Signs your baby is ready to eat mashed foods:  

• They successfully feed from a spoon and swallow the food that you feed them.
• They might have more interest in exploring their food by playing with it.

More variety is on the menu:

• Breastmilk and/or infant formula.
• Proteins: pureed meats (chicken, beef, lamb), pureed legumes, mashed tofu or mashed scrambled eggs. 
• Fruits: banana, applesauce, pears, peaches, prunes, apricots, blueberry, or mango.
• Vegetables: cooked carrots, squash, sweet potato, peas, green beans, or avocado. 
• Unsweetened yogurts.
  
  You may be feeding on demand for breastmilk or infant formula. You may also begin to offer several solid meals a day soon. Your baby will probably get excited about mealtime now. Their appetite is getting stronger as they continue to grow. Remember to introduce new foods 1 at a time. Wait 3-5 days before introducing a new food to check for allergies or sensitivities.

Action Step

You may want to consider keeping a food journal. This will be a lot of fun for you as introducing new foods to your baby is exciting. You can also use it to track signs of a food allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance of any kind. Be sure to discuss any concerns you have with your baby’s health care provider. Introduce new foods every 3 days or so. This will allow your baby's body enough time to show any reaction to a new food. Using your food journal, you can identify any problem foods.

Picture it!

• Mashed foods will be thicker and should be smooth with a few tiny lumps.
• Your baby will be eating more variety. It will still be a very messy affair.
• Baby might play with their food often. This is normal.
• They are still getting the majority of their nutrition from formula or breastmilk.

Prepare

• It is helpful to use a small rubber spoon, a bib, a highchair or somewhere they can safely sit upright, and a bowl or two to hold the food.
• Some feedings will probably be better than others. Remember, they are just learning a new skill.
• If they reject a certain food, try it again at another feeding. Likely, they will eventually eat it.
• This is a good time to try introducing a cup with a small amount of water.
  
  

Food safety

* Make sure you have washed your hands with warm soapy water before serving any food to your baby.
* Be sure to offer solid food on a clean spoon and surface area.
* Be careful not to prepare any vegetables or fruits near uncooked meat.
* Rinse all vegetables or fruits with clean water before preparing them for your baby.
* Avoid giving your baby any foods they may choke on. You can learn more about possible food choking hazards from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
* Avoid giving honey to babies younger than 12 months old.
* Avoid giving cow’s, goat’s, rice, or soy milk to babies younger than 12 months old.

Recommendation

Your baby may be ready for a cup around 6 months old and when they show the signs they are ready. You can learn more about your baby’s readiness signs and how to offer a cup in our Baby’s First Cup lesson.

Wondering when your baby will be ready for chopped foods? This resource will help you know when your baby is ready.