Starting Solids
Your baby is ready to start solid foods at about six months old. Solid foods provide the extra iron and added nutrients your baby needs for healthy growth and development.
The first solid foods to offer are foods rich in iron. These foods include beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, pork, veal, eggs, iron-fortified infant cereals, tofu and well-cooked legumes such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
Signs your baby is ready for solids
Make sure your baby shows all of these signs of readiness before you introduce solid foods:
- Holds their head up on their own
- Sits up in a high chair and leans forward
- Opens their mouth wide when you offer food on a spoon
- Turns their face away if they don’t want food
- Closes their lips over the spoon
- Keeps the food in their mouth and swallows it instead of pushing it out
Review developmental milestones related to feeding from the Canadian Pediatric Society.
Tips
- Be a good role model. Your baby learns eating habits from parents and other family members. Rather than feeding your baby first, eat together and enjoy the same foods.
- It may take time for your baby to learn about new foods. Be patient and offer new foods with no pressure.
- Babies learn about food using all of their senses. Touching and smelling food is part of the learning process.
- Let your baby decide how much to eat and whether or not to eat. Pay attention to your baby’s hunger and fullness cues. Do not force-feed or refuse to give food to your infant.
- Talk to your baby’s health care provider if you have questions about their growth
Resources
For additional support or questions, connect with a public health nurse through Niagara Parents.
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