This guide is based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), CDC, and other authoritative sources.
Around 6 months, your baby reaches a milestone that changes everything about feeding: Starting solids. Starting solids isn't about replacing milk. Breast milk or formula remains your baby's primary source of nutrition throughout the first year.
What solids do is fill in nutritional gaps that milk can no longer cover alone — particularly iron and zinc — and begin the long (and fun!) process of building a healthy relationship with food.
Is your baby ready for solids? Signs to look for.
The AAP recommends starting solids around 6 months, but readiness depends on developmental signs, not just the calendar. Most babies show these signs together around 6 months — some a little earlier, some a few weeks later.
Your baby is likely ready when they:
- Can sit up with minimal support and hold their head steady
- Show interest in food — watching you eat, reaching toward your plate, opening their mouth when food approaches
- Have lost the tongue-thrust reflex — they no longer automatically push food out of their mouth with their tongue
- Can move food from the front of their mouth to the back to swallow
The AAP does not recommend starting solids before 4 months under any circumstances. Starting too early can increase the risk of choking, digestive discomfort, and in some research, a higher risk of obesity and respiratory illness later in childhood.
What to feed, and how
There is no single right approach to starting solids. The two most common methods are purees and baby-led weaning (BLW) — and many families use elements of both.
Purees (spoon-feeding)
Start with a thin consistency — almost liquid — mixed with a small amount of breast milk or formula if needed. As your baby gets more comfortable, gradually thicken to a smooth mash, then a chunkier mash.
Begin with half a spoonful at a time. Your baby may look confused, roll the food around, or spit it out — this is normal. It can take 10–15 exposures to a new food before a baby accepts it.
Baby-led weaning
Offering appropriately sized soft pieces of food that your baby can pick up and bring to their mouth independently. BLW requires that your baby can sit upright without support, maintain balance, and use their hands to self-feed.
Supervision at every meal is essential, and understanding the difference between gagging (normal and protective) and choking (requires intervention) is important before you start.
A few things to know:
- No evidence supports any particular food order. The idea that vegetables must come before fruit is not supported by research. What matters is variety, iron prioritization, and going one food at a time.
- Introduce one new food every 3–5 days. This window lets you identify any reaction before adding the next food.
- Offer solids 30–60 minutes after a breast milk or formula feeding. Your baby should be hungry but not famished. Solids should be a positive, low-pressure experience.
How much food and how often
- Start with 1–2 teaspoons once a day
- Over weeks, gradually increase to a few tablespoons, then to two small meals per day.
- By 8 months, most babies are eating two small meals a day, with breast milk and/or formula still the primary source of nutrition.
Signs your baby is full: Slowing down, turning their head away, pushing food away, closing their mouth. Stop when they signal they're done.
Why iron matters now
Around 6 months, the iron your baby was born with starts to run low. Breast milk contains very little iron, and as your baby's needs increase, iron-rich foods become an important part of their expanding diet to prevent anemia and fuel rapid growth.
This is why iron-rich foods should be among the first you introduce — not as a rigid rule, but as a priority.
Good iron-rich first foods:
- Pureed or finely minced meat (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey) — meat contains heme iron, the most easily absorbed form
- Iron-fortified single-grain cereals — oatmeal, barley, or multigrain. The FDA and AAP both advise against relying solely on rice cereal because sometimes rice can contain higher levels of arsenic
- Pureed lentils, beans, and legumes
- Egg yolk
- Dark leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale)
Allergen introduction
The science on allergens has changed significantly in the past decade. The current AAP recommendation — based in large part on the landmark 2015 LEAP study (Du Toit et al., NEJM) — is to introduce common allergens early and regularly, starting around the time you begin solids.
Waiting to introduce allergenic foods does not prevent allergies and may increase risk. Talk with your baby’s doctor before introducing any new food, particularly as you introduce those that may contain allergens.
Assessing allergy risk
Risk in this context refers to your baby's own health picture — primarily whether they have eczema and how severe it is. It is not based on your family's allergy history. Most babies fall into the low-risk category at 6 months, because the main visible risk marker at this age is eczema severity.
Low risk: No eczema, no known food allergies. Introduce peanut-containing foods along with other solids, in line with family preferences. No allergy testing needed before introduction.
Medium risk: Mild to moderate eczema. Introduce peanut-containing foods around 6 months. Talk to your pediatrician first — but testing is generally not required before home introduction.
High risk: Severe or persistent eczema, or a known egg allergy. Talk to your pediatrician before introducing peanuts. The NIAID guidelines strongly recommend evaluation — which may include a skin prick test or blood test — before home introduction. Your pediatrician may refer you to a pediatric allergist.
How to introduce peanuts safely
Never offer whole peanuts, peanut chunks, or chunky peanut butter — these are choking hazards. Safe options include smooth peanut butter thinned with water or breast milk, peanut powder mixed into purees, or peanut-containing puffs. Once introduced without reaction, offer peanut-containing foods at least 2–3 times per week to maintain tolerance.
The other major allergens
Together with peanut (introduced as described above), the “Big 9” allergens should all be introduced early. The other eight are: Eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, soy, sesame, and dairy.
Note: Dairy should be introduced as a food, like yogurt or cheese. Cow’s milk should not be fed as a primary drink or sole source of nutrition before 12 months. Introduce one allergen food at a time, with a 3–5 day window between each new one to watch for any reactions.
Signs of an allergic reaction
If your baby is trying a new food or food combination for the first time, introduce it gradually and watch for any reaction before adding the next food. Watch for any signs such as hives, swelling of the face or lips, vomiting, difficulty breathing, or extreme fussiness. If you notice these, call your pediatrician immediately.
If your baby has difficulty breathing or severe swelling, call 911 immediately.
Gagging vs. choking
Gagging is normal and protective when babies first learn to eat — it moves food back to a safer position in the mouth. It often looks alarming but resolves on its own. Signs of gagging: exaggerated mouth movements, tongue pushing forward, brief distress that resolves quickly.
Choking is different. A choking baby may be silent, turning blue, or unable to cough effectively. This requires immediate intervention. Familiarize yourself with infant choking first aid before you start solids.
Foods to avoid before 12 months: Whole grapes, raw hard vegetables, chunks of meat, nuts, raisins, popcorn, and anything requiring a grinding motion to break down. Also avoid honey (risk of infant botulism) and cow's milk as a drink.
Breast milk & formula during the solids transition
Breast milk and/or formula remain the primary source of nutrition throughout the first year. As solids increase, milk intake will gradually decrease — but this happens naturally over months, not weeks. At 6–8 months, most of your baby's calories should still come from breast milk or formula.
You don't need to drop milk feedings to make room for solids. Offer them alongside each other and let your baby's appetite guide the balance.
Read: 9–12 Months: Expanding Solids →
Introducing Water at 6 months
Small sips of water can be introduced alongside solid foods — the AAP says it's fine to offer a little water when you begin solid foods, using an open cup or straw cup. The purpose at this stage is more about practicing cup drinking than actual hydration. Start with just a few sips; small amounts are all they need at first, building up to no more than about 4–8 oz (½–1 cup) a day across 6–12 months.
