When to start introducing solid foods
Introducing your baby to solid foods—sometimes called complementary feeding or weaning—should start when your baby is around six months old.
Giving your baby a variety of foods, alongside breast or formula milk, from around six months of age will help set your child up for a lifetime of healthier eating.
Gradually, you’ll be able to increase the amount and variety of food your baby eats until they can eat the same foods as the rest of the family, in smaller portions.
Why wait until six months to introduce solids
It’s a good idea to wait until your baby is six months before introducing solids foods because:
- Breast milk or first infant formula provides all the energy and nutrients that your baby needs during the first six months.
- Your baby needs time to develop so they can proplerly cope with solid foods. This also includes solid foods made into purees, cereals, and baby rice added to milk.
- Your baby will be more able to feed themselves.
- Your baby will be better at moving food around their mouth, chewing, and swallowing it.
Signs your baby is ready for solid foods
There are three clear signs that, when they appear together, show that your baby is ready for their first solid food:
- They are able to stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.
- They are able to co-ordinate their eyes, hands, and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up, and put it in their mouth by themselves.
- They are able to swallow food rather than spit it back out.
However, you should be aware of the following behaviours that are often mistaken by parents as signs of readiness:
- They chew their fists.
- They wake up in the night more than usual.
- They want extra milk feeds.
How to start on solid foods
In the beginning, your baby will only need a small amount of food before their usual milk feed.
Do not worry about how much they eat. The most important thing is getting them used to new tastes and textures, and learning how to move solid foods around their mouths and how to swallow them. They will still be getting most of their energy and nutrients from breast milk or infant formula.
There are some foods to avoid giving your baby are some foods to avoid giving to your baby. For example, do not add sugar or salt (including stock cubes and gravy) to your baby’s food or cooking water. Salty foods can cause damage to the liver and sugary foods can cause tooth decay.
