When can a baby have yogurt?

When you start offering solid foods to your baby around six months of age, you are introducing him to a variety of flavors, aromas, and textures. Before you begin, it is important to know how to safely introduce allergenic foods.

Yogurt is a great complementary food choice when your baby is introducing solid foods. Yogurt is safe for children as long as you pay close attention to food labels and watch out for allergic reactions. Talk to your doctor first if you have a history of dairy allergies or lactose intolerance in your family.

Introducing your baby to yogurt

Be sure to read yogurt labels and avoid two specific ingredients:

Honey. Honey is not safe before 12 months because your baby can get food poisoning called botulism.

Added sugar. Many yogurts contain added sugar or sweeteners that are not good for your baby. Instead, try sweetening your yogurt with fruit.

You should only give your child one new food at a time and wait at least three days before introducing a new one. By doing this, you can identify an allergic reaction if they have one. Since dairy allergies are common, this is especially important when you offer your child yogurt.

Watch for these signs of an allergic reaction:

Vomit
Diarrhea
Itchy skin
Swelling around the lips or eyes

If your child has an allergic reaction, stop giving him yogurt and contact his pediatrician. They can provide guidance on when to try offering yogurt again to see if the allergy goes away over time.

Nutritional benefits of yogurt for your baby

Yogurt is rich in protein and calcium, as well as phosphorus and B vitamins. While protein promotes muscle development and calcium strengthens bones and teeth, yogurt's main health benefit appears to be its live bacteria content. Yogurt and other fermented foods that contain certain strains of live bacteria are called "probiotics." Probiotic foods like yogurt can help maintain a healthy bacterial balance in your child's gut. Over time, probiotic foods may even prevent a wide range of health problems, including obesity and diabetes.

A serving for your child is about half a cup of yogurt. Some brands of yogurt are fortified with protein and vitamins that are good for your baby, but read labels carefully for added sugar and honey as ingredients.

How to prepare yogurt for baby

Once you have determined that your child is not allergic to yogurt or certain fruits, add chopped fruit or pureed fruit to baby yogurt for extra flavor and sweetness. Make sure the parts are small enough not to pose a choking hazard.

Great chopped or pureed fruits to add to yogurt include:

Strawberry
Blueberry
Peaches
Banana

You can either feed your baby with a spoon or let him hold the spoon and try to eat on his own. Of course they could make a mess. This is part of their study of food when they are introduced to solid foods.

Tips for introducing your child to new foods

Before introducing new products, ask yourself the following questions:

Can my child hold his head on his own? This is an important stage in the development of solid food consumption.
Is my child interested in food? Your child may watch with interest as you eat, or even try to grab your food and taste it. When you offer a spoon to a child, he must open his mouth to eat.
Can my child carry food down his throat? If you offer food with a spoon, the child may first push it with his tongue. This is called the tongue thrust reflex. Over time, they will learn to use their tongue to push food deep into their mouths and swallow.

Offer variety. When your child starts eating solid foods, he needs to diversify his diet. This helps ensure your baby is getting all the nutrients they need and also helps expand their palate for new flavors.

Normalize new products. After you've introduced your child to a new food and made sure he's not allergic to it, try offering it again at least twice a week. Not only does this introduce your child to new foods, but it can also prevent food allergies. Also, when your child is learning to eat, he is watching you. Be sure to offer them the same foods as the rest of the family to encourage them.

Think about allergens. By the time your child is 12 months old, they should be introduced to all common allergenic foods: