First Foods for Babies
This blog contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase a product through a link, I will receive a small commission - this in no way impacts the amount you pay. Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk (*).
The high chair is set up...
…you’ve bought all your feeding gear, educated yourself on choking, and received the go-ahead from your pediatrician to start solids. But now you’re wondering, “What should be my baby’s very first foods?”
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Many parents are encouraged to start with baby cereal, and while an “easy-to-digest” option like rice cereal has been one of the top (if not the top) recommended first food throughout the past several decades, it's no longer considered necessary and is not recommended by the majority of infant feeding experts.
Rice cereal has traditionally been offered as a first food because it was thought to be hypoallergenic, easily digested, bland, and helpful with weight gain in babies. We now know that introducing many allergens early and often can reduce a baby’s risk of developing food allergies. In addition, the passive spoon-feeding of cereals that are bland, such as rice cereal does not strengthen self-feeding skills or a palate that is accepting of a wide variety of flavors and textures. As it turns out, rice cereal may also contain up to six times the arsenic as found in other infant cereals, which can contribute to negative health effects including decreased IQ level.
Example of a 10-month-old baby girl eating appropriately bite-sized pieces of food with a range of textures. Thank you to her wonderful parents for allowing me permission to share!
These days, many parents opt to start baby on finger foods from the family table at about 6 months of age, once baby is showing the signs of readiness for solid foods. Finger foods that are sized and textured appropriately for baby provide a variety of flavors and experiences that can help develop more adventurous taste buds. They also offer lots of opportunities for baby to practice the fine motor skills associated with self-feeding, such as hand-eye coordination, in addition to building the muscles and coordination associated with chewing and swallowing.
Of course, breast milk and/or formula should still be the primary source of nutrition throughout baby’s first year of life, which helps ensure that baby meets his or her nutrient needs for optimum growth and development. Starting at about six months of age, however, babies do need to start getting some nutrients from food, the most important of which is iron. Breast milk is low in iron, but full-term babies acquire iron stores that typically last throughout the first six months of life. After six months, babies’ iron levels tend to be low. If baby does not get iron from the diet, he or she may be at risk for iron deficiency, which is associated with health risks. Lowered energy or fatigue, poorer mental function, and lower intelligence are all potential consequences of prolonged iron deficiency in early childhood. The good news is that it’s easy to incorporate iron-rich foods into baby’s diet regularly. With a bit of planning, iron deficiency in childhood is easily avoided.
According to a 2015 study published in BMC Pediatrics, a balanced baby meal provides the following:
Iron-containing protein foods. For example, baked salmon, steak, soy, mashed beans, hard-boiled egg, hummus or nut butters spread thinly on toast, lentil and sweet potato stew, or chickpea pasta.
Fruit and/or vegetable, preferably those that offer vitamin C. When eaten in the same meal, vitamin C-rich foods increase the absorption of non-heme iron, or iron that comes from plant foods. Examples of vitamin C-rich foods include, broccoli, mandarin orange slices, tomatoes or tomato sauce, strips of ripe kiwi or mango, and halved ripe strawberries.
Energy-rich foods. These foods contribute calories and fats that provide energy and feelings of fullness while supporting baby’s growth. Examples of energy-rich foods include yogurt, pancake or French toast fingers, avocado, toast fingers, whole grain or legume pasta, and grated parmesan cheese.
Of course, it’s also important to be aware of what to avoid when beginning solids, whether you choose to feed your baby using the baby-led weaning method, traditional spoon feeding or a combination of both. In any case, the following foods should be avoided and/or limited during the first year of life:
Choking hazards: Every parent and caregiver should be aware of what food sizes, shapes, and textures are choking hazards. Check out this blog post to learn more.
Note that choking episodes are rare. But it’s important for anyone feeding an infant to be trained in infant CPR and first aid just in case. Get trained by a nationally certified Red Cross and Lifesaving Society First Aid Instructor using this EXCELLENT, 2-hour, self-paced online course from Safe Beginnings* - for 20% off, use my code: MALINA.
Honey: even in baked or cooked items, honey can contain a dangerous bacteria called Clostridium botulinum that produces the botulinum toxin. Once a baby is 12 months of age, the baby’s digestive system has gradually developed enough to be able to handle the bacteria. One year is not a magic age that suddenly means a baby can handle honey. Most cases of infant botulism happen in babies younger than six months, and the risk gradually decreases as the baby gets older. By the first birthday, the risk has virtually disappeared over time.
Added sugars, including fruit juice: These are unnecessary in baby’s diet and may set baby up to prefer highly processed foods and reject vegetables and naturally sweet fruits.
Excess salt: The Institute of Medicine recommends a maximum of about 370 mg sodium per day for babies 7-12 months. Too much salt early on in life may train a baby’s palate to prefer the taste of salty foods which can lead to potential health issues down the road, so it’s best to reserve a portion of food for baby before adding the salt when cooking at home, and limit overly processed foods that are high in sodium during baby’s first year of life.
Soft cheeses and deli meats: Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk (like goat & feta) and deli meats can contain a germ called Listeria monocytogenes, which grows in refrigerator-like temperatures and can lead to an infection called listeria.
Cow’s milk as a beverage: Introducing cow’s milk as a beverage before 12 months can inhibit iron absorption and/or end up replacing breast milk or formula in a baby’s diet, which is not advised. However, baked goods, oatmeal, or other recipes made with cow’s milk, as well as other dairy foods like yogurt and cottage cheese are fine.
If you’re getting ready to start your baby on solids, or if your baby has recently begun his or her feeding journey and you need guidance on food sizing, balanced baby meals, introducing the top allergenic foods, and making sure baby is getting the important nutrients needed for growth and development during infancy, check out my new online course for parents, based on my best-selling book which will walk you through the whole process of starting solids using a baby-led approach.
And if you’re looking for advice on what to buy in terms of food and feeding gear, spoons, plates, bibs, etc., check out my Amazon store (affiliate link) to find the products I find most helpful for my clients and followers during this fun and exciting journey.
Thank you to my wonderful intern, Annie Hanes for her contributions to this post.
