From around six months start giving your baby food mashed with a fork until soft. Try soft cooked vegetables like parsnips, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes or carrots. Give them mashed soft fruit like banana, avocado, peach or melon.
Once your baby is used to these, try giving them soft cooked meat like chicken, or mashed fish. Check carefully for any bones. Try pasta, noodles, toast, pieces of chapatti, lentils, rice and mashed hard-boiled eggs. They can also have full-fat dairy products like plain yoghurt, fromage frais or custard. Whole cow’s milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from six months.
Babies often like to start eating these as finger foods, or mashed. Finger food is food that’s cut up into pieces big enough for your baby to hold in their fist with a bit sticking out at the top. Pieces about the size of your own finger work well. You can also spoon-feed your baby, although they will soon be able to do this for themselves.