Starting Solids: Purees vs. Baby-Led Weaning (and How to Choose)

Somewhere around six months, your baby stops being a milk-only creature and starts eyeing your dinner. Both classic spoon-fed purees and baby-led weaning can get them there safely. The "right" method is mostly the one that fits your family.

Is your baby actually ready?

Age is a guide, not a green light. The AAP suggests starting solids around 6 months, once you see these signs of readiness:

• Sits up with little or no support and holds their head steady.
• Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex that pushes food back out.
• Opens up and leans in when food comes near — real interest, not just watching.

Until then, breast milk or formula is still the main event. Solids are practice; milk remains their primary nutrition through the first year.

Two paths to the same place

Purees (spoon-feeding). You start with smooth, single-ingredient foods and gradually thicken and add texture. It's predictable, easy to track amounts, and simple on the go with pouches or jars.

Baby-led weaning (BLW). You skip purees and offer soft, graspable finger foods — a spear of ripe avocado, a soft-cooked carrot stick — and let your baby feed themselves from the start. Fans say it builds coordination and lets babies explore texture at their own pace.

You don't have to pick a team. Plenty of families do both — purees at daycare, finger foods at the family table.

Keeping mealtimes safe

Whichever path you choose, the safety rules are the same:

• Always seat your baby upright and supervise every bite. Never prop a bottle or leave them alone with food.
• Skip the top choking hazards: whole grapes, hot dog rounds, nuts, popcorn, chunks of raw apple or carrot, and thick globs of nut butter. Cut round foods lengthwise into small pieces.
• No honey before 12 months — it can cause infant botulism.
• Learn the difference between gagging (loud, and part of learning) and choking (silent). An infant-CPR refresher is worth your time before you start.

Good first foods

Iron becomes a priority around six months, so make iron-rich foods an early focus: iron-fortified infant cereal, well-cooked mashed beans, or pureed meats. Offer a rainbow of vegetables and fruits, and don't shy away from common allergens like egg and peanut — introducing them early actually helps. Hold off on cow's milk as a drink, and skip added salt and sugar.

Starting solids is gloriously messy and rarely linear. If you're unsure about readiness, a reflux history, or slow weight gain, your pediatrician can help you tailor the timing and approach to your particular baby.