What To Feed A 6 Month Old First?
Make introducing solids easy with our top 11 first food ingredients for making homemade baby food and getting your baby started with enjoying their first bites the right way.
Feeding a baby their first foods can be daunting to new moms and with good reason.
Many mother's worry they will do it wrong, that their baby will have an allergic reaction, or even worse that their infant will get choked.
All of these worries are completely valid and even though some of these worries will stick around for some time as you allow your infant to discover new foods it will get easier over time.
Some foods are better than others when we are considering what to feed our 6 month old first?
To begin with, you want to consider serving single ingredient choices giving you the ability to make note of any reactions to particular foods.
Another important factor to consider when deciding what to feed your 6 month old first is texture.
Texture is essential when feeding infants this young, so you want to choose foods that provide a smooth texture that are easy to eat and swallow.
By introducing your child to these top first foods you can begin to confidently feed your 6 month old a variety of easy meals that will begin building a foundation of good eating habits that will last a lifetime.
6 Month Old Baby's First Foods List
When feeding your 6 month old their first foods consider introducing vegetable purees first to get them more keen on eating a variety of flavors other than just sweet.
Many fruit purees have a sweet taste that most infants enjoy, but if you introduce too many of those before vegetable purees you may find it more difficult to get your 6 month old to eat their veggies.
Below you will find an easy variety of meal options to begin your 6 month old's journey to eating solid foods.
These foods do not have to be given in this order.
It is entirely up to you which foods to start with and remember once you have introduced these ingredients you can begin to pair foods together to create more well rounded meals for your 6 month old.
#1 Green Peas
Peas are super convenient when it comes to making your 6 month old's first foods because they can be kept frozen, prepared in under 10 minutes, and provide a rich creamy puree that is full of protein and nutrients.
#2 Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are a favorite around here and perfect as a first food choice for feeding a 6 month old.
This hardy ingredient provides a rich filling meal that is a creamy texture and smooth to eat making it a great first food choice for your infant.
#3 Cauliflower
Have a bag of cauliflower on hand in your freezer turn it into a simple light puree perfect for making a homemade baby food to feed your 6 month old?
You can even add a good portion of butter to this puree to provide an extra source of fat.
#4 Carrots
If your going to serve carrots as a first food focus on creating a smooth texture.
Carrots can tend to be grainy, so be mindful of that when serving this food to a 6 month old.
Make sure to steam carrots until they are all the way softened then pureeing until completely smooth adding water as necessary to getting a light smooth consistency before feeding to your 6 month old.
#5 Broccoli
Get those greens in by making your baby a broccoli puree by simply steaming broccoli until softened and blending until smooth.
#6 Bananas
Bananas are a go to ingredient for feeding littles and makes for a perfect first food choice for a 6 month old because it is served cold, easy to puree, and convenient to take on the go making it a clear winner.
#7 Applesauce
Just like bananas, applesauce is an easy first food choice for feeding a 6 month old baby because it has a smooth texture that can be served both cool or warmed up for a quick easy meal idea.
#8 Avocado
Avocado is a great first food choice that is full of healthy fats and convenient to take on the go plus you can even puree and freeze portions of avocado to have this healthy first food ingredient on hand for busy days.
#9 Pears
The sweet flavor of pears makes this ingredient a winner for a first food choice.
Simply peel and cook pears until softened then blend until a smooth consistency and serve.
You baby will enjoy the sweet flavor and smooth texture this puree delivers.
#10 Chicken Puree
To get additional protein into your baby's diet consider making a chicken puree by simply boiling chicken drumsticks removing skin and shredding meat once cooked then blending until smooth by adding stock until you have a creamy puree perfect for serving as a first food.
#11 Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a go to first food ingredient for making homemade baby food because it is super easy to make, full of healthy nutrients, and can be batch cooked plus frozen for an easy quick meal on hand to feed your 6 month old.
Simply cute butternut squash in half place into the oven at 375 degree F. and cook covered with aluminum foil until softened and allow to cool before removing pulp to puree into a smooth consistency.
Tips For Making Homemade Baby Food At Home For 6 Month Old
Making your own homemade baby food is easy, will save you money, and offers a higher nutritional content that store bought foods.
Remember when serving your baby foods for the first time you want to remember a few key points.
Make sure your infant is able to sit up unassisted with good head control before introducing solid foods.
Remember to serve one ingredient at a time in the beginning because you want to be able to make note if your 6 month old has a reaction to particular foods.
Also texture and the ability to swallow easily is extremely important when feeding your 6 month old for the first time.
Most of these ingredients simply need to be cooked through until softened and then pureed in a blender.
You can add a liquid like water, breastmilk, or stock to smooth out the texture of any puree if needed.
Also consider feeding vegetable purees to begin with so your baby gets use to eating foods with a variety of flavors and avoids developing a "sweet tooth" by eating mainly fruit purees.
Once your baby has mastered our top first foods you can begin making simple combinations like chicken puree with sweet potato or carrots and green peas purees plus continue introducing new ingredients.
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