General educational guidance. Not clinician-reviewed or a substitute for individual medical advice.
Use your child’s readiness and current feeding ability, alongside age. The preparation guides below help you begin; they are not a complete meal plan.
Choose the feeding stage first
Use your child’s readiness and current feeding ability, alongside age. The preparation guides below help you begin; they are not a complete meal plan.
Milk, cuddles, repeat
Responsive feeding for your baby’s earliest days.
Breast milk or first infant formula is the main food at this stage. Look for early hunger cues, such as rooting or hands moving to the mouth, and pause when your baby signals they are full.
A calm feeding moment
Hold your baby close and follow their pace. Seek feeding support if latching, intake, or growth is a concern. Do not dilute formula; follow its preparation instructions.
Wait for solids
Complementary foods usually begin around 6 months when your baby is developmentally ready. Discuss an individual plan if your baby was premature or has medical needs.
Explore this stage →Their first little tastes
Soft textures and nourishing foods, one step at a time.
Around 6 months, begin suitable complementary foods alongside breast milk or first infant formula. Let your baby guide the pace.
A simple food idea
Try soft mashed lentils and vegetables, adjusting the texture to your baby’s ability. Seat them upright and stay with them throughout the meal.
Food safety first
No honey before 12 months. Avoid whole nuts and hard or round choking hazards. Ask for advice about allergens if your baby has eczema or a known allergy.
Explore this stage →Small bites, new favourites
Family foods made friendly for little eaters.
Offer varied family foods in soft, manageable pieces. Keep meals relaxed and let your child decide how much to eat from what you offer.
A simple food idea
Soft vegetable khichdi with plain yoghurt, or tender beans with soft vegetables. Adjust texture and check known allergens.
Food safety first
Stay nearby while they eat seated upright. Avoid whole nuts and modify hard or round foods.
Explore this stage →Good food. Happy little tummies.
Balanced bites, easy meal ideas, and a gentler approach to picky eating.
Offer a mix of vegetables, fruit, grains, and protein across the day. Familiar foods alongside new ones can make meals feel more comfortable.
A simple food idea
Try soft vegetable rice with lentils, or an egg with toast fingers and soft fruit. Adapt for allergies and your family’s food traditions.
Keep mealtimes kind
Offer small portions and more if wanted. Avoid pressure, rewards, or forcing bites. Keep whole nuts away and prepare foods to reduce choking risk.
Explore this stage →Nourishment for busy days
Colourful meals and simple ways to get them involved.
Offer regular meals with varied foods. Invite your child to wash vegetables or stir a cool mixture with supervision.
A simple food idea
A small roti or rice, lentils, cooked vegetables, and plain yoghurt. Adapt for allergies and appetite.
Food safety first
Keep children seated while eating. No whole nuts for children under 5; continue preparing food to reduce choking risk.
Explore this stage →Fuel for their everyday adventures
Balanced meals and a healthy relationship with food.
Offer varied meals and snacks without labelling foods or bodies as good or bad. Include your child in planning.
A simple food idea
Pack a grain or roti, a protein such as beans or egg, vegetables or fruit, and water. Consider allergies and school rules.
Make it their own
Invite younger children to choose a fruit; older children can help assemble a meal with supervision.
Explore this stage →Preparation ideas
Sources and further reading
A question parents ask
Can I combine finger foods and spoon-feeding?
Yes, families can use both approaches responsively. Shape, texture, positioning and supervision matter whichever method you use. Follow the linked feeding guidance.