Occasionally, sometime between as early as four months, but most likely around six months, a baby starts needing extra nutrients from food alongside their milk feeds
So here’s our step-by-step guide to weaning, looking at which foods to give your baby and when...
At a glance
- At six months, babies start to need extra nutrients
- Weaning is all about experimentation and fun
- Start off with a few mouthfuls a day and by 12 months your little one can start joining family meals
Which foods to offer first?
Weaning is all about experimentation and fun at this early stage, and your baby is going to love trying exciting new textures and flavours. To get them started try:
- Mashed cooked vegetables – carrot, potato, parsnip or yam
- Mashed fruit – like banana, pear or cooked apple
- Baby cereals – mixed with a little of your baby’s usual milk
Always stay with your baby while they eat, in case of choking – see our guide to weaning food safety.
How much and how often?
A few mouthfuls once a day.
Which foods to offer from around six months?
Once your baby is happily eating solid foods, you can move onto a wider range of foods:
- Meat, chicken or fish – just make sure you remove any bones
- Scrambled egg – just make sure it’s well-cooked
- Full-fat dairy products – like yoghurts and fromage frais
- Pasta, rice, cous cous
- Dhal (lentil curry), hummus or mashed chickpeas
- Fingers of bread and cooked pasta shapes
- Dhal (lentil curry), hummus or mashed chickpeas
- Finger foods to play with and maybe suck or chew on: pieces of soft fruit– like banana, avocado or ripe pear, or cooked vegetable pieces like soft carrot sticks or green beans or cooked pasta pieces
How much? How often?
Give three meals each day and let your baby’s appetite guide you as to when to stop at each meal. Give different foods at each meal.
Which foods to offer at 7-9 months?
Offer thicker mashes now with some soft lumps. By now your baby should be nibbling on more soft finger foods:
- Bread or toast crusts
- Cooked pasta pieces
- Slices of boiled egg or pieces of omelette– just make sure it’s well-cooked
- Peeled apple – yummy slices
- Cheese cubes
- Rice cakes
How much? How often?
Three small meals a day.
Which foods to offer at 9-11 months?
You can begin minced and chopped family foods and hard finger foods such as: raw carrot, peppers, cucumber, apple slices, strips of pitta or chapatti slices, bread sticks and crackers.
How much? How often?
Three meals each day with two course at each meal – a savoury course followed by a second course of fruit and/or yogurt or milk pudding.
12+ months: Which foods to offer now?
By now your baby can starting joining family meals and enjoying a diverse mixture of foods:
- Fruit and vegetables - fresh, frozen, canned or dried
- Starchy foods – like bread, rice and pasta (not wholegrain)
- Protein – like meat, poultry, fish, pulses and eggs (also an important source of iron for babies and toddlers)
- Foods for protein and iron: meat, poultry, oily fish, pulses and eggs and nut butters or finely ground or crushed nuts
- Full-fat dairy products – like milk, cheese and yoghurt (in addition to your baby’s usual milk)
How much? How often?
Three small meals a day with 2-3 healthy snacks, such as fruit and yogurt, or crackers and cheese or a small sandwich.