How to Introduce New Foods to Your Baby
So far we have talked about when and how to start feeding your baby solid foods. Now it’s time to talk about how to introduce new food to your little one. Seems simple enough, but between the huge caution doctors give and the major debates on which food to start first it is a wonder that we ever pick up those cute baby spoons to give them their first bites.
Let’s break it down, little by little. Then it won’t seem so tricky.
Allergies
Some babies are going to have a serious problem with allergies or reactions to certain foods. It is a total bummer and I feel for those parents who have to deal with food restriction diets at such a young age. I will talk more about extreme food reactions a little later on, but for now I want to talk about minor food allergies that your little one might get when you introduce new food. Whenever you introduce a new food, you have to be on the look out for the signs that the new food didn’t sit well with your baby. The signs may include:
- Hives or welts
- Flushed skin or rash
- Face, tongue, or lip swelling
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Coughing or wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
If at any point your baby’s reaction to food is severe, immediately call 911 or your pediatrician. For more information on allergies. Don’t let this list scare you, the most common are hives, flushed skin or rashes. So relax but keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual.
This is why doctors will always have the feed and wait 1-4 day rule.
My little one showed only a slight reaction to one food – chicken. Which is weird because it is very low on the allergy scale. But I gave her some chicken + pears + carrots one day for lunch and the next day she had a rash on her bum. So I stopped feeding her the chicken but keep with the pears and carrots because I had already introduced these food groups to her and she was fine. After a day or two her bum was back to normal and I waited another couple of weeks to introduce chicken to her again. As you would have guessed, her bum got another rash. So I stopped feeding her the chicken and waited a couple more weeks to introduce it to her. The third time was a charm, she gobbled it up and there wasn’t a rash to been seen.
Just because they have a slight reaction at first doesn’t mean they will always have a reaction. Sometime their bodies are just not ready for certain types of foods.
Is There a Best Food to Serve First?
There have been some controversial papers and studies done in the last couple of years that say this or that food is better for your baby then anything else and will help them not be a picky eater when they grow up – only feed them vegetables for the first six months, or only start with rice cereal mixed with breast milk/formula, or only avocado and egg yolks. To me, there just isn’t enough proof in any of these studies to conform me.
So I have my own theory and approach..
I feel like it is a balanced approach to all the extreme theories and is the eating habits I would love to have implanted onto my little one.
So here it is, my big theory
- First start with lots of fruits and veggies. Color, Color, Color!
- Slowly mix in some protein from naturally raised animals or fish that are hormone and antibiotic free.
- Then sprinkle in some whole grains that are straight from the source, not a box.
Not so tough, right?
The first food I fed my little one was Apples + Cinnamon. I have personally found that since fruit is naturally as sweet as breast milk [it is okay if you think I am crazy for trying my own breast milk, I can live with that] it is easier to introduce then to a fruit rather then a more dense bitter vegetable. Then I would switch from one to another while I was introducing food – a fruit, then a veggie, then a different fruit, veggie, fruit, etc. When she had a handle on those, I would start to mix them together, which is still my favorite way to serve purees. A little sweet mixed with a big serving of veggie nutrition.
Here’s a handy graph to show you what I did
Next week – now that your baby is eating solid food they might get constipated. Not pretty but it happens. Easy ways to solve this little problem.
You should note that the content on this page is only my recommendation. I am not a doctor or health care professional. Everything I talk about and believe in comes from hours of research, talking to moms of new babies and my personal experience.
44 Comments on “How to Introduce New Foods to Your Baby”
Hi there!
Stumbled across this fantastic site via pinterest and your beautiful pics 🙂 Was hoping to find more homemade, organic options for my picky little guy… LOVE your 3 week guide to introduce new foods, such a great idea, wish I had seen this originally when I started! Wondering if you could give me some ideas for what the next month would look like after this original 3 week start? After the Intro of sweet potato? I can’t wait to try your recipes!! Thanks so much… Amanda
Hi there!
Stumbled across this fantastic site via pinterest and your beautiful pics 🙂 Was hoping to find more homemade, organic options for my picky little guy… LOVE your 3 week guide to introduce new foods, such a great idea, wish I had seen this originally when I started! Wondering if you could give me some ideas for what the next month would look like after this original 3 week start? After the Intro of sweet potato? I can’t wait to try your recipes!! Thanks so much… Amanda
Whoops just spotted your ‘menu’ section! I’ll peruse through there for some ideas!
Hello Amanda!!
I am so glad you found my little site!!! As well as I am so happy to hear that you are making your little one homemade food!! There is nothing that will help him become less picky them making his food from scratch. So way to go!! You are already on the right track! It sounds like your little guy is still pretty young, so just give him some time and realize it might take multiple tries before he acquires a taste for something new. Just keep mixing it up what you are feeding him and I know he will develop a great palate.
I don’t have anything posted about what to give them after the 3 weeks but I have some posts I am working on that will help with that. In the mean time I would continue with Zucchini, Red Pepper, green beans, beets (golden is a great variety to try first since they have a calmer taste) blueberries (mixed with the roasted banana and apple is amazing) and weird as it might seem butter! Go for the organic grass fed butter and you can add to any vegetables. I did this for the veggie purees my little E didn’t like at first and after I added the butter she gobbled it up. Butter is also a great way to get some extra fat into their bodies and since they need a ton of fat at this age there is no worry about butter being too fatty. Also, yogurt! I am such a fan of organic full fat greek yogurt. It helps maintain good bacteria in their system while giving them a ton of protein and fat!! You can mix a spoonful or two with any puree.
After you introduced these foods, I think you are all set for going with whatever is in season and you have on hand. Plus these are the base for so many of my recipes so you can combine them to your hearts content.
I would love to know how he does with these foods, so keep me posted!!!
Michele
Whoops just spotted your ‘menu’ section! I’ll peruse through there for some ideas!
Hello Amanda!!
I am so glad you found my little site!!! As well as I am so happy to hear that you are making your little one homemade food!! There is nothing that will help him become less picky them making his food from scratch. So way to go!! You are already on the right track! It sounds like your little guy is still pretty young, so just give him some time and realize it might take multiple tries before he acquires a taste for something new. Just keep mixing it up what you are feeding him and I know he will develop a great palate.
I don’t have anything posted about what to give them after the 3 weeks but I have some posts I am working on that will help with that. In the mean time I would continue with Zucchini, Red Pepper, green beans, beets (golden is a great variety to try first since they have a calmer taste) blueberries (mixed with the roasted banana and apple is amazing) and weird as it might seem butter! Go for the organic grass fed butter and you can add to any vegetables. I did this for the veggie purees my little E didn’t like at first and after I added the butter she gobbled it up. Butter is also a great way to get some extra fat into their bodies and since they need a ton of fat at this age there is no worry about butter being too fatty. Also, yogurt! I am such a fan of organic full fat greek yogurt. It helps maintain good bacteria in their system while giving them a ton of protein and fat!! You can mix a spoonful or two with any puree.
After you introduced these foods, I think you are all set for going with whatever is in season and you have on hand. Plus these are the base for so many of my recipes so you can combine them to your hearts content.
I would love to know how he does with these foods, so keep me posted!!!
Michele
Stumbled on your site through pinterest… WOW! Just what I was looking for! All the info I wanted (plus your site and photos are beautiful). One question. Me pediatrician recommended making my own baby food except for carrots because store-bought carrots could come from soil high in nitrates. He did say that if you know where your carrots are grown and if you know the soil content, then that’s fine, but he wasn’t sure about our local soil for buying farmer/organic locally. So when you do carrots, are you worried about that? Or maybe you know where you’re buying from? I just would so much rather make carrots than feed from a jar which doesn’t contain much nutrients. Anyway, any advice welcome!
I forgot to mention that I don’t have very many options for buying organic. No Whole Foods 🙁 or anything like that. Pretty much just Wal-Mart and local grocery stores that have tiny, tiny organic produce sections.
Hello Julianne,
Sara and I both agree that making homemade carrot puree is way more beneficial for your baby then the jarred puree. There is also new research that shows that the chances of your baby getting nitrate poisoning or ‘blue baby syndrome’ is at 0%!!! With that being said, there are nitrates in produce such as carrots, green beans, squash, spinach and beets and should not be fed to babies younger then 3 months of age. But after 4 months of age your baby can digest these compounds into their system. And not to mention your baby would have to eat pounds of the above vegetables in a short time frame to even get close to an abnormal amount of nitrates. This goes for both organic and conventional produce.
So bottom line, it’s always best to make your own!!! Puree away!
xoxo,
Michele
Stumbled on your site through pinterest… WOW! Just what I was looking for! All the info I wanted (plus your site and photos are beautiful). One question. Me pediatrician recommended making my own baby food except for carrots because store-bought carrots could come from soil high in nitrates. He did say that if you know where your carrots are grown and if you know the soil content, then that’s fine, but he wasn’t sure about our local soil for buying farmer/organic locally. So when you do carrots, are you worried about that? Or maybe you know where you’re buying from? I just would so much rather make carrots than feed from a jar which doesn’t contain much nutrients. Anyway, any advice welcome!
I forgot to mention that I don’t have very many options for buying organic. No Whole Foods 🙁 or anything like that. Pretty much just Wal-Mart and local grocery stores that have tiny, tiny organic produce sections.
Hello Julianne,
Sara and I both agree that making homemade carrot puree is way more beneficial for your baby then the jarred puree. There is also new research that shows that the chances of your baby getting nitrate poisoning or ‘blue baby syndrome’ is at 0%!!! With that being said, there are nitrates in produce such as carrots, green beans, squash, spinach and beets and should not be fed to babies younger then 3 months of age. But after 4 months of age your baby can digest these compounds into their system. And not to mention your baby would have to eat pounds of the above vegetables in a short time frame to even get close to an abnormal amount of nitrates. This goes for both organic and conventional produce.
So bottom line, it’s always best to make your own!!! Puree away!
xoxo,
Michele
when i introduce apples to him can i introduce cinnamon at the same time or do i have to wait because that would be another new food?
Hello Katelyn,
You can introduce them at the same time! All spices are very low on the allergic chart so the chances of baby being allergic to a certain spice is very very very low.
xoxo, Michele
when i introduce apples to him can i introduce cinnamon at the same time or do i have to wait because that would be another new food?
Hello Katelyn,
You can introduce them at the same time! All spices are very low on the allergic chart so the chances of baby being allergic to a certain spice is very very very low.
xoxo, Michele
What is the best seasoning to pair with peas? Also, when you start mixing foods do you mix apples + cinnamon with carrots + nutmeg with pears + cardamom and so on? I have already made up a batch of apples and cinnamon and plan on doing carrots with nutmeg next. Would I mix those together? I would think that those would complement each other but by day 20, there would be a lot of flavors going on…or is that the point? Thank you! I am loving the book so far. Congrats.
Hello Kristin,
I love mint, chives or basil with peas!
When mixing different fruits and veggies that already have spices mixed in, yes you can definitely mix them together if you think they would complement each other – apples + cinnamon and carrots + nutmeg would absolutely be amazing together. You are right, when you start doing combos with more then 2-3 fruits and vegetables that have spices that don’t work together, I would then start on some of the combo recipes. You can still use the basic purees as a side to more complex combo purees.
Hope that helps!
xo, Michele
What is the best seasoning to pair with peas? Also, when you start mixing foods do you mix apples + cinnamon with carrots + nutmeg with pears + cardamom and so on? I have already made up a batch of apples and cinnamon and plan on doing carrots with nutmeg next. Would I mix those together? I would think that those would complement each other but by day 20, there would be a lot of flavors going on…or is that the point? Thank you! I am loving the book so far. Congrats.
Hello Kristin,
I love mint, chives or basil with peas!
When mixing different fruits and veggies that already have spices mixed in, yes you can definitely mix them together if you think they would complement each other – apples + cinnamon and carrots + nutmeg would absolutely be amazing together. You are right, when you start doing combos with more then 2-3 fruits and vegetables that have spices that don’t work together, I would then start on some of the combo recipes. You can still use the basic purees as a side to more complex combo purees.
Hope that helps!
xo, Michele
I found your website via Pinterest – I was drawn to your beautiful photos even though I’m not a big fan of purees 😉 As a healthcare provider and lactation professional I do just have one thing I have to disagree with here. When we start solids with babies, we are filling up their tummies with something other than their nutritious breast milk (or formula). Most fruits and veggies, while nutritious from a vitamin and mineral standpoint, are not nutrient-dense enough to make up for the BM that it’s replacing. First foods ideally should be higher in fat, protein, and iron than things like apples, carrots, and pears. I generally recommend egg yolk, avocado, banana, and pureed meats (yep! No reason to wait on meat. Get them that iron!) So while the foods listed above are traditional first foods, they’re not the choices that will help baby grow.. I am glad that you at least are skipping the cereals!!!
Thank you Laura Ann for your suggestions!!! I definitely talk about my love for all of those foods (egg yolk, avocado, bananas, and pureed meats) in numerous other posts on the blog and agree that they can be used as a first food. I do find that many babies shrink away from beef puree as their first food!!:) lol!! This list above is a very basic outline of what or how I would introduce purees. I should probably make another one including these foods.
Michele
I found your website via Pinterest – I was drawn to your beautiful photos even though I’m not a big fan of purees 😉 As a healthcare provider and lactation professional I do just have one thing I have to disagree with here. When we start solids with babies, we are filling up their tummies with something other than their nutritious breast milk (or formula). Most fruits and veggies, while nutritious from a vitamin and mineral standpoint, are not nutrient-dense enough to make up for the BM that it’s replacing. First foods ideally should be higher in fat, protein, and iron than things like apples, carrots, and pears. I generally recommend egg yolk, avocado, banana, and pureed meats (yep! No reason to wait on meat. Get them that iron!) So while the foods listed above are traditional first foods, they’re not the choices that will help baby grow.. I am glad that you at least are skipping the cereals!!!
Thank you Laura Ann for your suggestions!!! I definitely talk about my love for all of those foods (egg yolk, avocado, bananas, and pureed meats) in numerous other posts on the blog and agree that they can be used as a first food. I do find that many babies shrink away from beef puree as their first food!!:) lol!! This list above is a very basic outline of what or how I would introduce purees. I should probably make another one including these foods.
Michele
when you say mix of apples and carrots, do you mean to actually mix the two puree’s together? or just give the child both in the same sitting?
You could really do either one, and I have done it both ways. You can mix together if you think the flavors will blend well together or just serve side by side as a ‘meal’ for baby. Either way you are introducing baby to new flavors and to see if they will have a reaction.
xo, Michele
when you say mix of apples and carrots, do you mean to actually mix the two puree’s together? or just give the child both in the same sitting?
You could really do either one, and I have done it both ways. You can mix together if you think the flavors will blend well together or just serve side by side as a ‘meal’ for baby. Either way you are introducing baby to new flavors and to see if they will have a reaction.
xo, Michele
Hi Michele,
I love your website!!! I am starting to wean my baby in a couple of weeks and am interested to know when you introduced grains? I have read so many conflicting things online that I am thoroughly confused! I am a bit anti introducing grains as the main thing to start with but waiting until 12months like some people suggest seems a bit long! Thanks!
Hello Lauren,
Yes, there are so many different options for introducing grains. I am a firm believer that introducing fruits, vegetables, eggs and meats come first. This will not only get them the nutrition they need but expose them to an array of yummy tastes and textures. Then I am open to grains and find that around 9 months baby may need a little more in their tummies to tide them over between meals. I would recommend brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, farro, etc as first grains for baby. All of them are packed with nutrients and easier on their stomachs then wheat. I introduced grains around 9-10 months for both my girls (we do not have any wheat or grain allergies in our family) and found that it helped give more substance when they ate – they were both polishing off 6-8 oz of purees at this point.
Hope that helps!
Michele
thank you for your advice 🙂 i have found your website so so helpful! 🙂 xxx
So happy to hear this!!
xo, Michele
Hi Michele,
I love your website!!! I am starting to wean my baby in a couple of weeks and am interested to know when you introduced grains? I have read so many conflicting things online that I am thoroughly confused! I am a bit anti introducing grains as the main thing to start with but waiting until 12months like some people suggest seems a bit long! Thanks!
Hello Lauren,
Yes, there are so many different options for introducing grains. I am a firm believer that introducing fruits, vegetables, eggs and meats come first. This will not only get them the nutrition they need but expose them to an array of yummy tastes and textures. Then I am open to grains and find that around 9 months baby may need a little more in their tummies to tide them over between meals. I would recommend brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, farro, etc as first grains for baby. All of them are packed with nutrients and easier on their stomachs then wheat. I introduced grains around 9-10 months for both my girls (we do not have any wheat or grain allergies in our family) and found that it helped give more substance when they ate – they were both polishing off 6-8 oz of purees at this point.
Hope that helps!
Michele
thank you for your advice 🙂 i have found your website so so helpful! 🙂 xxx
So happy to hear this!!
xo, Michele
Hi Michele!
I LOVE your site and my freezer is stocked full of your baby puree recipes! I just started my daughter on solids and she is loving it! Right now we’re a week or 2 in and i’m giving her about 2 teaspoons every day around lunchtime. I was wondering if you had any kind of guide or advice on what portions to give at what time of day? Like when should I start giving her an evening serving of purees? And what’s a good general framework for how much to give them at what time? How many servings of fruit vs veggies, etc? I can probably figure it out on my own, but would love to know what’s worked well for you!
Hello Emma,
Awesome job on the great start!!! The answer is that it really depends on your little girl. If she is eating up the amount you are giving her, then add some more during lunch and working up to an ounce or two at a time. I would also start having a dinner puree with her as well. This could be the same amount as lunch or a little less depending on how she is acting. Dinner purees are great because she gets to eat with you as a family but it’s also hard because they can be over life by that point. So if this doesn’t work, try a breakfast puree. Over time, you are trying to get a breakfast, lunch and dinner puree into her. But take your time and listen to her, if she’s over it, try again the next day. If she is downing food like no tomorrow, give her some more.
Also, I try to feed them fruit or veggies based on the day, fruits with yogurt in the morning (broccoli puree is a hard sell for any age at 7 in the morning!!lol!), veggies and maybe a fruit for lunch and the same for dinner. There are some meals plans on the site that show a more detailed plan of that – under meal plan section.
Hope that helps,
Michele
Hi Michele!
I LOVE your site and my freezer is stocked full of your baby puree recipes! I just started my daughter on solids and she is loving it! Right now we’re a week or 2 in and i’m giving her about 2 teaspoons every day around lunchtime. I was wondering if you had any kind of guide or advice on what portions to give at what time of day? Like when should I start giving her an evening serving of purees? And what’s a good general framework for how much to give them at what time? How many servings of fruit vs veggies, etc? I can probably figure it out on my own, but would love to know what’s worked well for you!
Hello Emma,
Awesome job on the great start!!! The answer is that it really depends on your little girl. If she is eating up the amount you are giving her, then add some more during lunch and working up to an ounce or two at a time. I would also start having a dinner puree with her as well. This could be the same amount as lunch or a little less depending on how she is acting. Dinner purees are great because she gets to eat with you as a family but it’s also hard because they can be over life by that point. So if this doesn’t work, try a breakfast puree. Over time, you are trying to get a breakfast, lunch and dinner puree into her. But take your time and listen to her, if she’s over it, try again the next day. If she is downing food like no tomorrow, give her some more.
Also, I try to feed them fruit or veggies based on the day, fruits with yogurt in the morning (broccoli puree is a hard sell for any age at 7 in the morning!!lol!), veggies and maybe a fruit for lunch and the same for dinner. There are some meals plans on the site that show a more detailed plan of that – under meal plan section.
Hope that helps,
Michele
Hi Michele,
We are looking at starting solids soon with our little one (4.5 months). We have a trip coming up on March 1-5 but I do not want to buy packaged food for the trip since I plan to make all his food at home. Would you recommend starting asap so we can get through banana, avocado, and egg yolk so we can just mash those on the trip? I don’t want to introduce anything in new while we are away. Your thoughts are highly appreciated!
Starting purees is really up to when baby is ready for it (I have a checklist in The Basic section) but you can certainly have them try some licks of avocado or egg yolk starting now. I think for your trip you will be fine with just bringing some bananas and avocado (and a fork for mashing them up) with you or getting them while you are out at a restaurant (you can also get egg yolks at almost any place). If he is eating like a champ by then, then you can always make and freeze some of those reusable pouches with simple purees to bring along. I have found that if you freeze them and then take them with you, they will still be cold enough (depending how far you are traveling) when you get to your destination, then just toss them into the fridge and serve when needed. Have a great trip!
xo, Michele
Hi Michele,
We are looking at starting solids soon with our little one (4.5 months). We have a trip coming up on March 1-5 but I do not want to buy packaged food for the trip since I plan to make all his food at home. Would you recommend starting asap so we can get through banana, avocado, and egg yolk so we can just mash those on the trip? I don’t want to introduce anything in new while we are away. Your thoughts are highly appreciated!
Starting purees is really up to when baby is ready for it (I have a checklist in The Basic section) but you can certainly have them try some licks of avocado or egg yolk starting now. I think for your trip you will be fine with just bringing some bananas and avocado (and a fork for mashing them up) with you or getting them while you are out at a restaurant (you can also get egg yolks at almost any place). If he is eating like a champ by then, then you can always make and freeze some of those reusable pouches with simple purees to bring along. I have found that if you freeze them and then take them with you, they will still be cold enough (depending how far you are traveling) when you get to your destination, then just toss them into the fridge and serve when needed. Have a great trip!
xo, Michele