6 to 8 Month Complementary Feeding Plan

Bottom line

Most babies can start complementary foods around 6 months when they show readiness signs: sitting with support, steady head and neck control, opening for food, and swallowing instead of pushing food out. Start with tiny amounts and keep breast milk or formula as the main source of nutrition.

A simple first-week plan

Day	Focus	Example
1-2	Practice sitting and swallowing	1-2 teaspoons of smooth iron-fortified cereal mixed with breast milk, formula, or water
3-4	Add an iron-rich food	Mashed lentils, soft shredded meat, tofu, or well-cooked egg in a safe texture
5-7	Add produce and repeat tolerated foods	Mashed avocado, banana, cooked carrot, or soft pear alongside an iron food

The goal is learning, not finishing a bowl. Stop when your baby turns away, closes the mouth, cries, gags repeatedly, or seems tired.

Weeks 2-4

Offer solids once daily at first, then move toward 1-2 predictable eating times as your baby tolerates it. Keep portions small. Use foods from different groups: vegetables, fruits, meat or other proteins, dairy without added sugars, and whole grains.

What to prioritize

• Iron: offer iron-rich foods a few times each day as intake grows.
• Texture: begin with smooth or mashed foods, then gradually add thicker mashed foods and soft lumps.
• Skills: practice spoons, hand-to-mouth exploration, and sips from an open or straw cup.
• Safety: sit upright, supervise closely, and avoid hard, round, sticky, or slippery choking hazards.

When to slow down or ask a clinician

Ask your pediatrician or nurse if your baby was premature, has poor growth, feeding difficulty, frequent choking, severe eczema, known food allergy, or a complex medical condition. Seek urgent help for breathing trouble, repeated vomiting with lethargy, swelling of lips/tongue, widespread hives, or choking.

Educational note

This page summarizes public-health guidance. It does not replace care from a clinician who knows your baby.