When & What Solid Food To Give Your Baby?

Baby

oi-Amrisha Sharma

By Amrisha Sharma

Thursday, August 18, 2011, 15:26

A baby is ready to eat solid food after 6 months. Before, milk supply fulfills the right supply of calcium and nutrition. Providing solid food before half year age (six months) is not advisable as the baby's digestive system is not strong enough to digest heavy food. It also increases the risk of an allergic reaction to certain foods.

As babies are choosy and pick up food for them then selecting the right and healthy solid food can be challenging for the mother.

When is the baby ready to eat solid food?

Plan to provide food when the baby shows these signs:

• The baby can sit with support
• See that the baby is able to keep his head in a steady position
• The baby no longer pushes back the milk with his tongue or throws out of the mouth.
• Baby's weight gain has increased since birth
• The baby shows a strong appetite
• The chewing motions of the baby develops
• Curiosity towards adult food

So what solid food to give the baby?

• Start with cereals for a month and then add vegetables, fruits, meat, egg and yogurt. Always wash the hands and equipment properly before making food.

• Cook food in small amount of water until tender and use cooking water for liquid food. You can also give steamed or baked food.

• Prepare fresh fruits and vegetables by scrubbing, peeling off the skin and removing the seeds and any hard particle which you feel might get stuck in the throat.

• Don't add salt, sugar, seasonings, honey or any sweetener as babies like fruits and vegetables in the natural taste and flavor. Also avoid giving corn syrup.

• Remove bones, skin, seeds and any particle which is hard from the food while preparing.

• Rice cereal or grains cereal is a good food to start feeding babies. Make it watery to make the baby easily swallow. Even oatmeal or barley cereals are also healthy food options for feeding babies.

When the mothers start feeding solid food to the baby, the stool color changes, becomes less watery and the odor becomes stronger. Few babies take time in adapting to food but constant trying will work!