Starting solids is one of the most anxiety-inducing milestones for South African parents — and it really shouldn't be. The evidence is clearer than ever, the timing window is wider than it used to be, and the foods we now know to introduce early are not the foods we recommended ten years ago. Here's the practical, current consensus.

When should you start?

The current evidence-based guideline is around 6 months — not earlier than 4 months under any circumstances, and not later than 7 months in most cases. The signals to look for in your baby:

  • They can sit upright with minimal support
  • They have lost the tongue-thrust reflex (food doesn't automatically push back out)
  • They show interest in food — reaching, watching you eat, opening their mouth
  • Good head and neck control

Age is a guide, not a rule. Some babies are ready at 5½ months; some at 6½. Look at the developmental signals before the calendar.

Baby-led weaning vs purée — what's right?

The honest answer is: a combination of both. Almost no successful feeding journey is purely one approach.

Baby-led weaning (BLW) means offering soft, age-appropriate finger foods from the start — letting the baby self-feed. Purée feeding means starting with smooth textures spoon-fed by a parent. Both work. Both have produced thousands of well-fed, well-grown children. The dogma on either side is unhelpful.

What I usually recommend: start with one or two well-cooked purée meals a day for the first 2–3 weeks (this is when iron-fortified cereals and meat purées are easiest to deliver), then introduce soft finger foods alongside as confidence and motor skill build. By 9 months, most babies are eating versions of family meals.

The eight common allergens — introduce early

This is where guidance has changed dramatically. We used to recommend delaying allergens until 12+ months. Current evidence — particularly from the LEAP trial on peanut — shows the opposite: early introduction reduces the risk of allergy. The current recommendation is to introduce all common allergens between 6 and 12 months, in age-appropriate forms.

The eight allergens to introduce Egg, peanut, cow's milk dairy, wheat, soy, tree nuts (almond, cashew, etc), sesame, and fish/shellfish. Aim to introduce each before 12 months in a form the baby can safely eat — peanut as smooth peanut butter mixed into purée, never whole; egg well-cooked; nuts as butters, not whole.

If your family has a strong history of food allergy or eczema in the baby, please speak to a paediatric dietitian or allergist before introducing — the protocol changes, but the recommendation to introduce rather than delay still generally holds.

The iron question

By 6 months, most babies have used up the iron stores they were born with. Breast milk is low in iron, formula is fortified, but solids need to step up. Iron-rich first foods to prioritise:

  • Iron-fortified infant cereals mixed with milk or fruit purée
  • Pureed red meat — beef, lamb, ostrich (excellent local option)
  • Pureed chicken liver in small amounts (very iron-dense)
  • Eggs, well-cooked
  • Lentils and beans, well-cooked and mashed

Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin-C-rich foods (orange, kiwi, tomato, bell pepper) to improve absorption. Avoid pairing iron-rich meals with milk or yoghurt, which interfere with iron uptake.

What to avoid

  • Honey — botulism risk under 12 months
  • Cow's milk as a drink — under 12 months. Yoghurt and cheese in food are fine.
  • Added salt & sugar — taste preference forms early
  • Whole nuts & popcorn — choking risk under 4 years
  • Raw honey, unpasteurised dairy, undercooked eggs
  • Juice — even diluted, has no nutritional benefit and primes a sweet preference

How to handle the fussy phase

Almost every baby goes through a phase of refusing foods they previously loved. This is developmentally normal — not a feeding failure.

Most babies accept new foods readily until around 12–14 months, then enter a more cautious "neophobic" phase that lasts well into toddlerhood. This is biologically protective — it's the age they start moving independently and could put dangerous things in their mouths.

The single most evidence-based response is repeated, low-pressure exposure. A new or rejected food can take 10–15 calm exposures before acceptance. No bribing. No "one more bite." No clean-plate rules. Just keep offering, keep eating it yourself with visible enjoyment, and the food gets accepted on the toddler's timeline, not yours.

What about daycare?

If your baby is starting daycare during their first-foods phase, communicate a simple feeding plan to the staff: what's been introduced, what's still to come, and any allergens you're cautious about. Most Johannesburg daycares are well-trained on this; a one-page feeding plan is usually all they need. We can write one for you as part of a paediatric initial consultation.

When to book a paediatric consultation Suspected allergy or reflux. Strong family history of allergic disease. A baby who's stalling on the growth chart. A baby refusing solids consistently past 8 months. A picky toddler eating fewer than 15 different foods. We'll come back with a plan that fits your real day, not a textbook day.