Starting Solids: Baby-Led Weaning vs. Purees
Around 6 months, you'll start feeding your baby actual food. And the internet will try to convince you there's a right way and a wrong way to do this. There isn't. Both baby-led weaning (BLW) and traditional purees work fine. Here's what each approach involves so you can pick what works for your family.
Signs Baby Is Ready for Solids
Before we talk methods, make sure baby is actually ready. They should be able to sit upright with minimal support, show interest in food (watching you eat, reaching for your plate), have lost the tongue-thrust reflex (they don't automatically push food out of their mouth), and be at least 4 months old (6 months is the WHO recommendation).
Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)
**What it is:** You skip purees entirely and offer baby soft, appropriately sized finger foods from the start. Baby feeds themselves. You cut food into finger-length strips (about the size of your pinky finger) so they can grip it with their fist and gnaw on the part sticking out.
**Good first BLW foods:** Ripe avocado strips, steamed sweet potato sticks, soft banana, steamed broccoli florets (great natural handle), roasted apple slices, strips of well-cooked salmon.
**Pros:** Baby develops fine motor skills and chewing early. You don't have to make or buy purees. Baby eats what the family eats (modified for softness and size). Many BLW families report less picky eating later.
**Cons:** It is messy. Spectacularly messy. You will question your choices when banana is in your baby's hair, ears, and somehow on the ceiling. And the gagging is intense at first. Gagging is normal and different from choking, but it's scary to watch. Take an infant CPR class before starting solids regardless of which method you choose.
Traditional Purees
**What it is:** You start with thin, smooth purees (single-ingredient at first) and gradually increase texture and thickness over weeks and months. Baby eats from a spoon, either parent-fed or self-fed with a preloaded spoon.
**Good first purees:** Sweet potato, butternut squash, peas, banana, avocado, oatmeal cereal.
**Pros:** Less mess (though still messy, don't be fooled). More control over how much baby actually eats. Less anxiety about choking since the food is already smooth.
**Cons:** You have to make or buy purees, which is extra work. Transitioning to textured food later can be tricky since some puree-fed babies resist lumps. And baby doesn't practice self-feeding mechanics as early.
The Combo Approach
Here's what most families actually do: a mix of both. Offer purees on a spoon AND soft finger foods at the same meal. Baby gets the best of both worlds. They practice self-feeding with finger foods and still get nutrition from the purees. There's no rule that says you have to pick one method exclusively.
The Things That Actually Matter
**Allergen introduction.** Current guidelines recommend introducing common allergens (peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish, tree nuts, sesame) early and often, starting around 6 months. Don't delay them. Mix peanut butter powder into purees or thin peanut butter with breast milk. Scramble an egg. This is more important than which feeding method you choose.
**Iron.** Babies start needing dietary iron around 6 months as their birth stores deplete. Iron-fortified cereals, pureed meats, lentils, and beans are all good sources. If you're doing BLW, well-cooked ground meat or flaky fish are great early options.
**No honey before 12 months** (botulism risk), no whole nuts or hard raw vegetables (choking hazard), and no cow's milk as a drink before 12 months (though dairy in food is fine).
Don't Stress This
However you choose to start solids, your baby is going to figure out eating. Some babies take to food immediately and some push everything away for weeks. Both are normal. The first few months of solids are about exploration and practice, not nutrition. Breast milk or formula is still the primary source of calories until 12 months.