Starting Solids: A Complete Guide to Complementary Feeding
When and how to introduce solid foods — readiness signs, first foods, early allergen introduction, choking safety, and what to avoid.
When is your baby ready?
Most babies are ready for solids around 6 months — and never before 4 months. Look for these signs together, not age alone:
Solids complement — they don't replace — breast milk or formula in the first year. Milk stays the main source of nutrition until 12 months.
First foods
Start simple: one single-ingredient food at a time, soft and smooth. Lead with iron, because a baby's own iron stores start running low around 6 months.
Offer iron-rich foods first
Iron-fortified infant cereal, well-cooked pureed meat or poultry, lentils, beans, or tofu. Pairing with a little vitamin-C food (such as mashed fruit) helps iron absorb.
Build variety
Introduce a range of vegetables, fruits, and grains over the following weeks. Wide exposure to flavors and textures builds acceptance.
Keep it unseasoned
No added salt or sugar — babies don't need them, and their kidneys can't handle much salt.
Texture progression
There is no single right path. Purées and baby-led weaning both work, and many families mix the two.
Purée-led Start smooth, then gradually thicken to mashed, then soft lumps, then soft finger foods by around 8–9 months.
Baby-led weaning (BLW) Offer soft, graspable finger foods from the start (like soft-cooked vegetable sticks) and let your baby self-feed.
Whichever path you choose, move toward soft finger foods and more texture by about 9 months. Delaying lumps too long can make texture harder to accept later.
Allergens: introduce early, one at a time
Current guidance is to introduce common allergens early — from around 6 months — rather than delay. Early, regular exposure can lower the risk of developing a food allergy.
The allergens to introduce deliberately: milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, and sesame.
One new allergen at a time
Offer a new allergen on a day you can watch your baby, then wait about 3 days before the next new allergen. That makes it clear which food caused any reaction.
Serve it safely
Peanut and tree nuts must be smooth — thinned nut butter stirred into puree, never whole nuts. Cook egg fully.
Signs of an allergic reaction include hives, swelling (especially of the lips or face), vomiting, or trouble breathing. For any breathing difficulty, facial or mouth swelling, or a severe reaction, call emergency services (911) immediately. For milder reactions, stop the food and contact your pediatrician.
Once an allergen is introduced and tolerated, keep offering it regularly — steady exposure helps maintain tolerance.
Choking safety
Choking is not the same as gagging. Gagging is loud, normal, and protective; choking is silent. Stay within arm's reach at every meal, and keep your baby seated upright — never reclined or moving.
Avoid common choking hazards: whole nuts, whole grapes and cherry tomatoes (quarter them), popcorn, hard raw vegetables like raw carrot, chunks of meat or cheese, hot dogs (quarter lengthwise), hard candy, and thick globs of nut butter.
Foods to avoid before 12 months
How much, how often
Begin with a few spoonfuls once a day and follow your baby's cues — turning away or closing the mouth means done. Build gradually to two or three meals a day by around 9 months. Appetite varies enormously day to day: your job is to offer, your baby's job is to decide how much.
Once solids begin, offer water in an open or straw cup with meals. No juice needed.
Based on guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, and CDC. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized medical advice.
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