What is my baby allowed to eat and when?

When your baby is about 6 months old, he/she no longer gets enough out of just breastmilk. From then on you start introducing solid foods to your baby. In this article, you will read what your baby can eat and when.

It’s a good idea to build up your baby’s first bites slowly and pay close attention to your baby. After all, every child is different! Maybe your little one likes his carrots so much that the plate is empty in no time. It could also be that your baby needs a little more time to get used to the new flavors and textures. In this article, you will read, divided by age, what is safe for your baby to eat.

From 6 months old

When you introduce the first bites to your baby at 6 months, he/she can already eat quite a lot of different things. It’s best to start by cooking/steaming vegetables and then mashing them. Suitable vegetables include carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. You can also give your baby mashed or grated fruits such as bananas, pears, apples, and mango.

7-9 months old

At about 7 months, your baby is probably used to eating from a spoon. From now on, you can mash his/her food less finely so there are some slightly larger pieces in it. Your baby may also have its first tooth, which he/she can chew with. A baby doesn’t really need teeth to chew with, he/she can also grind with his/her jaws. You can now give your baby starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, bread, and rice. Your baby probably also finds it a huge challenge to have a breadstick as a snack. In addition to pasta, potatoes, and rice, your baby now needs foods that contain protein. For example, you can give your baby a boiled egg (boil it hard), pieces of chicken, or minced meat. Chicken and meat should be cooked all the way through.

From 10 months old

Your baby’s diet is becoming more and more like that of adults, varied. If you are still breastfeeding your baby, you may notice that he wants to drink less often. If you are bottle-feeding your baby, you may also notice that your baby has fewer cravings for formula. The amount of follow-up milk your baby needs per day is indicated on the package.

From 1 year old

Starting with the first birthday, your baby is basically allowed to eat everything you are eating. You can now also start by giving your baby dairies products such as yogurt and milk. So not only the first birthday is a milestone, but the fact that your child now eats everything (he/she likes ;)) is another big milestone for many parents. 

Want to know everything about your baby’s mental development and find out how you can stimulate this? Download The Wonder Weeks app or buy the book.