Most experts strongly advise waiting until a baby is four to six months to introduce solid foods. “Solid food” is somewhat of a misnomer since the pureed baby foods we consider solids are more liquid still than anything else. Babies may be interested in trying out the foods they see on Mom and Dad’s plate, but introducing solid foods gradually is the best method to avoid overwhelming baby and to make the process more successful.

Stage One – Smooth and Simple

The first foods for your baby should be so smooth they resemble a liquid. The most common first food is a cereal, usually rice, to avoid potential allergies, but can be a fruit or vegetable. The first few feedings will be more amusement than substance, but over time everyone will catch on.

Early foods involve very finely pureed fruits, vegetables and cereals. Introduce the foods one at a time to detect any allergies waiting four days between introductions. Many experts feel bland foods should be given first to introduce baby to the texture of a product that doesn’t come in a bottle.

Then vegetables should be added slowly as they don’t have the sweet taste of the fruits. Others find that introducing fruits first makes baby more enthusiastic about the whole idea. So long as you introduce each food slowly and keep the texture ultra smooth, order is not crucial.

Stage Two – Lumps and Bumps

After all the basics have been introduced, although possibly not meats, it is time to move into textures. Babies must work up to solids and this is the in between step. Foods should now be prepared more mashed than pureed and mixing things a bit is fine so long as baby has not shown any bad reactions to anything you’re mixing.

It may take a little while for your baby to decide that little lumps and bumps in their favorite item is okay, and this is perfectly normal. This is also the stage where many parents begin to introduce meat items.

Stage Three – Finger Foods

Somewhere between nine months and a year, babies are ready for a new challenge. They have worked to develop the concept of picking up items and may actually begin to refuse being spoon-fed. They simply want to do it themselves. Humor your baby with finely cut finger foods. Also realize it will take while to get the hand to mouth action down.

Finger foods can be scary for parents as they produce more choking hazards and are usually pretty messy. Babies eat everything with their hands, sometimes well into their toddler years. Keep pieces very small and make sure your baby’s diet is as varied as possible. Also, be aware of highly allergenic foods such as chocolate, egg whites and nut products which should be avoided until your little one is turns one.