- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only breast milk until babies are six months old, but some infants may be ready for solid foods as early as four months old.
- It's important to look for specific developmental milestones that indicate your baby is ready for food.
- Both homemade and store-bought baby food can be healthy choices, and it's best to start with vegetables and fruits.
- Even after you introduce solid food, be sure to continue breastfeeding or formula feeding to make up the bulk of your baby's nutrition.
- This article was reviewed by Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, FAAP, who is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The start of solid foods represents the start of an entirely new world for your baby — a world filled with delicious culinary adventures from bright strawberries and plump peaches to cool and creamy ice cream.
But just when can you start your little one on baby food? Here's what you need to know.
Don't start your baby on solids too early
Plus, researchers have found that introducing solid foods before four months of age is linked to negative health effects, such as obesity and certain autoimmune disorders later in life. So it's important not to introduce baby food before your baby is ready.
And contrary to certain popular beliefs, starting your baby on solid foods will not help them sleep longer through the night. So, if that's what you're after, sleep training is a better option.
You can introduce solids around 6 months
First things first: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents should only feed their baby breast milk for about the first six months of life. This is because breast milk contains all the nutrients a child needs early on and can protect the baby from infectious and chronic diseases, according to the World Health Organization.
However, all babies are different and, depending on their developmental stage, you can, in some cases, start babies on solid food as early as four months, says Kara Willoughby, MD, a pediatrician with Spectrum Health Medical Group Pediatrics.
How to tell when your baby is ready for solid food
Willoughby says that she looks for developmental milestones that show the baby has gained the head and neck strength they need in order to safely swallow solid food. You can look for signs such as:
- Solid head control: The baby can hold their head upright while in a (held) seated position and turn it both ways.
- Upper body strength: Such as being able to push to straight arms during tummy time to hold their chest upright.
- No more tongue-thrust reflex: Tongue thrust is a reflex that newborns have where they will automatically push solid foods out of their mouth if someone tries to feed them. This reflex usually goes away between four to six months of age.
- Show an interest in food: The baby follows food or opens their mouth towards food.
Choosing your baby's first food
The AAP hasn't found any conclusive evidence that introducing foods in a certain order, like giving vegetables before sweets, makes a big difference.
This is mostly because babies, by nature, are almost always going to show a preference for sweets. However, Willoughby says that their office advises parents to start with vegetables and work from the least sweet to the sweetest. (It can't hurt, right?)
She recommends starting with foods in the following order:
1. Green foods, such as green beans, avocados and peas
2. Squashes, sweet potatoes, and carrots
3. Fruits, such as pears, apples, and bananas
"Avocados are always a great food to start with because they are packed full of nutrients," Willoughby tells Insider. "Cereals [rice or oatmeal] are great as well and are fortified with iron."
The AAP also recommends that as your baby eats more solid food, you should encourage self-feeding with appropriate finger foods and spoons, as well as drinking from a cup when they're around six months old.
Homemade vs. store-bought baby food
When it comes to choosing store-bought versus homemade baby food, Willoughby's official stance is that what's best is "whatever works best for your lifestyle."
"If you have time to make it — great," she says. "If not, that's great too! We just ask that if you make it yourself, try to avoid seasonings and additives such as salt, sugar, and butter — work on developing simple tastes."
What comes next
After you've officially introduced solids, you should still continue to breastfeed as you are able.
"Breastmilk is going to continue to provide your baby with essential nutrients in addition to immunity and germ-fighting power," Willoughby says.
Even when your baby begins eating solids, around six months old, breastmilk or formula should still be your child's main source of calories and nutrients. Because breastmilk and formula have the essential fat, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals that their growing bodies need.
"Their appetites may become smaller as they are growing less quickly during this time, and as their diet is supplemented with solid foods, but breastmilk and formula will continue to be an important part of their intake," Willoughby says.
Willoughby explains that infants should consume approximately 24 ounces of breastmilk or formula a day, up to, and beyond age one. After one year, you can continue to give them breast milk, or you can switch your baby to whole milk, along with plenty of water with their meals.
Related stories about newborn care:
- How long experts recommend mothers breastfeed to keep their baby healthy
- How to increase your breast milk supply right after giving birth
- When babies get their first teeth and how to care for them
- What to do when a baby hiccups and how to prevent it in the future
- How to clean a baby's ears
- How often pediatricians recommend to bathe your baby to keep them clean and healthy