I've tried to figure out and understand what role solids should play in Brooke's daily food intake. Babycenter has an excellent article "Age-by-age guide to feeding your baby" which offers some pretty good (and understandable) guidelines.
Age: 4-6 Months
What to Feed: milk/formula, PLUS Semi-liquid iron-fortified rice cereal, THEN other grain cereals like oats or barley
How much: Begin with about 1 teaspoon dry rice cereal mixed with 4 to 5 teaspoons milk/formula. Gradually thicken consistency and increase to 1 tablespoon dry cereal (mixed with milk or formula), 2X a day.
Age: 6-8 Months
What to Feed: milk/formula, PLUS Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, oats), Pureed or strained fruits (banana, pears, applesauce, peaches), Pureed or strained vegetables (avocado, well-cooked carrots, squash, and sweet potato)
How much: 3 to 9 tablespoons cereal, in 2 to 3 feedings, 1 teaspoon fruit, gradually increased to ¼ to ½ cup in 2 to 3 feedings, 1 teaspoon vegetables, gradually increased to ¼ to ½ cup in 2 to 3 feedings
Age: 8-10 Months
What to Feed: milk/formula, PLUS Small amounts of soft pasteurized cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (but no cows' milk until age 1), Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals), Mashed fruits and vegetables (bananas, peaches, pears, avocados, cooked carrots, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes), Finger foods (lightly toasted bagels, cut up; small pieces of ripe banana; well-cooked spiral pasta; teething crackers; low-sugar O-shaped cereal), Small amounts of protein (egg, pureed meats, poultry, and boneless fish; tofu; well-cooked and mashed beans with soft skins like lentils, split peas, pintos, black beans), Non-citrus juice (apple or pear)
How much: ¼ to 1/3 cup dairy (or ½ oz. cheese), ¼ to ½ cup iron-fortified cereal, ¼ to ½ cup fruit, ¼ to ½ cup vegetables, 1/8 to ¼ cup protein foods, 3 to 4 oz. non-citrus juices
Age: 10-12 Months
What to Feed: milk/formula PLUS Soft pasteurized cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (but no cows' milk until age 1), Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals), Fruit cut into cubes or strips, or mashed, Bite-size, soft-cooked vegetables (peas, carrots), Combo foods (macaroni and cheese, casseroles), Protein (egg; pureed or finely ground meats, poultry, and boneless fish; tofu; well-cooked and mashed beans), Finger foods (lightly toasted bread or bagels, small pieces of ripe banana, spiral pasta, teething crackers, low-sugar O-shaped cereal), Non-citrus juice
How much: 1/3 cup dairy (or ½ oz. cheese), ¼ to ½ cup iron-fortified cereal, ¼ to ½ cup fruit, ¼ to ½ cup vegetables, 1/8 to ¼ cup combo foods, 1/8 to ¼ cup protein foods, 3 to 4 oz. non-citrus juices
Considering that Brooke is now refusing to eat her cereal at all, we are not quite near the recommended 1 tbsp for 2X a day. Tomorrow I'm going to try oatmeal in the morning instead of rice cereal. Hopefully she digs that a bit more so we can move to 2X a day instead of our current situation: 0X a day :)
