Re: I think my son is ready to have more than just milk for meals… but how do I know for sure? What are the best first foods?
Generally, babies are ready to start trying solid foods around six months. If your son is showing interest in other foods (think grabbing for your chicken wings and staring at your cereal) and able to sit up in his high chair, it's probably a good time to start. Best to run it past your pediatrician before starting the taste tests, though.
The standard first food is rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, though pediatricians also recommend regular oatmeal. From whole-grains, move on to strained, mashed and finely pureed fruits and veggies like bananas and sweet potatoes. Allow about a week between each new food introduction to monitor for allergic reactions. At eight months or so, try pureed or finely table foods like turkey and cottage cheese. Stay away from honey until baby is at least a year, and watch out for common allergens like peanut butter, shellfish, egg whites and citrus. Don't ever force foods -- if baby repeatedly refuses to try something new, he's simply not ready yet. And remember, baby still needs breast milk or formula until at least a year.
Paula Kashtan | May 07 , 2009 5:00 PM