Starting Solids
The gut of a 6 month old baby is very different to an older child’s and must be treated with care. It is during the first 6 weeks of embryo development that the formation of the digestive system begins, and it is not until well after birth when a fully functioning digestive system is complete.
When is my child ready to begin solids?
There is so much information on the right ‘age’ to introduce solids, it is more important to observe for your babies developmental signs of readiness; as all babies develop at their own pace, in their own time!
The current guidelines recommend solids begin at 6 months of age, but not before 4 months of age, with exclusive milk feeds until then. This guideline has been set at 6 months because this is when MOST babies would meet the signs of readiness. However, some babies may be ready earlier and some later.
Your 4-5 month old baby may be eager to participate in eating, but it doesn’t mean they are ready for solids. This is a normal developmental urge to do what everyone else is doing, to grab everything and put everything in their mouth.
Signs of developmental readiness
The signs of readiness are important because they are indicators that your baby’s digestive system is ready to handle solid foods. These signs are:
- Observe your baby’s signs: when ready for solids, they start leaning forward at the sight of food and opening their mouths in a preparatory way
- Just showing interest in food or putting things in their mouth doesn’t necessarily mean they are ready for solids. Babies put everything in their mouth at this age, so this cue should not stand alone—look for other developmental signs
- Around the age of 6 months, babies should be able to sit up and coordinate breathing with swallowing. Sitting up unassisted indicates they have developed core strength for the muscles that help food move through the digestive tract, a process called peristalsis
- A good test is to see if they push their tongue out when a spoon or bit of food is placed in their mouth. This is another good indication as the tongue reflex disappears at around 6 months of age
Remember that all babies are different and some won’t like certain textures and flavours. If they screw their face up or spit it out in disgust, don’t be afraid to of fer it again another day—they may like it the second or third time when they become more familiar with tastes and textures.
Collapsible content
Baby led weaning vs spoon feeding
Baby-led weaning (BLW) involves allowing babies to self-feed with finger foods from the start of weaning, promoting independence and fine motor skills. In contrast, spoon-feeding typically involves parents feeding puréed foods to the baby, providing more control over the baby’s diet and portion sizes. Both methods aim to transition babies to solid foods, but BLW encourages exploration and self-regulation, while spoon-feeding ensures a more gradual introduction to various textures and tastes.
You can choose to do a mixture of both or stick to one. There is no right or wrong method.
Heating and food safety
- Always test the temperature of food to avoid burning baby’s mouth. Test by putting the back of the spoon, used to stir baby’s food, on the inside of your wrist. It should be just warm, not hot
- Use separate clean spoon for feeding
- Frozen food must be well heated and then cooled
- If you choose to use a microwave for heating your baby’s food, be sure to stir and leave for at least 2-3 minutes to cool down before serving it. The food is still cooking when the oven has stopped
- Don’t keep leftovers. Food poisoning can result from reheating food. A good idea is to cook a large amount, then freeze baby-sized meals in small containers or ice cube trays. Then you can defrost just enough for one meal at a time
Foods in the first 12 months
- 0-6 Months - Breastmilk or Breastmilk substitute will be your baby’s only nutrient source
- 6-8 Months - Milk is still your baby’s main source of nutrition however they now need other food to help boost their diet.
- 8-10 Months - Your baby will be beginning to develop fine motor skills and you can help them by placing foods infront of them to practice their new skills.
- 10-12 Months - By now it is good to have given your baby all allergenic foods. Including infants that are at higher risk of allergy.
Serving sizes
Begin by offering tiny portions, gradually increasing as your baby shows interest. Pay attention to their cues – if they turn away or close their mouth, they’ve likely had their fill. You have flexibility in how you prepare first foods, whether mashed, smoothed, pureed, or in soft pieces.
While it’s not necessary to puree everything, certain foods like meats may be easier for your baby to eat in pureed form initially. Over a few weeks, you can transition from smooth or pureed foods to mashed and soft pieces.
An essential aspect of this transition is your baby’s ability to self-feed and pick up food with their fingers, requiring both a good pincher grasp and the ability to mash and gum foods effectively.
Your baby may eat all you offer at a mealtime, or stop quickly when they have had enough. They will let you know they are finished by:
- turning their head away
- pushing the food or your hand away
- closing their mouth and/or crying
- if your baby is really not interested, take the food away. Mealtimes should be enjoyable and your child should not be forced to eat
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.
9-12 months
Around 9 months your baby will start to develop their pincer grasp and the ability to smoothly release objects. This means they can use their index finger and thumb to pick up food and will be able to put these in their mouth. Once this skill is developed, it’s a sign your baby is close to being ready for ‘bite-sized’ pieces of food and very thin slices of firmer food. This is not the only relevant milestone. We also start to see emerging lateral movements of the tongue and jaw. This means babies begin to be able to move food side to side and around their mouth, which leads to more complex chewing.
Size
With developing fine and oral motor skills, we can start to offer bite-sized pieces of food. Keep in mind that at this age a baby’s airway is the size of a drinking straw. Pieces larger than this will help to make sure that if food is swallowed it won’t have the risk of blocking the airway. Around 1.5cm x 1.5cm is a good guide. It’s absolutely fine to still offer large finger-shaped pieces of food as well.
Texture
The safest foods to offer are still those that pass the squish test (See above). It is important to note that research indicates that regardless of how a baby starts solids (BLW or Spoon), all babies should be introduced to some chewable finger foods by 9 months old. This is because there appears to be a critical window where introducing finger foods is essential to developing chewing skills and preventing picky eating from developing in the future.
12-18 months
With continued exposure to a variety of foods, a toddler will be developing their tongue and jaw skills which develops their chewing skills. Around 12 months we will see a toddler able to confidently transfer food from the centre of the tongue to both sides of the mouth, and around 15 months a toddler will have a well coordinated diagonal rotary chew. Between 12-18 months they are likely to develop the fine motor skills to bring preloaded spoons and forks to their mouth, but it is normal to continue to provide assistance with cutlery at this age.
Size and texture
With these developments in a toddler’s chewing skills it is safe to follow your child’s lead and offer a variety of sizes, shapes and textures. Offer bite-sized pieces, big pieces, thin slices, grated foods and diced foods. Toddlers will usually spit foods out that they are unable to manage in their mouths.
Food allergies
Food allergy affects around 10% of kids. Many will grow out of these allergies in late childhood due to the development of their immune system, particularly allergies to milk and eggs. Some children have a higher risk of developing a food allergy, but when introducing high-allergen foods, the approach is the same for all children.
The most common allergens
- egg
- peanut
- cow’s milk (dairy)
- tree nuts (cashews, almond walnuts etc)
- soy
- sesame
- wheat
- fish and other seafood (i.e. shellfish)
The best way to reduce the risk of food allergies is to offer high-allergen foods early and frequently.
Tips for introducing high-allergen foods
- Give only one high-allergen food at a time. This makes it easier to identify what food caused the allergy and offer it 2-4 times separately before adding to the overall diet (non-high allergen foods can be offered together).
- Give high-allergen foods earlier in the day - and if possible, when another person is around.
- Give only a small amount when offering for the first time. Peanuts - small amount (1/4 tsp) mixed into yoghurt or in milk. Eggs - in baked goods or a small amount of cooked egg.
The signs of a food allergy are the same as for any allergy.
If your infant already has an allergic disease (such as severe eczema or food allergy), you should discuss what specific measures might be useful with your healthcare provider.
What is the difference between sensitivity and an allergy?
When you have a food allergy, your immune system causes the reaction. If you have a food sensitivity or intolerance, the reaction is triggered by the digestive system.
Symptoms of food intolerance occur over hours/days and include gas, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, cramping, and nausea, irritability, fussiness, over-activity and awaking throughout the night, frequent regurgitation of foods, nasal and/or chest congestion, and red, chapped or inflamed eczema-like skin rash
Symptoms of food allergy occur immediately or within an hour & include hives, swelling, itching and anaphylaxis.