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When should solids be
introduced?
Between 4 and 6 months,
although most commonly closer to 6 months. Up
to the first 4 to 6 months of an infant’s life, breast milk or formula
will provide all their nutritional requirements for growth. At around 6
months, the iron stores that baby gained in utero begin to run low,
which is one of the reasons we start solids around this time.
Don’t be tempted to start
too early
Introducing solids too early
can be a burden to an underdeveloped digestive system (most babies’
digestive systems remain inadequate up to about 6 months of age), as
well as impairing maternal milk supply. Other concerns include
increasing the risk of food allergies and exposure to bugs that may lead
to diarrhoea and other gastric problems.
Most parents soon realise how
convenient milk feeding is (especially if it is your second time
around). The tendency to want to delay introducing solids creeps into
the minds of many of us, however…
Don’t wait too long
According to research, your
baby will not benefit from having solids before 6 months. However, if
you leave the introduction of solids too late, you risk undermining your
baby’s nutritional status. Iron and zinc levels, in particular, decrease
in breast milk as your baby’s demand increases. Other problems include
immune challenges and reduced motor development, for example, the skill
of chewing.
So how much will baby eat
at first?
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It generally takes about
a month from the time of the first introduced food for babies to
work up to taking more than 10 ml a day (just over 2 teaspoons), and
a month and half to be able to consume more than 100 ml a day. |
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Babies who were started on
solids at a younger age seem to take longer to get to these amounts;
hence introducing solids at 6 months appears to shorten the time. |
Tips on starting foods
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Foods should be a fine,
runny puree and smooth in consistency. |
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Introduce foods one at a
time, and ensure they don’t include salt, sugar or flavourings of
any sort. Maintaining baby’s milk source helps to ensure that any
reactions can be attributed to the single food. [is this what you
mean here Leanne; that breastfeeding should continue while foods are
introduced one at a time?] |
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Rotate foods so that you
give the same one only once in a 3-5 day period. There’s nothing
worse than eating the same thing over and over again. This will
also help reduce the risk of food reaction or allergy, and in the
unlikely event of a reaction, it may become evident before the end
of the day. |
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Once a variety of foods
has been introduced successfully, make sure you vary them frequently
so that baby gains a balanced diet. Variety at this early stage may
also help you get through that fussy stage in the toddler years. |
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Be persistent. Many
studies show that it may take up to 10 opportunities to try a new
food before baby accepts it. |
Avocado
(mmmm) was my favourite starter because in its fatty acid makeup, it
is similar to breast milk. Once you’ve diluted it (watered it down)
into a runny paste with breast milk or formula it can be an option
that baby will enjoy early on.
Food suggestions for bubs
starting out
Given the amount that is
likely to go in and stay in, baby’s first foods will not provide
significant nutrients. Infants of less than 6 months will still rely
primarily on breast milk or formula for all their nutritional
requirements. The point of introducing solids around this time is to
prepare baby for new tastes, textures and modes of feeding.
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Start with an
iron-enriched infant cereal. While many of these are high glycaemic
foods, infants who are just starting out find them easy to digest
and swallow. Use breast milk or formula to mix into a smooth paste. |
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Cooked and pureed
vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, choko, parsnip,
broccoli, peas, potato, zucchini, cauliflower. |
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Once you have introduced a
few vegetables you can start to mix them and create interesting
combinations. |
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Mashed/cooked/pureed
fruits such as avocado, apple, banana, pear, choko, strawberry etc.
can also be introduced, although fruit is often best left till after
a wide array of vegetables have been introduced to avoid an over
fondness for sweet foods. |
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If a fruit or vegetable is
too runny, use baby’s rice cereal as a thickener.
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By six months, baby should
be consuming iron-fortified baby foods such as rice cereal (as per
dietary guidelines for children). |
The timing of food groups
differs from one culture to the next and as yet there are no
hard-and-fast rules. The following is a guide only.
What should infants drink?
Babies need more water than
adults to digest their food. Why? Because babies’ kidneys are not fully
developed and therefore not as adept at handling the waste products from
the digestion and metabolism of food. Infants’ kidneys use more water
than adults to dilute and remove waste products from the body. As
solids are increasing in volume in the diet, it becomes more important
to monitor the amount of water a child is drinking, particularly in the
case where milk feeds are being replaced by solid foods.
Water is much better than
other fluids, particularly juices and cordials. Ensure that drink
bottles and cups are placed in easy-to-see and reachable positions and
check the levels throughout the day.
It is
generally agreed that young children should not be given fruit juice and
that water is the most preferable fluid.
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Figure 1
Quick reference guide to introducing foods |
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Age |
Food and meal ideas |
Frequency |
Important points |
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4- 6 months |
Avocado is fabulous as the fat content is similar to that of breastmilk; plus sweet potato, sweetcorn, zucchini and carrot for starters.
Allow baby to suck the food from a spoon at first as sucking is still their natural reflex
Use breastmilk or formula to thin food |
4–6+ milk feeds* a day
1 meal a day
Test all new foods alone and for at least 3 days
Brekky is a good starting point
Baby may start with 1–5 teaspoons |
Look for a number of signs of readiness for solids
Ensure a fine, silky paste
Offer clean water in a sipper cup to reduce risk of constipation |
| 6 months |
Focusing on the less sweet foods such as vegies, and introducing fruit with vegies
• Iron-enriched rice cereal should be used by 6 months
• Vegetables such as pumpkin, choko, parsnip, potato, broccoli, peas, potato, cauliflower, beans
• Cooked/mashed fruit such as apple, pear, banana, paw paw, rockmelon
• Natural unsweetened yoghurts (are low lactose)
• Teething rusks |
Still relies primarily on breastmilk or formula
3–5 milk feeds
May be onto 2 meals a day |
Pureed into a smooth paste with breastmilk or formula
Use of feeding cups over bottles
Babies have an innate preference for sweet and salty tastes, so watch these |
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7ish months |
Working up to 3 meals a day and increasing texture
• Cheese (cheddar is low in lactose)
• Fish
• Tofu
• Continue increasing the variety of vegetables, beetroot, capsicum, turnip, etc.
• Increasing variety of fruit – strawberries, mango, blueberries, watermelon, plum, star fruit and custard apples
• Brown and white rice cooked till soft |
3–5 milk feeds per day
Offer water regularly over the day |
Texture is important for baby’s jaw and speech development
Begin fork-mashing into a soft and lumpy consistency, similar to the texture of cottage cheese
Making meals with mixtures of foods |
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8ish months |
Babies develop a swallowing reflex for coarser foods
• A teaspoon of almond, linseed, sunflower or hazelnut meal (powder) added to mashed foods for protein and essential fats
• Vegetarian proteins such as lentils
• White meat such as fine pieces of chicken or turkey
• Lumpy food
• Start with gluten-free cereals such as corn, millet, rice, buckwheat, tapioca and quinoa – try buckwheat and rice noodles |
3-4 milk feeds per day |
.Introduce lumpy foods
Unless recommended don’t avoid food groups
A feeding mesh is a great way to introduce new foods and is helpful when moving onto finger foods |
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Around 9 months |
Baby starts chewing and
moving food around their mouth
• Begin offering oats, pastas and wholegrain breads and cereals
• Nut spreads, such as almond
• Expand on cheeses (cottage etc.)
• Red meat such as lamb mince |
3 milk feeds per day
3 meals and 2 snacks a day |
Finger foods, grated cheese, vegetables and fruit, finely sliced chicken
Meals begin to look more like adult-style meals |
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10 months |
• Eggs (cooked egg yolk, offer whole egg from 12 months+)
• Well-cooked red meats
• Small amounts of milk, soy milk, nut milk, oat milk
• Stews, rissoles, casseroles, sandwiches, etc.
• Beans (legumes) |
3 milk feeds per day. |
Scrambled egg yolk.
Finely chopped or minced
meat. |
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11-12 months |
• Other legumes (kidney beans, butter beans, soy beans)
• Pasteurised milk and calcium-enriched milk alternatives from 12 months
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Weaning from breast or bottle
if wished at 12 months. |
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12 months+ |
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Whole foods except nuts. |
Water is best fluid. |
This chart is a general guide, all babies are different and the progression of solids is unique to each individual. This chart does not replace medical advice; if you have any concerns talk to your child health nurse or GP. * ‘Milk feeds’ refer to breastmilk or formula only!
Download the full tip sheet
or read more about baby nutrition and health at
Created by
Leanne Cooper
This tip sheet
may be reproduced in whole or in part for education and non-profit
purposes with acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for
commercial use or sale. The information is not designed to replace
medical advice always consult your health care professional if in doubt.
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