Avoid juice
Juice is not recommended for babies under one year old. Juice may make babies less hungry for healthy foods. It may also be bad for new teeth that are forming. Your baby’s main drink should still be breastmilk or formula, but give your baby a little water in a cup to practice drinking from a cup.
Eat Together as a Family
Your baby learns about eating by watching you eat. Talk with your baby about new foods he or she is tasting, smelling, and touching. Small pieces of food that are easy to pick up and soft enough to squish are fun to touch and taste. Offer small pieces of whole grain dry cereal, soft fruit, cooked pasta, cooked vegetables, and meat.
Even if your baby has some teeth, he or she is not old enough to eat hard foods. Babies this age can choke on hard foods, such as hard candy, nuts, popcorn, and raw carrots. Foods, such as grapes or hot dogs, can also cause choking. Cut all food into small, bite-size pieces. To reduce the risk of choking stay near your baby and watch while he or she eats.
If you breastfeed, keep going! American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children breastfeed for at least the first year of life and for as long as mom and baby choose to continue.
Switch from a bottle to a cup
By age one, your baby should drink from a cup at meals and snack times. Keep practicing drinking from a cup with your baby. Keep the following in mind when choosing a cup:
• Don’t choose a cup with a "no-spill valve." The only way your baby can get liquid out of many no-spill cups is to suck. This prevents him or her from learning to sip. A snap-on or screw-on lid can reduce spills and still allow your baby to sip. Give small amounts to limit the mess if spilled.
Here are some other tips:
• Use a cup with two handles to make it easier for your baby to hold.
• Use a cup with a weighted base to prevent it from tipping over.
• Offer only water unless it is mealtime. At mealtime, offer breastmilk or formula in a cup.