Your baby needs only one type of food for the first 6 months of life. Health organizations recommend exclusive breastfeeding, or iron-fortified infant formula, for this first stage. But after that, things can get a little confusing. This infographic provides a simple timeline to help you make sense of the process of introducing solid foods.

1. Starting Solids
0-4 Months
Breast milk (the preferred
option, if possible) or iron-
fortified formula is all your
baby needs.
4-6 Months
When baby is ready, slowly
introduce pureed foods.
Continue breast milk and/or
formula.
6-8 Months
Continue breast milk and/or
formula, along with pureed
foods. For breastfed
infants, this is a good time
to introduce iron-rich foods
like pureed meat. Plain,
unsweetened whole-milk
yogurt can also be
introduced at this stage.
8-10 Months
Gradually introduce new
textures. Add mashed and
diced foods into your
baby's diet in small, bite-
sized pieces. Continue
breast milk and/or
formula.
Sit up straight in a
high chair
Grasp food with
hands or fingertips
Move foods from
hands to mouth
Introduce finger
foods when your
baby can:
Baby's 1st Foods
Pureed Meats
Pureed, iron-fortified
infant cereal
Pureed Veggies
Pureed Fruits
When is a baby ready
to start solids?
Holds head up
Doesn't push food out
of mouth with tongue
Sits up with support
Weight has doubled
since birth
10-12 Months
Continue to offer new
foods and encourage self-
feeding as much as
possible. You can
introduce whole cow's
milk or toddler milk after
your baby turns 1.
Tip: Introduce a new
food every 3-5 days!
Don't give up!
It can take 8 to 15
tries before a baby
will accept a new
food
@FOODINSIGHT