6 Months
SHOWS INTEREST IN FOOD
SITS UP IN A HIGH CHAIR
OPENS MOUTH WIDE WHEN OFFERED FOOD ON SPOON
YOUR BABY NEEDS 
Signs of readiness
SHOWS INTEREST IN FOOD
SITS UP IN A HIGH CHAIR
OPENS MOUTH WIDE WHEN OFFERED FOOD ON SPOON
Food, quantity and consistency
Liquid
- Breast milk
- Infant formula, cow’s milk based
LIQUID INTAKE
540–1030 mL/day (4–5 feedings/day)
Solid
- Iron-fortified infant cereal
- Cooked meat, fish, poultry, legumes
- Cooked vegetables (carrots, peas, sweet potato)
- Peeled, cooked or ripe fruit (banana, kiwi, apple, avocado)
SOLID FOOD INTAKE:
30–60 mL (2–4 tbsp) per serving (2–3 times a day)
Consistency
- Semi solid
- Mashed
Key nutrients
DHA
DHA is an Omega-3 fat prominent in your baby's brain and important for their normal brain and eye development. By your baby's 2nd birthday, most of their brain growth will have already occurred.
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If using an infant formula, use a formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Once on solids, fatty fish is another excellent way to ensure your baby’s diet is rich in DHA.
DHA RECOMMENDATION:
0 to 6 months: 0.32% of total fatty acids.
Iron
Iron is essential for your baby’s physical and mental growth, and as they grow they need more to avoid iron deficiency anemia. Once your baby is on solids, make sure you provide iron rich foods.
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Iron from animal products, especially meat, is absorbed more easily than from other sources. Vitamin C also helps absorption of iron from plant sources (non-heme-iron).
IRON RECOMMENDATION:
0-6 months: 0.27 mg/day
Calcium
Your baby needs calcium for healthy development, especially of their bones and teeth.
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The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends not introducing pasteurized whole cow’s milk (3.25%) until at least 9-12 months of age.†
CALCIUM RECOMMENDATION:
0-6 months: 200mg/day
Introducing solid foods
When and how
At 6 months, you can begin introducing iron rich solid foods one at a time. Wait a least 2 days after each to identify which foods your baby won’t tolerate well. The amount she drinks well naturally decrease as her solid food intake increases.
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For up to 9 to 12 months, your baby will get most of her nutrients from breast milk or formula. As your baby is learning to eat a variety foods with different textures, think of solids as a supplement to her diet. Keep in mind, cow’s milk can become part of your babies diet, however, it is not nutritionally complete and should not be used to fill nutritional gaps.
Preventing choking
Start with nearly liquid foods, then gradually introduce foods with thicker textures. Always supervise infants when they’re eating.
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Avoid foods like nuts, raw carrots, popcorn, hard, sticky or round candy, raisins, hot dogs and whole grapes.
Foods to avoid
- All infants: Sugary drinks or foods
- Infants under 1: Honey (risk of botulism)
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Limit fruit juice as it may take the place of more nutrient-rich foods. Give only if baby is older than 6 months and drinking from a cup. Limit to 125 to 175 ml per day.
Breastfeeding
Signs your baby is getting enough to eat:
Breast milk provides the optional nutrition for your baby.
- 6-8 wet diapers a day
- Loose yellowish stool (1st month) • Appropriate weight gain
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Lactating women should have at least 200 mg of DHA/day‡. Eat foods rich in DHA, especially fatty fish such as salmon, to support your baby’s normal brain and eye development.§
Vitamin D
All breastfed infants should receive a daily Vitamin D supplement of 400 IU (10 μg) until their diet provides it or they reach one year of age.
* Average level of DHA and ARA in worldwide breast milk is 0.32% and 0.47% (mean ± standard deviation of total fatty acids) based on an analysis of 65 studies of 2,474 women).
† The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends not introducing pasteurized whole cow’s milk (3.25%) until at least 9-12 months of age.
‡ Koletzko B et al. J Perinat. Med. 2008;36:5-14
§ For example, herring, mackerel, pollock, salmon and shrimp. Visit Health Canada’s website for advice on how to limit exposure to mercury from certain types of fish.
