First comes baby food, then eating with the family.
How to make it work.
Breast milk is the best food for newborn babies. It has many advantages: it is convenient, it is always the right temperature, and it is always with you. In the first year of life, babies get almost all nutrients from breast milk. If you do not breastfeed your baby, you can use a special powder that is similar to breast milk. It contains the nutrients your baby needs. This powder is called baby formula or Pre-Nahrung in German ("pre-nutrition").
When your baby is 5 months old, it needs more than breast milk. Start giving your baby solid foods so that they get more nutrients and more energy. Solid foods are the foods that the baby eats in addition to breast milk or formula.
Make sure to introduce solid foods carefully and slowly. Give your child only a few spoonfuls of puree at first. Your baby still needs breast milk. Breastfeed for as long as you and your child want.
Can my baby already start eating solid foods?
Not all babies are ready for solid foods at the same age. Your baby must be strong enough to sit upright with little help. They must be able to hold their head up without any help.
You will see whether your baby is ready for solid foods. For example, when they no longer spit out the food. Or when the first teeth appear. Another sign is that your baby is interested in other people's food.
Starting solid foods depends on your baby’s development. But you should not start solid foods before the 17th week of your baby’s life. That is about 4 months. Your baby should be introduced to solid foods at the latest in the 26th week of its life. That is about 6 months. But even when your baby eats solid foods, it is still a good idea to continue breastfeeding.
A few small spoonfuls of solid foods are enough to start with. Give your baby 2 to 3 teaspoons of mashed food. Your child will start eating more solid foods over time.
At the end of the first year of life, your child should eat with the rest of the family. This means breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
| Alter | Complementary food |
|---|---|
| Starting complementary food* | Steamed and finely pureed foods such as meat, vegetables and fruit. |
| 6 - 9 months | Zum Beispiel sind Flocken lösliche Nahrungsmittel. Die Nahrung hat eine feste Konsistenz. Nahrungsmittel, die grob püriert sind, sind zum Beispiel zerdrückte Bananen. Feste Nahrungsmittel können in geriebener Form gegessen werden, zum Beispiel geriebener Apfel. |
| 9 – 12 Monate | Feste Nahrung Geschnittenes, gewürfeltes oder gehacktes Obst, Gemüse oder Familienkost etc. kann verwendet werden. (zum Beispiel in Salaten oder als Beilage) |
*) not before the beginning of the 5th month (17th week of life)
