10 Best First Foods for Your Baby (6+ Months)
Introducing solid foods is a fun, messy, photo-worthy milestone. Around 6 months — once your baby shows the readiness signs below — you can start offering single-ingredient purees or soft finger foods alongside their usual milk. In the beginning, solids are about exploration, not nutrition: breast milk or formula still provides the bulk of what your baby needs through the first year. Your job is to introduce flavors and textures and let your baby practice a brand-new skill.
First, Is Your Baby Ready?
The AAP and WHO recommend starting solids at around 6 months, and readiness is about development, not just age. Look for:
- Good head and neck control — steady when sitting supported.
- Can sit upright with little or no support.
- Lost the tongue-thrust reflex — no longer automatically pushing food out.
- Shows interest — watching you eat, reaching for food, opening their mouth.
Not sure yet? Take our free solids readiness quiz, or read the full starting solids guide first.
A Few Safety Ground Rules
- Introduce one new food at a time and wait about 3–5 days before the next, so any reaction is easy to trace.
- No honey before 12 months — risk of infant botulism.
- No cow's milk as a main drink before 12 months (small amounts in cooking, or yogurt and cheese, are fine).
- Avoid choking hazards: no whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn, chunks of raw apple or hard veg, or globs of nut butter. Cut round foods lengthwise and always supervise.
- Introduce common allergens early and regularly once solids are underway — current guidance encourages this rather than delaying. See our guide to introducing allergens to your baby.
The 10 Best First Foods
- Avocado — rich in healthy fats and brain-supporting nutrients. Mash smooth, or offer ripe spears for self-feeding.
- Banana — naturally sweet and soft, a reliable crowd-pleaser. Mash, or offer a peeled half with the tip cut for grip.
- Sweet potato — a great source of vitamin A. Steam or bake until very soft, then mash or cut into soft wedges.
- Iron-fortified baby cereal — iron is a key nutrient around 6 months as your baby's stores from birth start to run low. Mix with breast milk or formula to a loose consistency at first.
- Carrots — steam or roast until fork-tender, then mash. Full of beta-carotene.
- Butternut squash — like sweet potato, easy to digest, sweet, and nutrient-dense.
- Pears — gentle on the tummy. Steam and mash, or offer very ripe, soft slices.
- Broccoli — a good source of vitamin C, and the little "tree" tops are easy for babies to hold. Steam the florets until very soft.
- Plain full-fat yogurt — protein plus probiotics. Choose unsweetened. (Yogurt is fine before 12 months even though cow's milk as a drink should wait.)
- Chicken or turkey — an excellent source of iron and protein. Cook thoroughly and puree smooth, or shred finely.
Focus on iron and fat. These are the two nutrients that most matter early: iron-rich foods (meat, iron-fortified cereal, lentils, beans) and healthy fats (avocado, full-fat dairy, a little olive oil) support the rapid growth and brain development happening now.
How to Prepare and Serve
| Age (approx.) | Texture | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ~6 months | Smooth, thin purees | Runny avocado, thinned cereal |
| ~7–8 months | Thicker purees, mashed, soft lumps | Mashed sweet potato with soft bits |
| ~9–10 months | Soft finger foods, minced, chopped soft | Broccoli florets, banana pieces |
| ~12 months | Chopped versions of family meals | Soft pasta, shredded chicken |
Start with once a day and build to two, then three meals plus snacks over the following months as your baby's appetite grows. Our baby feeding schedule by age shows how milk and solids balance out month by month.
Prefer to skip spoon-feeding? See our guide to baby-led weaning first foods — or do both with a combination approach, which many families find the most flexible.
Track and learn. Use a free MyBabyTracker account to log each new food and jot notes on how it went — reactions, favorites, flops. Over a few weeks you'll build a real picture of your baby's eating, and it's genuinely useful to have on hand at checkups.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should my baby eat at first? Start tiny — a teaspoon or two. Follow your baby's cues: turning away, closing their mouth, or leaning back means "done." Never pressure a baby to finish; they're excellent at self-regulating.
Do I still breastfeed or give formula? Yes. Milk remains the main source of nutrition through 12 months. Offer solids after or between milk feeds at first, not instead of them.
What if my baby gags? Gagging is a normal, protective reflex as babies learn to move food around — it looks alarming but usually resolves on its own. Choking (silent, unable to breathe) is different and an emergency. Learning the difference, and infant CPR, is well worth your time.
Should I avoid allergens to be safe? The opposite — current guidance is to introduce common allergens (egg, peanut, dairy, wheat, soy, fish) early and keep them in the rotation, which is linked to lower allergy risk. See introducing allergens.
When to Talk to Your Pediatrician
Check in before starting solids if your baby was premature, has significant eczema, or has a family history of food allergies — your doctor may suggest a tailored plan. Seek care immediately for signs of a serious allergic reaction: facial or lip swelling, hives, repeated vomiting, or any trouble breathing. And mention it at a visit if your baby consistently refuses solids or isn't gaining weight well.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.