How to Introduce Solids to Your Baby: A Quick Guide.

How to Introduce Solids to Your Baby: A Quick Guide.

Introducing solid foods is a big milestone and it doesn't have to be stressful. Whether you're planning to spoon-feed purées, try baby-led weaning, or a combination of both, this step-by-step guide will help you start solids with confidence.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Baby Is Ready

Before you begin, check that your baby shows all three signs of developmental readiness:

  • Can sit up with minimal support and hold their head steady
  • Has good hand-eye coordination and can bring objects to their mouth
  • Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex (no longer automatically pushes food out)

Most babies reach this stage at around 6 months.

Step 2: Choose Your Weaning Approach

There are three main approaches to introducing solids:

  • Traditional spoon-feeding: Start with smooth purées and gradually increase texture. Great for parents who want more control over quantities.
  • Baby-led weaning (BLW): Offer soft finger foods from the start and let your baby self-feed. Encourages independence and exploration.
  • Combination weaning: A mix of both — offer purées on a spoon alongside soft finger foods. Increasingly popular and flexible.

There's no single right answer. Choose what suits your baby and your lifestyle.

Step 3: Set Up a Safe Mealtime Environment

Before you offer that first spoonful or finger food:

  • Seat your baby upright in a highchair with good support
  • Use a bib to catch spills weaning can be messy!
  • Have a damp cloth nearby
  • Never leave your baby unattended while eating
  • Learn the difference between gagging (normal, protective reflex) and choking (requires immediate action)

Using the right equipment matters too. Our Weaning Bundle includes a silicone bib, stainless steel bowls, and Baby Feeding Spoons — all toxin-free and designed for safe, easy mealtimes.

Step 4: Start Small and Simple

For the first few weeks, keep it simple:

  • Offer solids once a day, at a time when your baby is happy and alert
  • Start with just 1–2 teaspoons of food
  • Choose mild, single-ingredient foods first
  • Continue all normal milk feeds — milk remains the primary nutrition source until 12 months

Step 5: Introduce One New Food at a Time

Introducing foods one at a time (especially common allergens) helps you identify any reactions. The top allergens to introduce carefully include:

  • Cow's milk (in cooking/food — not as a main drink before 12 months)
  • Eggs (well cooked)
  • Peanuts (as smooth peanut butter or peanut powder)
  • Tree nuts
  • Wheat/gluten
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Sesame
  • Soya

Current NHS guidance recommends introducing allergens early (from around 6 months) rather than avoiding them, as this may help reduce allergy risk.

Step 6: Build Up Gradually

Over the first few weeks and months, gradually:

  • Increase the amount of food offered
  • Increase the number of meals per day (aim for 3 meals by around 9–10 months)
  • Introduce more variety — different flavours, textures, and food groups
  • Progress from smooth purées to mashed, then lumpy, then soft finger foods

Foods to Avoid in the First Year

  • Honey — risk of infant botulism before 12 months
  • Added salt — damages developing kidneys
  • Added sugar — harmful to developing teeth and taste preferences
  • Whole nuts — choking hazard
  • Shark, swordfish, marlin — high mercury content
  • Raw or lightly cooked eggs (unless they have the British Lion mark)

What About Drinks?

Continue breast milk or formula as the main drink. You can introduce sips of water with meals from 6 months (in our Stainless Steel Baby Cup or another free-flow cup — not a valve sippy cup). Avoid juice, squash, and cow's milk as a main drink until 12 months.

Be Patient — It Takes Time

It can take 10–15 exposures to a new food before a baby accepts it. Don't give up if they refuse something just keep offering it alongside familiar foods. Mealtimes should be relaxed and enjoyable, not pressured.

Ready to Start Weaning?

Before you dive into introducing solids, make sure you know when to start weaning your baby — our complete guide covers the signs of readiness and what the NHS recommends.

Get Equipped for Weaning

The right tools make a real difference. Our Weaning Bundle has everything you need to get started. Safe, toxin-free, and built to last through the whole weaning journey and beyond.

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