As your baby transitions from breast milk and/or formula to now trying foods for the first time, it may have you wondering: What is a good first food to feed my baby?

Foods that are rich in iron and zinc make great first foods. This is especially important for breastfed babies since babies will start to require more iron than found in breast milk alone. Iron is a key nutrient that is important for your baby’s growing body and brain.
Iron-rich first foods include:

• Meats like chicken, turkey or beef. Animal meats contain iron that is easy for your baby’s body to absorb.
• A variety of infant cereals that are fortified with iron and zinc, including oat, barely and multigrain cereals. Look for infant cereals that are labeled “Fortified with iron and zinc.” It’s important for babies to eat different types of infant cereal – like oat, barely and multigrain – so of feed your little one a variety of grains, not just one kind.

While there is no specific order to introducing foods, it is important to introduce your baby to foods that are rich in iron and zinc.
And remember, talk to your child’s pediatrician or health care provider about any questions or concerns.
To learn more, check out these additional resources related to this topic:

• More bite-sized videos about introducing first foods – 1,000 Days
• When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Information about Iron – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Starting Solid Foods – American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children

Not all homemade baby foods require cooking. Try these easy, no-cook first foods for babies. All you need is a fork for mashing.

Banana
Simply peel a ripe banana and mash it with a fork. Add water, breast milk or infant formula for a smoother texture.

Avocado
Cut and peel the avocado. Mash it with a fork. Add water, breast milk or infant formula for a smoother texture.

Canned Beans
Open a can of beans, rinse them under water, and put some in a bowl. Mash them with a fork. Add water, breast milk or infant formula for a smoother texture.

 That’s it! Enjoy! And remember, talk to your child’s pediatrician or health care provider about any questions or concerns.

To learn more, check out these additional resources related to this topic:

• More bite-sized videos about introducing first foods – 1,000 Days
• Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 month olds – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Starting Solid Foods– American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children

Sweet potatoes are rich in several essential nutrients like potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and B-complex. All of these are important for your baby’s growing body and brain. And sweet potatoes are simple to make!
Here are steps to cook sweet potato for your baby:

Step 1: Wash, peel and cut your sweet potato

If you’re using frozen sweet potato, you can skip this step. But if you’re using fresh sweet potato, rinse the sweet potato with water, peel it, and cut it into small chunks.

Step 2: Boil the sweet potato

Place the sweet potato chunks into a medium pot, cover with water and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat until the sweet potato is soft (about 15 minutes). Drain and let cool. As a tip, to speed up the cooling process you can rinse the sweet potato with cold water.

Step 3: Puree or Serve as a Finger Food

For a smoother texture, you can puree the sweet potato in a blender. Add water, breast milk or infant formula and blend until it is smooth. If your baby is already enjoying soft finger foods, you can simply offer him or her bite-sized pieces of soft sweet potato.

That’s it! Enjoy! And remember, talk to your child’s pediatrician or health care provider about any questions or concerns.

To learn more, check out these additional resources related to this topic:

• More bite-sized videos about introducing first foods – 1,000 Days
• Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 month olds – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Starting Solid Foods– American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children

As your baby begins to try foods for the first time, it is important that he or she eat foods that are rich in iron and zinc. Broccoli is full of iron and other important nutrients that are essential for baby’s growing body and brain. And it is easy to make!
Here are steps to cook broccoli for your baby:

Step 1: Cut and wash your broccoli

If you’re using frozen broccoli, you can skip this step. But if you’re using fresh broccoli, remove the stalks and rinse with water.

Step 2: Boil the broccoli

Place the broccoli into a medium pot, cover with water and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat until the broccoli is soft (about 15 minutes). Drain and let cool. As a tip, to speed up the cooling process you can rinse the broccoli with cold water.

Step 3: Puree or Serve as a Finger Food

For a smoother texture, you can puree the broccoli in a blender. Add water, breast milk or infant formula and blend until it is smooth. If your baby is already enjoying soft finger foods, you can simply offer him or her bite-sized pieces of broccoli.

That’s it! Enjoy! And remember, talk to your child’s pediatrician or health care provider about any questions or concerns.

To learn more, check out these additional resources related to this topic:

• More bite-sized videos about introducing first foods – 1,000 Days
• Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 month olds – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Information about Iron – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Starting Solid Foods– American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children

As your baby begins to try foods for the first time, it is important that he or she eat foods that are rich in iron and zinc. Iron is a key nutrient that is important for babies’ growing bodies and brains. Meats – like chicken, turkey and beef – are full of iron and can make a great first food your baby.

Here are steps to cook ground beef for your baby:

Step 1: Prepare the ground beef
Place ground beef and about ½ cup of water in a saucepan

Step 2: Cook the meat
Cook over medium-high heat until meat is cooked thoroughly and no longer pink (approximately 6 to 8 minutes). Ground meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 3: Puree or Serve as a Finger Food
For a smoother texture, you can puree the beef in a blender. Add water, breast milk or infant formula and blend until it is smooth.

Now enjoy watching your baby pump that iron! And remember, talk to your child’s pediatrician or health care provider about any questions or concerns.

To learn more, check out these additional resources related to this topic:

• More bite-sized videos about introducing first foods – 1,000 Days
• Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 month olds – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Information about Iron – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Starting Solid Foods– American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children
• Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures for Food – United States Department of Agriculture