Starting solids can feel a little overwhelming. Do I start with Puree or BLW? What’s safer? What’s best? What do I start with? How soft should it be? If you’re asking these questions, you’re not alone! This guide breaks it down into three key ways to safely serve food to your bub, based on shapes, sizes, and textures. Not sure how to serve food? Check this out.
When your bub shows signs of readiness and is over 6 months old, there are three key safe shapes, sizes, and textures you can offer them. These not only help them explore new flavours but also advance their oral motor skills and mouth mapping, helping them become confident eaters and even talkers!
1. Large & Soft
Large and soft foods are a great place to start. The rule of thumb here is that they should pass the "squish test." If you can easily squish the food between your fingers, bub will be able to mash it with their gums. Large pieces of food make it easier for bub to hold and reduce the choking risk. If the food is slippery, try coating it in hemp seeds, desiccated coconut, or nut flours (once successfully introduced) for better grip.
🍽️ Examples include: Cooked carrot or sweet potato spears, ½ ripe avocado or large spears, banana halves, cooked apple halves or large quarters, steamed large broccoli florets, roasted zucchini halves, large omelette strips, slow-cooked meat, and soft meatballs.
2. Large & Unbreakable
These foods are firm and won’t break off easily, making them perfect for little ones to gnaw and suck on safely. While bub might not always consume a lot of food this way, it’s an excellent way to help them develop biting skills and map their mouth, which is crucial for eating development.
🍽️ Examples include: A mango pit with most of the flesh cut off, corn on the cob (you can shave the corn off if it makes you more comfortable), ribs with the meat cut off, the end of a crusty loaf of bread, chicken drumstick with cartilage, loose skin, and pin bones removed, or a very well-cooked strip of steak.
3. Pureed & Mashed
Purees and mashed foods are another excellent option when starting solids. They offer bub a smooth texture that’s easy to swallow and can be an easy way to introduce new flavours. Offering different mashed foods also helps bub get used to a variety of textures and gives them a chance to practise using a spoon.
🍽️ Examples include: Veggie purees, meat purees, fruit purees, mashed veggies, mashed seafood, mashed lentils, and yoghurt.
Unsafe Shapes, Sizes, and Textures
- hard and round
- slippery
Certain foods can pose a choking hazard for babies and should be avoided in their whole form. Foods like blueberries, grapes, whole cherry tomatoes, whole nuts and seeds, loose peas and corn, raw carrots, chunks of cheese or meat, sausages, hot dogs, hard fruits like apples and pears, popcorn, hard candies, jelly beans, and marshmallows are particularly risky. To serve these foods safely, slice or quarter grapes, cherry tomatoes, and blueberries, shred or thinly slice cheese and meats, cook and mash peas, corn, and carrots, and peel or cook hard fruits. Always modify these foods to a safer size and texture to minimize choking risks.
Starting with Purees at 4-6 Months
If your bub is between 4 and 6 months and is showing signs of readiness, it’s best to begin with purees. This early stage is all about helping them explore new tastes and textures in a way that’s easy for them to swallow. Stick with smooth purees until bub reaches 6 months, at which point you can start to introduce finger foods and more textures.
Transitioning to Smaller Pieces at 9 Months
As your bub approaches 9 months and starts to develop their pincer grasp (the ability to pick up small objects between their thumb and forefinger), you can begin chopping soft foods into smaller, bite-sized pieces. This stage helps further develop their fine motor skills and encourages more independent eating. Offering smaller pieces will support their growing coordination while still providing the same safe textures they've become familiar with.
Starting solids is an exciting milestone—enjoy exploring these new textures and shapes with your bub!
Everything you Need for Starting Solids
Is your bub about to start solids? We have everything you need, to make life so much more convenient:
✅Veggie Puree Starter Pack (10 individual veggies)
✅Fruit Puree Packs
✅Salmon Puree
✅Beef Puree
✅Chicken Puree
✅Allergen Intro Packs (14 individual allergens)
✅Tree Nut Maintenance Meal Packs (all 9 tree nuts)
Please note, our advice is general in nature and should not replace any advice provided to you by your health professional. Ensure your bub is over 4 months old and is showing signs of readiness before starting solids. If you have any concerns about your bubs development or starting solids consult your GP or other health professional.*
