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How Soft Should BLW Food Be?
Food for a 6-month-old should mash between your thumb and finger with light pressure. If you would not want it on your own gum with no teeth, it is too firm. Cooking time is the safety tool, especially for carrot, apple, and broccoli stems.
The squeeze test
Press the food between finger and thumb. It should deform easily. “A little firm in the middle” is not ready for 6 months.
Foods that fool parents
- Carrot that is orange but still crisp
- Apple that is peeled but raw
- Chicken that is cooked but dry and stringy
- Toast that is hard as a cracker
Frequently asked questions
My baby has teeth. Can food be firmer?
A few teeth do not make a 7-month-old a safe chewer of raw carrot. Judge by mashability, not by tooth count.
Sources
- Starting Solid Foods — American Academy of Pediatrics
- When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods — CDC
- Complementary feeding — World Health Organization
- Your baby’s first solid foods — NHS
Reviewed by Morvarid Nikousokhantayar.