Baby Weaning Food Guide: 4 to 7 months

0 to 1 years

Created by Puja Sharma Vasisht
Updated on May 01, 2018

What should I start with for my 6 month old baby? Can I give egg to my child? When can I start with other types of milk? If these are the questions you have regarding your little one, then you are not alone. We all want to feed the healthiest foods to our little ones, but are confused with what, how and when? Don’t worry, read on to find how to go about weaning or introducing solid foods in your infant’s diet.

When a child is born her body is attuned to have milk only. The child lacks digestive enzymes to take other solid foods. But as the child is growing, milk alone doesn’t remain sufficient.

So when is the right time to start weaning?
Ideally a baby should be exclusively breastfed till 6 months of age. But if need be, and after paediatric consultation, some children can be started on other food sources by 4 months. This can vary from children to children depending on their growth and development and behavioural changes such as curioisty and interest towards food.
4-5 months
What to give?
A healthy mother’s milk is sufficient to meet a baby’s nutritional requirements, except iron, in this age. So start with strained vegetable soup including green leafy vegetables (but do not stop the milk feeding). Fresh fruit juice is also given to make up for vitamin C, however the juices should not be from sour or citrus fruits.
How to give— make sure soup is well cooked, strained, and warm. Seasonings are best avoided. Start with a ½ a spoon and gradually increase the amount to 50 ml. If giving fruit juices, it should not be sour. Strain it well to sieve off any pits or fibre.

5- 6 months
The infant is doubling her birth weight. Her needs are increasing. You may start with starchy foods. From clear liquids, it is now flowing semi-solid. It can be rice kheer, suji kheer or phirni (provided you get a clearance from your paediatrician about using cow’s milk). Other altrernatives are mashed fruits such as banana, chickoo, stewed and mashed apples/pears, or boiled and mashed vegetables such as lauki, tinda, tori, kaddu, potatoes etc.
How much- starting from a spoon or two, you may give upto ½ to 1 katori.
Consistency- mash well or blenderise to start with.

6-7 months
What to give- You can continue with giving starchy vegetables like boiled and mashed potato with butter, fruits like banana mashed with milk, half boiled egg yolk and moong dal if your child tolerates it well.
How much – For starchy vegetables & fruits, start with 1-2 spoons and increase to ½-3/4 katori.
Consistency- mash well/blenserise, depending on the infant’s acceptability.For eggyolk (half boilled) start with half a teaspoon and gradually you may give one egg yolk.

Also Read

When offering an infant some new food, watch out for any distrubances related to digestion such as change in the consistency, unhealhty smell, or colour of stool, or even for a pattern change. This will indicate what foods your child’s body is accepting well.

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Disclaimer: Exclusive Breastfeeding is best for babies for the first 6 months. Breast milk provides the ideal balanced nutrition and protection. However there maybe individual instances where introducing first foods maybe required depending on the child's needs and issues related to mother's milk supply. Please consult a pediatrician to make a more informed choice.