Starting Solid Foods: A Calm First-Bites Guide

Around six months, milk alone stops being enough and an adventure begins. Solids at this stage are about learning, not calories — milk remains the main food until age one.

🔹 Signs of readiness (usually ~6 months)
Sits with little support, holds the head steady, watches your fork like a hawk, and has lost the reflex of pushing everything out with the tongue. Age is a guide; these signs are the green light.

🔹 Great first foods
Iron-fortified baby cereal, mashed avocado, sweet potato, banana, lentil purée, well-cooked soft vegetables. Offer ONE new food at a time and wait 2–3 days before the next — it makes spotting any allergy simple.

🔹 About allergens
Current guidance for most babies: introduce common allergens (egg, peanut in safe form like smooth diluted butter, fish) early and regularly rather than delaying. Talk to your doctor first if eczema or family allergies exist.

🔹 Never on the menu
Honey before age one (botulism risk), whole nuts and hard round foods (choking), added salt and sugar, and cow's milk as a main drink before one.

🔹 Embrace the chaos
Food on the ceiling means sensory learning in progress. A floor mat costs less than your patience. Ten rejections of broccoli are normal — the eleventh may be love.

Note: This article is general information, not medical advice. Always consult your doctor.