First Foods

Special report: From breast milk to formula to solids, what and when to feed your baby during the first year

What foods when Remember to introduce only one food at a time.

> 4–6 months Single-grain, iron-fortified infant cereals are best to start with. Rice cereal is most often recommended as a first food because it is gluten-free and less associated with allergic responses.
> 6–8 months Continue to add strained and mashed foods, such as steamed carrots, zucchini, broccoli or green beans; and pureed fruits, such as peaches and bananas. Avoid foods with added sugars or salt; your baby may reject all other foods after getting a taste of the sweet or seasoned stuff.
Sweet foods, such as applesauce, will usually be happily accepted, but it may take some time for your child to get used to the taste and texture of other foods, such as vegetables. Don’t force your child to eat anything on the first try, but don’t give up; if she resists a helping of strained squash, for example, give it a rest for a few days and then try again later.
> 8–12 months Try giving your baby some finely chopped table foods. All foods should be steamed and cooled, with a texture that readily dissolves in the mouth. Foods that require chewing are more likely to cause choking until the child has both the teeth and the muscular coordination to handle them.