Starting solids: when, what and how

Is my baby ready?

Signs of readiness include:

Sitting up with support
Good head and neck control
Opening their mouth when food is offered
Swallowing food rather than pushing it back out

At first, solid foods add to breast milk or formula rather than replace it. Breastfeeding can carry on alongside solids for as long as you and your baby wish.

Offer solids from a spoon rather than adding cereal to a bottle. Start with a small amount, and if your baby turns away, go back to milk and try again another day.

First foods and textures

There’s no set order for first foods. By 7 to 8 months, babies can eat from several food groups: vegetables, fruits, meat and other proteins, plain dairy such as yogurt and cheese, and grains. Offer fortified infant cereals made from different grains, such as oat, barley or multigrain, rather than rice cereal only.

Begin with very smooth mashed or pureed foods, then move to thicker, lumpier textures and soft finger foods as your baby learns to eat. Some coughing or gagging is normal while learning.

Introduce one new single-ingredient food at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before the next, so it’s easier to tell which food a reaction came from.

Allergens and choking

Common allergens such as egg, wheat, dairy, fish and thinly spread nut butter can be offered along with other first foods. Waiting longer doesn’t prevent allergies. If your baby has severe eczema or an egg allergy, talk with your pediatrician before offering foods with peanut.

Choking hazards

Whole grapes, nuts and seeds, popcorn, hot dogs, chunks of meat or cheese, hard pieces of raw vegetable or fruit, and spoonfuls of nut butter.

Cut food into small pieces, mash it or cook it soft. Keep your baby sitting upright in a high chair to eat, never in a car or stroller, and watch them the whole time.

Drinks and toddler meals

Drinks by age
Age	Drinks
Once solids start	Small sips of water from a cup with meals
Before 12 months	No juice, cow’s milk or honey. Honey can cause botulism, and cow’s milk doesn’t have the nutrients a baby needs.
From 12 months	Plain whole cow’s milk, alongside meals rather than replacing them. Too much can fill toddlers up and crowd out other foods.

Children under 2 shouldn’t have added sugars, including sweetened drinks, flavored yogurts and cookies. Whole fruit is a better choice than juice.

Most 1 to 2 year olds eat three meals and two snacks a day. Appetite drops as growth slows and can change a lot from day to day, so encourage eating rather than forcing it.

Sources

This guide is for information only and is based on CDC and AAP guidance. It isn’t medical advice and doesn’t replace a doctor. Guidance can differ between countries, so follow your doctor’s advice and your local health service. If you have any concern about your baby’s health, always contact your doctor. In an emergency, call your local emergency number. If you’re worried about your baby’s eating, contact your pediatrician.