First baby foods: when to start, what to offer and simple puree ideas
5 min read
Quick answer
Good first baby foods are soft single vegetables and fruit, such as mashed broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, sweet potato, parsnip, pear or banana. Start around 6 months when your baby shows the 3 signs of readiness. Offer a few teaspoons or pieces, add no salt or sugar, and build up from there.
- Start solids at around 6 months, when your baby shows all 3 signs of readiness
- Begin with soft single vegetables, including less sweet ones like broccoli
- A few teaspoons or a few pieces is enough at first
- Move on to lumpier textures and finger foods as soon as your baby can manage
- Breast milk or formula is still the main source of nutrition
When can my baby start solid foods?
The NHS advises starting solid foods at about 6 months. In the US, the CDC also advises about 6 months, in line with the AAP, and says introducing foods before 4 months is not recommended. If your baby arrived early (was premature), check with your GP or health visitor about the right time to start.
Until about 6 months, breast milk or first infant formula gives your baby everything they need, apart from vitamin D for some babies. At first, the aim is getting used to eating, not how much they eat.
Signs your baby is ready for solids
The NHS describes 3 signs that usually appear together from around 6 months:
- They can hold their head steady and stay sitting up
- Their eyes, hands and mouth work together, so they can spot food, grab it and bring it to their mouth
- They can swallow food rather than pushing it back out with their tongue
Signs that are often mistaken for readiness
Chewing fists, waking more at night and wanting extra milk feeds are normal baby behaviour. They do not mean your baby is ready for solids. Starting solids will not make your baby more likely to sleep through the night.
What should my baby's first foods be?
Start with single vegetables and fruit, soft cooked and mashed or offered as soft finger foods. Include less sweet vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and spinach early, so your baby gets used to different tastes, not just sweet ones.
Offer a few teaspoons or a few pieces once a day, at whatever time works for you and your baby. You can then add other food groups week by week, including iron-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils and tofu, and full-fat pasteurised yoghurt and cheese with no added sugar.
- Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, parsnip, potato, sweet potato, peas, kale
- Fruit: pear, apple (cooked), banana, mango, avocado
- Starchy foods: baby rice, oats, pasta, potato, toast
What are simple baby puree ideas?
Purees are a fine way to start. Steam or boil vegetables until soft, then blend or mash with a little breast milk, formula or the cooking water. Do not add salt or sugar to the food or the cooking water. Cool cooked food fully and test it before serving.
Babies do not need baby rice to move on to solids. Move from smooth purees to mashed, lumpy textures as soon as your baby can manage, because this helps them learn to chew. The NHS suggests offering lumpy textures from around 6 to 7 months.
- Broccoli or cauliflower, blended smooth
- Carrot and parsnip mash
- Sweet potato with a spoonful of plain full-fat yoghurt
- Cooked pear or apple, blended
- Mashed banana or avocado, no cooking needed
- Peas blended with a little potato
- Porridge oats made with breast milk, formula or whole cows' milk
How to keep first meals safe
Sit your baby upright in a high chair with the harness fastened, and always stay with them while they eat. Gagging is normal while babies learn. Look out for watery eyes, the tongue pushing forward and retching.
From around 6 months you can introduce foods that can cause allergies, such as egg, peanut, gluten and fish, one at a time in small amounts. Do not give honey before 12 months, or whole nuts before 5 years.
Sources
We check this guide against these sources. It is general information, not medical advice: speak to your health visitor, GP or paediatrician about your own baby.
Questions parents ask
Should I start with purees or finger foods?
Either is fine. The NHS says you can start with purees, finger foods or a mix of both. What matters is moving on to mashed, lumpy and finger foods as soon as your baby can manage, so they learn to chew. The risk of choking is no higher when babies feed themselves.
Should solids come before or after milk?
In the early weeks, the NHS suggests offering a few teaspoons or pieces of food before your baby's usual milk feed, but not when they are very hungry. Milk is still the main source of energy and nutrients at this stage. Do not worry about how much they eat at first, and let your baby guide you.
What if my baby spits out a new food?
That is very common. It can take 10 or more tries before a baby accepts a new food or texture. Keep offering small amounts on different days without pressure. If your baby closes their mouth or turns away, they have had enough for now, and you can try again another day.
Can I start solids before 6 months?
The NHS advises waiting until about 6 months, when most babies show all 3 signs of readiness. The CDC says solids are not recommended before 4 months. If you are thinking of starting earlier, or your baby was premature, speak to your health visitor or GP first.
Does my baby need water when starting solids?
From around 6 months, give your baby a little water at mealtimes, in an open cup or a free-flow cup with no valve. This lets your baby practise sipping and is gentler on their teeth. Breast milk or first infant formula remains the main drink until 12 months. Until then, cows' milk should only be used in cooking or mixed into food.