Feeding your baby a balanced diet can often feel more like art than science. No matter how much you plan, it will ultimately be up to your child to decide whether or not she'll eat what you serve. To minimize your concerns about planning, try to remember the following two important points:

• The primary source of nutrition for infants is breast milk or iron-fortified formula, plus a supplementary source of iron for those over six months (generally sourced from infant cereal). Fruits, vegetables, meats, juices and desserts serve to round out the diet with additional nutrients and calories, and acquaint babies with a wide range of tastes and textures to facilitate the introduction of "adult food" when he's older.
• Focus on ensuring a varied and balanced diet over the course of a week or so, and don't worry too much about what your baby consumes on any particular day.

With this in mind, we have prepared several meal and snack menus for you to consider, depending on the age of your baby. Remember that while you may have to try feeding a particular food on several occasions before your baby accepts it, it is important never to force your child to eat anything. Eating should be a positive experience, so if he rejects a food one day, simply put it away and make a mental note to try again in a week or so; in all likelihood you'll get a positive reception on a future try.