Does it matter what "solid" foods babies eat?
Recently, I saw a debate in the comments section of a popular parent-focused newsletter about the best way to start a baby on solid foods. There were advocates of what I will call the "optimization" approach: subscribe to a service that will provide weekly schedules of the correct foods to offer in exactly the right order, along with a variety of other resources to help parents do everything perfectly. On the other side were those who insisted that it doesn't matter what babies eat because they will inevitably end up insisting on a diet of beige-colored foods by age two anyway. So who's right?
Let's back up a little. At around 4-6 months of age, babies are ready to start being introduced to some foods in addition to their standard diet of breast milk and/or formula. This is a wide range and variation according to individual development, but some general guidance on how to determine if a baby is ready can be found here. The scientific term for this period of starting to introduce foods is "complementary feeding", when babies are eating increasingly more "solid" (generally not solid at all) foods in addition to breast milk/formula, but aren't quite eating the same thing as other members of their family. As with most things in parenting, there is no "right" approach to this, and what works best for any individual parent, child and family is going to depend on their specific circumstances. But there are a few things that are worth at least considering, because a little bit of thoughtfulness in the approach to feeding in these early months can make things a lot easier later and can also be beneficial to a baby's health. Let's break this down into three main areas:
1. Nutrition
This is an obvious one, but there are really only a few important things to think about at this point.
The first is how many nutrients a baby is getting from the foods they are eating relative to the amount of energy (the fancy scientific term for this is nutrient density). Nutrient-dense foods contain a lot of nutrients relative to the amount of calories or energy that they provide - these include foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs, seafood, dairy products, chicken, whole grains and beans. Energy-dense foods, in contrast, provide a lot of energy (calories) but not a lot of nutrients - some examples include sweets, sweetened drinks, refined grain products (like white pasta, white breads, crackers), and starchy foods like potatoes and french fries. While these foods are fine to include in the diets of older children and adults, they will fill up a tiny baby’s body quickly without giving them a lot of the nutrients that they need to support the growth and brain development that is happening so quickly at this age.
Iron and zinc are probably the most important individual nutrients to pay attention to for babies, especially babies who are fully breast fed (this is less relevant for babies fed with infant formulas fortified with iron and zinc, as most in the U.S. are). Iron and zinc are important for healthy infant growth and development, and breast milk provides enough of these, as well as other nutrients, until about 4-6 months. At this point breast milk will no longer meet infants' needs for these nutrients, and it is important to include foods containing iron and zinc during complementary feeding and beyond. Meat and other animal products are good sources of both nutrients, as are some nuts and seeds, beans, and peas. Note that some of these foods can be choking hazards and need to be offered to young babies in a safe form, such as cut into small pieces or mixed into cereals or purees (an option for nut or seed butters). Many baby cereals are also fortified with iron, zinc and other nutrients, though it is recommended that parents not offer only rice cereal (some is fine) due to concerns about arsenic contamination.
Photo by Harry Grout on Unsplash
2. Exposure to Variety
~6-12 months is an extremely important time for introducing babies to new foods and flavors. This is what is known as a “sensitive period”, which basically means that certain aspects of a baby’s environment will have a bigger influence on their development than during other times in their life.
Infants are naturally curious and interested in learning about things that are new to them, including different foods. Parents can take advantage of this and make sure that their baby is exposed to a lot of different foods, flavors and textures while she is more likely to have a positive reaction to them. Yes, at around age 2 most children will start refusing to eat unfamiliar foods and even some that they previously enjoyed - this is completely normal and expected (we'll cover that another time), but toddlers and older children will likely generally accept a wider variety of foods if they are exposed to more foods early on. Offering a variety of foods will also help to ensure that the baby is getting all of the nutrients that she needs.
Fun fact: babies are born with taste preferences and aversions, and these are still present when they begin to experience foods. These preferences tend to be consistent across cultures, suggesting that they are not influenced by any particular environment or conditions. Infants naturally prefer sweet tastes, and a preference for salty tastes develops at around 4 months. Babies also have a natural dislike of foods that taste bitter, which is a survival mechanism that discourages them from eating toxic plants or other substances that could be harmful. This is totally normal and expected of ALL babies, even those who eventually end up choosing kale chips over cookies (OK, that probably never happens, certainly not with my children). The point is that spitting out broccoli (often in a highly dramatic and messy way) is not a sign that a child “is picky” or “doesn’t like vegetables”, and it is not a specific preference that parents need to cater to. It is a normal reaction that should be expected - and that parents can gently and persistently counteract by providing repeated, positive exposures to foods with a variety of flavors and, as the baby grows and can handle them, textures. In fact, research has shown that it can take 8-16 exposures to a given food before a child will accept it, with stronger or more bitter-tasting foods requiring more attempts. In reality, some kids will require many more exposures and may never accept certain foods, and this is OK too! The most important job that parents have is not forcing their baby to eat or even try any particular food, but to make the experience of eating relaxed, low-pressure, and enjoyable (for the baby at least - someone still has to clean all of that spaghetti sauce out of the kid’s hair).
Parents can think about offering variety on a daily or weekly scale - it is fine to serve only one food at a time and especially for newer eaters this is preferable. Babies may become overwhelmed if there are too many options. Offering only one food at a time is also a good idea as new foods are introduced since if the child has a reaction it is easier to identify which food was the problem.
3. Allergy Prevention
Until pretty recently, many doctors and researchers believed that it was better to wait to introduce foods that are common causes of allergic reactions, such as peanuts, eggs, and seafood. However, a surge in the prevalence of food allergies among children worldwide prompted additional research in this area, which showed clearly that earlier introduction is actually better for preventing allergy, at least to peanut (although these guidelines have been applied to all of the common potential allergens, many have not been studied extensively or at all).
So what does "earlier" mean? In 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics started recommending that parents introduce their babies to peanut products at around 6 months of age, and even earlier for babies with a high risk of peanut allergy - assuming testing has not shown that the baby is allergic to peanuts, and with guidance from a pediatrician. "Risk" for peanut allergy is generally determined by the presence of eczema and/or other food allergies, typically egg allergy. Parents should absolutely consult with their child's physician if they have any questions or concerns about introducing potential food allergens.
While the most compelling evidence for early introduction is specific to peanuts, there is also pretty good evidence for earlier introduction of eggs (specifically cooked, whole eggs) and milk. My own research group recently studied this and found the lowest risk of cow's milk allergy among children who were introduced to cow's milk protein before 6 months of age (note: while cow’s milk dairy products can be introduced along with other complementary foods, actual cow’s milk is not recommended during the first year). This is a complex and confusing topic and I plan to write a whole series on food allergies, but the important points for now are: 1) guidelines recommend introducing potentially allergenic foods like peanuts, eggs, cow's milk products, fish and seafood, sesame, soy and wheat along with other foods between about 6-12 months IF the baby does not have any known food allergies or moderate to severe eczema; and 2) parents should always talk to their child’s pediatrician about food allergy testing and the best timing and method for introducing different foods if the baby shows signs of risk for food allergy, such as eczema or a known allergy to another food, or if there are any other concerns.
To summarize:
Introducing babies to new foods doesn't need to cause a lot of stress or follow any specific timeline or formula.
Parents can focus on repeatedly offering a variety of flavors and textures, and regularly include iron-containing foods and commonly allergenic foods.
Any concerns related to readiness for complementary foods or food allergies should always be discussed with the child’s pediatrician.
Disclaimer: The content provided here is accurate to the best of my knowledge and is intended to be used for informational purposes. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.
Wonderful information! Thank you. This will be very helpful for our new parents.