Getting started
Signs your baby is ready
Babies are usually ready for solid food at around 6 months. By then, most show all three of these signs:
Sits and holds their head steady
They can stay in a sitting position with support and keep their head steady.
Coordinates eyes, hands and mouth
They can look at food, pick it up and bring it to their mouth.
Swallows food
They swallow food rather than pushing it back out with their tongue.
Chewing fists, waking in the night or wanting more milk are normal baby behaviour, and are not signs that your baby needs solid food. If your baby was born prematurely, or you are thinking about starting before 6 months, talk to your health visitor or doctor first.
The first few weeks
What to offer first
Start with small amounts, once a day, at a time when your baby is not too tired or hungry. Milk is still their main food at this stage.
- Vegetables and fruit
Mashed or soft-cooked sticks of carrot, parsnip, broccoli, potato, sweet potato, apple or pear. Offer vegetables that are less sweet, like broccoli, early and often.
- Iron-rich foods
Babies need iron from around 6 months. Try mashed lentils or beans, well-cooked egg, soft meat or fish, or iron-fortified cereal.
- Starchy foods
Porridge, soft toast fingers, pasta, rice and potatoes.
- Dairy
Full-fat plain yoghurt and pasteurised cheese are fine from around 6 months. Cow's milk can be used in cooking, but should not be the main drink until 12 months.
You can feed your baby with a spoon, let them feed themselves with finger foods (often called baby-led weaning), or combine both. All three are fine.
Allergies
Introducing foods that can cause allergies
From around 6 months, the NHS advises introducing the foods that most commonly cause allergies one at a time, in very small amounts, so you can spot any reaction. These include cow's milk, eggs, foods containing gluten, peanuts and tree nuts (smooth nut butter or ground nuts, never whole), seeds, soya, fish and shellfish.
Once a food has been introduced and your baby has no reaction, keep offering it regularly as part of their usual diet.
Higher risk of allergy? If your baby has eczema, an existing food allergy, or a close family history of allergies, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing these foods. They may suggest a plan, or a referral to an allergy specialist.
Building skills
Textures, timing and safe preparation
Babies learn to chew by practising with new textures. Moving on gradually matters: babies who only have smooth purees for a long time can find lumps harder to accept later.
| Age (roughly) | Textures | Meals |
|---|---|---|
| Around 6 months | Smooth or mashed food, soft finger foods | Start with small tastes, once a day |
| 7 to 9 months | Mashed and chopped food, more finger foods | Build up to 3 meals a day |
| 10 to 12 months | Chopped family food, a wider range of finger foods | 3 meals a day, plus milk |
| From 12 months | Most family food, cut up safely | 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks a day |
Gagging is common while babies learn. It is noisy and usually clears on its own. Choking is different: it is often silent, and your baby cannot cry, cough or breathe. Always stay with your baby while they eat, and learn baby first aid.
How to cut and prepare food safely: allergies and choking hazards.
Responsive feeding
Let your baby lead
Responsive feeding means watching your baby's signals and responding to them. It helps babies learn to eat to their appetite.
Signs they want more
- Leaning towards the spoon or food
- Opening their mouth
- Reaching for food
- Getting excited when food appears
Signs they have had enough
- Turning their head away
- Closing their mouth
- Pushing food or the spoon away
- Crying or getting upset
Never force your baby to eat more than they want. Some days they will eat a lot, and other days very little. That is normal.
The move to family meals
From first bites to family food
By about 12 months, most babies can eat a version of what the rest of the family eats. This is one of the easiest ways to reduce extra cooking.
- Cook without salt, then take your baby's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or strong sauces for adults.
- Eat together when you can. Babies learn by watching you eat.
- Offer water in an open or free-flow cup with meals from around 6 months.
- Keep offering refused foods. It can take many tries before a baby accepts a new taste.
Foods to avoid in the first year
- Honey before 12 months, because of the risk of infant botulism.
- Added salt and sugar, including salty snacks, stock cubes and sugary drinks.
- Whole nuts and peanuts until at least 5 years old, because of the choking risk.
- Cow's milk as a main drink before 12 months, and rice drinks before 5 years.
- Raw or lightly cooked shellfish, and shark, swordfish or marlin.
- Unpasteurised cheese, and soft mould-ripened or blue cheeses unless cooked.
Speak to your GP or health visitor if your baby has any reaction to a food, struggles to swallow, or is not gaining weight as expected.
FAQ
Common questions
Does my baby need vitamins?
In the UK, the NHS recommends vitamin D for breastfed babies from birth, and vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D for babies from 6 months who have less than 500ml of formula a day. Ask your health visitor what is right for your baby.
How much milk should my baby still have?
Breast milk or formula remains the main drink throughout the first year. As your baby eats more solid food, they may naturally take a little less milk. Follow their lead and ask your health visitor if you are unsure.
Is baby-led weaning better than spoon feeding?
Neither is better for every family. What matters most is offering a range of foods and textures, letting your baby lead the pace, and staying with them while they eat. Many families use a mix of both.
My baby spits everything out. Should I stop?
No. New tastes and textures take time to get used to. Keep offering small amounts calmly, and try the same foods again on other days.
Sources
Where this guide comes from
- World Health Organization: Infant and young child feeding
- NHS Best Start in Life: Weaning
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- CDC: When, what and how to introduce solid foods
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Starting solid foods
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Always follow advice from your own doctor or health visitor, especially if your baby was born early or has a medical condition.
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