As a new parent, you may be confused about when to start feeding your baby solid foods and how it coincides with potty training. How do you know when to start and what foods you should start with? Should you make your own homemade baby food? How do you know how much is enough? To help guide you, let’s have a look at some feeding basics for toddlers and infants. We will also discuss what, when and how much to feed your child up to the age of 3.
In nearly all healthy children, the recommended age to start solid foods is 4 to 6 months. Age is just one criterion for readiness, though. Your baby’s motor skills and stage of development will also help determine when he or she is ready. Are there any sleep problems? Hunger may be the culprit. He should be capable of holding his head up and should no longer have the reflex, which causes them to push anything but liquid out of their mouths.
What is on the menu for baby’s first meal? Rice cereal is a customary and safe first food, but most babies can tolerate a variety of foods like rice cereal, vegetables, fruits and meat. While meat is often reserved for older infants, some experts feel there is no reason to wait.
How do you know how much is enough? The first few weeks of eating solid foods is more about becoming accustomed to spoon-feeding than meeting nutritional needs. Your baby is learning to negotiate food. Don’t expect your child to eat more than one or two teaspoons at a time during the first week or so.
Older infants may try to feed themselves. It means messy meals, but letting your child feed himself encourages the development of his fine motor skills. Around the 1-year mark, give your baby water, breast milk or formula from a cup they can sip from.
As a parent, you need to realize and respect that babies are born knowing how much food they need. Encouraging your child to override their natural urge to eat when hungry and stop when full may promote eventual overeating that leads to an unhealthy weight, sleep and potty learning issues, and possibly poor toddler behavior. To know if you are feeding your baby enough, look for some of these telltale signs, like spitting out every spoonful you manage to get in his mouth, swatting at the spoon or pursing his lips tight when the spoon comes his way.
After he reaches age 2, your child can have the same foods the rest of the family eats; just make sure the food is healthy. Feeding your baby meals that include a great mix of whole grains, lean protein, reduced-fat dairy foods, and fruits and vegetables that are cut up so your child can chew and swallow them safely is a great way to promote lifelong, healthy eating habits.