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When Is Your Baby Ready To... Eat Food?

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    ...Try Finger Foods?
    Around 9 months, when he's developed his pincer grasp. Does your crawler love to put anything and everything in his mouth? Take this as a sign you can break out the Cheerios. "Babies are usually ready when you see them picking things up with their thumbs and pointer fingers," explains Daniel Miner, M.D., a Levittown, New York, pediatrician at ProKids, LLP.

    "Now they are ready to take an active role in their feeding." Some of the best first finger foods to try are soft, ripe pieces of fruit and well-cooked vegetables, soft pasta and yes, Cheerios (they're just the right size and dissolve in his mouth). To prevent choking, it all has to be diced into quarter-inch cubes or needle-size slivers. Or spring for the pre-diced, bite-size foods in the baby-food aisle. They'll be called something like "pickups," "dices" or "table-teaching."

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    ...Try Peanut Butter?
    At 2 years, spread thinly. But if you or your husband or any of your child's siblings has a peanut allergy, or if there's a strong family history of allergies in general, hold off until age 3. And in either case, don't let your child eat spoonfuls of it. A gob of peanut butter can be a choking hazard.

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    ...Drink Water?
    Your baby gets enough water from breast milk or formula. Water fills him up so he drinks less of the formula or breastmilk he needs. Explain this to your mom when she insists that the baby must be thirsty. If it's a scorcher of a day, you can always give him extra breast milk or formula. When your baby is ready for solids, between 4 and 6 months, you can let him drink a little water, but limit it to 4 ounces a day. Don't force it. When he's ill, he may need extra water; consult your pediatrician in that case.

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    ...Start Cereal?


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    ...Try Something New Without Fear of Allergies?



    Many doctors think kids shouldn't eat foods with peanuts or tree nuts, like almonds, cashews, or walnuts, until they're 3. The earlier they're introduced, the more likely these foods are to become lifelong allergens for some kids. But if your toddler has already had a PB&J sandwich a few times and has not had any reaction, you're in the clear, says Dr. Brown.

    Dairy foods




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    ...Chew Crackers, Bagels, and Other Breads?


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    ...Try a Piece of Sushi?


    The biggest concern about sushi is mercury contamination. Doctors urge pregnant women and kids under 8 to stay away from albacore (white) tuna (but canned light tuna is okay), shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish—all of which have extremely high levels.