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Starting Solids at 6 Months
Most babies can start complementary foods around 6 months, when they sit with support and show readiness. Keep breast milk or formula as the main food. Add iron-rich foods early, offer soft textures, and introduce common allergens rather than delaying them.
Why 6 months, not 4
AAP, CDC, and WHO guidance centers complementary feeding around 6 months for most babies, alongside continued milk feeds.
Starting too early is linked with no extra benefit and more digestive unpreparedness. Starting much later can miss the iron window and the allergy-introduction window.
What the first plate can look like
- An iron-rich food: meat strip, lentil mash, or egg
- A soft fruit or vegetable: avocado, banana, or steamed broccoli
- A water sip in an open cup, optional
- Milk feed before or after, on the baby’s usual rhythm
What “ready” looks like
Your baby should sit more upright than reclined, keep food in the mouth rather than immediately thrusting it all out, and be interested. Premature babies are often dated from adjusted age — ask your pediatrician.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start with rice cereal only?
You can, but you do not have to. Meat, beans, and other iron-rich foods are equally valid first foods.
Sources
- Addendum guidelines for the prevention of peanut allergy in the United States — NIAID
- Food Allergies in Babies and Children — American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
- 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.