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Solid Foods: Tips for Getting Started

Starting your baby on solids is an exciting milestone and one that comes with lots of questions. Tot nutrition expert, Cathey Stoner, shares her tips to help get you started including what foods to begin with and what to avoid.

Cathey Stoner MS, RDN, LDN Registered Dietitian and Consultant

Having a new baby can be overwhelming, to say the least! And the transition to solid food happens before we know it. It seems that just as we are adapting to the frequency of milk feeds, it’s time to add solids. As a mom and dietitian, I understand the challenges of keeping up to date with changes in pediatric guidelines and recommendations. Interpreting these changes can prove difficult even for our pediatricians! It can feel daunting, but the introduction of solid foods can also be a fun new season of parenthood. We see our kids learn, grow, and become adventurous little eaters by exploring textures and flavors.

When to start solid foods

The American Pediatric Association and the World Health Organization both recommend the delay of solid foods until babies are six months old. Despite your well-intentioned grandma telling you to add rice cereal at four months, research suggests that waiting until six months ensures baby has a stronger immune system and is ready to eat safely. Between four and six months of age, baby experiences tremendous development physically. At six months old, baby can sit up independently, have better neck control, and move her mouth in a chewing motion. These are all physical abilities necessary for safe eating.

What foods are best?

Have you heard the saying, “Food before one is just for fun”? Well, this is not entirely true! Food before one is essential to provide nutrition as baby grows, while exposing her to textures and flavors that create healthy habits later in life. Breastmilk or formula should continue to be the main source of nutrition for your little one until they are twelve months old. However, complementary foods become an important addition to baby’s diet as nutrient requirements, specifically for iron and zinc, increase dramatically around six months of age.

Iron deficiency anemia is an extremely common deficiency in infants and can lead to developmental delays, fatigue, poor physical development, and a weak immune system. It is imperative that zinc and iron are obtained though foods, especially for breast fed babies. Iron is found in its most absorbable form in meats, eggs, and fish.

Fats are another essential nutrient to include in baby’s diet. Growing data has given us a better understanding of the importance of full fat products. But if you’re like me, you grew up buying everything “low fat” because you were told it was healthier! So, I like to remind my clients that our babies need fat! Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3’s, are crucial for healthy brain, nerve and eye health.

High iron foods

Chicken
Fish
Eggs
Beef
Tofu
Spinach
Beans
Iron fortified cereals

High fat foods

Avocado
Nut Butters
Olive Oil
Salmon
Sardines
Whole fat dairy products
Grass-fed butter

How to Start Solids

Eating is a demanding new skill that requires energy and focus. It is best to start when baby isn’t too hungry, fussy, or tired. You will have best success when you start with a happy baby! Include baby at your mealtime, even if she joins you at the table with her toys. Your observant little one will learn how to chew, use utensils, and bring food to her mouth by watching you! Including baby at mealtimes also encourages the beneficial routine of family mealtime. For safety, baby should be sitting up well in her high chair or supported upright on your lap.

There is a lot of discussion in the “first foods” world on which method is best: Baby-Led Weaning, pureed foods, combo feeding, etc. As long as foods are prepared safely, there is no wrong way to feed your baby! As we say with breast and bottle feeding, “fed is best.” Though I preferred Baby-Led Weaning for my children, it is not indicated for every child. When done with intention, pureed meals can be extremely nutrient dense and surprisingly delicious.

With all feeding methods, it is important to offer a variety of foods and flavors to help support baby’s nutrient needs and expand baby’s pallet and preferences. First foods do not have to be boring!

First Foods

When purchased at the store, baby foods may come in different “stages” based on their consistency and ingredients. Stage 1 baby foods consist of a single ingredient and are pureed to a very thin, smooth texture. These are great first foods and can be offered when baby is six to seven months old. Many families prefer to start with single grain cereals, like rice or oats. Rice cereal has been under some scrutiny after reports of high arsenic content, so I recommend organic infant oatmeal or ground quinoa as an alternative. Other Stage 1 baby foods include pureed vegetables, meats, and fruits.

Stage 2 baby foods are thicker in texture and generally have more than one ingredient. These foods tend to be mashed or lumpy rather than pureed. This is when you can start having fun with food combinations! These are perfect when baby is seven to nine months old. It is important to make the transitions from smooth texture to lumpy texture at this time. Research suggests that introducing baby to a variety of textures by nine months may help reduce pickiness later on. Stage 3 foods are often soft, diced finger foods and are appropriate around nine to twelve months.

How much baby eats should depend on baby’s hunger cues. As parents, we are responsible for offering foods at mealtime but baby will decide how much to eat. I recommend you start with one to two meals per day with one to two tablespoons of food and increase as necessary. Expect variations in amounts. As baby hits growth spurts, feels sick, or begins teething, she may need more milk feeds and fewer solids. This is normal! It is important to avoid force feeding or pressuring meals.

Allergens

In the past, recommendations stated that infants should avoid common allergens. But with the prevalence of food allergies increasing, research now suggests that delaying the introduction of these foods may actually increase baby’s risk of a reaction. Allergens should be introduced between six to nine months of age by offering a new allergen every three to five days. This is only necessary as it allows for the opportunity to identify an allergen if a reaction occurs. However, if you have a family history of food allergies, it is best to check with your pediatrician to determine when and how to add these foods into baby’s eating plan.

Top allergens:

Eggs
Dairy
Wheat
Soy
Peanuts
Tree nuts
Fish
Shellfish

Foods to avoid

Foods to avoid in the first year include:

Honey
Excess salt
Excess sugar
Undercooked meats
Choking hazards (whole grapes and blueberries, hard fruit, chunks of hard cheese etc)

Now the fun begins! This is an exciting time for you and baby. While there is an abundance of information on the various rules and methods for offering first foods, the most important thing to remember is to start slow and enjoy the adventure. First foods don’t have to be simple or tasteless; they can be delicious and nutritious! I find that cooking for my baby ignites a fresh new outlook on nutrition and challenges my creativity in the kitchen. I hope you find the same!

Feeding essentials to help you get started

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EXCLUSIVE

Solid Foods: Tips for Getting Started

When to start solid foods

What foods are best?

High iron foods

High fat foods

How to Start Solids

First Foods

Allergens

Top allergens:

Eggs

Dairy

Wheat

Soy

Peanuts

Tree nuts

Fish

Shellfish

Foods to avoid

Feeding essentials to help you get started

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