The first-foods guide
The CDC says to start with very smooth or mashed foods around 6 months and add thicker, lumpier foods as your baby's skills grow. The AAP says to cut food no larger than one-half inch. Each page here says how to serve one food at 6, 9 and 12 months, and whether it is a choking hazard or a major allergen.
Checked October 29, 2026.
The rules every page follows
- Around 6 months: very smooth, mashed or pureed food on a spoon (CDC). Soft, finger-shaped pieces once your baby sits up and brings things to their mouth (AAP).
- Later: thicker and lumpier foods as eating skills grow (CDC). Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch (AAP).
- Round, hard and sticky foods are cut small, cooked soft or left out, and nut butters are spread thinly (CDC and AAP).
- Sit your child up at the table, never in a car seat or stroller, and watch every meal (CDC and AAP).
- One new single-ingredient food at a time (CDC, AAP).
Fruits
- Banana
- Avocado
- Pear
- Strawberry
- Blueberries
- Orange
- Cantaloupe
- Apple
- Grapes Not served as it is.
- Peach
- Mango
- Raisins Not served as it is.
Vegetables
Proteins
- Chicken
- Beef
- Turkey
- Lamb
- Salmon and other fish
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Black beans
- Lentils
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter and other nut butters
- Whole nuts and seeds Not served as it is.
- Hot dogs and sausages Not served as it is.
Dairy
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Cow's milk Not served as it is.
Grains
- Iron-fortified infant cereal
- Whole grain bread
- Pasta
- Crackers
- Popcorn Not served as it is.
Other
- Honey Not served as it is.
Call your pediatrician if…
Your pediatrician knows your child. Call them if you have a worry about feeding or you are not sure what is right for your baby. These pages from the AAP and the CDC can also help:
Peabody editors write these pages from the sources below. We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice for your child.
Sources
- CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Tastes and Textures (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Choking Hazards (checked October 29, 2026)
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Choking Prevention for Babies and Children (checked October 29, 2026)
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: When Can Babies Start Solid Foods? Readiness and Feeding Tips (checked October 29, 2026)
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Baby-Led Weaning, Is It Safe? (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage (6 to 24 month olds) (checked October 29, 2026)
- FDA: The FASTER Act, Sesame Is the Ninth Major Food Allergen (checked October 29, 2026)