Getting baby off to a solid start

Starting solid food is a big step for babies. Most babies are ready for solid food at around 6 months of age.

Here are some tips on what to feed your baby from a Tasmanian dietician.

A great place to start is with purees, mashes and soft finger foods made from foods your family usually eats. Using family foods means that you know what is in the food, and helps your baby to:

  • explore a range of foods, tastes and new textures, which helps to build their eating skills.
  • become familiar with family foods and be part of family mealtimes. Babies may need a few tries with new foods. Seeing others eating the same food as them helps.

Try to choose homemade foods over store-bought packaged baby foods when you can. This is because:

  • The packet label may say ‘no added sugar’ but added fruit juice can make store-bought baby foods sweeter. This can lead to liking sweeter foods over bitter foods, like vegetables.
  • Store-bought foods are usually more expensive than homemade food.
  • Store-bought foods can come in squeezable pouches. Pouches can be useful when out and about, but they are smooth and don’t need to be chewed. Chewing helps babies develop their muscles for eating and talking.

Some baby food ideas made from family meals include:

  • Casseroles, stews, and slow-cooked meat dishes. These make great purees and, for older babies, soft meat as finger food.
  • Steamed vegetables (like peas and carrots) make good purees and mashes.
  • Roasted vegetables, like pumpkin, sweet potato, and cauliflower. Mash or offer soft pieces as finger foods.
  • Thick soups, like pea and ham, chicken and corn or minestrone. These are easy to puree, or you can take larger pieces out to use as finger foods.
  • Bolognese sauce makes an easy puree and is easy to freeze.

There is no need to add sugar or salt to your baby’s food.

It is helpful to remember that babies are learning to eat. Enjoy this time with your baby and embrace the mess!

Talk to your child health nurse for more information and visit Healthy Kids for more food ideas.