What is the best food to start your baby out on, cereal or baby food?

Mandy - posted on 10/25/2009

Start with rice cereal at 4 months. Stick with rice cereal for a full month before starting any other grain of cereal or baby food. This is primarily just to teach baby how to swallow while eating from a spoon, the primary source of nutrients should still be breastmilk. When starting baby food, my pediatrician recommended starting with greens (peas, green beans, etc.) then oranges (carrots, squash, and save sweet potatoes for last). She also suggested I feed each one for one full week, rather than just the 4-day wait rule for allergies, so that baby can develop a taste for each new food. My daughter is 8 months and this strategy has proven effective thus far. Also I recommend that after cereal, you try introducing pureed avocado as a first baby food, it is full of healthy fats needed for brain development, is easily digested by baby, and can be easily mashed with a fork.

Aniesha - posted on 10/24/2009

I started my bub at 4 months, but that was because he was just feeding constantly & I think he really needed it! (He's a big boy) I started him on rice cereal, everyone I talked to told me that that is best because it's the most bland, & will be least likely to upset a little tummy. I kept on that for about a week I think, then gradually started introducing veges like sweet potato, zucchini etc. In the beginning I waited a few days in between introducing new foods. But now he's 10 months old, if he's OK with a new food one day, I'll give him something else the next, so basically 24 hours.

Amber - posted on 10/24/2009

Quoting Mandy:

my general rule is...if i wont eat it i dont expect my kids to. and i know i wont be eating rice cereal any time soon!

ah yes...my husband just informed me that he used to eat the baby food with his 2 sons because he thought they wouldnt eat it if he didnt show them how...even those nasty veggie ones...lol...thats gross...i believe ill make my own...hehe

Tenea - posted on 10/24/2009

Shane has been holding his head up by himself since he was a month old and he watches every move I make especially when I'm eating a cheeseburger. lol

Carla - posted on 10/24/2009

i would wait longer if i was u because u could b doin more harm then gud. but if u r sure its best, then do it because u know your baby better then anyone. if u do i would recommend starting with baby rice with breast milk so that its not to unfamiular, not to thick, feed your baby this once a day for a week then twice a day for a week. at this point u can start mixin veg with the rice, i would recommend root veg eg corrot,parsnip,sweet potatoe etc. then after a while take rice out and start feedin three times a day but definatly dont give your child any animal milk, meat or fish until the child is at least 6 months. i hope this helps :)

Amy - posted on 10/24/2009

Rice cereal is the best. It's the easiest for them to digest. I would ask your pediatrician if your baby's neck is strong enough at 4 months just to be on the safe side. Otherwise they can choke if it's not strong enough. You're also supposed to wait until they have an interest in foods. For example, when they watch you eat.

Jenifer - posted on 10/24/2009

I think the best way to start is to wait for them to be able to feed themselves. When my son was 6 months, I started offering him steamed veggies and soft fruits. He picked up the pieces that interested him, experienced the new textures, and shoved them in his own mouth. I didn't need to worry about buying expensive baby food, battle with him over spoon-feeding, or wonder if he was getting enough/too much. He's 13 months now, and is a great eater.

Alarna - posted on 10/24/2009

I breastfed my little boy and noticed he was very fidgety and not sleeping during the day. all he seemed to want to do was feed feed feed.(mind you i do have very low iron so he may not have been getting all the nutruients from me n wouldn't take a bottle) At about 3 1/2 months i started him on rice cereal only a teaspoon at first and watered it down alot with my breast milk. he seemed to like it and it wasnt long before i started to notice the difference in him. i had a happy little boy back. about 4 months i started him on the jars of pureed fruits that you buy from the supermarkets. then at 5 months he started on the jars of apple and banana cereal recommended for 6 months. if he doesn't have his extra food during the day he gets really cranky and grumpy. i think he was just an early bloomer. You'll know when the times right to start introducing such things they'll let u know just watch for the signs. not everything the professionals say is right, your baby's more important then theories.

Katie - posted on 10/24/2009

Hi there, 6 months is the recommended age for giving solids, I waited for my older 2 children and my 3rd is going to have his first food next week. I will probably give pumpkin and kumara/sweet potato first as its sweet and a vege. A friend of mine gave friuts first but their baby and they refused to eat veges, after that it took a long while for it to correct it self. So if baby dont like veges be a little persistant. Remember, mains then dessert, veges then friut I think. Root veges are less likely to have reactions. You give one vege at a time then introduce another 2-3 days after to see if baby reacts. Enjoy the journey of solids its great fun :) and lots of mess!!

Anna - posted on 10/24/2009

It' s best to wait til 6 months unless you really think he seems hungry earlier than that. Babies who are fed solids before 6 months have higher rates of allergy, food intolerances and stomach problems. You can tell if he's not ready - he will push the food straight back out of his mouth. Rice cereal is ok but add plenty of liquid so it's soupy otherwise it will constipate him. Just try a teaspoon a day for a start. Other things to try: stewed apples, pears, pumpkin, potato. It's easy to make them yourself, just cook the fruit in a little water until very soft then put it through a blender or a sieve.

Mandy - posted on 10/24/2009

my general rule is...if i wont eat it i dont expect my kids to. and i know i wont be eating rice cereal any time soon!

Mandy - posted on 10/23/2009

i waited till 6mo and started with soft pumpkin. it wasnt pureed, just mashed.

Brianna - posted on 10/23/2009

do the rice cereal bc it is the food that most people are least allergic to and work up the consistency so it helps your baby start to swallow better then peas and carrots and stuff then fruits. all like 4 days apart to see if there is an allergic reaction

Katherine - posted on 10/23/2009

Honestly, I'd recommend waiting until 6 months. Most major health organizations recommend it because it is believed to reduce their chances of developing food allergies, and frankly feeding the littler ones is just a mess. :) On my son's 6 month birthday, he started off by nibbling on a banana I was eating. From there, he was given well cooked broccoli stalks, and sweet potato fries. The first time we introduced pureed foods of any kind was when he was about 10 months, and seemed interested in learning to use a spoon. I've babysat kids who were fed purees many times, and I've got to say, I much preferred letting my son self feed. It was SO much less hassle.

Colleen - posted on 10/23/2009

I think you have to trust your gut and do what you think is best, but also keep in mind what is recommended out there or ask your doctor what is preferred. I just started my daughter who just turned 5 months on cereal and then fruit. All the write-ups given to me via the health profession suggest that you start them on cereal and then wait at least 2 days before introducing another food...that way you should know if there are any allergic reactions. Once you have introduced one food and there is no reaction then you can continue feeding baby this food and introduce a new one. Also, when you start baby on food, you can make it at home quite easily or buy from the store...again, do what works for you. And only start out with a tablespoon at a time...the cereal can be just add water or add formula/breast milk...various brands and types.



The other thing that is recommended is that you feed your baby breast milk or formula first and then the cereal and/or other foods. Baby gets most of its nutrients from them.

Minnie - posted on 10/23/2009

La Leche League recommends waiting until the second half of the first year to introduce solids- so that would be two months after what you're looking for. At four months your baby's gut may still be too immature for them.



Cereal-glorified wall paper paste. It offers no benefit over your own milk- the nutrients in it are low in bioavailability- meaning they are difficult for your baby to absorb and utilize.



The best way to know when baby is ready for solids is to wait until he can pick up food and feed himself. Once that happens you can give him big fist-sized pieces of pretty much whatever you're having, no particulars.

Emma - posted on 10/23/2009

Start simple, in my opinion, with some rice cereal and if after a week no reactions your good to go with cereal.