The thing to consider with regard to deciding when to start your baby on solid foods is the maturity of their digestive system. The time when your little one is able to absorb nutrients and calories from food is the ideal time to begin the switch to solid food. That time would be later in their first year, but parents can also try during their baby's fourth to sixth months in order to get them used to textures and tastes.
Chiquita bananas are a great first solid food for babies. Soft, sweet and fun to eat. pic.twitter.com/chp4C4Nvvh
— Chiquita (@Chiquita) March 9, 2016
So what types of food should you introduce your baby to? According to WPTZ, single grain cereals such as iron-fortified rice cereal is a good place to start. Then they can move on to strained vegetables and then fruits. It's important to start your baby on non-sweet tastes first to help them adjust.
Good head and neck control is also an important sign that baby may be ready for solid food. This shows that they are ready to swallow their food without choking.
Some parents worry that their child may develop a food allergy so their solution is to avoid the usual culprits: peanuts, seafood, wheat, and more. According to Parenting, this is a myth and in fact, there is no evidence to suggest that delaying a type of food will help in avoiding an allergy to it.
So it's safe to introduce these foods to your baby during their fourth to sixth months. However, whole cow's milk shouldn't be given until after their first year. This is because babies can't digest milk protein, yet before this time due to an underdeveloped gastrointestinal tract.
Introducing baby to solid food is a rite of passage for both baby and parent. Now that you're armed with all this information, enjoy this exciting time with your little one!
