Starting Solid Foods: 6 Months and Beyond

Around six months, milk alone stops being enough. WHO explains that at about this age a baby's need for energy and nutrients starts to go beyond what breast milk can provide, so other foods are needed. This step is called complementary feeding, or weaning.

When should a baby start solid foods?

The NHS says solid foods should start when your baby is around 6 months old, and WHO gives the same age. WHO warns that growth may falter if foods are started much before or much after six months. Breast milk still matters a lot: WHO says it can supply half or more of a child's energy needs between 6 and 12 months, and about a third between 12 and 24 months, and advises breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond.

How do I know my baby is ready?

The NHS lists three signs that usually appear together at around six months. Your baby can:

• Stay sitting and hold their head steady.
• Look at food, pick it up and put it in their own mouth.
• Swallow food instead of pushing it back out.

Chewing fists, waking at night or wanting extra feeds are not, on their own, signs that a baby is ready.

What are good first foods?

The NHS suggests starting with single vegetables and fruits, such as mashed or soft cooked sticks of carrot, potato, sweet potato, parsnip, broccoli, apple or pear. One food at a time helps you see how your baby reacts. After that, WHO advises building up variety and choosing nutrient-rich foods including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.

Do not add salt or sugar. The NHS is clear that you should not add sugar or salt, including stock cubes and gravy, to a baby's food or cooking water. WHO also says to avoid sugary drinks, which fill a baby up without giving nutrients.

How often should I feed my baby?

WHO advises 2 to 3 meals a day from 6 to 8 months, and 3 to 4 meals a day from 9 to 23 months, with 1 to 2 healthy snacks as needed. WHO also asks caregivers to feed responsively: watch for signs of hunger and fullness, and encourage rather than force. Food should be stored and prepared hygienically and given with clean hands and clean utensils, not in bottles and teats.

How do textures change?

Babies start with pureed and mashed food at six months, can manage finger foods by around eight months, and usually eat family food by twelve months, according to WHO. The NHS advises moving on from pureed or blended food to mashed, lumpy and finger foods as soon as your baby can manage them.

What about allergy foods and choking?

The NHS says foods containing common allergens, such as peanuts, hen's eggs, gluten and fish, can be introduced from around six months, one at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction.

To lower choking risk, the NHS says to avoid hard foods such as whole nuts and raw carrot or apple. WHO also names whole grapes as a choking hazard. Stay with your baby throughout every meal.

In the UK, the NHS advises vitamin A and C drops for breastfed babies, and for babies having less than 500 ml of formula a day, from 6 to 12 months. Ask your own health worker what is advised where you live rather than buying supplements yourself.

When to see a doctor

See a health worker if:

• Your baby is not gaining weight, is losing weight, or has dropped down the growth chart.
• Your baby is six months old and still cannot sit with support or hold their head steady.
• Your baby refuses all solid food for days, or gags and chokes at most meals.
• Your baby has repeated vomiting, ongoing diarrhoea, or blood in the stool.
• A rash, swelling or vomiting follows a new food.

If a baby is choking, struggling to breathe, has swelling of the lips or face, or goes limp or floppy, call Rescue 1122 where available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.