Disclaimer*: The articles shared under 'Your Voice' section are sent to us by contributors and we neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of any facts stated below. Parhlo PInk will not be liable for any false, inaccurate, inappropriate or incomplete information presented on the website. Read our disclaimer.

Being a mom myself, I was never really able to find a proper guide to starting solids for my son. Of course, elders know best and I had the help of my mother and mother-in-law. Starting solid foods is a big step! You can start solids at 4-6 months. Solids are to be started when your baby has good head control and can sit in a high chair; although pediatricians recommend starting solids at 6 months. Solids don’t mean completely solid food, they are actually semi-solids and pureed food. There are three stages of solids for babies.

Stage One – Start Thin Consistency Food

This type of baby food is of a thin consistency. Its consistency should be a bit thicker than milk itself. The first few days, feed your baby once a day and only a few spoons. I personally believe that feeding your baby using a spoon rather then a feeder is better. But it varies. If you feel that your baby wants more than a few spoons, gradually start increasing the quantity of baby food. Start increasing the thickness of the baby food as well along with the quantity but just a little thicker. Make sure to buy silicone bibs and a plastic spoon to feed your child. You can even get a feeding bottle which has a small plastic spoon on it which is also helpful.

When you start solids, you might notice your baby might be getting a bit constipated for which I used to do was add homemade butter (makhan) into his food. It would help a lot and you can also use clarified butter (Desi ghee) rather than normal butter. The first solids you should give to your baby are either rice cereal or oat cereal. They are the lightest on baby’s tummy. You can either buy these from a store or make them at home.

I used to give my son rice cereal, then oatmeal cereal, and then wheat cereal. After which, I started giving my son the yolk of a half-boiled egg. Add in just a pinch of salt into the yolk and feed your baby. If he/she doesn’t like it you can always opt for something else. Keep in mind that the kidneys of your babies can only withstand ¼ teaspoon of salt per day. Don’t cross that limit.

Stage Two – Mashed or Boiled Fruits and Vegetables

After that comes stage two baby foods which will start around 6-7 months if you started solids at 4 months. And 7-8 months for those who started solids at 6 months. Stage two solid foods are a bit thicker in consistency and a bit textured. Try giving your child a bit of stage two and if your child is easily eating it you can continue, if your child, on the other hand, vomits, spits up or gags, you should immediately discontinue and continue giving stage one foods. Your baby will be ready when he’s ready. Every child is different.

Some stage two baby foods are mashed or grounded. In a banana, you can add some fresh cream for an extra healthy effect. For apples, you can peel and cut an apple, boil it until it’s pale after that grind it into a paste and feed it to your child. You can make chicken yakhni or mutton yakhni as well. What I would do was add a piece of Desi Chicken, a carrot, little amount of peas, rice, lentil, half a potato, cumin seeds, salt and a little pepper. You can feed this to your child throughout the day. Give him carrots at one time, potato at other. Always make sure to grind everything well to avoid choking.

The best combo was of rice, lentil and chicken grounded into a paste. I added the yakhni for a thinner consistency. Even I enjoyed it! At this point, you can give your baby some water as well. So, give him water in between the meal to prevent constipation. You can also give green tea to your child but add in some fennel and cardamon while boiling. Make sure to give your child both sweet and salty items so his taste develops for both rather than having a preference for one. You can also give your child suji kheer, rice kheer, egg pudding, khichri, mashed roti in yakhni. There are many other options as well.

Stage Three – Chopped Fruits and Vegetables

Stage 3 baby foods are only given when your baby has mastered stage 2 and pincer grasp. Pincer grasp is when your baby can pick up small objects like food with his thumb and index finger. If your child has the pincer grasp which usually occurs between 9 to 12 months then you can start stage 3 foods. Stage 3 foods include strawberries chopped up in cubes or potatoes cooked and chopped up, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots etc. Another important thing is that your baby should have a few teeth and should know how to chew so he can chew on these foods so that he doesn’t choke.

One last thing is that when it comes to introducing new foods, feed one and wait a few days before you give another to notice any negative effects of it. You can try out canned baby meals as well but homemade meals are always healthier. Be patient with your child. Don’t enforce the next stage food onto your baby. Your baby will be ready when he’s ready. Good luck to all the new moms out there!