Solid foods: Meal plans save time (2024)

When your baby starts solids, you become a mix of chef, meal planner, nutritionist, and the allergy police. An important part of your job is to introduce foods one at a time and watch how your baby reacts. Keeping a list of foods she's tried on your phone, or even a piece of paper taped to the refrigerator, is an easy way to track what works and what doesn't.

As your baby tries and tolerates new foods, creating a meal plan for the upcoming week is another way to stay organized. A plan can save you time at the grocery store and make life in the kitchen a little less hectic too.

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Here are some tips for putting together a meal plan and two springtime-inspired sample menus, each with a week's worth of ideas. If a food is new to your baby, wait three days to make sure he tolerates it before trying the next food.

Start with small quantities. When your child's doctor gives the okay to start solids (usually between 4 to 6 months), begin with 1 teaspoon of pureed food once a day, gradually increasing the amount to 2 to 3 tablespoons per feeding. Alternatively, you can start with 1 teaspoon of iron-fortified baby cereal, such as Beech-Nut® OatmealOpens a new window, mixed with 4 to 5 teaspoons of breast milk or formula. The rest of your baby's daily calories and nutrition will continue to come from 28 to 32 ounces of breast milk or formula until 12 months.

Schedule meals. In addition to breast milk or formula, your baby typically will be ready to eat two meals of solids a day by 6 to 7 months and three meals by 8 to 9 months. See sample menus below. Over time, you'll add two snacks a day.

Assign days of the week to start a new food. Wait at least three days to make sure your baby tolerates a new food before trying the next. Make it simpler to track the timing by starting a new food on Sunday and, if that goes well, another on Wednesday. Start with 1 teaspoon of a new food and gradually increase to 2 to 3 tablespoons per feeding. Exposing your baby to new flavors is more important than the amount at this stage.

Slot in protein. While certain foods, like iron-fortified baby cereal, are more traditional first foods, babies can try foods in any order. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends meat – especially red meat and dark poultry meat – as a first food because it's such a great source of protein, zinc, and iron. Try Beech-Nut® ClassicsOpens a new window beef, chicken, or turkey puree. Other protein sources include legumes, quinoa, eggs, and low-mercury fish such as salmon.

Think seasonally for fruits and vegetables. In springtime, green veggies and fruit like peas, fava beans, asparagus, avocado, and kiwi are in season (perfect for St. Patrick's Day too!). Avocados get the nod as an especially good first food because they're rich in unsaturated fats that support brain development. Add a smooth single-ingredient puree, such as Beech-Nut® Classics Sweet PeasOpens a new window, to the meal plan if your baby is newer to solids, or a blend like the Beech-Nut® Organics Peas, Green Beans, and Avocado pouchOpens a new window if your baby already has tried and tolerates each food on its own.

Fill in favorites. Consult the list of foods that your baby tolerates to fill out the menu, transitioning from thin purees to chunkier mashes as your baby gains eating skills. As her palate expands, expose her to new flavors by combining favorites, such as Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Just Apple & KaleOpens a new window.

Create a menu with two meals a day

When your child's doctor gives the okay to start solids, usually between 4 to 6 months, you'll start with just a spoonful of one food once a day. Over time, you'll gradually increase the amount of food to several tablespoons, add new foods, and increase solids feedings to twice a day. For a baby eating two meals a day, typically by 6 to 7 months, this sample menu features two new green foods: avocado (yes, it's a fruit) and peas. To create your own menu:

Pick a new food to introduce on Sunday and another on Wednesday. Test only one new food at a time and wait three days before trying the next.
For breakfast, serve:
- Yogurt or baby cereal: Plain, unsweetened whole-milk yogurt or iron-fortified baby cereal, such as Beech-Nut® Oatmeal, mixed with breast milk or formula
- Fruit: Single-ingredient puree
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For the afternoon meal, serve:
- Protein-rich food like meat or lentils: single-ingredient puree
- Vegetable: Single-ingredient puree

Aim for a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables in a range of bright colors.

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Create a menu with three meals a day

For a baby eating three meals a day, typically by 8 to 9 months, this sample menu features plain, unsweetened whole-milk yogurt, which you can serve by itself or mixed with sweet or savory food, such as apples or pumpkin. Optionally, substitute a protein-rich food, such as meat, for the yogurt. To create your own menu:

Pick a new food to introduce on Sunday and another on Wednesday. Test only one new food at a time and wait three days before trying the next.
As your baby's palate expands, create new flavors by combining foods already on her menu. For example, serve plain, unsweetened whole-milk yogurt, apple puree, and pumpkin puree separately at 8 months, mix them together at 10 months, and serve Beech-Nut® Organics Yogurt, Apple, Pumpkin, Cinnamon & Quinoa pouchOpens a new window at 12 months.
As your baby's eating skills improve, introduce more texture by transitioning from purees to soft mashes and minced food.
For breakfast, serve:
- Cereal or egg: Iron-fortified baby cereal, like Beech-Nut® Oatmeal, mixed with breast milk or formula, or egg, either scrambled or hard-boiled and pureed or mashed
- Fruit: Puree or mash
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For lunch, serve:
- Yogurt: Plain, unsweetened whole-milk yogurt, or a protein-rich food like meat
- Vegetable: Puree or mash in orange or other bright color
For dinner, serve:
- Protein-rich food: Puree, mash, or fine mince of meat, low-mercury fish, or lentils
- Vegetable: Puree or mash in green or other bright colors
- Fruit: Puree or mash

Aim for a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables in a range of bright colors.

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"Celebrate yogurt" sample grocery list

Meat and fish
1 jar beef puree, or ¼ lb. ground beef (not low fat)
1jarchicken puree, or 1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh
1 jar turkey puree, or ¼ lb. ground dark-meat turkey (not low fat)
¼ lb. salmon

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Vegetables and fruit
1 jar Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Apple & Pumpkin puree, or 1 apple and 1 small pumpkin
1 to 2 jars apple puree, or 2 apples
1 avocado
2 bananas
1 jar Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Banana, Blueberry & Green Beans; or 1 banana and fresh or frozen blueberries and green beans
1 to 2 jars butternut squash, or 1 butternut squash
1 to 2 jars carrot puree, or fresh or frozen carrots
1 to 2 jars green bean puree, or fresh or frozen green beans
1 to 2 kiwis
Lentils
1 jar mango puree, or 1 mango
1 to 2 papayas
1 jar pea puree, or frozen or fresh peas
1 jar peach puree, or 1 peach
1 to 2 jars pear puree, or 1 to 2 pears
1 to 2 jars prune puree, or prunes
1 to 2 red peppers
1 jar sweet potato puree, or 1 sweet potato

Dairy
Plain, unsweetened whole-milk yogurt
Eggs

Optional at 12 months:
Beech-Nut® Organics Yogurt, Carrot, Mango & Oat pouch
Beech-Nut® Organics Yogurt, Apple, Pumpkin, Cinnamon & Quinoa pouch

Pantry
Iron-fortified oatmeal cereal

Solid foods: Meal plans save time (2024)

Create a menu with two meals a day

Create a menu with three meals a day

References