your baby's lead. If they don't want to eat or seem to resist, it's better to take a break and come back to it later.
"Start by using a small baby spoon to place a little bit of puree with the consistency of soup in your baby’s mouth. Then wait and see what happens," pediatrician Tanya Altmann told The Washington Post. "Let him be the guide; if he opens his mouth and turns toward the spoon, let him eat more. If he turns away and closes his mouth, respect his wish to be done."
When choosing foods to start with, consider soft, easy to eat options, like scrambled eggs, fortified baby cereal, or mashed avocado. Avoid feeding your baby foods like raw vegetables, popcorn, and other choking hazards that they won't be able to chew properly — and don't serve anything with honey at all, since it poses a botulism risk when they're under a year old. Though you can cook with cow's milk, it's recommended not to give it to them to drink before 12 months.
How to serve solid foods for babies
When first deciding how to introduce solid foods to babies, keep the obvious in mind: They've never eaten before, and many babies don't have teeth when they start this process. In the very beginning, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends serving foods that are either soft or pureed — and those purees can be homemade or store bought.
As you prepare solid foods for babies, it's good to follow these rules:
- Mash foods with a fork before serving
- Cook all vegetables first
- Avoid adding extra salt or seasonings
- Do not serve round foods like grapes that could become choking hazards
- Make sure foods are well cooked through, especially chicken and other meat
How much solid food for baby, though? At first, you'll want to feed them around 4 ounces at each meal.
Check on the CDC website for a comprehensive list of foods they warn against feeding babies or very young children; they also stress cooking and preparing foods in ways that are appropriate for your child’s age and development, as often the method used to prepare food can increase the risk of choking. Foods they indicate as choking hazards are:
- Cooked or raw whole corn kernels
- Uncut cherry or grape tomatoes
- Pieces of hard raw fruit or vegetables
- Whole pieces of canned fruit
- Uncut grapes, berries, cherries, or melon balls
- Uncooked dry fruit such as raisins
- Whole or chopped nuts and nut butters such as peanut butter
- Tough or large chunks of meat
- Hot dogs, meat sticks, or sausages
- Fish with bones
- Large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese
- Cookies or granola bars
- Potato or corn chips, pretzels, or similar snack foods
- Crackers or breads with seeds, nut pieces, or whole grain kernels
- Whole kernels of cooked rice, barley, wheat, or other grains
- Hard candy, jelly beans, caramels, gum drops, or gummy candies
- Chewing gum
- Marshmallows
Being prepared for anything
If thinking about starting solid foods for babies stresses you out, you're not alone — plenty of moms out there are scared to give their child the opportunity to choke, especially when gagging on food is part of the process of them learning to eat.
"Make sure you talk about it with your pediatrician, since they’ll be able to assess your baby and give some tips," mom Karen Belz told So Yummy. "Charlotte was getting much better with purees by that point, but I had to build up more confidence before handing her anything she could pick up and eat herself. Because again — I worry."
Like this mom has pointed out, there are steps you can take to feel more confident, like taking a baby CPR class through an organization like the Red Cross, having infant Benadryl on hand for any allergic reactions, and knowing what the signs of choking are in babies.
When do you contact your doctor? If your baby seems like they're in distress while eating, refuses to eat solids on a regular basis, or seems to be having an allergic reaction, it's a good time to make that call.
Starting solid foods for babies can be overwhelming, but remember to have fun and enjoy this stage in their babyhood. You'll both get the hang of it before too long!
