Regarding food categories: Introduce foods in this sequence: starches (grains) → vegetables → fruits → animal-based foods. Start with grain-based foods, optionally fortified with iron (e.g., iron-enriched infant cereal). Next, introduce vegetable juices/purees, followed by fruit juices/purees. Finally, begin adding animal-based foods like egg custard, fish, poultry, or minced meat/meat floss.
The recommended sequence for animal-based foods is: egg custard puree, fish puree (with bones and spines removed), whole eggs (e.g., steamed egg custard), and minced meat. Note: Do not substitute egg custard for iron-fortified infant rice cereal to supplement iron. Also, avoid introducing meat-based complementary foods before 6 months of age.
Regarding quantity: Start with small amounts for tasting or as a supplement after breastfeeding. Gradually increase portions as the baby adapts.
Texture progression: Introduce liquids first (e.g., rice porridge, vegetable broth, fruit juice), followed by purees (e.g., thick rice porridge, vegetable puree, meat puree, fish puree, egg yolk), then semi-solids (e.g., soft rice, cooked noodles, small steamed bun slices).
Timing: Introduce liquid foods (e.g., formula, rice cereal, vegetable puree) starting at 4 months. Begin semi-solid foods (e.g., fruit puree, mashed egg yolk, fish puree) at 6 months. Between 7 and 9 months, transition from semi-solids to chewable soft solids (e.g., porridge with noodles, vegetable congee with chopped vegetables).By 12 months, most babies can transition to primarily solid foods as complementary feeding.