Starting solids is one of the most exciting — and messiest — milestones of your baby's first year. It's also one of the most googled, with parents everywhere wondering when to begin, what to serve first, and whether baby-led weaning or purées is the "right" approach. Here's what the current guidance actually says.
When should babies start solids?
Health authorities including the WHO and Australian guidelines recommend introducing solid foods at around six months, and not before four months, while continuing breast milk or formula. But age is only part of the story — readiness matters more than the calendar. Your baby is likely ready when they can sit upright with minimal support, have good head and neck control, show real interest in your food, and have lost the tongue-thrust reflex that automatically pushes food back out of their mouth.
Baby-led weaning vs purées
Baby-led weaning (BLW) skips spoon-feeding entirely: you offer soft, graspable finger foods and your baby feeds themselves from the start. Fans love that it builds motor skills, self-regulation and adventurous eating.
Traditional weaning starts with smooth purées on a spoon and gradually increases texture. It can feel more controlled, and makes it easy to track exactly how much iron-rich food is going in.
Here's the secret: you don't have to choose. Many families do a mix — purées for iron-rich foods like fortified cereal and meat, plus soft finger foods for practice. Research suggests both approaches can lead to healthy eaters, so pick what suits your baby and your nerves.
Great first foods
Iron is the priority nutrient at six months, because babies' iron stores from birth start running low. Good first foods include iron-fortified baby cereal, well-cooked and shredded or puréed meat and poultry, lentils and beans, egg, tofu, and mashed vegetables like sweet potato and pumpkin, plus soft fruits such as banana and avocado. Offer foods one at a time at first, and let your baby set the pace — some days that's three enthusiastic mouthfuls, other days it's wearing the bowl as a hat.
What about allergens?
Current evidence supports introducing common allergens — peanut (as smooth peanut butter, never whole nuts), egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish and sesame — within the first year, once solids are established. Early, regular exposure appears to reduce the risk of food allergy. Introduce one new allergen at a time, ideally earlier in the day, and talk to your doctor first if your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy.
Safety essentials
Always supervise meals, keep baby seated upright, and avoid choking hazards: whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn, chunks of raw apple or carrot, and anything small, round, hard or sticky. Skip honey before 12 months, and go easy on added salt and sugar.
The bottom line
Starting solids is about exploration, not calories — milk remains your baby's main food until close to one. Expect mess, expect faces of pure betrayal over broccoli, and expect it all to change week by week. Keeping simple notes on what you've offered makes allergen tracking and fussy phases far easier to manage — something the Littlest companion is being built to do automatically. This article is general information, not medical advice; chat with your child health nurse or GP about your baby's specific needs.
