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Turning to Table Food How (and when) should you start your baby on foods with texture? Most parents don’t have difficulty following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation to provide their baby with only breast milk or formula until 6 months of age, and then gradually introduce cereal and pureed vegetables and fruits. But how do you help your child move to table foods? “When your baby understands how to accept smooth foods from a spoon, is able to sit in a high chair or stroller, and enjoys eating, you can start to introduce more texture,” says Melinda Ashton, M.D., FAAP, pediatrician at Kapi‘olani Medical Center. Many infants can begin this process between 6 and 9 months of age. Start by adding a single grain of rice to a spoonful of food the baby likes. Says Dr. Ashton, “The addition of a small amount of texture is usually not a problem if it’s mixed with something the baby wants to swallow.” If your baby accepts the first grain of rice, add a grain to each spoonful. Otherwise, go back to smooth food for most spoonfuls, with only an occasional grain of rice added. Once a single grain is accepted routinely, gradually add more rice to each spoonful. Meats can be introduced to the diet during the 7- to 9-month age range. If your child accepts the rice, try adding chopped meats from your diet (many infants don’t like commercially prepared baby food meats). “Whatever meat you are eating is OK,” says Dr. Ashton. Some parents have been taught to pre-chew food for their children, but this decreases the nutritional value left for the child. Simply chop up the food in small pieces. Using grinders to prepare the food is fine, says Dr. Ashton, “but make sure that you clean the grinder well. Food particles left in the grinder could allow bacteria to grow.” At 9 to 12 months, you may find that your child insists on eating only what you eat. Dr. Ashton points out, “As your child starts eating table food, you need to pay more attention to the nutritional value of your meals. Your baby is eating what you eat, so are you eating well?” You need to set a good example. If you tend to grab fast food for your meals and snack on chips and soda, your child will learn to do the same. The epidemic we are seeing in childhood obesity probably starts here. Melinda Ashton, M.D., FAAP >> HEAR FROM THE EXPERT: Beyond Baby Food: Tips for Toddlers Tuesday, May 11, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Click here for more information.