Parent and Baby

Solid food for baby’s first year is actually a progression from watered-down cereal to table food you eat. Even very thin cereal is considered a “solid food.” Below is a guide to the kinds of foods baby will be eating at various times during her first year. Remember— baby will continue to receive most of her calories and nutrition from breast milk or formula until she is 1 year old.

• 4 to 5 months—infant’s rice cereal, very thin, made with breast milk or formula
• 4 to 6 months—infant’s rice cereal, thicker, made with breast milk or formula
• 5 to 6 months—in addition to infant’s rice cereal or barley cereal made with breast milk or formula, pureed foods, such as meat, fruit and vegetables
• 7 to 8 months—in addition to oatmeal or infant’s rice, barley or wheat cereal made with breast milk or formula, strained foods, such as meat, fruit and vegetables
• 9 to 10 months—infant cereal and lumpy or mashed foods, such , as meat, fruit and vegetables
• 10 to 11 months—infant cereal and junior commercial baby foods
• 12 months—bite-sized table  (“people”) food