Foods

Your baby’s first taste of food will be a whole new experience. It takes time to get used to eating foods. Gradually, your baby will develop a taste for new foods and textures. By age 1 or so, she will be eating most of the same foods as the rest of the family.

The foods presented in this chapter include all foods other than breast milk and infant formula, which are described in the chapter Milk. Introduce them while respecting your baby’s own pace and needs.

Breast milk or infant formula will be your baby’s main food during the first year of life. Foods, introduced at about 6 months, can complement—but not replace—milk.

• When should I introduce foods?
• How should I introduce foods?
• Choking risk: Be extra careful until age 4
• Honey — never for babies under age 1
• Baby food basics
• Baby-led weaning (BLW)
• 6 to 12 months — your baby’s first foods
• Start with iron-rich foods
• Continue with a variety of foods
• Grain products
• Meat and alternatives
• Vegetables and fruit
• Milk and dairy products
• Fats
• Food ideas for your baby
• From 1 year onward — sharing meals with the family