Starting Solid Foods

Breastfeeding - The first 6 months

Until 6 months, the best choice for baby is breast milk.  Breast milk is the perfect food for babies and it is all your baby needs until 6 months of age.  If you choose not to breastfeed, then formula with added iron is the next best choice.  

The only other thing your baby will need during this time are Vitamin D drops.  Vitamin D works with calcium to help your baby build strong bones and teeth.  The amount of Vitamin D your baby needs are listed in the table below:

 
 
Baby's First Foods

Your baby needs you to choose the right time and the right foods to start.

Babies’ bodies are ready for solid food around 6 months because:

• They are able to swallow solid food
• Their intestines will be ready to handle solid food
• They will be able to hold their head up and turn away when they are full
• They have less chance of developing a food allergy

How to know when to start

Your baby will show you when he or she is ready to start solid food by:

• drooling more, closing their mouth and spitting up less
• being interested in what you are eating and grabbing for your food
• breastfeeding more often and still being hungry even after emptying both breasts

How to feed your baby solid food

When you start giving baby solid food, it is best:

• at each feeding, to breastfeed or give formula first, then let baby try solid food.
• to start with a small amount of food (1 small spoon) and give more to match your baby’s appetite.
• to use a spoon (no food in the baby bottle) so your baby doesn’t choke.  Have your baby sitting up and watch carefully as your baby eats.
• to try one food at a time and wait at least 3 days before trying another one.  This is to check whether your baby has an allergic reaction.

Source: Health Canada.  Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2010©

Here are a couple of great resources for planning how to introduce food to your baby. Click on the links for more information:
Starting Solids
Feeding Baby Solids

Beyond 6 months - Advancing your baby’s diet

Once your baby is 6 months old, look for signs that your baby is ready to try solid foods.  It is best to start with foods that have lots of iron like meat or baby cereals with added iron.  You can add other foods to baby's diet as they grow.     

 See How to Make Your Own Baby Food for more details about how to make baby food, what types of foods and textures are best for babies as they grow, and what not to feed them.