Starting solids: the honest overview
At some point your baby watches you eat as if you were performing magic – and the questions begin: when to start? With what? And what is genuinely dangerous? This page gives you the overview, the linked guides the details – all with sources from the BfR (Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), the Gesund ins Leben network, the AAP and ESPGHAN rather than Instagram hearsay.
In short: start when your baby shows the readiness signs, usually between the 5th and 7th month – not because the calendar says so. The ideal first purée is a vegetable-potato-meat purée, because of the iron. Offer allergens early and regularly, and stick consistently to the red list: honey, whole nuts, whole grapes and the like.
The roadmap in three purées
In Germany the Gesund ins Leben network recommends building up solids over three purées that replace one milk feed each, one after the other – breastfeeding can continue alongside for as long as mother and child like:
| Step | Purée | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1st purée start | Vegetable-potato-meat purée at lunchtime | Provides iron and zinc – exactly the nutrients that run short from around 6 months. Vegetarian version: whole-grain cereal instead of meat. |
| 2nd purée about 1 month later | Milk-and-cereal purée in the evening | Filling and provides calcium; whole-grain flakes add extra iron. |
| 3rd purée about 1 month later | Cereal-and-fruit purée in the afternoon | Vitamin C from the fruit improves iron absorption as a bonus. The order of the 2nd and 3rd purée can be swapped. |
From around 8–10 months the European society ESPGHAN recommends moving to lumpier textures – this “lumpy-food window” shouldn't be missed so that chewing gets learned. Details and the full sequence are in the solids plan for the first 100 days.
Safety first
How do I actually serve it?
At the supermarket the question is rarely “is my baby allowed this?” but “how do I cut it?”. That’s why HeyFini shows you for every one of its 234 foods how to prepare it – matched to your baby’s age: at 6 months, at 9 months and from 12 months.
Bell pepper, for example:
- At 6 months: steamed soft, skin peeled, in finger-length strips – or puréed.
- At 9 months: in pea-sized pieces.
- From 12 months: raw in thin strips, without the seeds.
The note sits right there when you pick the food, not hidden away in a submenu. The safety rules from above are the frame around it: quarter round foods lengthwise, cook hard foods soft, never give whole nuts.
The solids guides at a glance
- When to start solids? – the 5 readiness signs and what the guidelines really say
- What foods should babies not eat? – red list, choking hazards, gagging vs. choking
- Introducing allergens – why early beats late (LEAP, EAACI, S3 guideline)
- Solids plan: the first 100 days – three-purée plan, lumpy-food window, realistic expectations
- Iron in your baby's first foods – the most important nutrient from 6 months, with a food table
Track solids – with a safety net
In the HeyFini app you log every meal with a few taps: what was on the menu, how it went, how it was tolerated. The catalogue of over 230 foods warns you at exactly the right moment, for honey, whole grapes, raw carrot and more, and shows the right preparation for each food at 6+, 9+ and 12+ months. On top of that there is the food passport, the readiness checklist, the allergen companion for all 14 major allergens and the Solids Journey: the first 100 days in three phases, whose milestones tick themselves off automatically from the meals you actually log.
Sources: Starting solids and readiness signs: German network Gesund ins Leben, infant nutrition recommendations; ESPGHAN, Fewtrell et al. 2017; American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); choking hazards and raw milk: German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR); allergens: LEAP study, Du Toit et al., NEJM 2015; EAACI; German S3 guideline on allergy prevention (AWMF); iron: ESPGHAN and Gesund ins Leben.
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Frequently asked questions
When should I start solids?
When your baby shows the readiness signs – usually between the 5th and 7th month. All the signs and the guideline details: When to start solids?
Purées or BLW?
Both are fine, and most families mix. What matters is readiness, safe textures and iron – not the method.
What must my baby not eat?
Honey, raw milk, raw egg, raw meat, raw fish, salt, sugar – and anything that can be inhaled, such as whole nuts or whole grapes. The complete list: Foods to avoid.
Do I have to avoid allergens?
No – offering them early and regularly is the better way according to current evidence: Introducing allergens.
How do I prepare bell pepper for my baby?
At 6 months steamed soft, skin peeled, in finger-length strips or puréed. At 9 months in pea-sized pieces. From 12 months raw in thin strips, without the seeds. HeyFini shows these three age steps for every one of its 234 foods, right where you pick it.
What is the three-purée plan?
The approach to starting solids recommended in Germany: first a vegetable-potato-meat purée replaces one milk feed and brings the iron, about a month later a milk-and-cereal purée is added, and another month later a cereal-and-fruit purée. The order of the second and third purée can be swapped; breastfeeding can continue throughout.
How does the HeyFini app help with starting solids?
HeyFini brings a food catalogue with over 230 entries including safety and preparation notes per age, a food passport, a readiness checklist, the allergen companion for all 14 major allergens and the solids journey: the first 100 days in three phases, whose milestones tick themselves off from your real meals.
Single foods: can my baby have this?
45 foods have a page of their own with a traffic light, preparation at 6, 9 and 12 months and sources. All 234 are in the A to Z list.
General guidance, not medical advice. For questions about your child, talk to your paediatrician or midwife.