Introducing solid food is one of the bigger milestones of the first year, and it comes with more conflicting advice than almost anything else in babyhood. Purees versus baby-led weaning. Rice cereal versus vegetables. Starting at 4 months versus 6 months. The debates are real. Here is what the current evidence actually supports.
When to Start
The World Health Organisation and most national health bodies recommend starting solid food at around 6 months, not before. Before this, a baby’s gut and kidneys are not mature enough to handle food safely. Starting too early is associated with increased risk of choking, food allergy, and digestive problems.
The signs your baby is developmentally ready are: they can sit upright with minimal support, they have good head and neck control, and they show interest in food (watching you eat, reaching for food). Age alone is not enough; developmental readiness matters too.
Purees vs Baby-Led Weaning
Traditional weaning starts with smooth purees and gradually moves to lumpier textures. Baby-led weaning (BLW) skips purees entirely and offers soft finger foods from the start, letting the baby feed themselves.
Both approaches work. Research on BLW shows it is associated with better self-regulation of appetite and greater food acceptance, though it also produces more mess. The choice depends on your baby’s development and your comfort level. Many families do a combination of both.
What to Offer First
There is no single right food to start with. Soft-cooked vegetables, fruit, soft-cooked fish, mashed pulses — all are appropriate first foods. Iron-rich foods are particularly important because breast milk is relatively low in iron and your baby’s birth stores are depleting from around 6 months. Red meat, eggs, lentils, and fortified cereals are all good sources.
Common allergens (eggs, peanuts, fish, wheat, dairy) can be introduced from 6 months alongside other first foods. Current evidence suggests that early introduction of allergens reduces the risk of allergy rather than increasing it, so there is no reason to delay them.
What Not to Give
- Honey — until 12 months; risk of infant botulism
- Salt — babies’ kidneys cannot process adult levels of sodium
- Added sugar — no nutritional value and sets up taste preferences
- Whole nuts — choking hazard; nut butters are fine
- Cow’s milk as a main drink — until 12 months; fine to use in cooking
- Rice milk — too high in arsenic for babies under 5
The Gagging vs Choking Distinction
This is the thing that frightens most parents most about baby-led weaning. Gagging and choking are completely different. Gagging is a normal reflex that happens when food goes too far back; your baby will look alarmed, make retching sounds, and will sort it out themselves. It is protective and normal. Choking is silent — your baby cannot cough, cry, or breathe. Knowing the difference, and knowing basic infant first aid, makes feeding much less stressful.
How Much and How Often
In the first weeks of weaning, food is about exploring, not nutrition. Milk still provides all essential nutrition until around 9-12 months. Offer food once or twice a day, small amounts, and do not worry if most of it ends up on the floor. The goal at this stage is familiarity and enjoyment, not intake.
