When and How to Start Your Baby's First Solid Foods

After breast milk or formula, solid food is the next big step in your baby's diet. Knowing when and how to start can feel confusing for first-time parents. This guide breaks the process down step by step.

The right age to start

Both the WHO and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breastfeeding (or formula) until 6 months. By that point, a baby's digestive system is developmentally ready to handle solids.

Signs your baby is ready

• Can hold their head steady without support
• Can sit with support
• Shows interest in food and opens their mouth toward it
• The tongue-thrust reflex (pushing food back out) has faded

What to offer first

Start with single-ingredient, easy-to-digest foods so allergies are easy to track:

• Mashed banana or boiled apple purée
• Rice cereal or thin dal water
• Boiled, mashed sweet potato or carrot
• Ragi (finger millet) porridge — an excellent iron source
• Well-mashed moong dal khichdi

A weaning schedule (6-12 months)

• 6 months: once a day, starting with 1-2 spoonfuls
• 7-8 months: twice a day, slightly thicker texture
• 9-10 months: three times a day, small soft finger foods
• 11-12 months: a milder version of family meals, 3 meals plus snacks

What to avoid

• No honey before 12 months (risk of infant botulism)
• Keep salt and sugar to a minimum
• Introduce cow's milk as a main drink only after 1 year
• Choking hazards — whole nuts, grapes, hard chunks

Every baby adapts at their own pace. If they reject a food, wait a few days and try again rather than forcing it.