First Foods at 6 Months: What to Give Your Baby First

The move to solid food is one of the biggest transitions in your baby's first year. There's a lot of noise about the "right" way to do it, but the fundamentals are simple — and the NHS guidance is clear and evidence-based.

When to start

The NHS recommends starting solids at around 6 months, when most babies show all three signs of readiness:

1. Can sit up with minimal support and hold their head steady
2. Can coordinate hand-eye movement — picking things up and putting them in their mouth
3. Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex — no longer pushes food out automatically with their tongue

Do not start before 17 weeks regardless of other signs. Starting too early puts strain on an immature digestive system and increases allergy risk.

What to give first

Good first foods

Vegetables: Cooked and mashed or soft-steamed

• Butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, courgette
• Broccoli, peas (blended initially), spinach
• Cauliflower, green beans

Fruits: Ripe, mashed or soft pieces

• Ripe banana (sliced), soft ripe pear or peach
• Avocado (soft, unseasoned)
• Cooked apple (soft and mashed or soft cubes)

Protein — introduce from the start:

• Well-cooked, flaked fish (white fish, oily fish like salmon)
• Mashed egg (well cooked — scrambled or hard-boiled)
• Smooth nut butters — peanut butter mixed into puree or spread thinly on finger food
• Well-cooked soft lentils or chickpeas (mashed)
• Red meat (cooked well, soft enough to mash or pull apart)

Starchy foods:

• Soft-cooked pasta, rice, bread
• Plain oat porridge (with breast milk, formula, or water)
• Toast fingers

Foods to avoid under 12 months

• Salt — no added salt in any form; no stock cubes, no soy sauce, no seasoning
• Sugar and honey — honey carries a botulism risk until 1 year
• Whole nuts — choking hazard
• Cow's milk as a main drink — fine in cooking and on cereal, not as the main drink until 1 year
• Raw shellfish
• Unpasteurised cheeses — avoid soft mould-ripened cheeses like brie, camembert, and blue cheeses
• Certain fish: Shark, swordfish, marlin (high mercury)
• Rice drinks — not suitable under 5 due to arsenic levels

Spoon feeding vs baby-led weaning

Both work. Many families use a combination:

Spoon feeding / purées: Starts with smooth textures, progresses to mashed, then soft lumps, then family food. Lets you control texture progression. Works well for babies who need more support with textures.

Baby-led weaning (BLW): Finger foods from the start, baby feeds themselves. Encourages independence and fine motor skills. Requires confidence with gagging (which is normal and protective, not choking).

Combination: Spoon for runny things (soup, yoghurt, porridge), finger foods alongside. The most common approach.

How much in the first weeks

In the first weeks of weaning, quantity doesn't matter — it's about learning the skill and exploring flavours. Milk (breast or formula) remains the main source of nutrition until at least 7–8 months.

Start with 1–2 teaspoons once a day. Gradually increase amount and frequency over the first few weeks to 2–3 meals a day by around 8–9 months.

Textures — progressing safely

• 6 months: Smooth purées or very soft mashed / finger foods (BLW)
• 7 months: Mashed with small soft lumps
• 8–9 months: Soft, textured food; small diced pieces
• 10–12 months: Soft family food, most of what you eat (appropriately portioned, no salt)

Moving through textures gradually helps babies develop the oral motor skills needed for chewing and swallowing.

What about allergies?

Current NHS guidance advises introducing the top allergens early and one at a time, watching for reactions. Key allergens to introduce intentionally:

• Peanut (as smooth peanut butter mixed into food)
• Egg (well cooked)
• Cow's milk (in food — yoghurt, cheese, in cooking)
• Tree nuts (as smooth nut butters)
• Fish and shellfish
• Wheat
• Soya

Do not delay these foods — early introduction is now associated with lower allergy risk.

A simple first-week plan

• Day 1: A small amount of single vegetable — sweet potato purée or carrot
• Day 2: The same, or a different vegetable
• Day 3: Fruit — banana or pear
• Day 4: Protein — mashed egg, or lentils
• Day 5 onwards: Start combining, introducing a peanut butter taste

Don't be discouraged by refusal — it can take 10–15 exposures to a new food before a baby accepts it. Keep offering without pressure.