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Feeding Guidelines
Birth to 4 mos.
Breast milk or formula, ad. lib. * Try to wait two hours between
feedings, otherwise no regulation in amount or timing. All babies
need fluoride supplementation, either through fluoridated water
or prescribed supplements after 6 months of age.
4 mos.
Fruit and cereal. Mix strained fruit with cereal until pasty. Start
with one tablespoon of mixture, increase to about two ounces, once,
then twice daily at the beginning of meals, then finish with bottle
or breast. Start with rice cereal and applesauce- mix approximately
2 TBS of strained fruit with 2 tsp rice cereal. Next- mashed ripe
banana, peaches, pears. Later, try other cereals: oats, barley (less
binding), wheat, mixed cereals.
5 mos.
Water is preferable to juices. Apple or grape juice may be given
as a treat. Wait on citrus juices.
Yellow vegetables: carrots, squash, mixed, sweet potatoes. After
2-3 weeks of these, babies may develop a harmless, faintly yellow
("carotenemic") appearance that will gradually fade away.
6 mos.
Strained meats: first, chicken, turkey, then, veal, beef and pork.
Mixed dinners are fine. Plain yogurt mixed with strained fruit provides
an alternative. The “Yo Baby” brand is excellent. By
now your baby may wish solids three times a day. One possible feeding
routine is: fruit and cereal, a.m., yogurt and fruit, noon, apple
juice, afternoon, meat, vegetable and fruit for dessert, evenings.
Avoid custards and cobblers which are sweeter than what the baby
needs nutritionally.
Teething foods, when baby can pick them up. These include teething
toys, meat bones, bagels, rolls, "heels" of bakery bread.
7 mos.
Green vegetables (if baby likes them), in addition to, or instead
of yellow vegetables.
8 mos.
Lumpier foods. Try scrambled eggs. Let baby feed self, if able.
Cottage cheese, orange juice, "junior" or "step 3"
foods, breakfast cereals.
9+ mos.
Gradually increase trials of table foods as tolerated. Fish is a
favorite for some (not shellfish, but try fish sticks, fish balls,
broiled white filets). Pastas, pancakes, french toast, waffles,
fruit chunks are popular. You can try cheese or meat spreads on
crackers or bread. Wait on peanut butter until age one. Most babies
do better with ground beef after the first-year molars erupt (average
age, 16 mos).
* Baby should stay on breast milk or formula until taking table
foods, or meats and vegetables well. This generally occurs between
9 and 12 mos. of age. Use 2% or whole milk. A guideline for cows'
milk intake is 8-24 ounces/day, or the equivalent in cows' milk
products.
Foods to avoid:
(ask your doctor about these)
Peanut butter until age 1
Peanuts and popcorn until age 3 (choking risk)
Shellfish until age 1
Tuna, Swordfish, Shark, Native Salmon (high mercury)
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