Starting Solids: What You Need to Know

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Are you starting solids with your baby soon, but are not sure where to start?  

Beginning solids with your infant can feel like a whole new phase of learning in parenting. Here a some helpful guidelines and resources to help get you started with confidence.

When do I start feeding solids to my baby?

Current recommendations by the WHO (World Health Organization) and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) are to exclusively breastfeed until 6 months of age, without the addition of complimentary foods until babies exhibit signs of readiness like:

• Able to sit supported or unsupported
• Bring hands to their mouth with intention
• Have lost the protective tongue thrust reflex
• Able to move food to back of the mouth, and swallow
• Show interest in food (reaching, watching others eat)

They do not  need to have teeth before starting solids!

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What does breastfeeding look like when starting solids?

Breastmilk is still your infant’s primary source of nutrition until 12 months of age. Complementary foods, or solids, are meant to add to your infant’s nutrition, not replace breastfeeding. Continue to offer the breast or breastmilk at least every 3 hours during the day, and on demand until your infant is 12 months old.

As your infant nears their 1st birthday, the feedings may become less and less, which is normal and expected. Then, breastfeeding can continue as long as mutually desired by mother and child.

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How to Start Solids:

• Start small, with realistic goals
  
  1. Start with offering a small amount of food
  2. When starting out, pick a time of day that is your baby's mealtime, and stay consistent until it becomes routine. 

• Offer nutrient-dense foods
  
  • Focus on foods high in iron and zinc, as an infant’s iron stores from birth are depleted by 6 months of age.‍
  • Remember that iron is more easily absorbed in the presence of foods high in vitamin C!

• Practice drinking water from an open cup
  
  • Infants younger than 12mo should only drink 1-2oz per day, since breastmilk and/or formula is their primary source of hydration and nutrition. 
  • Drinking water with solids can help decrease the incidence of constipation.

• Know what to avoid
  
  • Avoid feeding your infant
    
    • Honey
    • Any foods with high amounts of sodium.

• Eat with your baby!
  
  • Your baby will learn a lot by watching you, and will have a more enjoyable experience sharing a meal with you. 

• Have fun!
  
  • Offer a variety of textures, foods of different colors, and shapes. 
  • As much as possible, keep eating low stress and full of fun! Let them get messy, laugh at the silly face they make when trying lemon for the first time. 

• Use additional resources if you feel stuck ‍
  
  • This blog post is not meant to be comprehensive when it comes to starting solids, but rather give you general guidance as it relates to your breastfeeding journey. There are many more in-depth resources developed by feeding specialists (i.e. RD, OT, SLP) that have greater guidance. 

• Here are some of my favorite resources and tools that I recommend to my clients, and often referenced and used when starting solids with my babies:
  
  • Feeding Littles - They have great free content, a helpful blog, infant feeding course, cookbook, products, and more! I love their holistic approach. Find more information here.
  • Solids Starts First Foods database - helpful for quick referencing how to prepare different foods for babies based on their ages, with pictures of how to slice, cut, or serve a variety of foods. You can find it here.
  • EzPz Mini Mat- They are so easy to clean, travel with, and suction to the table.
  • Num Num Gootensils - I used these first before offer solids, to help my babies practice pick up the spoon and bring it to thier mouth.
  • Honey Bear Straw cup - useful for teaching infant's to drink from a straw and transition from the bottle.
  • EzPz Tiny Open Cup - Great for cup feeding, and teaching infants to drink from an open cup.

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How much should my child eat?

There is no "should" for an amount. A helpful phrase to remember when it comes to feeding your baby (and as they grow into a toddler), is “I provide, my child decides.” Sometimes your baby will eat one bite. Sometimes they will clean their plate, then ask for more. Both of those are normal and expected.

Here are some helpful suggestions to get you started:

• Offer 1-2 meals between 6-8mo
• Offer 3 meals between 9-12 mo
• Offer 3 meals and 2 snacks after 12 months

Just like with breastfeeding, by self-feeding, your infant will be able to listen to their hunger and fullness cues. Never force feed your infant.

And, if you are concerned that your infant is uninterested in eating, experiencing aversions, or struggling to coordinate chewing and swallowing, seek support from your child's pediatrician and other feeding specialists.

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References:

“Do’s and Don’ts of Transitioning Baby to Solid Foods.” Www.hopkinsmedicine.org, 20 Dec. 2023, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/dos-and-donts-of-transitioning-baby-to-solid-foods.

“Infant Food and Feeding.” Aap.org, 2020, www.aap.org/en/patient-care/healthy-active-living-for-families/infant-food-and-feeding/?srsltid=AfmBOopTMSxucRkMDM_arCoqlXClIvHZ7CoVlipSFU2EhlSrM6PTbLSv. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

Paulley, Lisa M., and Elsie Duff. “Iron Deficiency in Infants—What Nurse Practitioners Need to Know.” The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, vol. 18, no. 6, Apr. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2022.03.012.

“Solid Starts - How to Introduce Any Food to Babies.” Solidstarts.com, 2025, solidstarts.com/?hcUrl=%2Fen-US.

Ziegler, Ekhard, et al. “Iron Stores of Breastfed Infants during the First Year of Life.” Nutrients, vol. 6, no. 5, 21 May 2014, pp. 2023–2034, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6052023.

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Please note that I do not receive any commissions or financial incentives from any companies or brands for recommending or endorsing products. Any recommendations are made solely to provide helpful insights and do not reflect any business relationships with the companies mentioned

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