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
- See How to Tell if Your Baby's Getting Enough Breast Milk
- See 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
Your baby probably won't do all these things – they're just clues to watch for.
- Can hold head up
- Sits well in highchair
- Makes chewing motions
- Shows significant weight gain (birth weight has doubled)
- 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, but is losing tendency to push food out with tongue
- Seems hungry after 8 to 10 feedings of breast milk or 40 oz. of formula in a day
- Is teething
What to feed
- Breast milk or formula, PLUS
- Pureed food (like sweet potatoes, squash, apples, bananas, peaches, or pears) or semi-liquid iron-fortified cereal
How much per day
- Begin with about 1 teaspoon pureed food or cereal. Mix cereal with 4 to 5 teaspoons breast milk or formula (it'll 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 giving cereal, gradually thicken the consistency by using less liquid.
Feeding tips
- If your baby won't eat the cereal on the first try, offer it again in a few days.
- Get more detailed tips on how to introduce solids.
- Print our step-by-step guide to feeding your baby.
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
- Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, oats)
- Pureed or strained fruits (banana, pears, applesauce, peaches)
- Pureed or strained vegetables (avocado, well-cooked carrots, squash, and sweet potato)
- Pureed meat (chicken, pork, beef)
- Pureed tofu
- Pureed legumes (black beans, chickpeas, edamame, fava beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, and kidney beans)
How much per day
- 3 to 9 tablespoons cereal, in 2 to 3 feedings
- 1 teaspoon fruit, gradually increased to 1/4 to 1/2 cup in 2 to 3 feedings
- 1 teaspoon vegetables, gradually increased to 1/4 to 1/2 cup in 2 to 3 feedings
Feeding tips
- Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your baby's not allergic.
- Get more detailed tips on how to introduce solids.
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, yogurt, cottage cheese (but no cows' milk until age 1)
- Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
- Mashed fruits and vegetables (bananas, peaches, pears, avocados, cooked carrots, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes)
- Finger foods (lightly toasted bagels, cut up; small pieces of ripe banana; well-cooked spiral pasta; teething crackers; low-sugar O-shaped cereal)
- Small amounts of protein (egg, pureed meats, poultry, and boneless fish; tofu; well-cooked and mashed beans with soft skins like lentils, split peas, pintos, black beans)
How much per day
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup dairy (or 1/2 oz. cheese)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup iron-fortified cereal
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup fruit
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetables
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup protein foods
Feeding tip
- Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your baby's not allergic.
Age: 10 to 12 months
Signs of readiness for additional solid food
- Same as 8 to 10 months, PLUS
- Swallows food more easily
- Has more teeth
- No longer pushes food out with tongue
- Is trying to use a spoon
What to feed
- Breast milk or formula PLUS
- Soft pasteurized cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (but no cows' milk until age 1)
- Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
- Fruit cut into cubes or strips, or mashed
- Bite-size, soft-cooked vegetables (peas, carrots)
- Combo foods (macaroni and cheese, casseroles)
- Protein (egg; pureed or finely ground meats, poultry, and boneless fish; tofu; well-cooked and mashed beans)
- Finger foods (lightly toasted bread or bagels, small pieces of ripe banana, spiral pasta, teething crackers, low-sugar O-shaped cereal)
How much per day
- 1/3 cup dairy (or 1/2 oz. cheese)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup iron-fortified cereal
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup fruit
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetables
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup combo foods
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup protein foods
Feeding tip
- Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your baby's not allergic.
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