Starting solid foods At six months of age, breast milk is still the most important food for your baby, but now you can start to offer your baby solid foods.
Solid foods let your baby learn to enjoy new flavours and thicknesses. They also provide him with important vitamins and minerals he needs to grow, most importantly iron.
At six months it is important to offer iron-rich foods such as:
iron-fortified infant cereals
beef
chicken
turkey
lamb
fish
pork
eggs
tofu and
well-cooked legumes such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas
When to start solid foods: 6 months
When your baby is 6 months old he is ready for solid foods, even though hhe may not have teeth yet.
Starting solid foods too early or too late can cause problems.
If you start your baby on solid foods too early, your baby may:
Breastfeed less often (and you will make less breast milk)
Stop breastfeeding too early
Not get all the benefits of breast milk, like protection from illness
Have lower iron levels
Have a diet low in protein, fat, and vitamins or minerals
If you start your baby on solid foods too late, your baby may:
Be slow to want to eat solid foods
Find it hard to chew solid foods
Not get all the vitamins and minerals he needs, like iron and vitamin A
Your baby is growing
Your baby may want extra breast milk at times when he is going through faster periods of growth called growth spurts. That's normal. Breastfeed her when she is hungry. Remember:
He is not ready for solid food at this age
Starting solids does not help your baby sleep through the night
Your baby is ready to start eating solids when he:
Is 6 months old
Holds his head up on his own
Sits up in a high chair
When you offer food, he should:
Open his mouth wide when you offer food on a spoon
Turn his face away if he doesn't want the food
Close his lips over the spoon and
Keep food in his mouth and swallow it instead of pushing it out.
What to do if your baby doesn't want to eat solid foods?
At first your baby may not want to try new foods. She may close her mouth before you feed her or turn her head away.
If she shows you that she does not like or want the food, stop feeding her that food. Try it again another day.
Keep feeding time pleasant. If your baby feels pressured to eat, she may not want to try other new foods.
Each baby is different. Try not to compare your baby to other babies. Follow your baby's signs of readiness for food. Talk to your health-care provider to help you decide if your baby is ready.
How to start solid food
Start a new food when your baby is happy and hungry.
Offer one new food every 3 to 5 days.
Start new foods in the morning or at lunchtime.
Give solid food after your baby has had breast milk.
If he accepts the food, offer more, and if not, then try again the next day.
Continue to breastfeed throughout the day as your baby wants breast milk
It is safest to sit your baby in a high chair. Do up the seat belt to help keep your baby safe. Never leave your baby alone.
Safety is important so make sure you:
Sit your baby up straight and in a high chair.
Buckle the seat belt on the high chair to help keep your baby safe.
Never leave your baby alone because she can choke easily.
Stop feeding your baby if she is crying or laughing.
Never force your baby to eat.
How should I start my baby on a new food?
Put a small amount of food on the tip of a small spoon.
Hold the spoon so your baby can see it.
Put some food on his lips.
Put food in his mouth only if he opens it.
Gradually give your baby more food.
Only introduce one new food at a time so that you can watch for allergies or intolerances.
Tips:
Your baby will tell you he has had enough to eat when he turns his head away or keeps his mouth shut.
Your baby may need to try new food a few times before he likes it.
If your baby does not swallow the food, he may not be ready for solid food or may not like the new food, so wait a few days and try again.
How can I offer new foods if I am worried about possible food allergies?
Continue to breastfeed.
Start with single foods, not mixed, so you know exactly what food causes a reaction.
Give the same food for three to five days before you try a new food.
Signs of allergies are:
Signs of allergy are a rash anywhere on the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or breathing problems.
Signs of food allergy may take up to five days to appear.
Stop feeding the food if you think it causes any of these symptoms. Talk to your doctor. Call 911 if your baby is having trouble breathing.
For more information: Region of Peel — Public Health
905-799-7700
Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Caledon residents call free of charge at 905-584-2216
To speak with a Public Health Nurse
Baby's First Foods 