Congratulations! Your baby is ready for solids and can start to discover how fun it is to experience a wide variety of new flavors.

It's important to enter this phase slowly for many reasons. The rule of thumb is to start with one new taste at a time to give your baby a chance to adjust to each new flavor, and to wait at least three days before introducing another food. This will give you enough time to see if your baby develops an allergic reaction, such as diarrhea or a rash. If you see what you think might be an allergic reaction, consult your pediatrician immediately.

Once your baby is ready to taste more than cereal, a good way to introduce solids is to alternate a spoonful of vegetables or fruit with a spoonful of cereal, so they can slowly adjust to the new flavor. Make sure all of these foods are served in small amounts and are pureed or really mushy (that's where we at Cuisinart® come in!), so there's no risk of choking.

Some great foods to start with:

• Sweet potatoes
• Squash
• Applesauce
• Bananas
• Carrots
• Peaches
• Pears

As you begin to expand your baby's culinary horizons, you will see that -- just like us grownups -- babies develop a taste for their own favorite foods. If your baby decides he doesn't like a particular food, try serving it again in a week or so. Sometimes it just takes a while for new flavors to catch on.

Making your own baby food can save you a lot of time and money. Best of all, you can relax in knowing your baby only eating the purest ingredients, without all the preservatives and additives of most jarred baby food. Be sure to check out our recipe section for quick and easy ways to give your baby a healthy introduction to solid food.