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Is your baby eyeing your dinner, lunging for your fork, or drooling over literally everything you eat? It’s official: You’ve entered the “Is it time for solids?!” era! But with infinite eats to add to their plate, which ones do you intro first?

Here’s a science-backed guide to which foods to offer first and how to serve them safely, so you can feel confident about every tiny bite.

When can my baby start solid foods?

Most babies are ready to start solid foods around 6 months, while still getting most of their nutrition from breastmilk or formula. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the CDC, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans all recommend introducing complementary foods at about this age.

Before you grab a spoon, look for these signs of readiness:

  • Baby can sit with support and hold their head steady.
  • They can lean forward and open their mouth for food.
  • They’ve lost the “tongue-thrust” reflex (they’re not automatically pushing everything out with their tongue).
  • They’re very interested in what you’re eating (your plate is the hottest ticket in town!).
  • Always check in with your pediatrician before starting solids—especially if your baby was born early, has growth concerns, or has eczema or known food allergies.

What belongs on Baby’s first menu?

From about 6 to 12 months, solids are all about complementing, not replacing, breastmilk or formula. At this stage, experts focus on:

  • Iron and zinc: Babies are born with iron stores that begin to dip around 4 to 6 months, so they need zinc- and iron-rich foods early on.
  • Nutrient density: Tiny tummies = every bite counts.
  • Variety: A mix of flavors and textures helps shape lifelong eating habits.
  • Allergy prevention: Early introduction of common allergenic foods (like peanut and egg) can help reduce the risk of food allergies.
  • Safety: Soft textures, safe shapes, and smart supervision

Best First Foods for Baby

You don’t need to follow a strict sequence (like “always cereal first”). Once you’ve got a good iron source in the mix, you can rotate through other wholesome baby-friendly foods in any order. Public health guidance often recommends starting with iron-rich cereals or meats, then adding fruits, veggies, and other foods.

1. Iron- and Zinc-Rich First Foods

These are the MVPs of your baby’s first foods! Research shows that complementary foods should include iron- and zinc-rich choices early—especially for breastfed babies whose iron needs can’t be met by breastmilk alone after about 6 months:

  • Iron-fortified infant cereals: Think: single-grain oat, barley, millet, quinoa or multigrain cereal. Rotate grains—no need to stick with just one! Mix with breastmilk or formula to a thin, soupy texture and thicken over time.
  • Pureed meats: Take your pick! Beef, lamb, turkey, chicken, pork are all chock-full of iron and zinc. Blend the cooked meat with breastmilk, formula, or broth until smooth.
  • Soft-cooked beans and lentils: Puree or mash it well, and then thin it with breastmilk, formula, or water.
  • Tofu: Silken or soft tofu, mashed or cut into soft strips or cubes (for older babies with a good pincer grasp).

2. Colorful Veggies

Once you’ve started iron-rich foods, bring on the plants! Orange and green vegetables are vitamin powerhouses:

  • Soft-cooked, mashed sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin
  • Soft-cooked, mashed carrots, green beans, peas
  • Soft-cooked, mashed broccoli florets (for baby-led weaning, serve as very soft “trees” baby can grip)
  • For veggie purees, make them smooth at first, then gradually thicker and more textured as Baby learns to handle lumps.

3. Soft Fruits

Fruits add natural sweetness and important nutrients like vitamin C (which also helps the body absorb iron):

  • Banana (mashed or offered in large soft chunks/halved for baby-led weaning)
  • Avocado (mashed or in soft strips—this is a great healthy-fat food, to boot!)
  • Soft-cooked and mashed apple, pear, peach, plum
  • Soft berries (mashed or cut into tiny pieces for older babies)

4. Whole Grains and Other Carbs

Beyond baby cereal, you can offer other gentle grains and starches:

  • Soft cooked oatmeal, barley, quinoa, or grits (thinned for beginners)
  • Mashed potato (without lots of added salt or butter)
  • Small, very soft pieces of whole grain toast or pasta for older babies with good chewing skills and pincer grasp

See more amazing grains to add to your baby’s plate!

5. Healthy Fats

Babies’ brains are busy building connections 24/7, and they need fat to support that growth. Healthy fat-rich first foods include:

  • Avocado (mashed, spread on toast “fingers,” or offered as soft strips)
  • Nut and seed butters (like peanut or sesame) always thinned with breastmilk, formula, or water—never served as a thick blob, which is a choking hazard
  • Full-fat plain yogurt (pasteurized, with no added sugar)
  • A drizzle of vegetable oils (like canola or olive oil) stirred into veggie or meat purees

6. Dairy

Babies should not have cow’s milk until after their first birthday (prioritize formula or breastmilk, as cow’s milk comes up short on the nutrients they provide), but dairy can absolutely be part of your baby’s early menu. (Here's all you need to know about milk for toddlers!) Before 1 year you can introduce:

  • Pasteurized plain yogurt (full-fat)
  • Pasteurized cheese (shredded or cut into very soft, thin pieces)

What about peanuts, eggs, and other allergens?

Experts used to advise parents to wait to avoid allergens, but now the prevailing wisdom is to introduce them early! All major allergy and pediatric organizations (including NIAID/NIH, AAAAI, and AAP) support offering common allergenic foods—such as peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish, and sesame—in the first year of life, often starting around the same time as other solids.

There’s been promising research that suggests that early introduction may help prevent food allergies from developing. For example, a 2025 study published in Pediatrics found that the rates of peanut allergies have dropped sharply in the past decade—around the time national guidelines began recommending early introduction of food allergens.

Peanuts

For most babies, peanut-containing foods can be introduced around 6 months once other solids are going well. However, for babies with severe eczema, egg allergy, or both, expert guidelines suggest introducing age-appropriate peanut foods as early as 4 to 6 months, often with input from an allergist or pediatrician first.

Safe ways to offer peanut to babies:

  • Smooth peanut butter thinned with warm water, breastmilk, or formula, stirred into puree or cereal
  • Peanut powder mixed into fruit or veggie puree
  • Peanut-containing puffs that dissolve easily (age-appropriate and supervised)

Eggs and Other Allergens

  • Soft scrambled egg or hard-boiled egg mashed with a bit of breastmilk/formula
  • Yogurt and cheese (pasteurized, full-fat, no added sugars)
  • Soft flakes of cooked fish
  • Well-cooked wheat products (like soft bread or pasta) in baby-safe textures

Introduce one new allergenic food at a time, in small amounts, and watch your baby closely for about 2 hours after eating. Most allergic reactions happen within this window. Call your pediatrician or emergency services right away if you ever see signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, swelling of the lips/face, vomiting, trouble breathing, or sudden lethargy.

Sample First Food Plan

You don’t have to follow this exact schedule, but here’s an example of how the first week or two might look. The CDC notes that offering single-ingredient foods at first can help parents spot reactions.

First Foods Day 1–3:

  • Morning: Iron-fortified oat cereal mixed with breastmilk or formula
  • Later in the week: Increase thickness as Baby gets the hang of it

First Foods Day 4–6:

  • Add: Pureed sweet potato or carrot at another meal

First Foods Day 7–9:

  • Add: Pureed chicken or beef
  • Offer cereal or meat daily to keep iron on board

After that:

  • Layer in fruits (banana, pear, avocado), yogurt, beans, and other veggies.
  • Introduce peanut or egg when you and your pediatrician agree the timing is right.

If you’re doing baby-led weaning, you can offer the same foods in soft, graspable shapes (very soft veggie sticks, soft strips of avocado, tender meat shreds or patties), as long as they’re squishable between your fingers and sized to minimize choking risk.

Foods to Avoid or Limit in Baby’s First Year

Some foods are better saved for later—or offered rarely and carefully:

  • Avoid honey (any form) before 12 months (honey can carry spores that cause infant botulism).
  • Pass on unpasteurized milk, juice, or soft cheeses, as well as raw or undercooked eggs, meat, fish, or sprouts, which all carry a risk of foodborne illness.
  • Skip foods with added sugars (sweetened yogurt, cookies, sugary drinks).
  • Go very easy on added salt—babies’ kidneys are still maturing.

Watch for choking hazards

Even healthy foods can be risky if they’re the wrong shape or texture. Avoid:

  • Whole nuts and spoonfuls of nut butter
  • Whole grapes, cherry tomatoes, and large chunks of raw apple or carrot
  • Popcorn, chips, hard crackers, marshmallows
  • Hot dogs or sausages in coin shapes (if served, they must be cut lengthwise into very thin strips)

Related: Learn how to cut foods for babies and toddlers.

What if my baby isn’t into solids yet?

Some babies dive into solids like they’ve been waiting their whole life. Others…not so much. If your baby turns away, spits most of it out, or seems frustrated:

  • Take a break and try again in a few days.
  • Offer just once a day at first.
  • Let Baby explore the spoon, bowl, or food with their hands—it’s messy science!
  • Keep breastmilk or formula as their main nutrition source.
  • If by about 7 to 8 months your baby still isn’t taking to solids, check in with your pediatrician for a closer look at feeding skills and growth.

The Takeaway

There’s no single magic first food! Following modern expert guidance means starting around 6 months when your baby seems ready, prioritizing iron- and zinc-rich foods, as well as nutrient-dense produce. Introduce allergens early (with your pediatrician’s guidance), and steer clear of risky foods, like honey, unpasteurized eats, and choking hazards. Do this—and let your little one lead the way with curiosity and messy joy—and you’ll do an amazing job feeding your baby.

More on Feeding Babies:

 

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REFERENCES

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics: Starting Solid Foods
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods to Infants
  • U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services & Agriculture: 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans — Infants & Toddlers Presentation
  • American Academy of Pediatrics: Complementary Feeding
  • Complementary and Allergenic Food Introduction in Infants: An Umbrella Review, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2014
  • Early Introduction of Allergenic Foods and Infant Nutrition, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2022
  • Minnesota Department of Health: Infant Feeding — Introducing Solid Foods (WIC Guide)
  • International Food Information Council: Starting Solids — A Guide for Parents\
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / NIH: Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy — Peanut Allergy Prevention in Infants
  • American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in the United States
  • American Academy of Pediatrics: Updates in Food Allergy Prevention in Children, Pediatrics, 2023
  • American Academy of Pediatrics: Guidelines for Early Food Introduction and Allergy Prevention, Pediatrics, 2024
  • National Institutes of Health: Introducing Peanut in Infancy Prevents Peanut Allergy Into Adolescence
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit for Infants and Toddlers
  • Seattle Children’s Hospital: Solid Foods & Baby Food — Infant Feeding Guidance

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.