When to decide to introduce solids depends on each child and depends on the parents’ goals. I have found that parents often ask me when I feel it’s time to introduce solids and I honestly think that it is important to introduce solids at around four months but no later than six months. Some of the signs that your baby is ready to eat solids is if they are showing signs of hunger in between nursing or bottle feeding. A few physical signs that your baby is ready is when they can sit up independently and visually show an interest when they see you eating.
Don’t miss the window of opportunity!
I think it’s crucial to not miss the window of opportunity to introduce solids because I have seen first-hand what happens when solids are introduced later than six months. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies develop most of their taste buds by 9 months so its very important that babies have experienced a multitude of varieties when it’s comes to different tastes. In order to effectively provide ample opportunities to try new foods as well as give your baby the opportunity to experience foods over time without rushing them through is to introduce these foods early on.
Take a look at this video below narrated by Dr. David Hill briefly discussing the signs that your baby is ready for solid foods
I think you should start with veggies first!
It is my personal opinion that when you start introducing solids that you start with vegetables because when you start with fruits, even the natural sugars are pretty sweet. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with starting with all of the vegetables before introducing the fruits.
Should I start with a single food item like green beans or can I start with a green bean, apple and sweet potato mix?
This may be controversial but I do not think that it is wise to start with mixed variety food jars or pouches when you introduce foods to babies. As a child care provider with over 20 years experience and a parent of three children, we still have to consider allergic reactions and introducing several first foods at a time makes it difficult to determine if a child may be allergic to a particular fruit or vegetable.
Don’t get me wrong, I do think that the mixed fruit/veggie/grain containers/pouches have their place but what I have seen in recent years is the overuse of pouches for convenience.
Therefore, I recommend starting with one food item at a time until you believe your child has had exposure to all of the first fruits and vegetables. Then it is OK to introduce the multiple food containers or pouches that contain everything from aramanth to chia seeds to dates.
Read more on Introducing solids here:
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