Once your baby has developed good head control and the ability to sit unassisted, around six months of age, he may begin to show signs that he is ready to move beyond breast milk or formula and start trying solid foods. If he seems to be watching you carefully and eyeing the things on your plate, or even making a grab for foods you are eating, these are signs of readiness. The important thing to remember is that the first foods are mostly for exploration and experience, not to provide complete nutrition. Breast milk or formula should continue to make up the majority of calories your baby consumes until he is at least 1 year old.
Baby Cereals
Baby cereals are a natural choice for many parents and are often recommended by pediatricians as a good first food. You might want to start with rice cereal, since it tends to be nonallergenic and mild on an infant's developing gastrointestinal system. After your baby is comfortable eating rice cereal, you can introduce her to other varieties such as oat, barley or multigrain cereals. A good way to introduce cereal is to add some breast milk or formula to 1 or 2 tbsp. cereal and mix it to make a soft, semiliquid mixture.
Fruits
Many babies like fruits, since they tend to be sweet like breast milk or formula. Banana is a favorite beginner food because it is soft and can be strained or mashed into a paste-like consistency that can be served on a spoon. Banana is often used as a first food for people using a baby-led weaning style of solid food introduction, in which whole foods are introduced to the infant from the start instead of beginning with purees, processed cereals or packaged baby food. Other popular first fruits to introduce to an infant include applesauce, peaches and pears. Avocado is another highly nutritious fruit that many babies enjoy as a first food.
Vegetables
Some parents prefer to start their baby on vegetables out of a fear that if the infant tries fruits first, he may prefer their sweet taste and refuse to eat vegetables later. Pediatrician Dr. William Sears points out, however, that most babies already have a natural sweet tooth and that breast milk is sweet, so this argument may not be valid, especially for breastfed babies. Nonetheless, vegetables often do offer more nutrients than fruit, so they are a good option for a first food introduction. Some of the most nutritionally dense vegetables that are appropriate for babies include mashed or microwaved sweet potato, winter squash and carrots.
