Introducing solids is an exciting milestone! After months of breastmilk or formula, you might wonder if your baby is ready to explore new flavors and textures. But where to start? With so much information out there, choosing the best first foods can feel overwhelming. Here’s a simple, practical guide to help.
Key Things to Consider
Before you begin your journey of solids, think about:
- Types of Food: Aim to introduce a range of foods from all the key food groups.
- Textures: Start with smooth, easy-to-swallow textures, then gradually increase variety. You can also consider baby led weaning if that appeals to you.
- Allergy Potential: Be mindful of common allergens like peanuts, dairy, and eggs.
- Personal Choices: If your family has dietary preferences, incorporate them in a balanced way.
The Importance of Variety
As a pediatric dietitian, my top tip is variety—not just in types but also in flavours and nutrients. Aim to cover the five main food groups: fruits, vegetables, proteins (like meat or meat alternatives), dairy, and grains. Here’s how to introduce foods from each group in a way that suits your baby.
Fruits
Most families start with apple, pear, or banana. You can puree your fruit after steaming the fruit so that they are soft enough for you to work with. If you’re practicing baby led weaning, you can consider steaming fruits until they are soft enough and present fruits as finger-sized strips. Avocado is also a fantastic, nutrient-rich option; while people mistake avocado a vegetable when it is technically a fruit, avocado provides essential healthy fats your baby needs and it is nice and soft which is easy for you to present as a puree or as a baby led weaning option. Most other fruits like mangoes, kiwis, oranges, berries, grapes etc can be introduced so long as they are texturally appropriate for your baby. Some parents might notice some redness around their baby’s lips with citrus based fruits, but if your baby shows no other signs of allergies, you can and should continue to introduce a range of fruit to your baby.
Vegetables
Common first vegetables include sweet potato, potato, carrot, cauliflower and broccoli. Puree vegetables to a smooth consistency, and you can consider adding breastmilk, formula, or water can help achieve the right texture. For baby-led weaning, cook vegetables until they’re soft enough to hold but firm enough not to break apart too easily. Be mindful that green leafy vegetables in salads, raw tomatoes and raw carrot pieces are not suitable for babies, simply because texturally they are difficult to manage as a first foods. You can certain cook leafy vegetables like baby spinach or cook tomatoes so that your baby can manage the textures better too.
Dairy
If you’re using formula, your baby is already getting dairy exposure. Otherwise, a good source of dairy will be plain unflavoured yogurt or hard cheeses. For baby-led weaning, you can offer cheese in small, manageable pieces, and yogurt works well as a dip or on a pre-loaded spoon.
Grains
Introduce grains like oats, rice, quinoa, or wheat. Cooked oats can be pureed or formed into oat bars for baby-led weaning. For rice and quinoa, consider pureeing or mixing with other foods if it’s difficult for your baby to grasp. You can again consider pre-loading a spoon with rice or quinoa or your smaller grains for your baby to manage. You can easily incorporate wheat into your baby’s diet by using cereal such as Weetbix, or even offering toasts cut up in the shape of soldiers for your baby to gnaw on.
Proteins
Proteins include red meats, poultry, fish and shellfish; if you follow a vegetarian diet, meat alternatives will include eggs, legumes / beans or soy.
Introduce red meats such as lamb, beef, pork, or kangaroo, as well as poultry like turkey and chicken. Red meats are rich in iron, which babies need as they grow. Since meat can have a tough texture, purée it with natural cooking juices, breastmilk, formula, or water to create a smooth puree. Seafood such as fish and shellfish are great source of protein and even omega-3 for certain types of seafood. Always be mindful of bones and shells to prevent choking hazards, and check thoroughly to ensure the meat is bone-free. Fish offers healthy fats and nutrients essential for baby’s brain development, so it’s a nutritious addition to their diet.
For vegetarian or plant-based families, eggs, legumes / beans and tofu / soy are excellen protein-rich options. When working with legumes / beans, always make sure they are cooked till they are soft enough for you to be able to mash them. You can also consider offering strips of well cooked omelette or strips of firm tofu as a baby led weaning option.
Keeping Iron Levels Up
Our body has enough iron reserves to last a baby until approximately six months of age. This is why it is essential to offer iron rich foods as one of your baby’s first food. Good sources include fortified cereals, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, and legumes. Pairing high iron food with a vitamin C-rich food (like a small piece of orange or a few cooked tomatoes) can help boost iron absorption, especially for plant based iron sauces where non-haem iron may not be as readily absorbed by the body. Ready-made baby cereals are often iron-fortified, so they’re a good choice if you’re concerned about meeting iron needs.
What texture should I Introduce?
Most families start with traditional purées, gradually moving to mashed or lumpy textures before introducing whole pieces or finger foods. However, some families prefer the baby-led weaning approach, where babies are encouraged to self-feed with foods they can hold, like strips of soft fruits, cooked vegetables, or even pieces of meat like strips of chicken or even a lamb cutlet. They may also offer preloaded spoons of mashed or puréed food that babies can handle themselves.
There’s no right or wrong way to introduce food textures; both methods work well. If you choose the traditional route, try to increase the texture by moving to mashed or lumpy foods between 8 and 9 months, introducing finger foods by 10 months of age. Offering a variety of textures is crucial for helping your baby explore different sensations, which can reduce picky eating habits as they grow.
Introducing Common Allergens
It’s important to introduce common allergenic foods to your child, which include peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, eggs, sesame, and cow’s milk (dairy). Introduce one allergenic food at a time and observe for any signs of a reaction. In another post, I’ve outlined tips on how to introduce these high-allergy foods safely.
What to avoid
There are a few things you should avoid giving your baby as their first foods
- Added sugar or salt is not required in a baby’s first year of life.
- Honey is dangerous for babies under 12 months of age due to the risk of botulism.
- Whole nuts, small round fruit (think whole grape) and uncooked hard vegetables are a choking hazard and should be avoided.
- Babies only need water and milk (breast milk or formula) in their first 12 months of life as a drink. Do not offer juices (diluted or freshly squeezed included), caffeinated drinks (such as tea and coffee), carbonated drinks, flavoured water, unpasteurised milk and cereal based milk. If your child has a cow’s milk protein allergy, discuss with your paediatrician / allergist / paediatric dietitian on other options your baby can have instead.
- Food should be well cooked and avoid raw eggs or raw seafood such as sashimi.
Summing Up
Keep mealtimes positive and relaxed! Remember, it’s about exploring new foods, so go at a pace that feels right for you and your baby. And check back here soon for more posts on how to introduce solids and other tips on feeding your little one.
Photo courtesy of the husband
