Why it matters
From around 6 months, your child needs a variety of foods and drinks to grow and develop properly. The eating patterns you start now help build healthy habits for later.
Starting solid foods
Offer foods that match your child's eating skills. At first, they may need to be soft and mashed or bite-sized — see CDC's guide to tastes and textures. Between 6 and 12 months, some foods and drinks are better choices than others; 1,000 Days has a video series on feeding.
Offer vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy without added sugars, healthy fats and whole grains, cut into small, bite-sized pieces — and try a rainbow of colors on the plate. Some examples:
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Vegetables | cooked spinach, carrots, beans, peas, lentils, sweet potatoes, beets |
| Fruits | bananas, strawberries, pears, oranges, melons, avocados |
| Proteins | soft, small pieces of beef, lamb, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs or tofu |
| Dairy without added sugars | pasteurized cheeses or yogurts, including fortified dairy alternatives |
| Whole grains | whole grain breads, crackers or pastas |
From 12 months
By 12 months, your child may be eating more of what you eat — and your own healthy diet sets an example. Keep offering a variety of healthy options and let your child choose what to eat.
Drinks
From 6 to 12 months, offer:
- breast milk (if you're breastfeeding) or infant formula;
- water — 4 to 8 ounces a day.
From 12 months, you can start pasteurized, plain whole cow's milk without added sugars, or fortified, unsweetened dairy alternatives.
Sources
Based on "Foods and Drinks to Encourage," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain. Its stock photograph is not reproduced.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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