Babies on average triple their weight during their first year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. With all the growing they are doing, babies need the right balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates as well as sufficient vitamins and minerals. Offering babies a variety of foods can help ensure they have a balanced diet. Remember that babies may need to try a new food several times before they readily accept it. If baby doesn't seem to like one particular item, offer it again at future meals. Sometimes it takes several tries before a baby grows accustomed to a specific food.
Features
A baby's diet, which changes drastically during the first year of life, varies by age. Babies start out only drinking milk. Solids are typically introduced between 4 to 6 months. At nine months, babies are ready for cooked fruits and vegetables with a coarser, chunkier texture and some table foods. By one year old, babies are eating nearly the same foods as their parents do, though the foods are more mashed or finely cut.
Considerations
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend cow's milk for babies during their first 12 months because it is not as easy to digest as formula, or breast milk, and because it lacks the proper balance of nutrients.
Introduce solid foods one at a time so you are able to monitor for allergies. An allergic reaction may take the form of hives, diarrhea or vomiting. Start with iron-fortified rice cereal. From there, you may expand to oat, barley and wheat cereals. Add pureed vegetables to the diet next. Though naturally sweeter vegetables such as sweet potatoes or carrots may be more readily accepted, do not neglect to try other vegetables on the baby too.
Warnings
Avoid feeding babies foods that may lead to choking, such as grapes, berries, hot dogs, nuts, hard uncooked vegetables and popcorn.
Do not give babies honey as it could contain clostridium bacteria, which may cause infant botulism. Other foods to avoid during the first year include nuts, peanut butter, egg whites and berries, which all have a high potential for an allergic reaction in a baby.
Weaning
Though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding your baby for at least one year, they say breastfeeding can continue as long as mother and child desire it. When you begin weaning, do so gradually.
Whether baby is drinking breast milk or formula, begin introducing a cup at 6 months of age. Many parents start with a sippy cup, but this should be seen as a transitional tool rather than a long-term replacement for the bottle. By age 1, if a child still uses a bottle, it should be for water only, according to the National Institutes of Health. Never give your baby juice in a bottle, the Nemours Foundation advises.
Expert Insight
Limit juice intake for babies, or consider not offering it at all. Juice offers calories, but little nutrition, compared with breast milk or formula. The Nemours Foundation recommends serving only 100 percent juice and limiting total juice intake to fewer than 4 ounces per day.
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