Which foods to introduce when

Your baby has reached six months, and it's time for them to try solid food. Every baby is different, so there's no telling how your baby will take to this new experience. They may need a while to get used to different textures and tastes or they may tuck in straight away.

Some families swear by baby-led weaning, whereas others find their babies are happier with spoon-fed purées. We explain which foods are best to give your baby over the coming weeks and months, to help them get a good start at mealtimes.

Why isn't milk enough anymore?

At six months, your baby starts to need extra nutrients, in particular iron, from food (DH 2003, FSA nda, NHS 2009). But they still need breastmilk or formula milk as well, and will do until they're a year old.

During your baby's first six months, their digestive and immune systems have been gradually gaining strength. Your baby's body is now ready to process solid foods, so they're less likely to have a reaction to something they've eaten (DH 2003, FSA ndc).

If you're considering giving your baby solid food before they're six months old, it's worth talking to your GP or child health nurse first. Before six months, there are many foods that aren't suitable for your baby. These include honey,  cow's milk and uncooked eggs.

Once your baby is six months old, you can give them most foods, and try new ones quite quickly. Here are some foods you may wish to begin with:

• puréed or well-mashed cooked vegetables, such as potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip, carrot, zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower
• fruit purée, such as ripe cooked apple, pear, mango or papaya, or mashed fruit such as ripe avocado or banana
• baby rice or other cereal mixed with your baby's usual milk (FSA nda, NHS 2008)

Purées may be easiest for your baby at first, but some babies can cope with soft lumps, as long as the food is well-mashed. Babies can quickly learn to chew soft, lumpy food even if they have no teeth.

Once your baby is happy eating from a spoon, you can increase the range of foods you offer. Just like us, babies can get bored with the same thing. So rather than just offering fruit or cereal purées, try these:

• Puréed or blended meat, fish or chicken. Be sure to cook the food thoroughly and remove bones.
• Puréed or well-mashed lentils, split peas, chickpeas or other pulses.
• Wholemilk yoghurt, fromage frais or custard. But remember your baby shouldn't have cow's milk (or goat's or sheep's) as their main drink until they're a year old.
• Vegetable purées that have stronger flavours, such as peas, corn, cabbage or spinach.

Try as best you can to offer your baby homemade fare. It's best to use pre-prepared jars or packs of baby food as a stop-gap rather than for all your baby's meals.

Even though official guidelines say it's right to start solids at around six months, you'll see products on the shelves for babies aged four months (DH 2003). Product ranges normally go from four to seven months and seven months upwards. There's no nutritional reason why a baby of six months can't eat jars of food labelled seven months-plus, although you may need to mash or blend the contents.

Whenever you buy any pre-packaged food for your baby, check the labels and choose the products that are lowest in salt and sugar (FSA nda).

What can I give my baby from seven to nine months?

From now on, your baby will be able to join in with family meals much more easily. There are advantages to giving your baby home-cooked meals, including:

• you know what's gone into their meals
• you’ll be getting them used to what you eat

If your baby is breastfed, they'll get the flavours of what you eat through your milk. This makes them more likely to take to the sort of food you enjoy (FSA nda).

Your baby can now try mashed or minced food, rather than purées. Babies who are first given lumpy food when they're older than 10 months are more likely to reject it. This may make them reluctant to try different textures and tastes as they grow (Northstone et al 2001).

It's a good idea to base your baby's meals on starchy foods. The following starchy foods are fine for your baby:

• breakfast cereals
• baby breadsticks
• potatoes
• couscous
• bread
• pasta
• millet
• rice
• oats

As well as starchy foods, your baby needs one protein-rich food at each meal. The protein-rich food could be:

• fish, but limit the types of fish that are likely to be high in mercury like shark (flake), swordfish (broadbill), marlin, orange roughy (deep-sea perch) or catfish
• well-cooked eggs
• dairy produce
• lean red meat
• poultry
• lentils

If your baby regularly eats pulses and lentils, perhaps as part of a vegetarian diet, make sure that they have some bread, rice and pasta as well (FSA nd a). Too much fibre can fill up a small tummy, leaving little space for other, higher-energy foods.

If your baby is happier with finger foods, let them get on with it. They may enjoy the control it allows them. Try cooked green beans or carrots, cubes of cheese, slices of banana or chunks of soft pear.

Although your baby is still having their usual milk, they can start to have other drinks. Give them cooled, boiled water from a baby cup with a soft spout. It's not necessary or healthy to give your child fruit juice, but if you do, keep it to mealtimes only. Dilute it one part juice to 10 of cooled, boiled water.

Your baby doesn't need juice. But if you choose to give juice, dilute it with one part juice to 10 of cooled, boiled water. Give it to your baby in a sippy cup or feeding cup, rather than a bottle. Keeping juice to mealtimes helps your baby absorb the iron in their meals and is kinder to their emerging teeth (FSA ndd).
They also don't need follow-on formula milk if they're already eating balanced meals (UNICEF UK2010).

Read our article on solids from seven to nine months and our recipes for this age group for more ideas.

What can I give my baby from 10 months?

Your baby's meals can be more adult-like now. They should be chopped or minced and you may like to follow a two or three-meal-a-day pattern along with one or two snacks.

If your baby is breastfed, you can keep offering them regular feeds (FSA nd a). You may find they don't want to feed as often as they used to. If you're formula-feeding, you can drop one or two formula feeds a day. But carry on giving your baby formula milk, between 500ml and 600ml a day, until they're a year old.

Read our article on solids from nine to 12 months.

What shouldn't I give my baby if they're less than a year old?

There are some foods and ingredients your baby shouldn't have until they're one. These are:

• Salt. Your baby's kidneys can't cope with salt yet. It's best not to encourage a liking for it, anyway. Don't blend adult convenience meals for your baby. Convenience meals contain high levels of salt.
• Honey. Even if they have a cough, your baby shouldn't have honey until they're one. Very occasionally, it can contain a type of bacteria that can be toxic to a baby's intestines.
• Sugar. Try sweetening desserts with mashed banana or a purée of stewed dried fruit. Or you could use expressed breastmilk or formula milk.
• Artificial sweeteners. Diet drinks or sodas containing artificial sweeteners aren't suitable for your baby. They aren't nutritious and can encourage a sweet tooth.
• Whole nuts. These are a choking hazard.
• Certain fish. You should avoid giving your baby fish that's likely to be high in mercury. These include shark (flake), broadbill, swordfish and marlin (75gm serve and no other fish that fortnight) and orange roughy (deep-sea perch) or catfish (75gm serve and no other fish in that week) (NSW FA nd).
• Tea or coffee. Don't be tempted to add a little tea to your baby's bottle to warm their milk. The tannin in tea may prevent them from absorbing the iron in their food properly, and may affect their sleep. Any caffeinated drink is unsuitable for your baby (FSA ndd).
• Low-fat foods. Low-calorie spreads, yoghurts and reduced-fat cheeses aren't right for your baby. Always offer your baby the full-fat versions. They need the kilojoules (FSA nda).

Some foods carry a risk of food poisoning. To be on the safe side, don't give your baby:

• raw or undercooked shellfish
• soft-boiled or raw eggs
• liver pâté

What about food allergies?

If allergies run in your family, then it's worth talking to your GP or child health nurse for their advice before starting on solid foods.

It may be worth trying foods that are most likely to cause a reaction one at a time. That way you can see how your baby gets on, and isolate any trigger foods. Start with a very small amount, and don't give any of them to your baby before they're six months old. Foods to introduce one at a time are:

• fish and shellfish
• citrus fruits
• nut butters
• cow's milk
• soy products
• egg
  (FSA ndc)

Learn more about starting your baby on solids, and watch our video to see if they're showing signs that they're ready for baby-led weaning.