FOOD TIMETABLE FOR BABIES

Age: Birth to 4 months

Feeding behavior

• Rooting reflex helps your baby turn toward a nipple to find nourishment.

What to feed

• Breast milk or formula ONLY

How much per day

• How to tell if your baby's getting enough breast milk
• How to tell how much formula your baby needs

Feeding tip

• Your baby's digestive tract is still developing, so solid food is off-limits for now.

• Age: 4 to 6 months

  Signs of readiness for solid food
  Whether your baby is breast-fed or bottle-fed, there's no rush to start solids. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for about 6 months. If you'd like to introduce solids earlier than that, keep in mind that your baby probably won't show all these signs of readiness – they're just clues to watch for:
  • Can hold head up
  • Sits well in highchair
  • Makes chewing motions
  • Shows significant weight gain (doubled birth weight) and weighs at least 13 pounds
  • Shows interest in food
  • Can close mouth around a spoon
  • Can move food from front to back of mouth
  • Can move tongue back and forth
  • Is losing tendency to push food out of mouth with tongue
  What to feed
  • Breast milk or formula, PLUS
  • Pureed vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash)
  • Pureed fruit (apples, bananas, peaches)
  • Pureed meat (chicken, pork, beef)
  • Semi-liquid, iron-fortified cerealHow much per day
    • Begin with about 1 teaspoon pureed food or cereal. Mix cereal with 4 to 5 teaspoons breast milk or formula. (It will be very runny.)
    • Increase to 1 tablespoon of pureed food, or 1 tablespoon of cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, twice a day. If you're giving cereal, gradually thicken the consistency by using less liquid.
    Feeding tips
    • If your baby won't eat what you offer the first time, try again in a few days.
    • Introduce new foods one at a time. Wait two to three days, if possible, before offering another new food. (Three days if your baby or family has a history of allergies.) It's also a good idea to write down the foods your baby samples. That way, if she has an adverse reaction, a food log will make it easier to pinpoint the cause.
    • The order you introduce new foods doesn't usually matter, but many parents like to offer meat after cereal, fruits, and vegetables. Your child's doctor can advise you.
    • Get more detailed tips on how to introduce solids

      Age: 6 to 8 months

      
      
      
      
    • Signs of readiness for solid food
      • Same as 4 to 6 months
      What to feed
      • Breast milk or formula, PLUS
      • Pureed or strained fruits (banana, pears, applesauce, peaches, avocado)
      • Pureed or strained vegetables (well-cooked carrots, squash, sweet potato)
      • Pureed meat (chicken, pork, beef)
      • Pureed tofu
      • Small amounts of unsweetened yogurt (no cow's milk until age 1)
      • Pureed legumes (black beans, chickpeas, edamame, fava beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, kidney beans)
      • Iron-fortified cereal (oats, barley)
      How much per day
      • 1 teaspoon fruit, gradually increased to 2 or 3 tablespoons in four feedings
      • 1 teaspoon vegetables, gradually increased to 2 or 3 tablespoons in four feedings
      • 3 to 9 tablespoons cereal in 2 or 3 feedings
      Feeding tips
      • Introduce new foods one at a time. Wait two to three days, if possible, before offering another new food. (Three days if your baby or family has a history of allergies.) It's also a good idea to write down the foods your baby samples. That way, if she has an adverse reaction, a food log will make it easier to pinpoint the cause.
      • The order you introduce new foods doesn't usually matter, but many parents like to offer meat after cereal, fruits, and vegetables. Your child's doctor can advise you.
      • Get more detailed tips on how to introduce solids.

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      Age: 8 to 10 months

      Signs of readiness for solid and finger foods
      • Same as 6 to 8 months, PLUS
      • Picks up objects with thumb and forefinger (pincer grasp)
      • Can transfer items from one hand to the other
      • Puts everything in his mouth
      • Moves jaw in a chewing motion
      What to feed
      • Breast milk or formula, PLUS
      • Small amounts of soft pasteurized cheese and cottage cheese
      • Mashed vegetables (cooked carrots, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes)
      • Mashed fruits (bananas, peaches, pears, avocados)
      • Finger foods (O-shaped cereal, small bits of scrambled eggs, well-cooked pieces of potato, well-cooked spiral pasta, teething crackers, small pieces of bagel)
      • Protein (small bits of meat, poultry, boneless fish, tofu, and well-cooked beans, like lentils, split peas, pintos, or black beans)
      • Iron-fortified cereal (barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
      How much per day
      • 1/4 to 1/3 cup dairy (or 1/2 ounce cheese)
      • 1/4 to 1/2 cup iron-fortified cereal
      • 3/4 to 1 cup fruit
      • 3/4 to 1 cup vegetables
      • 3 to 4 tablespoons protein-rich food
      Feeding tip
      • Introduce new foods one at a time. Wait two to three days, if possible, before offering another new food. (Three days if your baby or family has a history of allergies.) It's also a good idea to write down the foods your baby samples. That way, if she has an adverse reaction, a food log will make it easier to pinpoint the cause.

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      Age: 10 to 12 months

      Signs of readiness for other solid foods
      • Same as 8 to 10 months, PLUS
      • Swallows food more easily
      • Has more teeth
      • No longer pushes food out of mouth with tongue
      • Tries to use a spoon
      What to feed
      • Breast milk or formula PLUS
      • Soft pasteurized cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (no cow's milk until age 1)
      • Fruit mashed or cut into cubes or strips
      • Bite-size, soft-cooked vegetables (peas, carrots)
      • Combo foods (macaroni and cheese, casseroles)
      • Protein (small bits of meat, poultry, boneless fish, tofu, and well-cooked beans)
      • Finger foods (O-shaped cereal, small bits of scrambled eggs, well-cooked pieces of potato, well-cooked spiral pasta, teething crackers, small pieces of bagel)
      • Iron-fortified cereals (barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
      How much per day
      • 1/3 cup dairy (or 1/2 ounce cheese)
      • 1/4 to 1/2 cup iron-fortified cereal
      • 3/4 to 1 cup fruit
      • 3/4 to 1 cup vegetables
      • 1/8 to 1/4 cup combo foods
      • 3 to 4 tablespoons protein-rich food
      Feeding tip
      • Introduce new foods one at a time. Wait two to three days, if possible, before offering another new food. (Three days if your baby or family has a history of allergies.) It's also a good idea to write down the foods your baby samples. That way, if she has an adverse reaction, a food log will make it easier to pinpoint the cause.