K.M.
I just read an article last night in Parents magazine and they had a nifty little chart as a guideline for feeding:
6 to 8 months:
B - 2 T infant cereal (rice, oatmeal);
L - 1-2 T infant cereal, 2 T pureed fruit or veggie (applesauce, ripe mango, sweet potato, peas);
D - 1-2 T infant cereal, 1-2 T fruit or veggie (pureed carrots, squash, banana, apricots)
8 to 11 months:
B - 2-3 T infant cereal, 1 T diced fruit (kiwi, banana, ripe peach, watermelon, cantaloupe);
L - 2-3 T infant cereal, 2 T pureed fruit, 1 T finger food (Cheerios, avocado, cooked and diced zucchini);
D - 2 T pureed veggie, 1-2 T pureed meat (chicken or beef), 1 T finger food (pineapple, ripe peach, mango, banana)
12 to 24 months:
B - 1 slice toasted whole-grain bread, 1 egg cooked any style, 6 sliced grapes, 2 oz milk;
A.M. Snack - half banana plus 2 oz milk
L - 2 whole-grain crackers, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1/4 c soft-cooked broccoli florets, 2 oz milk
P.M. Snack - 1/4 c whole-grain cereal, ripe melon chunks
D - 1/2 c whole-wheat noodles with tomato sauce, 1 oz lean ground beef, 2 T soft-cooked veggies, 2 oz milk
Snack - 1/4 c chopped fruit, 1/4 c whole yogurt
I thought this was a really great guideline even though my 10-month old eats more like a toddler. My pediatrician also recommended the after-dinner snack but we don't do that in our house; we just eat more during regular meals and snacks. I'm also still breastfeeding 3-4 times per day. Don't be afraid to experiment with flavors - mine little one won't eat bland food and hasn't since the beginning. I serve minced italian meatballs, sweet potatoes with cinnamon, lowfat turkey sausage (with no nitrites or nitrates added), chopped chicken with BBQ sauce, homemade baked fries with parmesan, refried beans mixed with shredded cheese.
My doc said that a baby's windpipe is about as big as their little thumb, so make sure you cut up everything small and cook it soft. Those little gums will mash up anything else really well (like Cheerios). Have fun!