Starting your baby on solids can be an exciting, fun and interesting time. Your baby will be learning new tastes and textures and you can help them enjoy this by knowing what to introduce when.
When should you start feeding your baby solids?
Your baby may be ready to start on solid food at around 6 months of age. They are likely to show signs that they are ready to start solids, such as they:
- seem hungry after breast milk or formula feeds
- can hold their head up well
- are interested in watching you eat, eg, reach out, open their mouth when you’re eating and put their hands and toys in their mouth
- make chewing movements
- easily open their mouth when you touch their lip with a spoon or bring food to their mouth, and don’t stick their tongue forward to push the food out.
Some babies may not be ready for solids at 6 months, eg, if your baby was born prematurely. It’s important not to introduce solid food too early. If you do, your baby may not get enough milk and other nutrients they need to grow well and their digestion will not be developed enough to cope with solid foods.
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Continue breastfeeding
As your baby starts eating other foods, breast milk is still an important part of their diet. Your baby will still need breast milk (or infant formula) until they are at least 12 months old. The best drinks for your baby are breast milk (or infant formula) and water. Don't give them other types of drinks.
Until your baby is 8–9 months old, it’s best to give them breast milk (or infant formula) before solid food. That way they’ll get all the milk they need to grow well.
Continuing to breastfeed while you introduce solids may help prevent allergic reactions to some foods. Use breast milk or formula as their main drink until your baby is 12 months old.
How to introduce solids at about 6 months
Eating solid food is a new experience for your baby. Here are some things to consider when starting solids.
- Offer solids when your baby is most relaxed and happy.
- Hold your baby while you feed them or sit them in a baby high chair.
- Use a small teaspoon and put the food in the middle of their tongue.
- Start with small amounts – a half to 2 teaspoons at first, then slowly increase the amount until your baby is having about 3–4 teaspoons at a meal.
- Your baby may spit out their first solid foods as they learn to get the food to the back of their mouth to swallow it. Be patient and give them time.
- Try one new food every 2–4 days. If they don't like the food the first time, wait a few days and try again with a smaller amount.
- Throw away any uneaten food left on your baby's plate.
Types of foods
Your baby’s first foods need to be plain, smooth and soft. Babies like the plain taste of milk, so first foods also need to be plain. Don't add salt, sugar or other sweeteners, soy sauce, cream, butter or margarine to your baby's food.
Don't give your baby honey. It may contain bacteria that can make young babies sick. Homemade food can be frozen in ice cube trays and used in the next 3–4 weeks.
The following are examples of the best solid foods to start feeding your baby. To puree baby's food, use a blender or push food through a fine sieve.
| Food | How to prepare |
|---|---|
| Cereal or rice | Use iron-fortified baby rice or infant cereal. Ensure the cereal you choose is suitable for your baby's age. Prepare the cereal using breastmilk or infant formula as per the instructions on the package. You can also puree plain cooked rice or feed your baby congee. |
| Vegetables | Cook and puree vegetables. Remove skins on vegetables such as kumara, potato and pumpkin. Legumes such as peas, lentils and chickpeas must be well cooked and pureed. |
| Fruits | Remove the skins, pips or seeds from fruit. Puree the fruit. Cook to soften if needed. |
| Meats | You can introduce cooked and pureed chicken, fresh fish, lamb, beef or pork. Do not give salty meat such as corned beef or tinned fish as first foods. |
From 7 to 8 months
As your baby gets used to eating solids, you can introduce different types and textures of food, such as mashed foods and finger foods. Your baby is likely to show signs that they are ready for these changes if they:
- can sit without support
- are learning to bite and chew
- can pick up and bring food to their mouth
- can keep thick puree's in their mouth.
Types of foods
| Food | How to prepare |
|---|---|
| Dairy | You can introduce soft cheese such as cottage cheese, custard and plain yoghurt (without added sugar). |
| Vegetables and fruits | Introduce mashed well-cooked vegetables and fruit. Mash cooked legumes. Remove stalks and 'stringy bits' from foods like silverbeet, puha and bok choy. |
| Meats | Continue to puree cooked chicken, fish, lamb beef or pork. |
| Finger foods | You can offer finger foods in pieces that can be easily picked up by your baby, such as very soft fruit and vegetables (ripe banana, well-cooked pumpkin), toast fingers and thin slices of cheese. |
Between 8 and 12 months
Give your baby solids before their milk feeds. Your baby may be ready for more textures and lumpy foods.
Your baby is likely to show signs that they are ready for these changes if they:
- are learning to crawl or can pull themselves up to stand
- can bite well and chew soft lumps
- are interested in a range of foods and textures
- want to try eating by themselves with need some help from you.
Types of foods
| Food | How to prepare |
|---|---|
| Dairy | Add chopped fruit to yoghurt or custard. |
| Cereal | Offer breakfast cereal such as porridge, wheat biscuits and infant muesli. |
| Vegetables and fruits | Try mashed vegetables mixed with minced or finely chopped tender cooked meat, chicken, fish, egg or lightly mashed cooked legumes. You can also add chopped up noodles, pasta or whole rice. |
| Firmer finger foods | Introduce slightly firmer finger foods such as:
|
Learn more
Eating for healthy babies and toddlers HealthEd, Ministry of Health, NZ
Baby's first foods Plunket, NZ
Let your baby guide you – feeding your baby solids Health Promotion Agency, NZ
What are good first foods for my baby? Healthy Kids, NZ
Reference
- Feeding your baby Ministry of Health, NZ
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Cara Hafner is a Registered Nurse and Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with an extensive background in maternal-child nursing as a postnatal nurse and public health nurse. She currently works as the Baby Friendly Advisor for the New Zealand Breastfeeding Alliance, which administers the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative for maternity services in Aotearoa New Zealand. |