Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 Month Olds

A young child to eating from a spoon.

When your child is about 6 months old, you can start introducing him or her to foods and drinks other than breast milk and infant formula.

The foods and drinks you feed your child are sometimes called complementary foods. You can think of these as “complementing,” or adding to, the breast milk or infant formula that you continue to feed your child.

Between your child’s first and second year, he or she will develop the skills needed to participate in meals with the family, and by the time your child is 2 years old, he or she will be able to eat most of the same foods as the rest of the family. Some skills, such as finger feeding, drinking from a cup, and using a spoon are part of your child’s developmental milestones. Explore the pages below to learn more.

A young child to eating from a spoon.
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