Starting solid foods is one of the most exciting milestones of your baby's first year. But it can also feel overwhelming. When should you start? What foods are best? How do you introduce allergens safely? This practical guide walks you through it week by week.
When Is My Baby Ready for Solids?
Most babies are ready for solid foods around 6 months of age. Look for these readiness signs (your baby should show most or all of them):
- Good head and neck control: Can hold their head steady while sitting supported
- Sitting with support: Can sit upright in a high chair
- Interest in food: Watches you eat, reaches for your food, opens mouth when food approaches
- Loss of tongue-thrust reflex: No longer pushes food out of their mouth with their tongue
Week 1 to 2: Getting Started
Start simple with single-ingredient purees. The goal is exposure, not nutrition. Breast milk or formula remains the primary food source.
- How much: 1 to 2 teaspoons per session
- How often: Once per day
- Best first foods: Iron-fortified rice or oat cereal, pureed sweet potato, pureed avocado, pureed banana
- Timing: Choose a time when your baby is alert and not too hungry (mid-morning works well)
Week 3 to 4: Building Variety
- How much: 1 to 2 tablespoons per session
- How often: 1 to 2 times per day
- Introduce: Pureed peas, carrots, squash, pears, apples, prunes
- Wait 2 to 3 days between new foods to watch for allergic reactions
At this stage, focus on introducing different flavors. Research shows that early exposure to a variety of flavors, including vegetables, helps develop a broader palate later.
Week 5 to 8: Expanding the Menu
- How much: 2 to 4 tablespoons per meal
- How often: 2 meals per day
- Introduce: Pureed meats (chicken, beef, turkey), pureed beans, yogurt, well-cooked whole egg
- Textures: Begin moving from smooth purees to slightly mashed textures
Allergen Introduction: Start Early, Around 6 Months
Current AAP and AAAAI guidelines (based on the landmark LEAP study) recommend introducing common allergens as soon as solids begin, around 6 months of age. Delaying allergens does not prevent allergies and may actually increase the risk. Introduce these foods early and serve them regularly:
- Peanut butter: Thin it with breast milk or water (never give whole peanuts)
- Egg: Start with well-cooked scrambled whole egg
- Dairy: Plain yogurt or small amounts of cheese
- Wheat: Small pieces of soft bread or pasta
- Fish: Pureed or flaked cooked fish (avoid high-mercury fish)
- Soy: Tofu or soy-based foods
By 9 to 12 Months: Family Foods
- How much: 3 meals per day plus 1 to 2 snacks
- Textures: Soft finger foods, chopped foods, mixed textures
- Self-feeding: Encourage your baby to use their fingers and begin practicing with a spoon
- Milk: Breast milk or formula still makes up 40 to 50% of nutrition
Foods to Avoid Before 12 Months
- Honey: Risk of infant botulism
- Cow's milk as a drink: Can replace iron-rich milk and strain immature kidneys (cooking with small amounts is fine)
- Choking hazards: Whole grapes, hot dogs, popcorn, whole nuts, raw carrots, chunks of cheese
- Added salt and sugar: Baby kidneys cannot handle excess sodium, and sugar establishes unhealthy preferences
- High-mercury fish: Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish
Common Concerns
My Baby Spits Everything Out
This is normal. Babies need practice to learn how to move food from the front of their mouth to the back for swallowing. It does not mean they dislike the food. Research shows it can take 10 to 15 exposures to a food before a baby accepts it.
How Much Should My Baby Actually Eat?
Follow your baby's cues. In the first month of solids, even a few teaspoons count as a successful meal. The goal is practice and exposure. Nutrition still comes primarily from milk. For detailed amounts at each age, see our baby feeding schedule by age.
Gagging vs Choking
Gagging is normal and expected. It is your baby's protective reflex for learning to manage food. Gagging is loud, and your baby will usually resolve it on their own. Choking is silent and requires immediate action. Always supervise meals and learn infant CPR before starting solids.
Track the Journey with BabyInsight
BabyInsight's feeding tracker makes it easy to log what your baby eats each day. With the 100+ food database, you can track calories and see daily nutrition summaries. The stool tracker is especially useful during this transition, helping you correlate new foods with changes in your baby's digestion. Learn more about how solids change baby poop.
