How to Transition Your Baby from Milk to Food

Transitioning your baby from milk to food

Timeline of milk to food transition

You might have heard before that “feeding before 1 is just for fun”. But in reality, there are some major milestones of food introduction that can be reached within that first year.

There seems to be a “sweet spot” for infants between the ages of 4-9 months where they are particularly receptive to trying new foods (1). Take advantage of this time! Each baby grows differently, but be on the lookout for signs your baby is ready for solid food. These include:

Good neck support & able to sit up on their own
Pincer grasp: able to pick up things between their forefinger and thumb
No longer has the tongue-thrust reflex which instantly pushes the liquid out of their mouth

Check out the chart below to find out when and what to start feeding your infant when transitioning from milk to food. As you can see, this gets more complex as the child gets older. But don’t let it overwhelm you! Remember, a fed child is a happy child.

General feeding guidelines to transition from milk to food

This details the amount of milk feeds for each month as well as food categories that can be served. Use these categories to focus on introducing your child to a variety of foods, but don’t overcomplicate it! For example, pick 2 fruits and vegetables per week to introduce as a supplement to milk feeds.

The chart is also helpful for food textures and sizes. Of course, adjust as needed if your child is late or early to teething. Click here for a downloadable & printable version.

What foods to start with

Key nutrients to focus on during infancy are iron and vitamin D. Iron sources for infants include iron-fortified cereal, peas, lentils and beans, and finely chopped or pureed meats. Vitamin D sources include eggs, salmon, and fortified cereals. Infants who are primarily breastfed often require vitamin D supplements.

Although those two nutrients are crucial, an overarching goal should be to offer your child as much variety as you can early on. Infants who experience a spectrum of flavors and textures early in life are much more likely to eat vegetables in their toddler years (1).

How to introduce infants to common allergen foods

The top 8 food allergens are cow’s milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, tree nuts, finned fish, and shellfish.

One common myth amongst parents is that if they avoid feeding these top 8 allergens, then their baby will develop fewer food allergies. The opposite is actually true!

Research has shown that delaying the introduction of top allergens makes infants more likely to develop food allergies down the road (1,2). It is recommended to introduce potential allergen foods around 6 months of age when transitioning from milk to food (3). However, infants at high risk for peanut allergies (those with 1 or more immediate family members with the allergy) should be allergy tested before their introduction to peanuts.

Introducing new foods

I’ve heard many mothers of infants say “my baby doesn’t like ___” (fill in the blank with any fruit or vegetable). However, many times infants need WAY more opportunities to try a new food than we might think.

Infants need about 10-15 tasting opportunities before truly forming likes or dislikes (1). So be patient! Maybe they are feeling a new texture, flavor, or temperature of food that they haven’t experienced before.

Baby food preferences

When buying baby food, your top two priorities should be making sure it’s fortified and giving your infant a wide variety of foods. Although they might end up having a favorite flavor, continue to select a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

Many mothers wonder if making their own pureed mixes is better for their baby. This heavily depends on what kind of foods you’re blending and how much time you have to prepare them. For an in-depth breakdown of the pros and cons, check out this post about homemade vs. store bought baby food.