From 6-12 months of age, your baby will continue to get most of their nutrition from breastfeeding.
- Breastfeed throughout the day, and at night, based on baby’s cues.
- If you breastfeed at a solid foods feeding, you can breastfeed before or after the solid foods are offered, whichever works for you and your baby.
Introducing solid foods varies from family to family. There is no set “menu” that you must use for your baby.
Starting at about six months:
The first foods you introduce should be iron-rich. They include the protein foods on the list below and iron-fortified infant cereal. Offer iron-rich foods two or more times each day. At least one of these should be an iron-rich protein food from the list below.
- meat
- poultry
- fish
- egg
- legumes (such as beans)
- tofu
Here are some examples:
- iron-fortified infant cereal in the morning and pureed or minced meat at lunch
- mashed or chopped egg in the morning and flaked canned salmon at supper
- iron-fortified infant cereal in the morning and at supper, and minced chicken at lunch
From 6-8 months:
- Continue to offer iron-rich foods two or more times a day, as described above.
- After you introduce iron-rich foods:
- Keep introducing new foods from the family table (like vegetables, fruits, pasta, rice, toast strips, grated cheese, yogurt), including a variety of textures and finger foods.
- You do not have to wait any set amount of time between introducing new foods, except for foods that most commonly cause allergy. For more information see the section on food allergies.
- There is no particular order for the introduction of other foods except whole cow milk which should not be introduced until 9-12 months.
- Increase the number of times a day you offer meals and snacks. By about eight months offer a variety of foods at 2-3 meals and 1-2 healthy snacks.
- The amount of solid food a baby eats at meals and snacks will vary from baby to baby. It may be only a spoonful or two, or it may be more. Watch your baby’s cues and trust their appetite. Offer the food and let your baby decide how much to eat, if any. Don’t try to coax them to eat.
From 9-12 months:
- Continue to offer iron-rich foods two or more times a day, as described above.
- Continue to offer solid foods at 2-3 meals and 1-2 healthy snacks.
- Keep introducing new foods from the family table.
- Offer a wide variety of healthy foods from Canada’s Food Guide.
- Whole cow milk can be introduced at 9-12 months.
