Babies 101: When can babies start on cereal and other solids? What should be baby's first food? How long should you wait to try a new food?

The questions about baby food seem endless, especially to first time parents. It's confusing because everyone you know may tell you something different.

The range for when a baby should start solid food can vary widely. Some pediatricians give the go ahead to babies with no history of family food allergies around four months old if baby also shows an interest in food, can hold his head up well, and can sit up on his own with a little assistance. But in general, the recommendation is between four and six months old. This is something parents should discuss with their baby's doctor before deciding to try, as the doc will know what's best for each individual.

Once you get the go ahead, how much food do you give and what should you start with? Rice cereal is a popular choice because it is gentle on tummies and iron-fortified. (I personally chose Earth's Best organic whole grain rice cereal for each of my children. You can find a coupon HERE.)

"I think it is easier on baby's tummy to start with rice cereal as wheat and other grains can be hard to digest. This is also what the Academy of Pediatrics suggests. It is filling for baby tummies but mild. I didn't wait long to add fruit or veggie to the cereal," says Heather Schoenrock, Co-Founder and President of Jack’s Harvest and mom of three.

"Cereals don’t have to be the first food and they are certainly no more gentle on babies’ tummies than other baby foods," adds pediatrician Dr. Harold Raucher. "The reason to give them first and often is to provide the iron. Babies need lots of iron for growth the first year of life."

How much should you give to baby at first? One teaspoon? What if they're really hungry and want more food? Can you give them more until they stop eating? "It is traditional to start a new food with a small amount and build up to a larger amount. This is perhaps logical, but the foods we introduce first are rarely ones kids are allergic to. I tell parents to give the child all he/she wants, even at the first taste," says Dr. Raucher.

"It is traditional to wait a few days between new foods to be able to best detect an allergic reaction. This also makes sense, but there is no evidence to show this is better. In fact, most parents follow our instructions carefully for the first month or two of introducing foods, but abandon it later on. We are very careful on the foods given first (which rarely give an allergic reaction) and later on aren’t careful with foods more prone to allergy."

What about starting fruits before veggies? You hear that alot but does it really matter? "Starting fruits before vegetables is a popular belief, but it’s nonsense. Nearly all kids enjoy all foods at first. When they become about 15 months the vast majority become very particular and often reject vegetables and many other foods. This occurs no matter what order the food is introduced," says Dr. Raucher.

Schoenrock agrees, "After the rice cereal there are all sorts of urban myths about what to do next. I like Pears as they are almost hypoallergenic and bananas. Many pediatricians recommend starting with orange veggies like sweet potatoes. Also there is the theory that if you start with fruit the baby will never eat veggies. I have disproved this one three times all my kids started with pears and bananas and they went on to eat everything from carrots to rutabegas!"

If your baby doesn't like a food, should you forget it all together or try again later? "It can take up to 10 tastings for a new food to be accepted (this goes for adults as well!!) so keep trying a little every day for 10 days and see if the baby develops a taste for the food in question. Another trick is to mix the food in question with a food the baby loves just a little at a time, increasing the ratio until the new food can be served alone. There also may just be foods the baby doesn't like and that is ok. Shelve it and try again in a month or so, babies taste buds are developing all the time," says Schoenrock.

Make a feeding routine for baby. It is important to still keep breastmilk and/or formula at the heart of baby's diet. "When your baby graduates from rice cereal I would suggest about 1 oz at each feeding, with Jack's Harvest, you can easily add more as your baby's appetite dictates. In the beginning, I would nurse/or bottle and then feed the baby 1-2 oz of Jack's harvest about an hour later and repeat this around lunch time and around dinner time," says Schoenrock. "The baby will let you know if they want more - remember they don't overeat because babies eat intuitively, they only eat what they need to feel full no more so when baby turns his head away he is probably full."

Earth’s Best offers a "Recommended Infant Schedule" and there's another great one at wholesomebabyfood.com It would be a good idea to print these out and take them to your 4 month baby doctor well visit and see if your pedi thinks those plans would work for your baby, or maybe a combination.