Feeding your baby solid foods, along with when to start potty training, can be a confusing time, particularly when you are new to parenting. How do you know when to start solids? What foods should you start with? Does it need to be homemade baby food? How much is enough? To help guide you, let’s take a look at some of the feeding basics for infants and toddlers and discuss when, what and how much to feed your child up to the age of 3.

In nearly all healthy children, the recommended age to start solid foods is 4 to 6 months. Age is just one criterion for readiness, though. Your baby’s motor skills and stage of development will also help determine when he or she is ready. Does he have sleep issues? Hunger may be the culprit. He should be capable of holding his head up and should no longer have the reflex, which causes them to push anything but liquid out of their mouths.

What is on the menu for baby’s first meal? Rice cereal is a customary and safe first food, but most babies can tolerate a variety of foods like rice cereal, vegetables, fruits and meat. While meat is often reserved for older infants, some experts feel there is no reason to wait.

How do you know how much is enough? The first few weeks of eating solid foods is more about becoming accustomed to spoon-feeding than meeting nutritional needs. Your baby is learning to negotiate food. Don’t expect your child to eat more than one or two teaspoons at a time during the first week or so.

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