What to Feed Your Baby and When

Your baby will learn to enjoy a number of different foods. Serve a variety of foods from the four food groups to ensure that your baby’s diet is nutritionally complete. These groups include grains, vegetables and fruits, meats and alternatives, and MILK PRODUCTS. The different food groups should be introduced at different intervals of the baby’s development over the first year. Read the 3 charts below and follow the links for more detailed information. Plus info on FAQ about FEEDING A VEGETARIAN BABY, JUICES, and VITAMINS.

GRAINS (starting at 4-6 months):
Start with commercially prepared infant cereals because they contain the type of IRON best suited for your baby

VEGETABLES (starting at 6 months):
Introduce vegetables before fruits as babies tend to prefer the sweet taste of fruits and may then reject vegetables if they are introduced afterwards

FRUITS(starting at 7 months):
When introducing fruits, it is best to feed your baby cooked purées of fruits such as apples and pears

MEATS AND ALTERNATIVES (starting at 8 months):
Good sources of protein, iron and fibre

Grains: (4-6 months)

• Start with commercially prepared infant cereals because they contain the type of iron best suited for your baby. While these cereals are refined, they are also enriched with essential vitamins and minerals such as iron and free of salt and sugar. For these reasons, it is better to buy iron-enriched infant cereals rather than making your own or using adult-type cereals.

• Start with single grain infant cereals beginning with rice, then barley, then oatmeal so you can watch for signs of ALLERGIES. Use mixed cereals only after your baby has tried all the single cereal grains.

• Add fingers of plain dry toast, bagels or bread crusts as your baby’s teeth begin to show to help your baby get used to chewing.

• Cereal should be fed after breast milk/formula for the first few months so as not to replace them. Breast milk/formula remains the primary source of nutrients even after the introduction of solids. At 9-12 months of age, cereal can be given before breast milk/formula.

• The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that iron-fortified baby cereal should be fed until 18-24 months.

Vegetables: (6-8 months)

• All vegetables should be cooked and then mashed using a fork, a spoon and a sieve, baby food grinder, food chopper, food blender or processor to help in digestion and to avoid choking. Read more about HOW TO MAKE BABY FOOD

• Introduce vegetables one at a time, 4-5 days apart in small amounts (about 1 teaspoon) starting with a very soft, runny purée and gradually increase the texture.

• It is best to start by feeding your baby root vegetables, particularly carrots, as they are naturally sweet and potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash as these are mild tasting. A few tips...

• Since CORN is high in fibre, it should only be introduced once the baby is at least 8-10 months old as it is hard on an infant’s system.

• There are special concerns when introducing vegetables that contain NITRATES (which could impair the baby’s oxygen circulation). Nitrate-containing vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, rhubarb, and radishes should not be introduced before 6 months of age. Other vegetables like squash and carrots contain lower levels of nitrates and are usually okay.

Some other vegetable tips:

• Do not give nitrate-containing vegetables, especially spinach, to infants prone to diarrhea for the first year of their life.

• Use fresh water for puréeing vegetables and discard cooking water from nitrate-containing vegetables.

• Store nitrate-containing fresh vegetables, especially spinach, for a minimum length of time.
  

Fruits: (6-8 months)

• Introduce fruits about 2 weeks after vegetables and offer new fruits one at a time 4-5 days apart.

• When introducing fruits, it is best to feed your baby cooked purées of fruits such as apples and pears. Ripe mashed BANANAS are the only fruit that can be eaten raw at this stage.

• Try to avoid feeding your baby dried fruits at this stage. While they are nutritious, they tend to have laxative effects. CITRUS and BERRY FRUITS should not be fed in any quantity until your baby is at least one year of age.

• Try to feed your baby ripe, fresh fruits. If you are using canned fruit, it is best to use ones packed in water or the fruit’s own juices (avoid canned fruits packed in syrup, as they are extremely high in sugar).

• Canned fruits or juices should be stored in plastic or glass containers once opened.
  

Meats and Alternatives: (7-9 months)

• Meats and alternatives such as red meat, fish, poultry, cooked egg yolk, legumes and tofu can be introduced to your baby during the 7-9 month period.

• CHICKEN, turkey and fish should be the first meats you introduce to your baby. Babies tend to like the mild taste of chicken, it blends well with many vegetables and can have a smooth texture when it is puréed.

• Once your baby has developed a few teeth, you can feed her small pieces of chicken, which are easier to chew and softer than chunks of red meat.

• Use cooking stock (such as chicken or vegetable broth) to keep the meats you serve your baby soft and moist. She will find them easier to chew and swallow.

• Start with purées and then move to ground meats by mixing small amounts of cooked ground meat with the purée.

• Egg yolk can be introduced after 6 months of age, however egg whites are not usually recommended until infants are at least 1 year of age becuase they may cause ALLERGIES.

• Introduce fish after your baby is 8 months of age and start with white fish before introducing more oily varieties (at 10-12 months).

• Avoid feeding your baby processed meats such as ham or sausage since they contain salt and nitrites.

Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)

• Legumes are a very important meat alternative especially if the baby is eating VEGETARIAN, as they are good sources of protein, iron and fibre.

• Legumes should be offered in very small servings to avoid causing too much gas and should be well cooked to make them easier to digest.

• When cooking legumes, discard the cooking liquid, mash them well, and then press through a sieve using a spoon or purée them.
  

Milk Products: (9-12 months)

• Milk and dairy products such as cottage cheese, other cheeses and yogurt can be introduced to your baby at around 9-12 months of age. These foods add calcium, riboflavin, vitamin A and protein to your baby’s diet.

• Serve yogurt plain or with mixed puréed fruit but avoid commercial yogurt with the fruit already added, as they tend to contain a large amount of added sugar. Likewise, serve puréed cottage cheese plain or with puréed fruit.

• Avoid processed cheese products such as cheese slices and spreads as they contain unnecessary added ingredients and preservatives.

• Babies who are not breast-fed should have iron-fortified formula until they are 10-12 months old. Avoid feeding your child cow’s milk until after her first birthday as it does not have all the necessary nutrients required for her development and growth and should not replace breast milk or iron-fortified formula.

Cow’s milk: (9 months)

Cow’s milk should not be introduced until your baby is at least 9 months of age and is eating an adequate amount of solid food containing vitamin C

Your baby should be eating between 10-12 teaspoons of a variety of solids (150-180 ml per day).

Some doctors even recommend waiting until your baby is 12 months old before introducing cow’s milk. Earlier introduction is not recommended because of milk’s:

• low fat content

• fairly high protein content (hard to digest, possibly causing an allergy, and may lead to iron deficiency)

• high sodium and potassium (which cause an additional burden on the immature kidneys)

• low iron content

• low vitamin C content

Juices: (around 8 months)

Water or milk are the best drinks to offer your baby, but freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices have good nutritional value and vitamin C.

It is recommended that juices are best introduced when the baby can drink from a cup (around 8 months of age). Avoid feeding your child juice from a bottle as it has the potential to cause tooth decay.

The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends no more than 4 oz of diluted juice per day (2 oz of juice diluted with 2 oz of water). Once a baby has consumed 4 oz of diluted juice in a day, water should be given if your baby is still thirsty.

Be aware that if your baby drinks large volumes of fruit juice it can:

• lower your baby’s breast milk/formula consumption

• decrease the intake of other nutrients from solids

• lead to chronic diarrhea

How to feed a vegetarian baby

Follow the general guidelines 'FOOD FOR YOUR BABY'S FIRST YEAR' to introduce your baby to solid foods, starting with iron-fortified infant cereals, then vegetables, followed by fruits. Your baby will be around 7-8 months of age once a variety of fruits and vegetables have been introduced.

At the 7-8 month stage, you can begin to feed your baby well-cooked tofu, dried beans, peas and lentils as an alternative source of protein to meat.

Grain-legume combinations that provide complementary proteins include:

• Rice and tofu

• Rice and red beans

• Bread and split pea soup

• Bean stew with millet

• Grain-nut combinations: toast with almond butter

To avoid "tummy aches," introduce beans, peas, and lentils in small amounts and not more than every other day.

Avoid peanut butter until your baby is at least 10-12 months old and use smooth nut butters only. Since peanut butter’s consistency is "gummy," it should be served thinly on crackers or hard crust to prevent choking. Avoid serving it on soft bread rolls or from a spoon.

Avoid feeding your baby whole nuts and seeds until they are at least 3 years old as they are easy to choke on and difficult to digest.

If you are allowing milk products and eggs, you will have greater choices in what to feed your child. Remember that egg yolks can be given after 8 months of age but not egg whites or whole eggs until your baby turns one.

If you are following a strict vegetarian diet for your baby, their diet should look something like this at 12-24 months of age:

• 680g (24 oz) commercially prepared soy infant formula per day

• 4-6 tablespoons of iron-fortified cereal

• 1-2 slices of bread

• 1/3-1/2 cup of cooked, puréed vegetables

• 2-3 tablespoons peanut butter or tahini

• 4-5 child-size servings of fruits and vegetables

Strict vegetarian (or vegan) diets are not recommended for children in the first 2 years of life as babies can be susceptible to malnutrition, severe rickets, osteoporosis, and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Consult a dietician or doctor to ensure you are providing your child with enough food and adequate vitamins and minerals to grow and develop in a healthy way.

Food Allergies

• Infants have the greatest chance of developing sensitivities to food in the first year of life because their intestinal system is immature. This means it is important to consider the order in which you introduce new foods into your baby’s diet. This will help to reduce the likelihood of allergic reactions. Signs of food allergies include nausea, diarrhea, asthma, eczema, hayfever, rashes, and swelling of the eyes, lips and face. Almost 75% of all allergies come from four types of food: eggs, milk, peanuts, and shellfish.

• By following these simple steps and by observing your child’s reactions to the foods you are feeding, you can help reduce the risk of an allergic reaction to foods.

• Introduce single grain cereals in this order: iron-fortified infant rice cereal first, then barley, and then oat cereals. Once all the single grains have been well accepted by your baby, you can start introducing mixed cereals.

• Introduce new foods one at a time, several days apart and in small amounts. If an allergic reaction does occur, you will know exactly which food has caused it.

• If there is a history of food allergies in your family, do not offer these problematic foods in the first 9-12 months.

• The most common allergenic foods in infancy are cow’s milk, soy protein, peanuts and nuts, fish (especially shellfish), eggs, chocolates, tomatoes, citrus fruits, strawberries, and foods containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and oats).

• Delay introducing egg whites, fish, and nuts/peanut products until after your baby’s first birthday.

Vitamins

Eating a variety of foods is the best way to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients. If your baby is eating a variety of foods from all four food groups, growing and developing well, and is healthy, she probably does not need any additional vitamin or mineral supplements. However, if you are concerned that your baby is not eating enough or the "right" foods, consult a dietician or doctor to address your concerns. In addition, if your baby is following a VEGAN DIET, with no animal products at all, it is recommended that a vitamin supplement be taken at least until the age of two.

There are two types of vitamins—water-soluble (B complex and C vitamins), which cannot be stored in the body thus must be taken daily and fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E and K).

* After about 6 months of age, your baby will need extra iron as the absorption of iron in breast milk will not be adequate to meet your baby’s needs at it grows.

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