Age appropriate diet for children 4 to 6 months of age

An age-appropriate diet is one that provides adequate nutrition, is appropriate for a child's state of development, and can help prevent childhood obesity or malnutrition.
Recommendations
Rice cereal and other foods with rice have long been recommended as first or early foods for infants and children.
Parents should also offer children a wide variety of age-appropriate foods to their children.
These include:
• Cereals from other grains such as oats, wheat, and barley
• Vegetable purees
• Finely chopped meat (good source of iron
4 - 6 MONTHS OF AGE
At 4 - 6 months of age an infant should be consuming 28 - 45 ounces of formula, and is often ready to start the transition to solid foods. Starting solids too soon may cause the infant to
choke if they are not physically ready.
There are several developmental milestones to indicate an infant is ready to eat solid foods:
• The birth weight has doubled
• The baby has good control of head and neck
• The baby can sit up with some support
• The baby can show fullness by turning the head away or by not opening the mouth
• The baby begins showing interest in food when others are eating.
Start solid feedings with iron-fortified baby rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula to a thin consistency. The cereal may be mixed to a thicker consistency as the baby learns to control it in his mouth.
• Initially, offer cereal 2 times per day in servings of 1 or 2 tablespoons (dry amount, before mixing with formula or breast milk).
• Gradually increase to 3 or 4 tablespoons of cereal.
• Cereal should not be given in a bottle unless a doctor or dietitian recommends it, for example, for reflux.
Once the baby is eating rice cereal routinely, you may introduce other iron-fortified instant cereals. Only introduce one new cereal per week so you can watch for an intolerance or allergy.