When babies are ready to start eating solids, new parents are often unsure what food they can feed their new eater. Do you have to buy baby food? Do you have to cook special meals for your baby? The answer to these questions is no. Your baby can usually eat what you are eating. Sometimes the food will need some adjustment to be safe for a baby to eat, but in general, what parents eat, kids can and should be eating.
With any food you feed your new eater, make sure is has cooled before feeding to your child. Keep in mind any allergies your child may have, and avoid those foods. First foods typically should be pureed, but babies can then progress to textured foods. Younger babies may need food cut smaller, but as your child gets more skilled with eating and has more teeth, they will be able handle firmer and larger pieces of food.
Foods to Feed Your New Eater
Plain whole milk yogurt
Plain whole milk cottage cheese
Cheese sticks or fresh mozzarella (cut into pieces)
Canned beans (drain, rinse, and mash each one with your fingers)
Canned chickpeas--if they are soft (drain, rinse, and mash each one with your fingers)
Cooked quinoa, rice, or other grains
Cooked instant, rolled, or steel cut oats
Baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes
Chicken (remove from the bone, remove any pieces that got dried out in the oven, and chop into small pieces)
Baked or cooked meat (cut away any sinewy bits, dice into small pieces. Avoid seared meat, BBQed steaks or meat that is tough)
Steamed frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans)
vegetables that were cooked in a soup (turnip, parsnip, onions, zucchini, butternut squash)
apple or pear baked in the microwave
cereal and milk (Choose an unsweetened cereal. Allow crunchier cereals to get a bit soggy in the milk. Use pumped breastmilk if you have. Small amounts of cow's milk in food is fine also. Just don't use cow's milk in a bottle for drinking instead of breastmilk or formula until baby is one)
scrambled eggs
hard boiled eggs (mash eggs and mix with some mayo or hummus so texture is appropriate for baby)
whole grain pancakes or waffles (cut into small pieces)
smooth nut butters (Spread on rice cake or cracker. Mix into oatmeal.)
Tahini paste (note, this contains sesame. Mix into oatmeal.)
Whole grain bread
Tuna fish (mix drained canned tuna with some mayo. Serve by itself or on crackers)
Fish (Make sure you get filleted fish.)
Fresh fruit that is soft (banana, melon, mango, papaya)
Tofu (bake in the oven, avoid serving crispy pieces to babies who need very soft food)
hummus by itself or on crackers or rice cakes
guacamole or diced avocado
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