Tiny Taste guides

Signs your baby is ready for food

Most babies are ready for food other than breast milk or formula at about 6 months. Look for several signs together: your baby sits up alone or with support, holds their head steady, opens their mouth when food comes near, and swallows food instead of pushing it back out. Food before 4 months is not recommended.

Why about 6 months

The CDC, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend introducing foods other than breast milk or formula at about 6 months. Introducing foods before 4 months is not recommended¹. The AAP recommends breast milk alone for about the first 6 months, then continued breastfeeding alongside food for as long as you and your child wish².

Iron matters once food begins. When your baby starts eating at around 6 months, it is important to offer foods with enough iron³. Ask your baby's doctor about vitamin D and iron supplements during the first year².

The signs to look for

Every baby develops at their own pace, so look at your baby, not the calendar. CDC lists these signs that a baby is ready¹:

• Sits up alone or with support.
• Controls their head and neck.
• Opens their mouth when you offer food.
• Swallows food instead of pushing it back out onto their chin.
• Brings objects to their mouth.
• Tries to grasp small objects, such as toys or food.
• Moves food from the front of the tongue to the back to swallow.

The AAP adds a few signs of interest: watching you eat, reaching for your food, and seeming eager to be fed². You are looking for most of these together, not just one.

If your baby was born early, ask their doctor when to begin.

If food comes right back out

A baby who pushes food out and lets it dribble down their chin may not yet be able to move it to the back of the mouth to swallow. That is normal. Your baby has never had anything thicker than milk. Try thinning the food the first few times, or wait a week or two and try again².

What the first meals look like

Start small: half a spoonful or less. Your baby may look confused, wrinkle their nose, or refuse the food. Some families give a little breast milk or formula first, so their baby isn't frustrated by hunger. If your baby cries or turns away, don't push. Go back to milk for a while and try again later. At first, most of your baby's nutrition still comes from breast milk, formula, or both².

For most babies, there is no required order for foods¹. Offering fruit first will not make your baby dislike vegetables². Include foods that give iron and zinc, such as meat or iron-fortified infant cereal². If you use infant cereal, rotate oat, barley, and multigrain instead of serving only rice cereal, which can raise arsenic exposure¹. Common allergens like egg and peanut can be introduced along with other foods¹. Our guide to introducing allergens explains how.

Begin with smooth, mashed, or pureed textures, then move to thicker and lumpier foods as your baby's skills grow. While your baby adjusts to new textures, they may cough, gag, or spit up¹.

Set up for safety

Seat your baby upright in a high chair or another safe seat, never lying down or on the move, and stay with them the whole time they eat⁴. Cook food soft and cut it small, and keep foods that are choking hazards off the tray⁴. Before the first meal is a good time to take an infant CPR and first aid class⁵. Our guides on gagging vs. choking and foods to avoid before age one cover the rest.

This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your baby's doctor about your own baby.