When can I stop giving baby food to my baby?

Starting solid food is a major milestone in your baby’s life. Breastmilk or baby formula has been his only source of nutrition for the first six months of his life and solid food is going to be new for them with an unfamiliar taste and a texture. Most parents introduce semi-solid baby food such as rice cereal first and then proceed to fruit or vegetable puree when the baby is ready. Baby food from the store is also an option at this early stage. I did not enjoy the messy days of introducing solid food to my babies much. But now I feel it as one of the best bonding moments we had.

Can your baby eat pureed food forever? Obviously, the answer is no and, you have to prepare your child to eat solid food step by step. If you offer pureed food for too long, the baby will have problems adapting to the consistency and taste of regular food. You will also notice that your baby does not stay full for long even if he finished a few bowls at one meal. All these reasons tell you that you need to switch your baby from semi-solid food to finger food at the right time. But when is the right time to make this transition and how to do it? Let us discuss the transition from baby food to regular food in this article.

CONTENT

1.   Why should I stop giving baby food to my baby at the right time?

2.   When can I stop giving baby food to my baby?

3.   How to stop giving baby food to my baby?

1.    Why should I stop giving baby food to my baby at the right time?

Baby food such as cereal and purees is the best way to introduce your baby to his new food which is not breastmilk or baby formula he is familiar with. The baby needs to develop some skills before eating solid food and baby food gives them the exercises to master those skills. Your baby will learn to control his tongue and push food from the front of the mouth to the back with the pureed food offered to him at the first stage. When the baby is comfortable swallowing baby food without a problem, it is time for him to learn to chew. But parents keep giving pureed baby food for too long due to many reasons.

  • The doubt whether the baby will reject solid food with a new texture limiting his food intake.
  • The thought that the baby is incapable of chewing with his gums or the few teeth that have erupted.
  • The fear of the baby choking on pieces of solid food.
  • The emotional attachment of the parent to the experience of feeding his/her baby with the spoon.

You might be delaying the introduction to solid food because you care much for your baby but it is not doing him any good. Learning to chew and swallow solid food needs practice and you have to start it at a young age to avoid the potential problems. These are few reasons why you should not offer baby food to your baby for too long.

  • When the baby is spoon-fed, he will take a passive role in eating. It is affecting his hunger as well as the content from food in a negative manner.
  • All the baby food is the same in texture. Therefore, your baby will gain no experience in tasting food with different textures. When he grows up, he will have problems getting used to regular food due to the variety in texture.
  • The baby will grow up thinking he can swallow every food as he is not used to chewing. It can lead to choking hazards when he is introduced to solid food later in his life. On the other hand, swallowing food without chewing is a habit hard to get rid of.
  • Baby food digest in the baby’s tummy within a short period. Your baby will be hungry soon after a meal and will be fussy until the next time.
When can I sop giving baby food to my baby?

2.    When can I stop giving baby food to my baby?

To avoid all these problems, you can switch your baby to solid food as soon as he is ready to swallow puree comfortably by moving his tongue from the front to the back of his mouth. Most of the babies perfect this skill around the age of 6-8 months. As all the babies have unique paces of hitting milestones, you have to observe your baby and decide the right time. If he is good with baby food, you can switch to food with lumps to chew.

3.    How to stop giving baby food to my baby?

Start by offering well-cooked, smashed, or ground fruits and vegetables, mashed potatoes, white/red rice. You can also give your baby wheat-free dry cereals like Cheerios. But break them into halves before mixing with breast milk or formula.

By the age of 10 months, many babies are ready to eat chopped and steamed vegetables, canned or cooked fruits, cheese, mashed and cooked dried beans, pieces of toasts, crackers, and dry cereal along with breastmilk or formula. When your baby is one year old, he can eat chopped and soft-cooked foods, chopped soft fruits like bananas and peaches, tender meat chopped into long strips, noodles that are cut short, dry cereals, toasts, crackers, eggs, and cheese. You can continue to give in breastmilk or formula to your baby.

The gradual introduction to solid food will prepare your little one to step into the toddler life after their first birthday with the ability to eat everything from the family table that is soft enough for him. You should avoid any foods that can cause a choking hazard such as a whole uncut grape or a sausage round. Meat must be cut up into small pieces and cooked before offering to the baby. When to stop breastfeeding or baby formula is a choice that you should make. It is alright to continue breastmilk or baby formula until you decide to wean your baby.

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