Babies often hit one of their growth spurts at six months. Around this time, it may seem that your little one just can't eat enough, and you may be wondering if now's the time to add some solid food. The South Dakota Department of Health provides some guidelines for knowing when your baby is ready for solid foods and how to introduce them.

A baby's growth from 5-8 months will allow for many changes in food intake. Breast milk or iron-fortified formula still needs to be the main part of a baby's diet. Solids may be started at this time.

Starting Solids

Not Too Soon...

Solids do not help young infants sleep through the night. Starting solids too soon can:

  • Cause choking
  • Be hard for your baby to digest
  • Cause food allergies
  • Prevent your baby from getting enough breast milk or formula

Just the Right Time

Your baby is ready for solids when he/she can:

  • Hold the neck steady
  • Sit without support
  • Open mouth when food is offered
  • Draw in lower lip when spoon is removed from mouth
  • Keep food in mouth and swallow it
  • Reach for food showing he/she wants some

Tips for Feeding Your Baby Solids

To help your child learn to eat solid foods, remember the following:

  • Have your baby sit up.
  • Make sure the food is not too hot.
  • Feed all food from a spoon.
  • Add only one new food at a time every 3-4 days.
  • Homemade or purchased baby foods can be used.
  • When opening jar food, listen for the pop. Don't use jars with lids that don't pop.
  • Maintain regular snack and meal times.
  • Use small portions of food. Throw away leftovers and do not put food back in the jar. Saliva mixed with food will make it spoil.
  • Your baby does not need salt, grease, fat, sugar, or honey added to foods. Your baby's tastes are not the same as yours. Taste some formula—you'll get the idea!

Other key points:

  • To protect teeth and begin weaning, always offer juice from a cup.
  • To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding from a bottle.

Feeding Schedule: 5-8 Months

AgeFood and Daily Amount
5-6 months Breast milk: on demand
OR
Iron-fortified formula: 4-5 feedings of 6-8 ounces each
4-6 months Infant cereal: 4-8 tablespoons, mixed
Infant juice: 2-4 ounces (¼-½ cup, from cup only)
Six months
Fruits/vegetables: 2-4 tablespoons, twice daily
7-8 months Breast milk: 3-5 feedings, or on demand
OR
Iron-fortified formula: 3-5 feedings of 6-8 ounces each

Infant cereal: 4-6 tablespoons
Infant juice: 2-4 ounces (from cup only)
Fruit: 1-2 tablespoons
Vegetables: 5-7 tablespoons
Meats: 1-2 tablespoons
Finger food: One small serving (toast, crackers, teething biscuits, plain dry cereal). Watch child very carefully for choking. If he or she is having trouble swallowing these foods, stop, and reintroduce after nine months of age.

Suggestions When Using Solid Foods

Cereal
  • Start with single grain cereals: rice first, then oats and barley.
  • Wait until your baby is six months old to try other kinds of cereal.
  • Start by making the cereal thin, mix one tablespoon of dry cereal with 2-3 tablespoons of breast milk or iron-fortified formula.
  • As baby gets older, make it thicker, mix one tablespoon dry cereal with 2-3 tablespoons of breast milk or iron-fortified formula.
Meat
  • Use plain, strained meats when starting. If meat is too thick, thin with breast milk, iron-fortified formula, or meat juices.
  • Avoid meat and vegetable combinations or high protein meat dinners.
  • You can use cooked egg yolk, but don't give egg white until your baby is one year old.
Fruits and vegetables
  • Start with pureed fruits and vegetables
  • Start with single, plain choices without tapioca added.
  • Don't serve fruit "desserts."
Juice
  • Offer juice from the cup, not the bottle.
  • Start with infant juice. Mix one ounce of water with one ounce of juice. Gradually cut back the water until giving straight juice.
  • Star with single flavored juices. Wait until your baby is older to give mixed juices.
  • Use only 100% juice, not flavored fruit drink such as Kool-aid, punch, or soda (pop).