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First Foods Tracker

Track Big 9 allergen introduction, the first 50 foods, and texture progression by age. Pediatrician-aligned. Saves your progress.

Most of the food-introduction debate is marketing, not science. The AAP reversed its allergen-delay guidance in 2008. BLW vs purees is a values argument, not a safety one. What actually matters: introducing the top-9 allergens by 12 months, hitting iron and zinc targets, and learning to tell gagging apart from choking. Below: the framework that holds up.

What the AAP and NIAID actually recommend

The 2008 AAP reversal and the 2017 NIAID guidelines flipped what your pediatrician was probably trained to say a decade ago. The current evidence-based position: introduce common allergens early and regularly, not late and rarely. For peanut specifically, the 2015 LEAP trial showed that early introduction (between 4 and 11 months) reduced peanut allergy risk by about 81% in high-risk infants. The previous "wait until age 3" advice actually increased allergy rates.

Practical translation: start solids around 6 months (some pediatricians say 4–6 months for babies with sitting-up readiness signs), and aim to introduce each of the top 9 allergens at least once by 12 months, ideally with regular repeat exposure once introduced. Skipping or delaying does not reduce risk. It often increases it.

The 3-day rule, when to use it, when to relax

The standard advice — introduce one new food, wait 3 days, then introduce the next — comes from a real concern (catching an allergic reaction without confounders) but has been over-applied. Most pediatric allergists now consider it unnecessary for non-allergen foods. Apply the 3-day rule to the top 9 allergens (peanut, egg, dairy, tree nut, wheat, soy, sesame, fish, shellfish). Relax it for everything else.

For a baby starting solids at 6 months with no eczema history or family allergy red flags, you can introduce a new vegetable on Monday and a new fruit on Tuesday. For a baby with severe eczema (the strongest predictor of food allergy), keep the 3-day spacing for allergens and consider asking your pediatrician about a peanut introduction under clinic supervision.

The top 9 allergens, and the order that makes sense

The big 9 by US labeling law: peanut, egg, dairy, tree nuts, wheat, soy, sesame, fish, shellfish. A reasonable introduction order:

  • Weeks 1–2 of solids: egg (well-cooked yolk and white), dairy (full-fat plain yogurt is the easiest first form)
  • Weeks 3–4: peanut (smooth peanut butter thinned with water or yogurt, never whole nuts or chunks)
  • Weeks 5–8: wheat (well-cooked pasta, oatmeal mixed with wheat cereal), soy (tofu cubes)
  • Months 2–4 of solids: tree nuts (smooth nut butters), sesame (tahini thinned, hummus)
  • By 12 months: fish (flaky white fish), shellfish (shrimp finely chopped)

Once an allergen is introduced without reaction, keep it in regular rotation (2–3 times a week minimum). Single exposures don't build tolerance. Sustained exposure does.

Iron and zinc are the real nutritional risk

Around 6 months, the iron stores a baby was born with start to deplete. Breastmilk and standard infant formula don't fully cover the gap. Iron-fortified cereal is the default recommendation, but it's not the only path. Better-bioavailable iron sources for first foods:

  • Heme iron: well-cooked ground beef, dark turkey, chicken liver paté. Absorbed at 25–35%.
  • Plant iron: lentils, beans, fortified cereal, dark leafy greens. Absorbed at 5–10%, doubles when paired with vitamin C.

Zinc tracks similarly. Red meat is the standout source. A 6–8 month old eating 1 tablespoon of well-cooked ground beef twice a week covers more zinc and iron than a daily bowl of fortified cereal.

Gagging vs choking, the difference that matters

Gagging is loud, visible, and protective. The baby will cough, sputter, sometimes turn red, sometimes vomit. The airway is open. Resist the urge to swipe the food out. The gag reflex is doing exactly what it's supposed to.

Choking is silent. The airway is blocked. No coughing, no sound, possibly turning blue. This is the moment to act, not gagging. Every parent introducing solids should take a 20-minute infant CPR refresher. The Heimlich for an under-1 is back blows and chest thrusts, not abdominal. Knowing the difference between gag and choke means the gag reflex does its job and you stay calm enough to spot the rare true choke.

How to use this tracker

Log foods as you introduce them. The tracker categorizes by allergen status, food group, and texture stage, and flags which of the top 9 allergens are still pending. Use the "next to try" suggestion to fill nutritional gaps (iron-rich, vitamin-C pairings, allergen-eligible). The tracker saves locally on your device, so progress sticks across sessions even without an account.

If you're following BLW, log finger foods as you offer them, not as your baby "finishes" them. The point is exposure, not consumption.

When to call your pediatrician

Most first-foods reactions are mild and resolve in an hour. Call your pediatrician or 911 if you see:

  • Hives that spread beyond the area of contact within 2 hours of eating
  • Swelling of the lips, tongue, or face
  • Wheezing, persistent coughing, or trouble breathing
  • Vomiting that comes 1–4 hours after eating the same food twice (possible FPIES)
  • Sudden lethargy, paleness, or unresponsiveness after a feed

For any reaction at all, log what was eaten and when. That timeline is what your pediatrician needs to decide whether allergy testing makes sense.

About your baby

Drives the texture stage.
Your baby
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Texture stage
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Allergens
0 / 9
introduced (3+ exposures)
First 50 foods
0 / 50
tried at least once
Days tracking
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since you started

The Big 9 allergens

Introduce each one, give it three days at small but consistent doses, watch for reaction, then keep offering ~weekly. Tap a card after each exposure. Three exposures = "introduced".

First 50 foods

A starter list across 6 categories. Tap to mark tried; tap again to expand for prep notes.

Tested by parents

Solids gear that earns its space

Suction bowls that don't slide, soft-tipped utensils, smock-style bibs, and one good high chair beat eight gimmicks. We tested 27 setups; only a few stayed.

See feeding gear

What pediatric dietitians actually say

  • Start at 6 months unless your pediatrician advises earlier. Iron stores from pregnancy run out around 6 months — that's the actual "why" behind the timing. Watch for sitting + interest + lost tongue-thrust before the calendar.
  • Big 9 early and often beats Big 9 cautious and rare. The 2017 LEAP study reversed decades of "wait until age 1" advice. Early, regular exposure (especially peanut and egg) lowers allergy risk dramatically. After introduction, keep offering ~weekly to maintain tolerance.
  • Gagging is not choking. Gagging is loud and a normal protective reflex while baby learns. Choking is silent. Sit up, supervise, never strap baby into a reclined seat for solids. Take an infant CPR class — every parent should.
  • Mess is part of it. 80% of food on the floor is normal between 6 and 9 months. The eating learning curve looks like a disaster zone for weeks. Bibs that catch food, splat mats, and 12 layers of "don't worry about it" are the play.
  • Variety beats volume. A baby trying 30 different foods in their first month of solids will eat ~3 tablespoons total per day. That's fine — the calories still come from milk. The point is exposure, not intake.
  • Salt and added sugar wait until 12 months. Honey absolutely waits until 12 months (botulism risk). Otherwise: skip the table salt, skip sweetened anything, but spices, garlic, and fresh herbs are great early.
  • Self-feed by 9 months. Even pure-purée parents should be offering pre-loaded spoons and finger food by 8–9 months. The window for accepting new textures narrows after 12 months.

Frequently asked

AAP and WHO both recommend around 6 months. Signals matter more than the calendar: baby sits with minimal support, holds head steady, shows interest in food (watching you eat, reaching), and the tongue-thrust reflex has faded. Don't push it before 4 months. Some pediatricians discuss 4–6 months for purees on a case-by-case basis, especially for high-allergy-risk babies needing earlier peanut/egg exposure.

The Big 9 are the most common food allergens in the US: peanut, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat, soy, sesame, fish, and shellfish. Sesame was added in 2023 as the ninth. The 2017 LEAP study + 2019 AAP guidance flipped prior advice: early, regular exposure (around 6 months) lowers allergy risk dramatically. The old "avoid until age 1–3" rule is no longer supported by evidence.

Both work. BLW skips purees and gives baby soft strips of food they can hold. Purees feed the baby with a spoon. Combo does both. Research shows similar outcomes for nutrition, growth, and acceptance of variety. BLW takes more parental tolerance for mess; purees take more parental driving of the spoon. Most US families end up doing combo by month 8–9 anyway.

When introducing a new allergen, give it three days in a row at small but consistent doses. Watch for reaction (hives, rash, vomiting, breathing issues). After three uneventful exposures, the allergen is considered introduced. Then keep offering it ~weekly to maintain tolerance — that's the part many parents miss.

Talk to your pediatrician before introducing peanut and egg specifically. These may be introduced as early as 4 months in higher-risk babies, sometimes after a skin-prick test. The three high-risk signals are: severe eczema, existing food allergy, and immediate-family allergy history. Your pediatrician's plan beats general guidance.

Soft enough to mash between thumb and finger. Strips longer than baby's fist for self-feeding so they can grip what's not in their mouth. Avoid round/firm shapes that match the airway: whole grapes, whole nuts, whole cherry tomatoes, hot dogs in coins, hard chunks. Always supervise. Sit baby upright. Gagging is normal; choking is silent. Take an infant CPR class before starting solids.

Built on AAP and WHO solids guidance plus the LEAP study (2017) and 2019 NIAID allergen guidelines. Reviewed by MiniMinors Health Desk. This tool tracks introductions; it does not diagnose allergies. For specific concerns, talk to your pediatrician or a board-certified allergist.

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