241 Chapter 11 Providing for the Infant’s Developmental Needs
Feeding During the First Year
How much food does a baby
need? It all depends because each
baby has unique needs. These needs
depend on the baby’s size and how
fast he or she is growing. The baby’s
health, heredity, and level of activity
also affect his or her food needs. A
pediatrician or dietitian can help
parents learn what and how much
to feed a baby.
First Foods
Most babies begin “eating” an
all-liquid diet of milk (either breast
milk or formula). Between six months
and one year, the baby begins to eat
cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, and
breads. These foods are called solids.
Solid foods for infant feeding are
semiliquid, mushy foods, including
commercially prepared baby foods
and table foods that have been
mashed, pureed, or strained. Many
doctors advise parents to wait until
their baby is at least six months old
before starting solids. (See 11-2 for a
basic fi rst-year feeding plan.) Doctors
do not suggest solids for the fi rst six
months for the following reasons:
Babies are not born with the
ability to swallow solids. Their
jaw and throat muscles must
develop before swallowing is
easy and safe.
In the fi rst six months, babies do
not need solids for nutritional
reasons. Their immature digestive
systems cannot process the
complex nutrients found in solids.
Basic Feeding Plan for Baby’s First Year
Step 1
Mother’s milk or formula only (often for the fi rst half year)
Step 2
Mother’s milk or formula, plus infant dry cereals mixed with strained juice, mother’s milk,
or formula
Step 3
Mother’s milk or formula, cereals, and strained single-ingredient fruits, vegetables,
and meats (These are added gradually, with the baby’s doctor often suggesting which
to try fi rst.)
When the baby can eat a variety of cereals, fruits, vegetables, and meats, breast milk or
formula is cut to between a 16-ounce minimum and a 25-ounce to 30-ounce maximum
per day. Babies should take ½ of their calories from milk and ½ from solid foods
Step 4
Mother’s milk or formula, cereals, and foods with two or more ingredients combined,
such as apple-banana juice or chicken and noodles
Step 5
Mother’s milk or formula, cereals, and foods with some texture
Foods have small pieces rather than a strained texture (Some companies call these
“junior foods.”)
11-2
Babies begin with a liquid diet and advance gradually
in a step-by-step pattern to eating many solids.