For the first 4 to 6 months, breast milk or formula is the only food your baby needs. After that, you can start solid foods when your baby show signs of readiness. At first your little one will keep it simple with just a few teaspoons of a one-ingredient food (like a pureed fruit, veggie, or meat) every day. Within a few months, your baby will be ready for a variety of foods and one to two meals a day. By 8 to 12 months old, you may have an enthusiastic eater who enjoys plenty of soft finger foods and wants three meals plus snacks every day.
Use this baby feeding guide to find out what and how much to feed your child in the first year. The amounts are general recommendations only, so don't worry if your little one eats a bit more or less than suggested. It's always a good idea to discuss your plan for starting solids with your child's doctor before getting started.
Also, you don't have to introduce foods to your child in any special order. If you want to give your baby a taste of tofu at age 6 months, go ahead, even though it's not listed on our chart until age 8 months. And while baby cereal is a traditional first food in the United States, it's fine to start with pureed fruits, vegetables, or meat instead. For ideas, check out these best first foods for babies, see our roundup of adventurous first foods, and learn about baby-led weaning (an alternative feeding approach).
Age: Birth to 4 months
Feeding behavior
Rooting reflex helps your baby turn toward a nipple to find nourishment.
What to feed
Breast milk or formula only
How much per day
How to tell if your baby's getting enough breast milk
How to tell how much formula your baby needs
Feeding tip
Your baby's digestive tract is still developing, so solid food is off-limits for now.
Age: 4 to 6 months
Signs of readiness for solid food
Your child is likely ready to try solids when they:
Can hold their head up and sit upright in a highchair
Shows significant weight gain (doubled birth weight) and weighs at least 13 pounds
Can close their mouth around a spoon
Can move food from the front to the back of their mouth
What to feed
Breast milk or formula, plus
Pureed vegetables (peas, squash)
Pureed fruit (apples, bananas, peaches)
Pureed meat (chicken, pork, beef)
Semi-liquid, iron-fortified cereal (avoid rice cereal; instead choose a cereal made with oats or barley)
Small amounts of unsweetened yogurt (no cow's milk until age 1)
How much per day
Breastfeeding or formula: 4 to 6 feedings (breastfeeding, or 4- to 6-ounce bottles)
When starting solids, begin with a very small amount of a single-ingredient pureed food (about 1 to 2 teaspoons).
Gradually increase to 1 to 2 tablespoons. If you're giving cereal, mix it with breast milk or formula so the consistency isn't too thick.
Feeding tips
If your baby won't eat what you offer the first time, try again in a few days.
Some doctors recommend that you introduce new foods one at a time. Wait three to five days, if possible, before offering another new food. (If your baby or family has a history of allergies, talk to your baby's doctor about specific timing.) It's also a good idea to write down the foods your baby samples. If they have an adverse reaction, a food log will make it easier to pinpoint the cause.
Unsafe levels of toxic heavy metals – arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury – have been found in store-bought baby food (including in organic brands). Learn how to avoid heavy metals in baby food.
Get more detailed tips on how to introduce solids.
See which foods aren't safe for your baby.
Age: 6 to 8 months
Signs of readiness for solid food
Same as 4 to 6 months
What to feed
Breast milk or formula, plus
Pureed or strained fruits (banana, pears, applesauce, peaches, avocado)
Pureed or strained vegetables (well-cooked carrots, squash, sweet potato)
Pureed or mashed meat (chicken, pork, beef)
Pureed or mashed tofu
Small amounts of pureed or soft pasteurized cheese, cottage cheese, or unsweetened yogurt (no cow's milk until age 1)
Iron-fortified cereal (oats, barley); small pieces of bread and crackers
How much per day
Breastfeeding or formula: 3 to 5 feedings (breastfeeding, or 6- to 8-ounce bottles)
2 to 3 tablespoons fruit, gradually increasing to 4 to 8 tablespoons
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetables, gradually increasing to 4 to 8 tablespoons
1 to 2 tablespoons grain products, gradually increasing to 2 to 4 tablespoons
1 to 2 tablespoons protein-rich foods, gradually increasing to 2 to 4 tablespoons
Feeding tips
As your baby gets more comfortable with eating, you can start to add a variety of foods and increase the frequency of meals. By 8 months, it's typical for your baby to be eating one to two meals a day.
Whenever you introduce a new food, start with a very small amount (a teaspoon or two) to allow your baby to get used to a new flavor and texture.
Age: 8 to 12 months
Signs of readiness for solid and soft finger foods
Same as 6 to 8 months, plus
Picks up objects with thumb and forefinger (pincer grasp)
Can transfer items from one hand to the other
Moves jaw in a chewing motion
Swallows food more easily
No longer pushes food out of mouth with tongue
Tries to use a spoon
What to feed
Breast milk or formula, plus
Soft pasteurized cheese, cottage cheese, and unsweetened yogurt
Fruit mashed or cut into soft cubes or strips (bananas, peaches, pears, avocados)
Finger foods (O-shaped cereal, small bits of scrambled eggs, well-cooked pieces of potato, well-cooked spiral pasta, teething crackers, small pieces of bagel)
Protein-rich foods (small bits of meat, poultry, boneless fish, tofu, and well-cooked beans, like lentils, split peas, pintos, or black beans)
Iron-fortified cereal and other grains (barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
How much per day
Breastfeeding or formula: 3 to 4 feedings (breastfeeding, or 7- to 8-ounce bottles)
1/2 to 3/4 cup fruit
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetables
1/4 to 1/2 cup grain products
1/4 to 1/2 cup protein-rich foods
Feeding tips
By 8 months or so, babies often have three meals and start adding snacks.
Continue to offer a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein-rich foods. As your baby's eating skills improve, gradually introduce more textures and soft finger foods.
It's fine to serve your baby what the rest of the family is eating – just watch out for added sugars, which aren't recommended for children under 2. Check the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods, and try to steer clear of foods that list 1 gram or more of "Added Sugars."
See sample menus and a visual guide to how much food your baby should eat.
See our toddler article for guidance on feeding children 12 months and older.
Sources
BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.
AAP. 2020. Starting solid foods. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Switching-To-Solid-Foods.aspx [Accessed February 2022]
AAP. 2012a. Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics 129(3): e827-e841. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/3/e827.full [Accessed February 2022]
AAP. 2012b. Working together: Breastfeeding and solid foods. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Working-Together-Breastfeeding-and-Solid-Foods.aspx [Accessed February 2022]
AAP. 2021. Heavy Metals in Baby Food. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Metals-in-Baby-Food.aspx [Accessed February 2022]
The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers by Anthony Porto and Dina DiMaggio. 2016. [Accessed March 2022]
Stanford Children's Health. Undated. Feeding Guide for the First Year. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=feeding-guide-for-the-first-year-90-P02209 [Accessed February 2022]
USDA and DHHS. 2020. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://DietaryGuidelines.gov [Accessed February 2022]
USDA. 2019. Infant nutrition and feeding. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://wicworks.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/infant-feeding-guide.pdf [Accessed February 2022]
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