When Should Your Baby Start Solids in 2025?

By Priya Elkins, Early Years Contributor | Baby & Toddler Column | Childcare Standards Council

Introducing your baby to solid foods is a wonderful milestone, one that’s eagerly anticipated by many parents and carers. It marks the beginning of your little one’s journey into new tastes, textures, and family mealtimes. But with so much advice available, some of it conflicting, it’s understandable to feel uncertain about when and how to begin.

In 2025, official guidance around weaning remains grounded in research while being more supportive of individual family needs. In this post, we’ll explore the most up to date recommendations, signs of readiness, and practical tips to help you introduce solids with confidence.

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What Do the Guidelines Say in 2025?

The NHS and World Health Organization (WHO) continue to recommend that babies start solid foods at around six months of age, alongside continued breastfeeding or infant formula. This approach is based on decades of research showing that, by six months, most babies are developmentally ready to handle more than just milk.

In 2025, public health messages across the UK still highlight:

• Waiting until around six months to start solids

• Continuing breast milk or formula as the primary source of nutrition until one year

• Offering a wide variety of nutritious, age appropriate foods

• Avoiding salt, sugar, and processed foods

Some families may begin weaning a little earlier (from 17 weeks) if advised by a healthcare professional, but starting solids before 4 months is not recommended.

Signs Your Baby Is Ready for Solids

Every baby develops at their own pace, but there are three key signs that your baby may be ready for their first tastes of food:

1. They can sit upright and hold their head steady

2. They can coordinate their eyes, hands, and mouth, so they can look at food, pick it up, and put it in their mouth

3. They can swallow food rather than push it back out with their tongue

These signs are more reliable than age alone. It's worth noting that chewing fists, waking at night, or watching you eat are common behaviours at this stage, but don’t necessarily mean your baby needs solids yet.

If you're unsure, your health visitor can support you in recognising the signs of readiness.

How to Introduce Solids: A Gentle Start

There are two main approaches to introducing solids in the UK:

• Traditional weaning, where you start with smooth purees and gradually increase texture

• Baby led weaning, where babies are offered soft finger foods and feed themselves from the start

Many families now opt for a blended approach that combines both methods, offering spoon fed foods alongside safe finger foods, allowing babies to explore texture and self feeding in a supportive way.

When you begin, aim to offer:

• Soft, single ingredient foods (e.g. mashed carrot, steamed broccoli, or porridge)

• Iron rich foods (such as lentils, eggs, meat, or fortified cereals)

• One new food at a time, especially when introducing common allergens (like peanut, egg, or milk)

First Tastes: What to Expect

The early days of weaning are about exploration, not nutrition. Your baby may eat very little at first, which is completely normal. Milk continues to provide the majority of their nutrients for the first year.

Expect:

• Messy mealtimes

• Funny facial expressions

• Foods being spat out or dropped

• A gradual increase in interest and quantity

Keep offering a variety of foods, even if they’re rejected at first, it can take multiple tries before a baby accepts a new taste or texture.

Let your baby join family mealtimes whenever possible. Watching others eat encourages social and sensory learning.

Allergens and New Research in 2025

In recent years, guidance has shifted on the timing of introducing common allergens. Research suggests that introducing allergens like peanuts, eggs, milk, and gluten from six months onwards may actually reduce the risk of developing food allergies.

In 2025, many GPs and health visitors support a safe, early introduction of these foods one at a time, in small amounts, and never when your baby is unwell or already tired.

If your baby has a family history of allergies, eczema, or asthma, consult your GP or a paediatric dietitian before introducing high risk foods.

What About Drinks?

Before six months, breast milk or infant formula is all your baby needs. After introducing solids, you can begin offering small amounts of water with meals in an open or free flow cup.

Avoid:

• Fruit juices (high in sugar, can damage teeth)

• Cow’s milk as a main drink before 12 months

• Herbal teas or sugary drinks

Common Questions in 2025

Can I start weaning earlier than six months?

Only if advised by a healthcare professional. Most babies are not physically ready before six months, and early weaning may increase the risk of infections or gut issues.

Is baby led weaning safe?

Yes, provided you offer age appropriate, soft, finger sized foods and supervise all mealtimes. Avoid hard, round foods like whole grapes or raw carrot, which are choking hazards.

How many meals should my baby have per day?

Start with one small meal per day, and gradually build to three by around 9 to 12 months, depending on your baby's appetite and routine.

What if my baby refuses food?

It’s normal for babies to be hesitant. Keep offering a range of foods without pressure. Stay calm and neutral mealtime battles don’t help. Patience is key!

Helpful Resources for 2025

Parents in the UK now have greater access to trusted, digital tools to support weaning:

• NHS Start for Life app: Meal ideas and weaning guidance

• First Steps Nutrition Trust: Evidence based weaning support

• Your local health visitor: Personalised advice and developmental checks

In addition, many baby groups and early years settings now incorporate weaning workshops or messy play with food to help parents feel more confident.

Final Thoughts

Starting solids is more than just feeding; it’s a chance to build healthy habits, support independence, and create

joyful family moments. In 2025, with up to date guidance and growing flexibility around different weaning styles, you can feel reassured that there's more than one “right” way to do things.

Trust your baby, go at their pace, and enjoy the mess; it’s all part of the learning.

And remember, you’re not alone. Whether it’s a health visitor, a parent group, or simply your own instincts, support is always nearby.

Here’s to your baby’s first bites, and the many adventures to come.