Safe food sizes and textures by age: 6-8 months

You want your baby’s first experiences with food to be safe and appropriately matched to their motor skills. This means offering large pieces. Despite what may feel natural, you want to keep food pieces big. Babies need to be able to grasp and hold onto their food. Save the smaller pieces of food for a few months later when the pincer grasp is developed.

Size
Aim for food pieces that are the length of your index finger or long enough to stick out above your baby’s closed fist when they are holding on to it. 

For width, aim for around a two-finger width or bigger. Some examples of appropriate foods include pieces of avocado, pan-fried liver strips and thickly cut roast vegetables. 

Texture
Soft: When preparing soft foods, check to see if they pass the squish test. Hold the food between your thumb and pointer finger and pinch. If the food softens easily this is safe to offer your baby. This means the food will be easily mashed and broken down between the baby’s tongue and the roof of their mouth. 

Hard: Hard foods are unbreakable foods that a baby can hold and chew, but won’t break off any pieces, like a “food teether”. These foods support chewing skills, help move the gag reflex further back in the mouth, and can feel nice on their gums. You could try corn on the cob with kernels removed, dried fruit stick, celery stick, stripped chicken drumstick or chop bone etc.