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
ISome doctors recommend that you introduce new foods one at a time. Wait two or three days, if possible, before offering another new food. (Wait 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. If she has an adverse reaction, a food log will make it easier to pinpoint the cause.