When your baby gets through all of the cereals and is showing all of the signs that it is time for more solid foods it may be time to start feeding him or her baby food. Your baby should still be eating several tablespoons of cereal a couple of times per day, but you can start to add in vegetables when they are ready.
You should feed them a new food one at a time and allow at least three days before trying something new. This is important in case there is an allergy so that you will know which food triggered the allergy. You will initially start with one teaspoon of vegetables and increase this to about ¼ to ½ of a cup at two or three feedings every day.
Always start with vegetables and never fruit, because once your baby acquires a sweet tooth they will resist other foods. They have to develop a taste for the vegetables first. Vegetables available are peas, carrots, green beans, squash and sweet potatoes. If your baby does not like a particular vegetable do not give up on it, give them a few days and then try it again.
Once you have them eating all of the vegetables you can start with fruits. Fruit guidelines are the same as vegetables. You should start with a teaspoon and work up to ¼ to ½ of a cup at two or three feedings per day. Now is the time to teach your child good eating habits. You can start teaching them about good nutrition now. Your child will react more to you than they will the taste of a food. If you do not personally like a food, like peas, you have to put that aside. When you feed your child a new food smile and talk positively. This will have a lasting impression on them.
The next set of foods is finger foods. You know your child is ready for these when they can transfer things from one hand to the other. They can also grab objects with their thumb and forefinger, also called the pincer grasp. At this stage they are also putting everything in their mouths. Good finger foods are toasted bagels (cut up), small pieces of banana, teething crackers, low sugar O cereals and well cooked spiral pasta. You can also introduce proteins at this time. Try scrambled eggs, pureed meats, boneless fish, cooked, mashed tofu and mashed beans with soft skins. You can also introduce small amounts of cottage cheese, plain yogurt and soft pasteurized cheeses. Just remember no cow milk until your baby is one year old.