Tried and tested first food for your 6 months baby

Last Updated: 23rd March 2018

Selecting the very first solid food for your baby is very crucial. Before picking the first solid food for your infant, you must remember that “food should be easy to digest, simple home made and full of nutrients“. Always start with one solid food at a time to check the food allergies.

By the age of 6 months, most of the babies are ready to start eating solid foods as a complement to breastmilk or formula milk.

Sharing a list of foods (recommended by experts and moms) which you can start offering to your baby as first solid food.

#1 Stewed Apple

If you want to start solid food for your little one. I would suggest starting with an apple. Apples are non-allergic fruit and easy to start as solid food. It’s very nutritious and easy to prepare for your baby.

Procedure to make stewed apple

• Wash & peel an apple.
• Cut it into small pieces.
• Add cubed apple pieces & water into a saucepan and let it get cooked on low flame for 10 minutes.
• When the apple becomes soft in texture, turn off the heat and leave it to cool down.
• You can mash it with spoon or fork & feed to your baby.

#2 Mashed Banana

Take half banana. Mashed it with spoon or fork. You can add a small quantity of milk/water to make liquid consistency. OR you can feed it your little one without adding milk or water.

#3 Rice Cereal

If you prefer to start with any kind of cereal then go for rice cereal. Rice cereal is hypoallergenic and many pediatric recommend to start with rice cereal as it is single grain,  easy to digest and rare to have the rice allergy. Good for babies who have gas problems.

Check out my other article to make home made cereals for your baby.

#4 Dal ka Pani

I had personally started with daal ka pani for my son when he was 5.5 months old. Sharing the recipe for making dal ka pani for your baby.

Procedure to make dal ka pani

• Boil 2 tablespoons of yellow moong dal into 1 cup of filtered water.
• Stir in between.
• Once dal is properly cooked. Switch off the gas stove.
• Sieve the dal water in a bowl.
• Let it cool down to room temperature and offer to your baby.

#5 Chawal ka pani ( Rice soup)

Introducing rice water to your baby after fifth months is a good choice. It has the good amount of fiber and very nutritious. Initially, you can start with rice water only then gradually add mashed rice along with water to feed your baby.

Procedure to make chawal ka pani

• First, wash & rinse the two tablespoons of rice under running water.
• Add 1 cup of water & rice into a saucepan
• Let it boil on the medium gas flame for few minutes.
• Switch off the flame once rice nicely cooked.
• Sieve the rice water / rice soup in a bowl.
• Let it cool down to room temperature & offer to your baby.

You can add the mashed rice with a spoon.

#6 Vegetable / fruit puree

You can start with vegetable puree or fruit puree. Start with vegetables like carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin or beans. Fruits which you can use as puree are apple, apricots, peaches, pears.

Pureeing the baby food at home is really simple. Just cook the fruit or vegetable, let it cool down, blend it in food processor or blender and pureed it. you can stock it in the refrigerator for later use.

#7 Spinach & Carrot Soup

Spinach and carrots make a high nutrient healthy recipe for your baby. Carrots & Spinach are a good source of antioxidant agents. Both are rich in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, copper, zinc, magnesium, and manganese.

Start with this amazing & healthy soup spinach and carrot soup for your child. This soup is a healthy choice in winters too.

#8 Ragi with milk

Ragi is very rich food and full of nutrients and minerals like protein, calcium,  and minerals. Ragi porridge makes baby feel fuller,  nonacidic, easy to digest, improve the immunity. Ragi is very common first food for babies in south Indian families.

Procedure to make Ragi Porridge

• Take ragi powder( homemade or market bought)
• Mix two tablespoons of ragi powder into water.
• Mix it continuously to avoid lumps.
• Let it get boiled over medium flame till ragi powder is well cooked.
• You can add milk into it and serve to your little one.

Tips for introducing solids to your baby

1. Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t like food which you introduced to him. You just need to understand your baby and can prepare best food options according to him.
2. Breastmilk or Formula-based milk is the most important source of nutrients for baby at this stage.
3. Don’t feed your baby forcefully. Each baby has different food and milk needs.
4. Don’t add sugar or salt to your baby’s food.
5. Honey is not recommended for babies below 1 year of age.
6. Don’t heat the breastmilk or formula milk over direct flame.
7. Don’t give the cow’s milk to baby below 1 year of age.

If you have any other food option then you can share with me. I would like to add it into my list so that we can help other moms.