Breast milk or formula will be your baby's main food source for the first four to six months. By the time they are a year old, they should be eating a variety of nutritious foods.
Around four to six months of age, you should begin introducing new foods to your baby. Babies need different nutrients at that age and are ready to try more foods. Start with foods that have a thin puréed consistency. Progress to thicker purée then to a soft, mashed consistency. It is recommended to start with an iron-rich food such as:
- iron-fortified baby cereal, which comes in rice, barley, oatmeal, and wheat varieties
- puréed meat, poultry, fish
- pureed or mashed, well-cooked beans, lentils, and chickpeas
- mashed whole egg
Once your baby is eating iron-rich foods well, they can progress to other foods. Continue providing iron-rich foods and try introducing new foods such as puréed fruits and vegetables. Start with a mild-tasting fruit or vegetable and progress to include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Between nine to 12 months, your baby will become interested in finger foods and feeding themselves. You can start giving them foods with more texture. Try giving your baby some of the following:
- soft or grated pieces of cheese
- mashed, hard-boiled egg
- finely chopped fruits and vegetables
- small pieces of bread or pasta
Between nine to 12 months of age, if your baby is eating a wide variety of foods, you can add whole cow’s milk to your baby's diet.
Do not give your baby honey before their first birthday because it can cause a potentially fatal illness called botulism.
Recommended foods
Once your baby has a wide repertoire of foods in their diet, usually between nine to 12 months of age, it will be important to make sure they get the nutrition they need from the various food groups. Here is a breakdown of your baby’s daily nutritional requirements from nine to 12 months:
- Whole grain products: Feed your baby two to four tablespoons of iron-fortified cereal twice a day. Also provide small pieces of toast, crackers, dry cereal, pasta, and other grain products.
- Protein foods: Your baby needs protein and other nutrients from egg, chicken, fish, soy (tofu) or other meat each day. Continue with breast or formula feeding. Cow’s milk or fortified soy beverages can be introduced after nine months of age if your baby is eating a wide variety of foods. Your baby should not have more than 480 mL (16 ounces) of cow’s milk or fortified soy beverage per day. Continue to provide cheese or yogurt.
- Vegetables and fruit: Offer about one-quarter cup of squash, sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, cantaloupe, or mango cubes.
Allergenic foods
If either parent or one of your other children has ever had a food allergy, your baby is at higher risk of also developing a food allergy. The most common allergens are cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and seafood. Current evidence suggests that introducing allergenic solid foods early (around four to six months of age) may prevent the development of peanut and egg allergy in infants at high risk. Allergenic foods should be introduced to your baby one at a time, to gauge their reaction. If your baby seems to be tolerating a common allergenic food, keep offering it to them a few times per week to maintain their tolerance. If your baby does have a reaction—including an itchy mouth and throat, hives, swelling of the face, breathing problems, vomiting or diarrhea—see your primary health-care provider about next steps.
If there is not a strong history of food allergies in your family, it is still important to introduce peanuts to your baby before their first birthday. Current evidence suggests that babies without a family history of allergies are more likely to have sensitization or an allergy to peanuts after 3 years of age if they are introduced to peanuts after 12 months of age.
Can I reduce the possibility of my baby developing a food allergy?
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Fat is important
When your baby is being fed on breast milk or formula exclusively, they receive all the fat they need. Babies need fat for growth. Provide healthy, full-fat foods like whole milk, full-fat yogurt, and hard cheeses such as Swiss or cheddar and avoid high-fat fried foods.