Starting Solids: When & What to Feed Baby | Parenting Hub
Australian guidelines recommend starting solids around 6 months (not before 4). Here's what to look for and the first foods to try.
Around 6 months your baby will show signs they're ready for solids. Milk (breast or formula) stays the main food until 12 months — solids are practice plus iron.
Signs of readiness
All three usually present from around 6 months.
- Sits with minimal support and holds head steady
- Shows interest in food (watches you eat, reaches for it)
- Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex (doesn't immediately push food out)
First foods (iron is the priority)
- Iron-rich: iron-fortified baby cereal, well-cooked meat/chicken puree, mashed legumes, tofu
- Soft fruits: banana, ripe pear, avocado
- Cooked vegetables: sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, broccoli
- Plain full-fat yoghurt (from ~6 months)
- No salt, sugar, honey (until 12 months), cow's milk as a drink (until 12 months), or whole nuts
How to start
- Begin with 1–2 teaspoons once a day, alongside milk feeds
- Build to 2 meals by 7 months, 3 by 9 months plus snacks
- Offer purees, mashed, or soft finger foods — most babies do well with a mix
- Always supervise; sit baby upright in a high chair
- Offer water in an open or sippy cup with meals from 6 months
Don't delay allergens
Current ASCIA guidance: introduce common allergens (egg, peanut, dairy, wheat) by 12 months. See our allergen introduction article.
When to seek help
- Persistent gagging that becomes choking (blue lips, silent)
- Hives, swelling, vomiting or breathing change after a new food
- Refusing all solids past 8 months
- Loss of interest in milk feeds (under 12 months)
Common questions
Should I start with rice cereal?
It's a fine first food but no longer the required first. Iron-fortified cereals, meat puree or well-cooked lentils all work. Variety matters.
What if my baby just plays with food?
Totally normal. Early solids are about exploration, not calories. Keep offering — exposure builds acceptance.