What, and how much, should I feed my baby?

-At six months old, start with iron-rich foods like meat or meat alternatives (beans, lentils, eggs) and iron-fortified infant cereals, followed by all other food groups.

-It’s not necessary to purée everything. Babies can manage a variety of soft textures, including some cooked vegetables, grated cheese, mashed cooked meat, and soft ripe fruit like bananas.

-To decrease the likelihood of your baby developing an allergy, introduce foods containing the most-common allergens—including peanuts, seafood, sesame, soy, tree nuts, wheat and eggs—early and serve them often. (This doesn’t apply to kids who have already been diagnosed with a food allergy.)

-Avoid cow’s milk until she’s at least nine months old.

-Avoid honey until she’s at least one.

-Rather than worry about the size of your baby’s meals, the Canadian Paediatric Society says to start small—just a teaspoon or two—and watch the cues your baby is giving you. If she’s eager for more, she’ll let you know. And if she’s closing her mouth or turning away, just let it go rather than trying to coax her to eat.

A version of this article appeared in our April 2015 issue with the headline, “Your top 10 most googled parenting questions,” p.67

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