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Parentpedia
Starting Table Food
What Experts Say
Believe it or not, the day will come when you'll be making one meal for the whole family, instead of preparing separate baby fare for your little one. In fact, at 10 and 11 months, his meal of steamed zucchini and turkey burger, for example, practically mirrors yours, except that his veggies must be soft and both foods chopped small.
The process of introducing new foods and textures continues into the second year, and, gradually, his diet expands and shifts to smaller portions and finely cut-up pieces of the same foods you serve yourself.
Your baby's progress to coarser, lumpier foods, and then diced servings of the family dinner (between 12 and 18 months), happens along with several developmental milestones. After 9 months, most babies have mastered the pincer grip that helps them pick up foods using the thumb and forefinger. Your baby will continue to hone this skill.
Meanwhile, he's growing teeth and becoming a better chewer, which allows for more variation in texture. Gradually, his hand-eye coordination improves, and he may want to experiment with utensils.
By the 1-year mark, your child relies on solid foods for half of his nutritional needs, and, by 18 months of age, for the majority. This means it's important to keep introducing new foods, and avoid falling into a rut of serving the same old, same old. It can be a challenge, given that his appetite may vary widely from meal to meal and day to day. What's more, as his skill with his hands improves, he's also more likely to toss his food, bowl, spoon, or all three overboard. Expecting (and accepting) this will help you cope with chaotic feeding times.
Tips for Getting Started on Solid Foods
- Keep servings small with a choice of three or four items so your baby is likely to find something to interest him, and less likely to dump the whole plate on the floor. You can always add more.
- Keep your guard up for potential choking hazards, such as raw carrots, whole grapes, and chunks of hard cheese.
- Stick with the same plan for introducing new foods: one at a time, waiting for three to seven days before adding another.
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