Once your baby is accustomed to - and loves - infant cereal, you can start adding other solid foods. Introduce meats and alternatives first, followed by vegetables, fruits and finally yogourt, cheese, and cottage cheese.

Meat and alternatives from 6-7 months

Cooked and puréed lamb, chicken, turkey, fish, beef, and veal are popular choices. Mashed tofu, legumes (such as dried beans, peas, lentils, chick peas, etc.) and egg-yolk can also be introduced. It's recommended to postpone the introduction of egg whites until 1 year of age because of the possibility of an allergic reaction.

Vegetables from 6-7 months - after meats and alternatives

Puréed, unsalted and cooked vegetables can be introduced around 6-7 months of age. Feed orange, yellow, or green vegetables, such as squash,wax beans, peas, and carrots. But you may want to try orange or yellow vegetables first (like carrots, squash or sweet potatoes). Babies tend to like these most because they are naturally sweet.

Fruits from 6-7 months - after first vegetables

About 2 weeks after vegetables, you can introduce fruits. Remove the skin and seeds from fruits such as apples, pears, and peaches, then cook and purée. It's not necessary to cook bananas. Just peel and mash. If you're using canned fruit, buy fruits packed in water or in their own juice - not syrup. Fruit juice is not necessary for the nutrition of infants and toddlers.

Other grain products from 7-8 months

Between 7-8 months of age, your baby may begin teething. And a few teeth are all he needs. Try dry toast or unsalted crackers around this time.Then between 8-12 months, unsweetened cereal - like Cheerios^® - plus pasta, rice, bread, bagels, and plain muffins can be introduced.

Milk products from 8-12 months

Yogourt, cheese, and cottage cheese can be introduced at 9 months of age. Your baby needs the fat from these foods, so use regular products (not skimmed or partially skimmed).Whole (homogenized) cow's milk can be introduced sometime between 9-12 months of age, as long as your baby is eating a balanced diet including many foods rich in iron such as iron-fortified infant cereals, meat, fish, poultry and legumes.You can continue to offer iron-fortified foods (such as iron-fortified infant cereals and iron-fortified formula) beyond 1 year of age to ensure you're providing sufficient iron in your baby's diet. Iron is critical and plays an important role in the prevention of iron deficiency anemia - a condition that can lead to psychomotor developmental delays, impaired cognitive function, and decreased attention span.

Food textures are important, too

Around 6 months, start with smooth purées, and thicken purées as your baby gets used to eating solid foods.

Around 7-7 1/2 months, start to serve thicker purées and purées with soft lumps.

Around 8-9 months, start to serve finely chopped or minced foods.

Around 9-12 months, give soft foods cut into small pieces to encourage finger feeding.

By one year of age, your baby should be eating a variety of soft table foods from the different food groups found in Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating, drinking beverages from a cup (sippy cups are fine) and eating 3 meals a day plus between-meal snacks.