Learn more about potential choking hazards and how to prevent your child from choking.“When we began researching this, we looked at what other cities were doing as well,” Fanette said. Cook and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, rice, and other grains. Cut small spherical foods like grapes, cherries, berries and tomatoes into small pieces.Cut cylindrical foods like hot dogs, sausage and string cheese into short thin strips instead of round pieces that could get stuck in the airway.Cut soft food into small pieces or thin slices.Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit, and then cut the fruit into small pieces.Remove all fat, skin, and bones from poultry, meat, and fish, before cooking.Cook food until it is soft enough to easily mash with a fork. Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots, usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.Mash or puree vegetables, fruits and other foods until they are smooth.Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula, or water to make it smooth and easy for your baby to swallow.Always watch your child while he or she is eating. Feed small portions and encourage your baby to eat slowly. To help prevent choking, prepare foods that can be easily dissolved with saliva and do not require chewing. Some foods are potential choking hazards, so it is important to feed your child foods that are the right texture for his or her development. As your baby’s oral skills develop, thicker and lumpier foods can be introduced. It can take time for your child to adjust to new food textures. How Should I Prepare Food for My Child to Eat?Īt first, it’s easier for your child to eat foods that are mashed, pureed, or strained and very smooth in texture. If your child has severe eczema and/or egg allergy, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse about when and how to safely introduce foods with peanuts. Drinking cow’s milk or fortified soy beverages is not recommended until your child is older than 12 months, but other cow’s milk products, such as yogurt, can be introduced before 12 months. Potentially allergenic foods include cow’s milk products, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame. Introduce potentially allergenic foods when other foods are introduced. Before you know it, your child will be on his or her way to eating and enjoying lots of new foods. This helps you see if your child has any problems with that food, such as food allergies. Let your child try one single-ingredient food at a time at first. Now that your child is starting to eat food, be sure to choose foods that give your child all the vitamins and minerals they need.Ĭlick here to learn more about some of these vitamins & minerals. Your child needs certain vitamins and minerals to grow healthy and strong. How Should I Introduce My Child to Foods? Food & Drug Administration external icon to learn more. Only providing infant rice cereal is not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration because there is a risk for children to be exposed to arsenic. If your child is eating infant cereals, it is important to offer a variety of fortified alert icon infant cereals such as oat, barley, and multi-grain instead of only rice cereal. These foods include infant cereals, meat or other proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurts and cheeses, and more. By the time he or she is 7 or 8 months old, your child can eat a variety of foods from different food groups. Your child can begin eating solid foods at about 6 months old. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that for most children, you do not need to give foods in a certain order. What Foods Should I Introduce to My Child First? Transfers food from the front to the back of the tongue to swallow.Tries to grasp small objects, such as toys or food.
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