It is customary to start introducing solid foods with purées made from a single cooked vegetable. We recommend taking your time and offering single vegetables for two weeks before introducing the first fruits to your little gourmet. Give those delicious vegetables every chance to shine, since a preference for sweet foods starts very early. After this period, introduce the first cooked fruits, still one at a time, so you can spot any potential allergies and let your baby discover the true taste of foods!
One new food at a time
Offer the same vegetable for 2 to 3 days before trying another. This gives your baby time to get used to an unfamiliar taste and helps you identify the food responsible if there is a reaction. A solid food introduction packoffers flavors already arranged in this order.
Allergens: there’s no longer any need to wait before introducing them
This is the major change of recent years. Eggs, dairy products, fish, peanuts, soy and wheat can be offered from the start of solid food introduction, in small amounts and regularly: delaying them offers no benefit. In practice, add half a teaspoon of powdered nuts to purée; never give whole nuts before age 4. Eggs should be hard-boiled and finely mashed, as explained in our article on when to introduce eggs to your baby. Gluten should be introduced between 4 and 12 months.
WHEN TO ASK FOR ADVICE
Severe eczema, a diagnosed allergy, or a family history of allergies: talk to your doctor before introducing allergens.
What are the first vegetables to give a 4-month-old baby?
It’s recommended to start with very mild vegetables such as carrots, butternut squashor broccoli. And yes, starting with endive purée can be a little challenging for a brand-new palate. So at first, avoid vegetables with very strong flavors, as well as those that are harder to digest, such as cabbage or turnips.
6 mild vegetables to get started at 4 months
Vegetable > Why it works
Carrot: Sweet taste, very smooth texture when steamed
Butternut squash: Soft, creamy texture and a natural source of fiber
Zucchini: Mild and easy to digest, without the skin or seeds
Pumpkin: Sweet flavor and naturally creamy purée
Green beans: Few tough fibers; blend and then strain
Broccoli: Slightly stronger flavor and a melt-in-the-mouth texture
Steam them without salt or stock. If you’re short on time, jarred or pouch meals for a 4-month-old babymade with a single vegetable offer the same texture. Our article which vegetable to give your baby firstexplains the recommended order.
Vegetables to save for later
Cabbage, turnips, whole leeks, salsify, artichokes and bell peppers are best left until 6 to 8 months: they’re more fibrous or have stronger flavors, so they’re harder to digest. Some mild vegetables, on the other hand, can help with bowel movements: see which foods to give a constipated baby.
If your baby refuses a vegetable, don’t worry—wait a few days before offering it again! Santé publique France says it can sometimes take up to 10 tries before a food is accepted. If refusals continue, our article on food neophobiacan help.
Which fruits can you give a 4-month-old baby?
Once the 15 days of vegetables on their own are over, you can start introducing fruit. Contrary to what some people believe, all fruits can be given from 4 months as long as they’re cooked, even tropical fruits! The same rule applies as for vegetables: offer each fruit cooked on its own so your baby can discover its flavor and so you can spot any potential allergy as quickly as possible. We suggest starting with apple or banana—they’re always a hit! (By the way, have you seen our mixed fruit pack?)
Offer fruit at snack time, never as a replacement for a milk feed. Reliable choices to start with include apple, pear, banana, peach and apricot, all cooked and finely blended, with no added sugar. Avoid honey before age 1 because of the risk of infant botulism.
Wait a few months before offering raw (fully ripe) fruit, when your baby’s stomach is a little more developed!
Our guide to when to introduce fruit into your baby’s dietcovers the full timeline.
How much purée should a 4-month-old baby have?
On mpedia.fr, AFPA pediatricians recommend starting solid foods with a few spoonfuls of vegetables at lunchtime, using a soft-tipped spoon, and gradually increasing the amount to about one small jar—around 130 g of smooth purée—by around 6 months. The amount of breast milk or formula usually decreases as the amount of purée increases. Fruit is then introduced at snack time, up to around 100 grams.
Milk intake decreases as purée intake increases
The more purée your child eats at lunch, the less milk they’ll have afterward: let them regulate their intake. The only minimum to keep an eye on is 500 ml of milk per day. If bottle intake suddenly drops below this amount, reduce the purée portions and mention it at the next medical checkup.
