Introducing Solid Food
Introducing your baby to solid foods, sometimes called complementary feeding or weaning, should start when your baby is around 6 months old.
Try not to feel nervous and overwhelmed at the thought of introducing your baby to solid foods, you are not alone. Your baby may eat more on some days than others. That's fine. Have fun, stay relaxed, take your time and share mealtimes with your baby.
- Solid food should be gradually introduced around 6 months alongside breast milk or formula.
- Introducing solid foods helps develop the muscles in the mouth which helps with speech.
- Introducing Solid foods is a great way of stimulating your baby's brain development.
- It may take 10 or more tries for your baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures.
Is your baby ready for solid foods?
Your baby is ready for weaning and introducing solid foods if they:
- Stay in a sitting position, holding their head steady.
- Coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at food, pick it up and put it in their mouth.
- Swallow food, rather than push it back out.
The Start for Life weaning hub is a great tool to make parents feel confident about how to wean their baby.
Have a look at the NHS website to see which foods and vitamins should be included in your baby's diet.
For advice on vegan diets, take a look at First Steps Nutrition - you can download their guide Eating Well: Vegan Infants and under 5s or order a hard copy.