The best choice for baby's first complementary food at four months is iron-rich nutritional rice powder. Like formula milk powder, rice powder is a nutritional food specifically designed for infants and young children. Its nutritional components are more comprehensive, and the nutrients required by babies far exceed those of relatively single-nutrient foods such as eggs and vegetable purees. It can not only meet the growth needs of babies but also has lower allergenicity than foods such as eggs. In addition, rice powder is easier to modulate into a uniform paste, making it easier for babies to swallow and more willing to accept.
The first-stage food for infants is semi-solid food, which is specially made baby products or homemade nutrient-rich, mud-like (mashed) food, mostly plant-based food, including iron-fortified rice powder, fruit puree, root or melon and bean vegetable puree. Iron-fortified cereal foods are mostly introduced as the first food because they can supplement iron nutrition, are easy to digest, and are not easy to cause allergies. Gradually transition to the second-stage food for infants, namely solid food, after 7 to 8 months of age. The types of food are similar to adult food, and the hardness or size should be moderately increased, such as soft food in the form of crumbs, crushed, finger-shaped, or strip-shaped, including fruits, vegetables, fish and meat, and eggs. Baby complementary foods at four months include rice porridge, millet porridge, vegetable juice, fruit and vegetable soup, etc., which can not only supplement the reasons but also provide more energy for babies' growth and development.