First foods for baby led weaning
The best first foods are soft enough to squash between your finger and thumb, long enough to grip, and worth eating nutritionally — which in practice means iron, fat and flavour. Here are twelve to start with.
Twelve foods to start with
| Food | Why | How to serve at 6 months |
|---|---|---|
| Avocado | Fat and folate | Wedge, skin on as a handle |
| Banana | No prep, well accepted | Half, peel pulled back |
| Broccoli | Built-in handle | Whole steamed floret |
| Carrot | Vitamin A, sweet | Finger-sized baton, cooked soft |
| Egg | Protein, choline, early allergen | Omelette strips |
| Oats | Iron | Thick porridge on a loaded spoon |
| Yogurt | Calcium, early allergen | Plain, full fat |
| Sweet potato | Sweet, soft when roasted | Roasted wedge |
| Soft meat | The best-absorbed iron | Strip of slow-cooked beef or chicken thigh |
| Pear | Soft when ripe | Ripe wedge, skin off |
| Toast fingers | Practice with texture | Low-salt bread, thin topping |
| Peanut butter | Early allergen introduction | Thin layer on toast, never a blob |
What to leave out
- Honey before 12 months — risk of infant botulism
- Cow milk as a drink before 12 months, though it is fine in food
- Added salt — a baby’s kidneys cannot handle it, and under 1g a day is the limit
- Added sugar, including juice and sweetened yogurt
- Whole nuts, whole grapes, raw hard vegetables and popcorn — choking hazards
- Rice drinks, which are not suitable as a milk substitute for babies
Common questions
How many foods should I introduce at once?
One new food at a time in the first weeks, especially for common allergens, so that a reaction is easy to trace. After that, mixed meals are fine.
Do I need to introduce vegetables before fruit?
There is no strong evidence that order matters. Offering vegetables often and repeatedly matters more than offering them first.
What foods should babies avoid?
Honey before 12 months, cow milk as a main drink before 12 months, added salt and sugar, whole nuts, raw hard vegetables, whole round foods such as grapes, and anything with a lot of salt such as stock cubes and processed meat.
Medically reviewed by TODO REVIEWER NAME, RD, pediatric dietitian — last reviewed . See our editorial and review policy.