Starting solids: what "ready" actually looks like

Most guidance points to around 6 months as the general starting point for solids, but the calendar is only part of the picture — readiness is really about a set of developmental signs happening together.

Signs your baby may be ready

• Can sit up with minimal support and hold their head steady.
• Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex — no longer automatically pushing food back out with their tongue.
• Shows real interest in food — watching you eat, reaching for your plate, opening their mouth as food approaches.
• Can move food to the back of the mouth and swallow, rather than just gumming it around.

Starting simple

There's no strict requirement to start with a particular food group. Common first foods include:

• Iron-fortified infant cereal mixed to a thin consistency.
• Mashed or pureed single vegetables — sweet potato, avocado, and squash are easy places to start.
• Soft, easily gummed fruits — ripe banana or well-cooked pear.

Whether you go the traditional purée route, baby-led weaning, or a mix of both is largely a matter of preference — talk it through with your pediatrician if you're unsure which fits your baby.

What to hold off on

• Honey — a botulism risk before age 1.
• Cow's milk as a main drink — small amounts in cooking are fine, but it shouldn't replace breast milk or formula yet.
• Choking hazards — whole grapes, nuts, popcorn, hard raw vegetables — until age and chewing ability catch up, and even then, cut and prepare carefully.

Pace, not perfection

Solids at this stage are mostly about practice, not nutrition — breast milk or formula is still the main source of calories for a while yet. Offering one new food at a time, a few days apart, makes it easier to notice any reaction.

When to check with your pediatrician

Before starting solids if your baby was premature, has a diagnosed allergy risk, or any feeding or swallowing concern — and any time a reaction (rash, vomiting, unusual fussiness after a new food) shows up.