Stage 2 means it’s time to
thicken things up a bit.
Start slow by adding well-cooked rice, oatmeal,
or tiny pasta bits into purées for an added bit of
texture. Once your baby gets used to these thicker
foods, you can get creative with your flavor
combinations to help develop a mature palate.
This stage also calls for the introduction of
heartier foods like chicken, red meat, and
shredded cheese. Now that your baby has a
much longer list of flavors to choose from, it’s
a great idea to make large batches of single-
ingredient purées in advance (see batch
preparation on page 17).
That way, when a
recipe calls for something like chicken, you can
just toss in a thawed serving — no extra cooking
required. It will save you an incredible amount of
preparation time which allows you to be creative
without spending too much time in the kitchen.
Finally, stage 2 is a wonderful and fun time to
start introducing finger foods such as cereal, tiny
bits of fruit, and minced cooked vegetables.
Every child develops differently, so it’s important to talk to your
pediatrician to make informed decisions about what foods
are appropriate for your baby, specifically. If at any point you
become concerned with your baby’s eating habits, contact your
pediatrician for advice.
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