The first year of eating: month-by-month

Track every food and reaction in our free first foods tracker.

Before you start: the 4 readiness signs

Don't start solids strictly at 6 months. Start when baby shows readiness, which is usually between 4 and 6 months:

1. Sustained head and neck control. Baby can hold head steady when sitting upright.
2. Sits with minimal support. May still need a hand for full balance, but can sit.
3. Loss of tongue-thrust reflex. Baby no longer pushes food out with their tongue automatically.
4. Interest in food. Watches you eat. Leans forward when food is near. Reaches for food.

If any of these is missing, wait. Starting solids before readiness leads to early frustration and possible aspiration.

Month 6: smooth purees and spoon learning

Feeds per day: 1 meal to start, building to 2 by month-end. Milk feeds continue as normal (6 to 8 per day).

Volume per meal: 1 to 3 tablespoons.

Foods to introduce:

• Single-ingredient smooth purees: avocado, banana, sweet potato, pumpkin, peas, carrot, pear, apple.
• Iron-fortified infant cereal (oatmeal or whole-grain — skip plain rice cereal due to heavy metal concerns).
• If you're doing baby-led weaning: soft finger food sizes (finger-length steamed veggie strips, banana spears, soft pear strips).

Key milestone: Start the Big 9 allergen schedule. Introduce peanut butter (thinned), egg, dairy, wheat one at a time over 2 to 3 days each. See the allergen schedule.

What to skip:

• Honey (under 12 months — always).
• Cow's milk as a drink (12 months).
• Added salt, added sugar.
• Choking-shape foods (whole grapes, whole nuts).
• Large pieces of meat — too tough.

Month 7: lumpier purees, more variety

Feeds per day: 2 meals.

Volume per meal: 3 to 5 tablespoons.

Foods to add:

• Mashed instead of pureed avocado.
• Cooked oatmeal with mashed banana.
• Soft cooked egg (well-cooked yolk, fine to introduce as part of allergen schedule).
• Whole-milk yogurt (plain).
• Soft well-cooked meats blended into other foods (chicken, beef).
• Mashed beans (introduce as iron-rich foods).

Texture goal: Move away from smooth. Add small lumps. The baby's tongue starts to lateralize (move food side to side).

Month 8: finger foods and pincer practice

Feeds per day: 2 to 3 meals + possibly a snack.

Volume per meal: 4 to 6 tablespoons.

Foods to add:

• Meltable puffs (Happy Baby, Gerber). The first true "finger food."
• Soft cooked carrot sticks (finger-sized).
• Mashed soft cooked egg.
• Small pieces of soft cooked pasta.
• Cheese cubes (small, soft).
• Tofu cubes.

Key milestone: Pincer grasp develops. Baby picks up small foods between thumb and index finger.

Continue the Big 9 allergen schedule. Most should be introduced by month 8.

Month 9: most allergens introduced, real variety

Feeds per day: 3 meals + 1 snack.

Volume per meal: 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Foods to add:

• Sesame (via tahini or hummus).
• Fish (mild white fish, well-cooked, bones removed).
• Shellfish (cooked shrimp, finely chopped — for families who eat shellfish).
• Tree nut butters (thinned).
• Berries (whole blueberries are still small enough to be a choking risk for some; offer halved if you're worried).
• Small pieces of soft fruit (mango, peach, pear).

Cup introduction: Start offering open cup and/or straw cup with water at meals.

Month 10: chewing skill, family foods modified

Feeds per day: 3 meals + 1 to 2 snacks.

Volume per meal: 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Foods to add:

• Small chopped pieces of family meals (no salt, no sugar additions).
• Pancakes (small pieces).
• Toast strips with mashed avocado or thinned nut butter.
• Small pieces of soft chicken, turkey, fish.
• Mini meatballs.
• Most cooked vegetables in soft cubes or finger shapes.

Self-feeding: Most babies are confidently picking up and eating finger foods.

Month 11: nearly family meals

Feeds per day: 3 meals + 2 snacks.

Volume per meal: 1/3 to 1/2 cup.

Foods to add:

• Almost any family food in safe shapes and sizes.
• Sandwiches cut into small pieces.
• Tacos, quesadillas, burritos in baby-safe sizes.
• Stews and casseroles (cooled, spooned).
• Pizza (cut very small, soft crust).
• Pasta dishes with sauce.

Spoon use: Many babies are scooping with a spoon (messily) by now.

Month 12: family meals, the bottle transition

Feeds per day: 3 meals + 2 snacks. Solid food is primary nutrition.

Volume per meal: 1/2 to 1 cup.

Foods to add:

• Whole cow's milk (replacing breast milk or formula gradually — see our cow's milk transition guide).
• Honey (now safe).
• Most family foods in safe shapes.
• Salt and sugar can be introduced in very small amounts but kept low.

Bottle transition: Start phasing out bottles. By 15 months, no bottles.

What to skip the entire first year

• Honey (botulism risk).
• Cow's milk as a drink (start at 12 months, not before).
• Added salt and added sugar in large amounts (kidneys mature throughout first year).
• Choking-shape foods (whole grapes, whole nuts, hot dog rounds, popcorn, hard candy, hard raw fruit/veg like apple chunks and raw carrots).
• Unpasteurized dairy (raw milk cheeses).
• High-mercury fish (tuna, swordfish, king mackerel — limit at any age).
• Caffeine (any).

How much milk vs solid food

The principle: milk first, then solids, until 12 months. Solid food is for skill-building and gut development; milk delivers most of the calories and nutrition.

• 6 months: 24 to 32 oz milk/day + 1 to 2 small meals.
• 9 months: 24 oz milk/day + 3 meals + snack.
• 12 months: Transitioning. 16 to 24 oz milk/day + 3 meals + 2 snacks.

What to do at every meal

1. Wash hands. Wash baby's hands.
2. Seat baby upright in highchair, feet planted.
3. Offer water in an open or straw cup.
4. Present food in safe shapes and sizes.
5. Don't pressure. Let baby decide if and how much.
6. Sit with baby. Eyes on them every second food is on the tray.
7. End the meal when baby signals done (turning head, throwing food, losing interest).

What to track in the first year

• First introduction of each Big 9 allergen.
• Any reaction or symptom after a new food.
• Texture stage progression.
• First successful spoon use.
• First successful finger food pickup.
• Cup introduction (open and straw).
• Foods refused (so you can re-offer in 1 to 2 weeks).

Common mistakes parents make

• Staying on smooth purees too long. Advance to lumps by month 7, finger foods by month 8.
• Avoiding allergens out of fear. Delay increases allergy risk. Follow the schedule.
• Pouches as the main feeding method. Pouches bypass spoon skills. Decant into a bowl.
• Pressuring baby to eat. Even at 9 months, the Division of Responsibility applies. Parent provides; baby decides.
• Letting milk drop too fast. Milk is still primary nutrition through 12 months. Don't replace bottles with solid food too quickly.
• Letting milk stay too high. Conversely, by 11 to 12 months, milk should be decreasing as solids increase.

When to call your pediatrician

• Baby is not showing readiness signs by 7 months.
• Persistent gagging or coughing during meals.
• Refusal to eat any solid food for more than 2 weeks.
• Failure to gain weight or growth slowdown.
• Allergic reaction to any food.
• Persistent constipation, diarrhea, or vomiting after introducing solids.
• You're unsure about a food, allergen, or schedule.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics — Starting Solid Foods
• HealthyChildren.org — Feeding Milestones
• CDC — Infant and Toddler Nutrition

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The Feeding Desk

Reviewed by a pediatric dietitian · Updated May 2026