Starting solid foods: when, how and what to avoid
Solid foods are usually introduced at around 6 months, when your baby can stay sitting and hold their head steady, coordinate eyes, hands and mouth, and swallow food. Avoid honey before 1 year, added salt, and whole nuts before age 5. Introduce allergenic foods one at a time.
Weaning has more opinions attached to it than almost anything else in the first year. The guidance underneath the opinions is short.
When: around 6 months
The NHS says solid foods are usually introduced at around 6 months. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, then complementary foods while breastfeeding continues.
Look for all three signs together:
- Your baby can stay sitting and hold their head steady.
- They can coordinate eyes, hands and mouth: look at food, pick it up, put it in their mouth.
- They swallow food instead of pushing it back out.
What to avoid
| Food | Rule | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Honey | Not before 1 year | NHS guidance |
| Salt | Do not add to food or cooking water | NHS guidance |
| Whole nuts and peanuts | Not under 5 | Choking risk |
| Cows’ milk as a main drink | Not before 12 months | Fine in cooking from around 6 months |
Allergens: one at a time
When you start solids, the NHS says to introduce the foods that can trigger allergic reactions one at a time, so you can spot any reaction. Keep a note of what was new and when.
Drinks
From around 6 months, offer sips of water from an open or free-flow cup with meals. Milk feeds continue alongside.
A simple way to keep track
A line a day is enough: what was new, how it went. It gives you something precise to tell a health visitor and a record of which allergens are done. If several people feed your baby, a shared log saves “has she had egg yet?” texts. See the best baby tracker apps.
Questions, answered
When can babies start solid food?
At around 6 months, according to the NHS, when they show the signs of being ready.
What are the signs a baby is ready for solids?
They can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady, coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at food, pick it up and put it in their mouth, and swallow food instead of pushing it back out.
When can babies have honey?
Not until they are over 1 year old, the NHS says.
When can babies drink cows' milk?
Whole cows' milk can be given as a main drink from 12 months. Before that it can be used in cooking from around 6 months.
When can babies have water?
From around 6 months you can offer sips of water from an open or free-flow cup with meals.
Sources
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Drinks and cups for babies and young children
- WHO: Infant and young child feeding
Sources last checked on 5 November 2026.
This guide is educational and does not replace advice from your midwife, health visitor or doctor. If you are worried about yourself or your baby, contact them, or your local emergency number in an emergency.