Live ChatStarting Solids: The Basics
🌟 Begin around 6 months – before then, milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs!
🌟 Early weaning is about learning, not quantity – small tastes are enough.
🌟 No need for three meals a day at first – start with a time that suits you.
Signs your baby is ready
It’s rare for all 3 signs to be present before 6 months!
First foods to try
What’s Next? From 6+ months
🥚 Add mashed meats, fish (no bones!), lentils, eggs
🍊 Introduce soft dairy (yogurt, fromage frais)
💧 Offer sips of water from a free-flowing cup
🍯 No honey before 1 year (risk of botulism)
By 12 months
🥘 3 meals + healthy snacks
🥛 Can drink full-fat cow’s milk
🍲 Continue balanced, varied meals
Getting started - Hygiene!
Let your baby explore the food but...
‼️ Always stay close when they are eating in case they choke.
👶Do not force your baby to eat. If they are not interested just wait until next time. Babies know when they are full up so don’t force them to finish a portion. Offer small portions and the same foods lots of time to get babies to become familiar with new foods. It can take many refusals before they finally try it.
🥫 Only offer jars or packets occasionally and not before 6 months, even if the jar says 4 months.
🔥❄️Allow hot food to cool.
🚫 Do not add sugar or salt to food when cooking. Homemade is best
😕 Don’t worry if your baby has not eaten much during a meal or over a day. What they eat over a week is much more important.
Choking
You can help reduce children’s risk of choking when eating by preparing food in certain ways. Remember, always supervise children during meals and snacks.
For further advice view this quick guide created by the Child Accident Prevention Trust:
The chokeables teach you how to stop a baby from choking.
40% of parents told St John’s Ambulance that they have witnessed their own baby choke.
Almost four-fifths of these don’t know what to do in this situation.
Food Allergies
👉 Introduce foods such as eggs, cows milk, wheat, peanuts, peanut products, seeds, fish, shellfish one at a time from 6 months.
👉 There is no evidence to suggest waiting until your child is older will avoid them developing a food allergy.
👉 If your baby already has a known allergy, eczema, hay fever or a family history of food allergies, you may need to be extra cautious about introducing peanut products, so talk to your GP or health visitor first.
Watch out for a signs of an allergic reaction:
If your child is showing signs of a severe allergic reaction, always call for an ambulance.
💊 Babies need Vitamin D supplements
Ask your health visitor for more information.
Useful resources: