Healthy Infant Feeding Chart and First Baby Foods

First Baby Foods

The biggest area of confusion with moms is about first baby foods. There is no shortage of books on the topic, and Pediatricians even have their recommendations, but are those recommendations correct? Are they based on any scientific research? Unfortunately not!

Most 1st baby food recommendations in books and at the pediatrician include grains like cereal. This should NEVER be your baby’s first food as it’s very hard on their intestines to digest and causes inflammation in their fragile gastrointestinal tract. Wait until at least 1 year of age to “probe” their immune system with a tiny bit of gluten each week. And wait until 1.5 years to introduce “baby cereals”. Choose only gluten free cereals if there is any history of gluten sensitivity or allergy in your child’s family. (Check out Dr. Tom O’Bryan’s gluten research DVD series). Also, sign up for my free newsletter on top right of this website to get a copy of my eBook on First Baby Foods.

Read why cereals are a terrible first food for babies on Food Renegades article on Ditching the Infant Cereal. You should also read the Weston A. Price Foundation’s article on boxed cereal Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry.

So what foods SHOULD your baby be eating when ready to introduce them? This chart below summarizes some recommendations based on the findings of Dr. Weston A. Price and who did 10 years of research on different diets consumed by various people groups around the world to determine which ones created the healthiest and most disease free people and what they were feeding their children. (Dr. Price’s book: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration)

In addition, these recommendations take into consideration Dr. Natasha McBride-Campbell’s 25 years of clinical experience helping heal infants using the safest and most healing foods with the GAPS foods. (GAPS Diet). See very bottom of page for additional resources, books, and great articles used to compile this summary chart below…

Age	4-6 mos.	6-8 mos.	8-10 mos.	10-12 mos.
Development cues	Lose tongue thrust, better head control, opens mouth to spoon	Sit without support, better able to control food in mouth	Sit alone, hand to mouth feeding, pincer grasp	Hold cup, hold spoon, eat with better hand-eye-coordination
Texture	Watery-pureed	Pureed- lumpy	Lumpy-chopped	Chopped-finger foods
Priority nutrients	Zinc, Vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, K, Omegas 3 & 6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium, Phosphorus, based on info from WAP nutrient chart for Breastmilk (Bm)/formula:*	Iron (meats, liver, egg yolks), B6, Niacin (eggs, turkey), Zinc, (meats and meat/fish stock) Vitamin E (butter or ghee, egg yolks, meats from pastured animals and poultry from pastured birds), calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other trace minerals(eggs, meat, fish, and stocks made from meat/fish), Omegas 3 & 6 (butter or ghee, cod liver oil)	Iron, B6, Niacin, Zinc, Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, Omegas 3 & 6 (see sources from previous months)	Iron, B6, Niacin, Zinc, Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, Omegas 3 & 6 (see sources from previous months)
Breast milk (Bm) or home-made formula, milk-based: **	Priority over food, Bm up to 32 ounces, meats, poultry, organ meats, fish eggs, egg yolks, butter, ghee, animal fats, coconut oil, scrambled eggs, fruits like pureed apples and mashed bananas, cooked apricots, cherries, pureed and cooked meat, fish, and vegetable stock/soups, probiotic foods like kefir, yogurt, sour cream.	Priority over food, Bm 24-30 ounces daily (slight decreases may be seen), continue with meats, eggs, healthy fats like butter, ghee, animal fats (meat, chicken, turkey, pork), ghee, butter, coconut oil, organ meats, bone broths, pureed and lumpy vegetable, meat, and fish soup/stock, pureed/lumpy fruits, and foods w/probiotics such as cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, and sour cream.	Gradual decline in Bm /home-made formula, 4-6 nursing sessions and 20-28 ounces. Some babies will drink more than others. Carry on with previous foods, but finely/chopped and lumpy, and start offering finger foods if your baby is ready.	Bm/, 3-4 feedings, 20-30 ounces daily. Carry on with previous foods, and also add to repertoire of finely/chopped and lumpy food, continue offering finger foods.

Foods to Introduce

Beverages	None except Bm/home-made formula	Milk and water, give baby sippy cup w/milk or water	Milk and water, give baby sippy cup w/milk or water	Milk and water, give baby sippy cup w/milk or water
Meat, Poultry, Fish	Pureed liver from beef and chicken, meat, fish, and vegetable stocks.	Pureed meats and stocks – chicken, turkey, beef, fish, fish eggs, and organ meats.	Mixed meats, fish, organ meats, and fish eggs, meat stocks.	Carry on with previous, continue to offer finger foods/chopped and lumpy or even pureed, as appropriate.
Fruits	Cooked and strained apple, cherries, apricot, nectarines, peaches, & plums, mashed raw banana & avocado	Avocado, melon, mangoes and papaya – mashed and given raw. Continue to cook peaches & apples, and also offer cooked apricots, pears, cherries & berries to break down the pectin, which can be very irritating to the digestive tract.	Same	Same, and continue offering finger foods, finely chopped.
Veggies	Vegetable soup puree made at home from carrots, leeks, squashes or zucchini, onions, garlic, broccoli and cauliflower w/a tsp. animal fat (beef, chicken, goose, duck, pork), or butter, ghee, or coconut oil.	Offer same as previous, and also start raw vegetable purees, start w/lettuce & peeled cucumber, then add one at a time to observe tolerance, use sensitivity test if unsure – potatoes & sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, celery, soft cabbage, etc. finely blended. Cauliflower, zucchini, winter squash, cooked or steamed and mixed with fats like butter, olive, or coconut oil.	Beets, spinach, kale, summer squash, broccoli, pureed and with healthy fats like butter or coconut oil, pureed or lumpy in creamed vegetable soups and home-made stews, made with bone broth.	Tomatoes, finely chopped lettuce, all others.
Meat alternatives	Egg yolks from pasture-raised hens – runny or soft-cooked (avoid egg whites until 1 year of age to avoid allergies)	Egg yolks from pasture-raised hens, scrambled eggs.	Soaked beans – black, kidney, garbanzo, etc. Soak in filtered water for at least 8 hours or overnight.	Whole eggs, thinly spread organic almond butter from soaked almonds.
Dairy	Raw only, full fat, especially fermented such as yogurt, kefir, and sour cream (if avoiding allergies)	Raw: butter or ghee, whole milk yogurt, kefir, cream, sour cream, butter milk, cream cheese.	Raw: milk, shredded cheese, cottage cheese. If child is premature or has other developmental delays, continue with Bm & wait until the age of 1 year to start straight raw milk.	Introduce straight, raw milk to baby at 12 mos. Continue to offer raw dairy foods as in previous months.
Foods to avoid	Sugar, corn syrup, agave, artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, saccharine, aspartame, and commerical formulas. Avoid grains until at least 12 mos. of age, avoid gluten until at least 24 mos.
Choking hazards	Food that is too thick or not strained/pureed/finely chopped, always supervise baby at meals!	Provide foods that are strained, pureed, or in chopped sizes that are safe: avoid whole berries and grapes, chunks of meat, cheese, fruits or vegetables, raw vegetables, popcorn, or nut butters (nut butters can be given around 10 mos of age and older). No chewing gum or hard candy.
Allergies	Wait 2-3 days after introducing a new food to determine allergies or reactions (rash, diarrhea, vomiting, breathing problems).
Grains, nuts and seeds	None.	None except thoroughly soaked brown rice in buttermilk or yogurt	None except thoroughly soaked brown rice in buttermilk or yogurt	No grains until age 24 mos., soaked in buttermilk, kefir, or yogurt, and cooked thoroughly. Nut butters made with crispy nuts (see Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon).
Healthy fats	Butter or ghee, meat, coconut oil, olive oil, or cold-pressed sunflower oil. Cod liver oil – 1/4 tsp. Use eye dropper. Oils can be added to home-made formula and meat can be given in the form of pureed liver in formula as well.	Butter or ghee, meats, fish, coconut oil, pureed avocadoes, olive oil, or cold-pressed sunflower oil (raw).Cod liver oil – 1/4 tsp.	Use eye dropper.As well as other fats from past months, increase CLO dose to 1/2 tsp. daily, can be mixed with water or fresh squeezed orange juice. Lard and tallow can be used for cooking meats and vegetables as well.	Continue to offer healthy fats from previous months. Introduce straight, raw milk as another source of healthy fats for baby. Continue with CLO dose at 1/2 tsp. daily in juice, water, yogurt, kefir, or straight.

Sample Day Menu

Baby’s first year	4-6 mos.	6-8 mos.	8-10 mos.	10-12 mos.
Breakfast	1-2 tsp. warm home-made meat stock and/or raw egg yolk before every BF or home-made formula session. Gradually add in probiotic foods (homemade whey or cultured vegetable juices) to meat stock mixture – 1/2 teaspoon and increase over time. Before introducing any new foods, use sensitivity test on inside of baby’s wrist before bed and wait until morning to see if a reaction occurs on skin.	Grated (can be frozen) organic liver added to egg yolks, Serve with a few bites of mashed avocado and 1-2 tsp. of strained, cooked vegetables.	1/4 -1/2 cup scrambled egg with raw butter or ghee, animal fat, or coconut oil. Serve with a few bites of avocado. Breast milk or home-made formula.	1/2 cup – 3/4 cup scrambled egg with shredded cheese with raw butter or ghee, coconut oil, or animal fat and 2 tbsp. home-made cottage cheese or 3 tbsp. of chopped, cooked zucchini. Bm or home-made formula.
Mid-morning	1-2 tsp. fresh-pressed vegetable juice mixed w/warm water. Start with pure carrot juice, & gradually add a dash of cabbage, celery, or lettuce to carrot. Bm or home-made formula.	2-3 tsp. Strained ripe raw apple w/out skin or banana and fresh-pressed vegetable juice with warm water.	Ripe finely chopped or plums, 1/4 – 1/2 cup fresh-pressed vegetable juice.	Ripe, finely chopped cherries or nectarines with fresh-pressed vegetable juice and warm water.
Lunch	1-2 tsp. warm home-made meat stock, Nursing or home-made formula. Add in probiotic foods gradually. Bm or home-made formula.	2-4 tsp. homemade yogurt or kefir with pureed meat and 1-2 tsp. of strained or finely chopped, cooked beets, in butter or ghee, coconut oil, or animal fat.	1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped, lumpy meat, yogurt or kefir, and finely chopped squash or zucchini with butter, ghee, coconut oil, or some type of animal fat.	1/2 – 3/4 cup finely chopped liver with 1/2 cup cooked green beans. Bm or home-made formula.
Mid-afternoon	1-2 tsp. fresh-pressed vegetable juice mixed w/warm water. Start with pure carrot juice, & gradually add a dash of cabbage, celery, or lettuce to carrot. Bm or home-made formula.	2-3 tsp. strained ripe raw apple w/out skin, banana, fresh-pressed vegetable juice with warm water.	2-3 tsp. ripe, finely chopped plums, papayas, or apricots and 1/4 – 1/2 cup fresh-pressed vegetable juice w/ lettuce, peeled cucumber, carrot, celery and soft cabbage.	1/2 cup of raw yogurt or cottage cheese, 2-3 tbsp. ripe banana, papaya, or apricots.
Dinner	1-2 tsp. warm home-made meat stock, Nursing or home-made formula. Add in probiotic foods gradually. Bm or home-made formula.	2 -3 tsp. pureed chicken with strained or finely chopped, cooked squash in butter, ghee, coconut oil, or animal fats.	1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped liver and raw or gently cooked egg yolks and 1/2 – 3/4 cup cooked and mashed/chopped sweet potatoes with butter, ghee, coconut oil, or some type of animal fat.	Finely chopped meat with cooked carrots and peas, butter or ghee, coconut oil, or animal fat, or olive oil. Bm or home-made formula.
Before bed	Bm or home-made formula.	Bm or home-made formula.	Bm or home-made formula.	Bm or home-made formula.

Feeding Information by Age, Daily Amounts, and Nutrients

Ages and food	Daily amounts	Nutrients needed	Feeding suggestions
0-2 mos. Breasmilk (Bm) or home-made formula, home-made meat or fish stock.	1-2 tsp. home-made meat or fish stock before every Bm/home-made formula feeding (25-40 ounces daily). 1-2 tsp. fresh pressed vegetable juices – start w/ carrots, then add cabbage, celery, lettuce. Add in a bite of avocado to vegetable puree and gradually increase amount. 1-3 tsp. of stewed apple puree if these are tolerated well, with generous amount of butter, ghee or coconut oil.	Vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, K, B complex, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium (Carlson’s Baby D Drops).	Do sensitivity test when adding new foods on baby’s wrist @ night just before bed and check in the morning for reaction.
2-4 mos. Bm or home-made formula, egg yolks, home-made meat stock and juiced vegetables, cod liver oil.	1-2 tbsp. home-made meat or fish stock before every Bm/home-made formula feeding (25-40 ounces daily). Egg yolks, fresh pressed vegetable juices, and 1-2 tbsp. probiotic food (home-made yogurt or kefir to home-made meat or fish stock).	Same.	Space out feeding of food to infant to every other feeding with Bm and home-made formula. Add in raw vegetables such as lettuce and peeled cucumber, pureed with vegetable juice or soups. Gradually add in carrots, celery, and soft cabbage.
4-6 mos. Bm or home-made formula, pureed meats, fish, liver, cod liver oil, vegetables, healthy fats, probiotic foods, cod liver oil.	27-45 ounces daily Bm/home-made formula. 2-3 tbsp. daily of meat, fish, egg, poultry, liver, pureed/lumpy vegetables, healthy fats (butter or ghee, coconut oil, animal fats), and and 2-3 tbsp. probiotic food (home-made yogurt or kefir to home-made meat or fish stock).	Same.	Start feeding with spoon.
6-8 mos. Bm or home-made formula, pureed meats, fish, liver, cod liver oil, vegetables, healthy fats, probiotic foods, cod liver oil.	27-45 ounces daily Bm/home-made formula. 1-3 tbsp. daily of meat, fish, scrambled egg/egg yolk, pureed meat/poultry/fish/liver, strained and cooked vegetables, healthy fats (butter, ghee, coconut oil, animal fats), and 1-3 tbsp. probiotic food (home-made yogurt or kefir to meat or fish stock). Make small, home-made pancakes with almond flour fried with butter, coconut oil, or ghee, or animal fats with strained squash (1-2 tsp.) and egg yolk.	Same.	Feed with spoon, advance to chunky-cut foods.
8-10 mos. Bm/home-made formula, chopped/lumpy meats, fish, liver, cod liver oil, egg yolks, vegetables, healthy fats, probiotic foods, cod liver oil.	6-8 ounces per feeding, Bm/home-made formula, 4-5 feedings daily. 3-4 tbsp. daily of meat, fish, egg, poultry, liver, chopped cooked vegetables, healthy fats (butter or ghee, coconut oil, animal fats), and 3-4 tbsp. probiotic food (home-made yogurt or kefir w/meat or fish stock).	Same plus iron.	Moves food from side-to-side in mouth, curves lips around cup, chews in rotary pattern.
10-12 mos. BreastMilk (Bm)/home-made formula, chopped/lumpy meats, fish, liver, cod liver oil, egg yolks, vegetables, healthy fats, probiotic foods, cod liver oil.	6-8 ounces per feeding, Bm/home-made formula, 4-5 feedings daily. 3-4 tbsp. daily of meat, fish, egg, poultry, liver, chopped cooked vegetables, healthy fats (butter or ghee, coconut oil, animal fats), and 3-4 tbsp. probiotic food (home-made yogurt or kefir w/meat or fish stock).	Same plus iron.Protein awareness increases. Introduce finger foods: well-steamed carrots, raw avocados, cubed potatoes, apricots, pears, dates. Cup drinking increases, interest in solids increases.	Do not give prior to one year: spinach, broccoli, turnips, or brussel sprouts. Do not give prior to 24 mos: wheat or other grains. Avoid processed foods, sugar, MSG, preservatives, artificial sweeteners.

Sample Day Foods

Sample day	2-4 mos.	4-6 mos.	6-8 mos.	8-10 mos.	10-12 mos.
Morning	Bm/home-made formula	Same.	Same.	Same.	Same.
Breakfast	1-2 tsp. home-made stock from meat/fish, 1-2 tsp. fresh pressed vegetable juice with egg yolk, Bm/home-made formula.	1-2 tbsp. beef w/scrambled egg/egg yolk, strained, cooked peas with butter, ghee, or coconut oil. Bm/home-made formula.	2-3 tbsp. pureed liver, mashed avocado, 2-3 tbsp. probiotic food (home-made yogurt or kefir added to meat or fish stock), Bm/home-made formula.	3-4 tbsp. pureed/lumpy sausage, egg yolks/scrambled eggs w/butter, ghee, or coconut oil, 3-4 tbsp. pureed/lumpy, 3-4 tbsp. probiotic food (sour cream, yogurt, kefir) Bm/home-made formula.	4-6 tbsp. chopped ham or other pork, scrambled egg with butter or ghee, 2-3. tbsp. probiotic food (yogurt or kefir), Bm/home-made formula.
Mid-morning	Same.	Same.	Same.	Same.	Same.
Lunch	1-2 tsp. home-made stock from meat/fish /liver, 1-2 tsp. fresh pressed vegetable juice, 1-2 tsp. probiotic food (yogurt or kefir), Bm/home-made formula.	1-2 tbsp. pureed fish with cooked squash and butter, ghee, or coconut oil, 1-2 tbsp probiotic food (yogurt or kefir), Bm.	2-3 tbsp. pureed/lumpy turkey, 2-3 tbsp. home-made cottage cheese, 2-3 tbsp. cooked, pureed spinach w/butter or ghee, breast milk, 2-3 tbsp probiotic food (yogurt, kefir, sour cream, buttermilk), BM.	3-4 tbsp. pureed/lumpy beef, 3-4 tbsp. 2-3 tbsp. home-made cottage cheese and 2-3 tbsp. mashed avocado or raw veggies – cucumber, Bm.	4-6 tbsp. lumpy/chopped chicken, 4-6 tbsp. cooked/lumpy squash with butter, ghee, or coconut oil, Bm.
Mid-afternoon	Bm/home-made formula.	1-2 tsp. pureed apple w/out skin, Bm/home-made formula.	1-3 tsp. pureed pear, Bm/home-made formula.	2-3 tsp. mashed or chopped banana, Bm/home-made formula.	3-5 tbsp. finely chopped, cooked apricots or cherries, Bm.
Dinner	1-2 tsp. home-made stock from meat/fish, 1-2 tsp. fresh-pressed vegetable juice, B 1-2 tsp. probiotic food (yogurt or kefir), Bm or home-made formula.	1-2 tbsp. pureed chicken w/strained green beans and ghee, butter, or coconut oil, 1-2 tbsp probiotic food (yogurt or kefir). Bm.	2-3 tbsp. pureed/lumpy beef, 2-3 tbsp. cooked carrots in butter or ghee, 2-3 tbsp. probiotic food (home-made yogurt or kefir added to meat or fish stock), Bm.	3-4 tbsp. pureed/lumpy lamb, pureed/lumpy, 3-4 tbsp. mashed sweet potato w/butter, ghee, or coconut oil, 3-4 tbsp. probiotic food (kefir, yogurt, sour cream), Bm.	4-6 tbsp. lumpy/chopped fish, 4-6 tbsp. cooked, lumpy/pureed broccoli with butter, ghee, or coconut oil, Bm.
Before bed	Bm/home-made formula.	Same.	Same.	Same.	Same.