Introducing Solid Foods

Baby’s first foods can include mashed or soft cooked fruit and vegetables. You can use a mixture of feeding your baby from a spoon and giving them finger foods to hold and chew. When preparing finger foods a good way to determine the right size, is to have a piece big enough to fit into your baby’s fist. It is always best to prepare finger foods length ways into baton sized pieces and cut round foods into quarters (for example, grapes and tomatoes)

Once your child has got used to eating ‘first foods’, they can have: 

• soft cooked meats 
• mashed fish 
• pasta 
• toast 
• noodles 
• well-cooked eggs and full fat dairy products (such as yogurts and cheese) 

Food can be full of flavour and textures and the more variety your child has the less likely they are to become fussy. 

• Whole nuts are not recommended for under 5s due to the risk of choking 
• Honey should not be given to children under the age of 1. This is because it contains a bacteria that can be harmful 
• Low fat foods should not be given as your child needs the vitamins and calories from fat for their growth and development 
• All raw shellfish should be not be given to children as there is a high risk of food poisoning 
• Some fish (such as marlin, shark and swordfish) have high mercury levels and can cause damage to children’s nervous system 
• All under-cooked and raw eggs should not be given due to the risk of salmonella poisoning 
• Salt, sugar and saturated fats should be avoided 
• Sugar can cause tooth decay in young children so it is best to limit sweet treats 
• Salt can be harmful for the kidneys 
• Be careful of stocks and gravies as these can be salty 

If you share your meal with your child, make sure you have not added salt or sugar. 

If your child has a problem with feeding, speak to your health visitor who may be able to assist your child with their symptoms. If your child needs more specialised assistance, your health visitor can refer your child to a specialist service. Alternatively, your child’s GP may also refer your child.  

Your baby will be able to self-regulate their appetite and will eat until they are full. All babies are different and on different days may eat more or less. It is ok for a baby or toddler not to finish their meal. As long your baby is content and putting on weight there is no need to be concerned. When your baby is full they may push food away or turn their head. 

Only reduce your child’s milk intake once they are having an established and varied diet. This should be a gradual reduction and milk intake will decrease once food intake increases. 

Babies can have full fat cow’s milk as a drink from 1 year onwards. You can introduce semi skimmed milk from 2 years old onwards if your child is having a good range of foods. You can add cow’s milk to cooking and cereal from 6 months old. 

Your baby only needs stage 1/First Formula and at 1 year your baby can go on to cow’s milk. 

It is normal for babies to gag when first trying solid food and this is a normal reaction. When babies gag they will push the food forwards and spit it out. 

Look for the same signs as a term baby. Introducing solid foods usually starts around 6 months.

Your baby can have tap water from 6 months in a free flow beaker which encourages your baby to sip and swallow. 

It’s recommended that children aged one to four years should have a daily 10mcg vitamin D supplement all year round. 

As a precaution, all babies under one year should have a daily 8.5-10mcg vitamin D supplement to make sure they get enough. 

However, babies who have more than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day don’t need a vitamin D supplement as formula is already fortified. 

If you are unsure if your baby needs additional vitamin D ask your Health Visitor for advice. 

• Infant and toddler forum
• First steps nutrition
• Start for life (NHS)
• Start for Life – Weaning (NHS)
• Introducing solid foods (UNICEF)
• Your baby’s first solid foods (NHS)