Most parents start with rice cereal. This cereal is his first taste of food, and is fortified with vitamins and minerals that he needs for his rapidly growing body. Rice cereal is the first food introduced because it is not likely to cause an allergic reaction. Make the rice cereal thin at the beginning by adding breast milk or formula to it.
As your baby gets older and gets used to eating from a spoon, you can add fruit, yogurt or other ingredients. When your infant is between four and six months old, your pediatrician will give you clearance to begin feeding him rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula.
Mix 1 teaspoon of the rice cereal with 4 to 5 teaspoons of breast milk or formula twice a day. The cereal should be very thin and soupy, just thick enough to spoon up from the bowl. Your infant needs to master pushing the food back with his tongue and swallowing this semi-solid food before you can begin to make it thicker or add other foods.
When your infant is at least six months old and he is used to eating the cereal from a spoon, you can mix the rice cereal with pureed fruit.
Cereal, fruits and vegetables are among the recommended foods to offer your little one first. Mixing these foods can give your infant an opportunity to experience a variety of flavors as well as obtain a wide range of nutrients. Before you introduce any solid foods, make sure that your infant is ready for solids. The American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, gives several guidelines to determine whether your baby is ready for the transition.
If your baby is ready for solids, he should be able to hold his head up, open his mouth when food comes near, and move food from a spoon to the back of his throat. In addition, most babies will have doubled their birth weight by the time they are ready for solids. This usually happens around four months, although the AAP recommends breast-feeding exclusively for the first six months. Always give an individual food by itself before mixing it with another food.
When adding fruits and vegetables to your little one's diet, the Colorado State University Extension recommends introducing one new food at a time without mixing it into another food, such as cereal. This will help you identify any food allergies or sensitivities. Once you establish that a particular fruit or vegetable has no ill effects on your baby, and he is acclimated to the new flavor, you can start mixing 1 to 2 tablespoons into his rice cereal.
Over the next few months, slowly increase his daily intake up to about 1 cup per day. Soft fruits and vegetables that you can easily puree and strain make the easiest, safest choices for solids. Applesauce, peaches, bananas, apricots, pears, avocado and berries are appropriate for mixing into rice cereal.
First vegetable choices include sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, potatoes, zucchini, peas, cauliflower, carrots, lentils and legumes. Puree all fruits and vegetables to a fine texture and smooth consistency and strain to remove seeds, pulp and other chunks to prevent choking.
Around 9 months of age, your baby will be able to handle coarser chunks in her rice cereal. KidsHealth warns against offering citrus fruits due to the acidity; fresh beets, collard greens, spinach and turnips should be avoided, as well, due to high nitrate content that may cause anemia. If you wish to mix these vegetables into your baby's rice cereal, use only the jarred variety, which are basically devoid of nitrates. Basic sanitation is good practice with anything you put in your baby's mouth, so carefully wash all fruits and vegetables before preparing them to mix into her rice cereal.
Botulism is a particular concern with fruits and vegetable that may contact the ground while growing, so take extra care to wash away any harmful spores and particles, advises Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. Peels may be difficult to puree and leave chunks that present a choking hazard.
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