The following tips will help you feed your baby in a way that supports their healthy growth and development right from the start.
Finger foods may be messy, but your baby will enjoy handling them on their own, along with an increasingly wider range of solid foods. The following tips will help you feed your baby in a way that supports their healthy growth and development right from the start.
- Infants may need repeated exposure to new foods before accepting them. If your baby refuses a food, don’t give up or show disappointment; just offer it again another day.
- Avoid giving your baby too much fruit juice, as it’s loaded with sugar. Serve less than 4 to 6 ounces of juice a day, and only serve 100 percent fruit juice.
- Around the end of the first year, you may notice a decline in your baby’s appetite. Don’t worry; their growth rate is slowing, and they doesn’t require as much food now.
- Feed your baby a variety of foods from the basic food groups below.
Breast Milk
On demand, about four or more times per day
Formula
Four feedings per day, about 6 to 8 ounces per feeding (up to 24 to 32 ounces a day)
Grains
Fortified cereal grains (3 tablespoon portions), including finger foods like crackers
Fruits and Vegetables
Four servings of fruits and vegetables per day (2 to 4 tablespoons), avoiding small round sources such as grapes or raw carrots that could result in choking
Dairy, Meat, and Poultry
One serving of yogurt or finely chopped meat or poultry (2 to 4 tablespoons)
