Starting solid foods
Learn when it’s time to start feeding your baby solid foods, and information about food safety and allergies.
Breast milk or formula is the only food your baby needs for the first 6 months. At about 6 months, your baby is ready for solid foods when they:
- Hold their head steady.
- Sit upright without support.
- Lean towards food.
- Open their mouth when food is offered.
- Reach for and pick up food and bring it to their mouth.
Your baby does not need to have teeth to eat solid foods. Babies can easily mash and crush most soft ripened foods with few or no teeth.
There are no benefits of introducing solid foods to your baby earlier than 6 months. It will not help them sleep through the night.
Starting solid foods when your baby is ready will help them accept new foods and textures. Solid food will provide the nutrients needed for growth and development. Refer to Health Canada’s nutrition guidelines for babies 6 to 24 months.
The Dietitians of Canada offers information about
- Introducing solid foods
- Sample meal plans for babies
- Safety tips when introducing solid foods
- Transitioning baby from breast milk to cow’s milk
- About homemade baby food
- About store bought baby food
More information
If food isn’t handled, prepared, or stored properly, it can become spoiled with germs, yet still taste and smell okay. These germs can cause stomach–aches, diarrhea, vomiting, or fever.
Food safety topics:
You may have been told by your doctor that you need to be concerned when introducing certain foods to your baby.
Find out:
- What is a food allergy.
- When to introduce foods that most often cause food allergies.
- What to do if you think your baby has a food allergy.
