Can a Baby of a Few Months Old Start Adding Spices to Food?

Question

A parent inquired whether they can start adding spices to their seven-month-old child’s food, as the baby has been eating white rice porridge for the past two months.

Answer

According to expert advice, infants can begin to try complementary foods around four months of age. When introducing new ingredients, it is important to introduce one at a time and allow the child to try them multiple times to adapt to the new flavors, then gradually introduce other ingredients. The timing of introducing complementary foods should not be too early or too late, as this may have adverse effects on the infant’s health. Introducing complementary foods too early may lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and poor digestion, while introducing them too late may result in malnutrition and even make the infant resist solid non-milk products.