Transition Period to Complementary Food in Babies

How Do I Know If My Baby Is Ready for Solid Foods?

The optimal time to transition to solid foods is generally around the sixth month. Babies' digestive systems typically become ready for solid/pureed foods mostly after 6 months. However, depending on the baby's developmental curve and readiness, you can start introducing solid foods at 4-6 months under the recommendation of a doctor.

Signs that indicate your baby is ready for solid foods include:

• Showing interest in observing caregivers while they eat, smacking lips, or swallowing when watching them
• Being able to hold their head up straight and sit steadily in a high chair
• Being able to bring objects or toys to their mouth with their hands
• Showing eagerness when offered food, opening their mouth
• Generally, the disappearance of the tongue-thrust reflex, which is present in the first 6 months

How Should the Transition to Solid Foods Be?

Start with one meal consisting of 2-3 spoonfuls initially, gradually increasing the portions day by day, and depending on the baby's readiness, you should increase the number of meals from 1 to 4-6 meals during the 6-8 month period.

During the transition to solid foods, the method we most recommend for introducing foods is the 'Three-day rule.' For example, for the first three days, you can try mashed potatoes, the next three days mashed carrots, and then mashed zucchini. With this method, you should introduce foods to the baby one by one without mixing them, while also observing for possible allergy risks.

After trying vegetables, you should preferably continue with mixed vegetable purees or dense vegetable soups, yogurt, and finally fruit purees. If you start with fruit purees initially, babies may reject vegetables as they generally find vegetables less palatable. Therefore, after introducing vegetables, you can transition to fruit purees or fruit yogurts.