Weaning Meal Plan for 6–9 Months: A Week of Ideas

Using This Meal Plan

This sample week of meals is designed for babies aged between six and nine months who are in the early stages of weaning. At this stage, milk — whether breast milk or formula — remains your baby's primary source of nutrition. Solid food at this age is about exploration, learning, and introducing flavours and textures. You should not expect your baby to eat large quantities, and the amount consumed will vary significantly from day to day and even meal to meal.

The textures suggested below are guidelines rather than strict rules. A six-month-old who has just started weaning will need smoother textures than a nine-month-old who has been enjoying solids for several weeks. Adapt as needed for your child.

Milk feeding guidance for this age: Continue offering breast milk or formula as usual. Most babies at six months have around four to five milk feeds per day. Offer milk before solids in early weaning, then gradually shift towards offering food first as your baby approaches seven to eight months.

Monday

Breakfast Smooth oat porridge made with full-fat cow's milk (fine to use in cooking from six months), thinned to a loose consistency. Offer a few spoonfuls or, for BLW babies, a loaded spoon they can bring to their mouth. Top with a little mashed banana.

Lunch Smooth sweet potato purée with a little butter stirred in. If your baby is a few months into weaning, try mashing rather than blending so there are very soft lumps. Alongside: a steamed broccoli floret as a finger food.

Dinner Mild lentil dahl (made without salt) blended until smooth. Serve with a small piece of soft chapati or naan torn into strips.

Tuesday

Breakfast Scrambled egg (well-cooked) with a piece of buttered toast cut into fingers. If this is one of the first times you are offering egg, offer a small amount first and watch for any signs of allergy.

Lunch Carrot and red lentil soup, blended until smooth. For older babies in this range, leave some texture. Serve with a bread finger.

Dinner Mashed avocado on soft toast, or alongside soft cucumber batons (peeled). Add a squeeze of lemon to prevent the avocado browning. Offer some well-cooked pasta spirals alongside for babies who are more advanced.

Wednesday

Breakfast Weetabix softened with full-fat milk until very sloppy. Mix in a little mashed pear. This has a naturally slightly lumpy texture, which is good for progressing your baby's palate.

Lunch Puréed or mashed butternut squash and apple — a combination that is sweet and well-accepted by most babies. You can roast the squash for a deeper flavour.

Dinner Mild chicken and vegetable casserole (no salt, no onion powder or stock cubes) with the chicken blended or very finely minced and vegetables mashed. For BLW babies, offer very soft cooked chicken pieces the size of a chip.

Thursday

Breakfast Natural full-fat yoghurt with mashed ripe strawberries stirred through. Offer on a pre-loaded spoon or let your baby self-feed from the bowl with their hands.

Lunch Smooth pea purée with a little mint. Peas have a naturally high iron content, making them a nutritious choice. For finger food alongside, offer soft green beans (very well cooked).

Dinner Fish pie — poached white fish blended or mashed into mashed potato with full-fat milk and butter. Check carefully for bones. A firm family favourite that adapts well for babies.

Friday

Breakfast Oat porridge made with formula or breast milk to keep it thinner and more familiar-tasting. Top with a little smooth nut butter (ensure no nut allergy) or mashed banana.

Lunch Minestrone-style vegetable soup, blended until smooth. Alongside, offer soft pasta pieces or bread.

Dinner Mild tomato-based pasta sauce (no salt) over well-cooked, soft pasta spirals. Blend the sauce until smooth and serve with soft pasta that can be picked up as finger food.

Saturday

Breakfast Eggy bread (French toast) — dip bread in beaten egg and cook in a little butter. Cut into fingers. A great combination of carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

Lunch Mashed avocado and banana — a simple, nutritious combination that needs no cooking. Great for days out.

Dinner Slow-cooked beef or lamb stew (no salt added), meat very finely shredded or minced, vegetables soft and mashed. Serve with a little mashed potato or soft bread.

Sunday

Breakfast Bircher muesli: oats soaked overnight in full-fat yoghurt and a little apple juice, with grated apple stirred through. This has a pleasant soft texture that is easy to manage.

Lunch Roasted vegetable medley — courgette, pepper, and sweet potato roasted until very soft. Mash together or serve as soft finger food pieces. Add a little olive oil.

Dinner Family roast dinner adapted for baby: very soft roasted chicken (avoid tough, dry pieces), well-cooked roasted vegetables, and mashed potato. This is an excellent opportunity for the whole family to eat together, which research consistently shows supports positive eating habits in infants.

Portion Guidance for 6–9 Months

Portion sizes at this stage are small — much smaller than parents often expect. A typical meal at six months might be just a few tablespoons of puréed food, or a couple of pieces of finger food that the baby largely plays with and explores. By nine months, portions may have grown to several tablespoons of food across three small meals.

Signs that your baby has had enough include: turning their head away, closing their mouth, pushing food away, becoming distracted or fussy. Never force more food than your baby wants.

What to Drink

Water can be offered from six months, sipped from an open cup or a free-flow sippy cup. NHS guidance recommends avoiding trainer cups with valves, as they do not encourage the development of mature drinking skills. Only small amounts will be consumed initially — this is fine. Milk remains the main drink.

Batch Cooking Tips

Weaning is much more manageable when you cook in batches. Purées freeze well in ice cube trays — once frozen, transfer to labelled freezer bags and use within three months. Defrost individual portions overnight in the fridge or in a bowl of warm water. Never refreeze food that has already been defrosted.

The most important thing at this stage is to keep mealtimes relaxed and positive. Your baby is on a journey of discovery, and every mealtime is a step forward — even when it ends with more food on the floor than inside them.