Baby Feeding Guide — From Newborn to Table Foods

Starting Solid Foods: Readiness, Nutrition and Allergens

AAP and CDC guidance recommends complementary foods at about 6 months, alongside continued breast milk or infant formula. Readiness and your baby's individual needs matter:

Start at about 6 months — not before 4 months. Look for sitting with support, steady head and neck control, and the ability to swallow food rather than push it out.
Include iron-rich foods — solids contribute nutrients as well as eating skills. Offer appropriately prepared meat, beans, lentils and iron-fortified infant cereals; continue breast milk or formula.
Introduce common allergens with other foods in age-appropriate forms. Ask your clinician before introducing peanut if your baby has severe eczema or an egg allergy. There is no single risk-reduction percentage that applies to every food and baby.
No honey before 12 months — risk of botulism.
No added salt or sugar — baby kidneys cannot handle excess sodium.
It can take 20+ exposures for a baby to accept a new food — keep offering without pressure.

Baby-Led Weaning vs Purees

Both approaches are evidence-based and safe when done correctly. Many families combine both (baby-led weaning with spoon-feeding of purees).

Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)

Soft finger foods from 6 months. Builds fine motor skills, oral motor development, and a positive relationship with food. Requires the gag reflex to be working — gagging is normal, choking is different.

Purées

Traditional approach: smooth purees at 6 months, progressing to lumpy textures by 8 months and finger foods by 9 months. Advancing textures on schedule is critical — texture-averse toddlers often had delayed texture progression.

Feeding Articles & Guides

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Formula Feeding: Complete Guide

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When to Start Solid Foods

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Starting Solids: Readiness and First Foods

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Baby-Led Weaning vs. Purees

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Sources and Guidance

Peanut-prevention research should be described precisely: the LEAP trial studied regular peanut consumption in infants with severe eczema, egg allergy, or both. Its findings do not establish the same benefit for every allergen or every baby.

Guideline references checked 26 September 2026. General education; ask your clinician about individual feeding needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start solid foods?

Start complementary foods at about 6 months, and not before 4 months. Look for the ability to sit with support and control the head and neck, open the mouth for food, and move food back to swallow instead of pushing it out. Discuss timing with your pediatrician if you have concerns or your baby needs an individual feeding plan.

How do I introduce allergens?

Introduce foods that commonly cause allergies alongside other complementary foods, usually around 6 months when your baby is developmentally ready. Offer one new food at a time in a texture your baby can manage. For severe eczema or egg allergy, contact your clinician early: NIH guidance recommends considering peanut introduction at 4–6 months, after checking readiness and whether testing or supervised feeding is needed. If your baby has reacted to a food, seek medical advice before offering it again. Never give whole nuts or thick spoonfuls of nut butter, which are choking hazards. Follow an individual medical plan for any known allergy.

How much should my baby eat when starting solids?

Start with small amounts and follow your baby's hunger and fullness cues. From around 6 months, complementary foods provide important nutrients, including iron, as well as practice with eating. Continue breast milk or infant formula while gradually increasing the amount and variety of foods. Offer iron-rich foods regularly and discuss feeding or growth concerns with your pediatrician.

What foods should I avoid in the first year?

Avoid: honey (botulism risk), whole cow's milk as main drink (okay in cooking), added salt or sugar, high-mercury fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel), raw sprouts, large chunks of hard foods (choking), and unpasteurised products.