From the moment of birth, an infant begins to feel hungry. However, pediatricians will advise on the first types of nutritional sustenance.
An infant’s stomach has not developed to tolerate little more than liquid foods. This is the reason pediatricians advise a diet of breast milk or formula fortified with vitamins, minerals, and iron.
Guide to Proper Infant Feeding
An infant under the age of four months old should remain on formula. Infants who are breastfed should remain on breast milk for six months before introducing them to foods, like vegetable baby purees. Also, to avoid choking a good guide to when a baby is ready for new foods is the point at which your baby can hold his head erect via his own control.
Cereal, Baby’s First Food
Pediatricians advise parents to begin introducing babies to new foods with baby cereals at age four to six months old. The first baby cereal introduced should be single-grained and nutritionally fortified. It should also be mixed with breast milk, water, or milk. It’s a good idea to vary between breast milk and milk and water since the baby’s taste buds need to become adjusted to different taste sensations.
New Foods for Baby Age Six to Eight Months Old
Once your baby has adjusted well to cereals, it is time to introduce slightly solid foods. These can be pureed fruits without added sugar or yogurt that is whole milk or soy-based. Your baby needs to learn how unprocessed foods taste so they become oriented to healthy foods early on.
At this age, your baby can also be introduced to pureed vegetables such as peas, carrots, potatoes, and avocados. Avoid foods with seeds like tomatoes and squash until after your baby has a sufficient number of teeth to chew and digest them properly. As the baby grows accustomed to more food you can try different baby cereals that have fruit and vegetables to heighten their nutrition and get them used to natural flavors in their diet.
It is also a good idea to prepare fresh vegetables by steaming or boiling them until they are tender and can be mashed. Pediatricians advise introducing meats such as chicken, turkey, and fish (no bones). These foods should be cooked well and diced into tiny, digestible pieces.
Your Baby’s World of New Foods
By age eight to ten months, your baby can now begin a diet that includes cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, fruits cut into small pieces, fruit juices, and finger foods such as teething biscuits. Add cooked foods such as small-shaped pasta and mild-flavored cheeses cut into bite-sized pieces.
Once your baby reaches the age of ten to twelve months, your baby can begin to eat most table foods so long as they are cut into pieces your baby can chew.