Introducing solid foods to babies is one of the most exciting changes for both moms and babies. Moms can begin solid foods for their babies when they are around four to six months old. Babies are thrilled while discovering different tastes and flavors. Yummy creamy avocado, flavorsome cheese, luscious thirst-quenching mango are all a novel experience. Your little one is all too energized to try them.

Allow your babies to spill food on the floor or tray as they enjoy a whole variety of foods. You are only helping them to enhance their taste buds!

Babies need solid food so that they can get a sufficient quantity of iron and other nutrients for their development. You can enjoy eating healthy good food in front of your baby, and your baby will certainly learn to feel and enjoy the foods. You can start solids when you and your baby are both happy and relaxed.

How to Start Solid Foods for Baby

Moms can start introducing solids with soft and mashed foods. Initially, you can try to give 1-2 teaspoons of food and then gradually increase the quantity. By the time they are one year old, your baby should be able to eat three small meals a day plus formula, breastmilk, or cow’s milk.

Eating a variety of foods helps your baby learn how to chew and encourages speech development. Here are some tips for you to begin with:

Different Foods while Initiating Solids

Babies get excited when they see new foods. Moms should see to it that the infant’s food is loaded with iron and other essential nutrients when they start food for their baby.

Iron-rich foods

Moms can introduce solid foods to babies with iron-rich infant cereals, whole-grain oats, or whole-grain barley. Mix a small number of baby cereals with milk or water to prepare a creamy liquid. Offer your baby the tasty mix without adding any sweet fruit like bananas or juice so that your baby is familiarized with the taste of plain cereals.

Iron-rich foods also include boiled and mashed meat, poultry and fish, pureed tofu, boiled mashed and strained peas, lima beans, and kidney beans.

Vegetables

You can introduce vegetables to your baby. Smashed potatoes with butter, well-cooked pureed carrots, sweet potato, beetroots, cauliflower, and other greens can be introduced at the start. Initially, your baby might refuse, and you might have to offer 10 to 15 times before the baby accepts it. But do not feel dejected. Your baby will begin to taste different varieties of food.

You can also give cooked broccoli and grated cheese to your baby.

Fruits

Among the fruits mashed bananas, steamed apples, pureed melon, peaches, pears, or baby applesauce can be offered to the babies. You can also give pureed creamy avocados to your baby as it is tasty and full of healthy fats.

You can also feed baby applesauce to your little one. Babies would love the taste and savor them with great delight.

Grains

Grains are the best source of protein for babies. Moms can feed boiled rice, oats mixed with boiled vegetables, wheat pasta, soft wheat chapattis ground and softened with milk, or ragi flour cooked with sweetened milk can be offered to the babies.

After eight months, you can start giving finger foods to your baby.

Dairy Products

Dairy products like plain and natural yogurt, cheese pieces, greek yogurt are best for kids. Yogurt is enriched with potassium, fat, vitamin B12, vitamin D, protein, and calcium. Fat is essential for the development of the brain and the growth of bones and tissues. Babies can easily digest yogurt. You can also start offering full-fat cheese or grated cheese to their babies. You can put grated cheese in mini-sandwiches and offer it to your baby. They are the best source of calcium for your baby. Give your baby a range of foods and help provide numerous nutrients to your little one.

Missing Out on Milk

While introducing solids do not miss out on milk as it has all the important nutrients that your baby needs for normal growth. Continue providing sufficient milk to your baby till he completes 12 months of age. Sometimes moms find their babies having less milk after having some solids. Moms need to understand their child’s gestures and need to increase more milk feeds to their babies. Sometimes your baby refuses to have solids and insists on more milk. At this time, moms need to reduce milk so that the baby can get well-balanced nutrition.

After nine months of age, babies swallowing skills and appetite improve, and moms can begin to offer milk to their babies after solids. As they grow older the amount of milk they consume will become lesser.

Spilling Out Food

Do not worry if your child drops food on the floor or eats only a small portion of food. Your baby is only experimenting with food. The textures of your baby’s first food should be smooth and pureed. If you are preparing your baby food then boil it, mash it and strain it. The food should be of dropping consistency. Gradually, when your child turns seven months or older, you can thicken the liquid food.

Provide Water

After introducing solids, moms can begin to offer cool boiled water to their babies. Moms can give water in cups once their baby has completed six months of age. Babies can drink cool water at mealtimes or at any time of the day.

Avoid Some Food

While introducing solids, moms can avoid giving hard food to the babies like whole nuts. They can also avoid giving raw eggs, soy milk, goat’s milk, or any unpasteurized milk until two years of age.

Avoid giving processed or packaged food to the babies like fried chips, biscuits, and cakes as it has a high amount of salt and sugar.

Prevent Choking

Moms should be present with the babies while initially introducing solids. Give smaller baby-sized amounts of food to your baby and watch your baby take every bite. Stay close to your baby to prevent choking. Avoid giving your babies hard food, large pieces of meat, popcorn, nuts, raw raisins, unripe pears or grapes, whole peas, raw carrots, or raw apples. If your baby is choking, he will look frightened and will be unable to breathe. So moms should avoid giving such foods at the outset.

Baby’s first food can be served at room temperature. Moms shouldn’t worry about adding spices, sugar, or salt to the food. Babies are always excited to try out new foods and discovering new flavors. As you offer solid foods to babies, you will find your little one enjoying the adventurous new taste.

Soon, you will see your baby exploring and savoring food every day.

Hope you found the article useful. Please feel free to leave your valuable inputs in the comments!