Is Your Baby Ready for Solids? Top Signs to Watch For...
Wondering if your baby is ready to start solids? You’re not alone. Whether you’re planning to do purees or baby-led weaning, it all starts with one question: is my baby showing the signs of readiness for solid food?
This guide will walk you through the top signs baby is ready for solids, as recommended by dietitians, GPs, and real mums like you plus some practical tips from our own experience creating nutrient-packed puree powders and silicone baby tableware designed for first foods.
3 Expert-Approved Signs Your Baby Is Ready for Solids
🪑 1. Baby Can Sit Up with Good Head Control
Your baby should be able to sit upright in a highchair or supported seat and hold their head steady. This is a sign that their muscles are strong enough for safe swallowing and chewing.
Petite Tip: Our starter spoons and soft silicone bibs help make this transition cleaner and calmer especially during those first "What is this on my face?" moments. They are soft, easy to use and designed to help make starting solids easier.
👅 2. Tongue-Thrust Reflex Has Faded
If your baby used to push everything out with their tongue, but now lets a spoon linger? That’s a solid (pun intended) readiness cue. This reflex prevents choking in newborns, but fades when they’re ready for spoon feeding.
👀 3. Shows Interest in Food
This is one of the most exciting signs! Your baby might:
- Watch you eat closely
- Reach for your plate
- Mimic chewing motions
- Try to grab your smoothie
That’s their way of saying, "I’m ready to try what you’re having."
Common Signs That Don’t Always Mean They’re Ready
Even though these are frequently mistaken as green lights, they aren't strong readiness signs on their own:
- Chewing hands
- Waking more at night
- Wanting more milk
Instead, look for a combo of signs: sitting, interest in food, and fading tongue reflex before offering those first bites.
Our Favourite First Foods (And What Makes Ours Different)
When you’re ready to introduce solids, simplicity is key. There are many ways you can introduce new flavours and textures whether you are spoon feeding, following baby-led weaning or a mix of both (more about this in our next blog).
From 6 months old babies iron levels start to deplete so you want to be introducing iron rich foods where you can like:
- Liver (hot tip: from frozen this can be grated into their meals and heated)
- Bone Broth (always great to add to any puree for delicious flavour and nutrients)
- Legumes
- Red Meat (blitzed into a puree or meat on the bone)
We will look more into introducing allergens in another blog.
Our quinoa-based puree powders are designed for busy parents who want something nutritious which is ready in seconds. They can be used on their own or you can use them as a base for BLW recipes.
- Made with real fruit and veggies with locked in nutrition
- Free from cheap fillers and high-heat processing
- LOW in sugar
- Designed for convenience just mix with breast milk, formula or water
🛒 Shop our baby puree range – made right here in NZ.
Must-Have Feeding Essentials for Starting Solids
Your high chair is ready. Now let’s make mealtimes easier. Our feeding essentials are:
- 100% food-grade silicone
- Designed with suction bases that actually stick
- Functional and they look great too
- Dishwasher safe for daily use
🛒 Grab our Starter Solids Bundle to kick things off with confidence.
When to Start Solids: The Ideal Age
Most experts recommend starting solids around 6 months, depending on your baby's development. It's important not to start before 4 months. If you're unsure, check in with your GP, Plunket nurse, or dietitian.
Expert-Recommended, Mum-Tested
Your baby’s first food experience sets the tone for a lifelong relationship with eating. Whether you're spoon-feeding or exploring baby-led weaning, you deserve tools and food you can trust.
