Vegetables should be introduced after cereal and before fruit. Vegetables should be introduced as your baby can get the important nutrients he needs during his first year.

A typical daily serving of vegetables for a 6-8 month old baby is 3-4 tablespoons twice a day. You should start with strained pureed green vegetables and move on to strained yellow and other brightly colored varieties. Two great first choices are green peas or green beans. After the green vegetables you can introduce a more colorful choice such as carrots, yellow squash, or sweet potatoes. On top of that, you should introduce one vegetable at a time and wait 2-3 days before offering another variety. This gives your baby a chance to adapt to one flavor and gives you a chance to watch for allergic reactions. It is important that all vegetables you serve to your 6-8 month old baby need to be finely strained and pureed.

A typical daily serving of vegetables for an 8-10 month old baby can vary from 3-4 tablespoons four times a day to over a cup of vegetables daily. Your baby is an individual and servings will depend on the size of your baby and how your baby likes and tolerates vegetables. As your baby nears his first birthday continue to increase his serving size of vegetables to accommodate his appetite. If your baby is not having any trouble eating strained vegetables you can advance to junior strained (less pureed more mashed) and very tender vegetables from the family table.

Babies need great nutrient rich choices (made by you) to accommodate their metabolism and growth rate. For instance a baby requires more Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Calcium per pound of body weight than an adult male.

Luckily there are many power packed vegetables to choose from for your baby :

1. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, and carrots are full of vitamin A (beta-carotene) which is vital to healthy eyesight, normal cell development, immune defenses and more.
2. Nerve and muscle processes both rely heavily on thiamin and green peas are a good source.
3. Red sweet peppers, green peepers, and broccoli contain high amounts of vitamin C, an antioxidant which also assists in iron absorption.
4. Calcium is an integral part of bone structure and plays a major role in blood clotting, maintaining blood pressure and much more. Broccoli, lima beans, soybeans, and squash are healthy choices if you’re aiming for calcium.

Iron is a mineral that makes up an important part of hemoglobin, the substance in blood that carries oxygen throughout the body. Iron also carries oxygen in muscles, helping them function properly. Without an adequate amount of iron, the hemoglobin cannot carry enough oxygen to body tissues. The result is iron deficiency anemia with symptoms of tiredness and weakness. Infants who do not get enough iron can develop iron deficiency anaemia. This can cause a very serious illness called infant botulism.

Breast milk is the best source of iron for baby. There are sufficient quantities of iron in breast milk so that generally no supplementation of iron is necessary. However, at 4-6 months, the baby’s iron stores become depleted and the iron in breast milk will no longer be sufficient to prevent anemia.

In this case, iron fortified cereals provides the necessary iron levels in order to meet nutritional needs for baby aged six months and up. Most rice cereals provide the recommended daily amount of iron for your baby. According to a research, the low rates of iron deficiency anaemia in Canada and the USA are thought to be partly a result of the wide-spread use of commercially available iron fortified cereals

On the other hand, if you are not breastfeeding, provide your baby with iron-fortified formula milk. Your baby needs iron-fortified formula milk until his first birthday. Babies do not need solid foods until they are 6 months old.

From 6 months, iron-containing pulses (peas, beans, lentils), green leafy vegetables, meat, poultry and eggs can be introduced. Adding these foods daily will help babies get their necessary iron. The green leafy vegetables are also rich in vitamin C, in combination with a good iron source will help your baby’s body absorb more iron.