Best pages to print

• Is my baby ready?
• First meal setup checklist.
• Texture ladder.
• Allergen tracker.
• Risky food modification table.
• Usually normal vs seek help tables.

First Years tone

• Flexible, not strict.
• Responsive, not pressured.
• Family foods are welcome when made safe.
• Tiny tastes and mess are part of learning.
• Seek support early if feeding feels hard.

What matters most

• Baby is developmentally ready: supported sitting, good head and neck control, interest in food and ability to bring things to the mouth.
• A calm, upright, supervised eating setup.
• Soft, safe textures and shapes.
• Iron-rich foods offered often.
• Allergy foods introduced one at a time once solids have started, unless your health professional advises otherwise.

What does not need to be perfect

• Baby may only lick, smear, chew or spit out food at first.
• Mess is learning, not failure.
• The first month is practice, not a strict meal plan.
• You can use purees, finger foods or a mixed approach.
• Family foods can often be adapted safely without buying special baby products.

Usually ready signs

• Can sit upright with support in a highchair.
• Has good head and neck control.
• Shows interest in food: watching, reaching, opening mouth.
• Can bring toys or hands to mouth.
• Can move food backwards in the mouth more often than pushing everything out.

May not be ready yet

• Cannot hold head steady when supported.
• Slumps sideways or backwards in the chair.
• Is very sleepy, unwell or distressed at meals.
• Consistently pushes food straight out with the tongue.
• Shows no interest and becomes upset each time food is offered.

Seek advice first if

• Baby was born premature and you are unsure about corrected age or feeding readiness.
• Baby has poor growth, faltering weight gain or dehydration concerns.
• Baby has a complex medical condition, heart or breathing condition, neurological condition or history of aspiration.
• Baby has severe eczema, known food allergy, previous reaction to food or an allergy action plan.
• Baby has persistent vomiting, coughing, choking, wet breathing or distress during feeds.

Who can help

• GP or paediatrician for medical and growth concerns.
• Child and family health nurse for feeding readiness, routines and parent support.
• Lactation consultant for breastfeeding or mixed feeding concerns.
• Accredited Practising Dietitian for nutrition, allergies, vegetarian diets or growth.
• Speech pathologist for swallowing, texture, gagging or oral-motor concerns.
• Allergy specialist for complex allergy risk or reactions.

Safe setup basics

• Baby sits upright with hips supported and head steady.
• An adult stays close and watches the whole meal.
• Food is soft enough to squash between fingers or is smooth/mashed.
• Food is served in safe shapes, not hard rounds or chunks.
• A small amount of cooled boiled water can be offered in a cup from around 6 months for practice.
• Stop if baby turns away, cries, arches, clamps mouth shut or becomes overwhelmed.

Avoid unsafe eating

• Eating in the car seat, pram or while lying down.
• Eating while crawling, walking, playing or distracted.
• Leaving baby alone with food, even soft food.
• Offering hard, round, sticky or coin-shaped foods.
• Putting food into baby's mouth when they are crying or laughing.
• Forcing another spoon after baby turns away.

Practical example

• Offer mashed pumpkin mixed with lentils next to a familiar food like yoghurt.
• Let baby touch it first.
• Offer a tiny spoon or preloaded spoon.
• If baby turns away, pause and try again another day.

Safety reminders

• All foods should be soft and moist.
• Avoid hard lumps hiding inside smooth foods.
• Do not add salt, honey or sugar.
• Stay seated, upright and close.
• Messy hands and food on the face are normal.

Ready to progress

• Baby sits steadily.
• Baby brings food to mouth.
• Baby handles current texture with only occasional gagging.
• Baby seems interested in self-feeding or family foods.

Adjust texture if

• Food is dry, crumbly, sticky or hard.
• Baby coughs often during meals.
• Baby vomits repeatedly with lumps.
• Baby refuses all textures beyond smooth puree for weeks.
• Meals become distressed most days.

Animal-based iron

• Soft cooked meat, minced or pureed.
• Chicken or turkey, finely shredded or pureed.
• Fish, flaked carefully with bones removed.
• Well-cooked egg.
• Iron-fortified infant cereal if your family chooses to use it.

Plant-based iron

• Lentils, beans and chickpeas cooked until very soft.
• Tofu and tempeh, soft and age-appropriate.
• Nut and seed pastes thinned into food once introduced safely.
• Iron-fortified cereals.
• Pair with vitamin C foods like tomato, capsicum, citrus, berries, kiwi or broccoli to support absorption.

Smooth or mashed ideas

• Iron-fortified cereal with breast milk or formula.
• Smooth lentil and pumpkin puree.
• Mashed avocado with finely flaked fish.
• Mashed banana with yoghurt.
• Soft tofu mashed with rice porridge.
• Mashed cannellini beans with tomato and olive oil.

Iron-rich combinations

• Beef mince with sweet potato.
• Chicken with pumpkin and peas.
• Lentil dahl with soft rice.
• Egg and avocado mash.
• Tofu with broccoli and noodles cut short.
• Sardine or salmon mash with potato where suitable.

Soft lump ideas

• Fork-mashed vegetables with lentils.
• Soft pasta stars with mince sauce.
• Thick porridge with fruit.
• Scrambled egg pieces.
• Soft rice and beans.
• Flaked fish with soft vegetables.

Soft finger foods

• Steamed carrot or zucchini sticks that squash easily.
• Ripe pear wedges.
• Toast finger with thin smooth peanut paste after peanut is introduced.
• Omelette strip.
• Soft broccoli floret.
• Very soft pasta spirals.

Key principles

• Start solids when baby is developmentally ready.
• Introduce one new common allergen at a meal.
• Use baby-safe forms: smooth, soft, well-cooked, finely ground or thinned.
• Offer earlier in the day when baby is well.
• Do not smear food on skin to test allergy.
• If tolerated, keep the food in the diet regularly.

Seek advice first if

• Baby has severe eczema.
• Baby already has a known food allergy.
• Baby has reacted to food before.
• Baby has complex medical or feeding needs.
• A parent is unsure because of family allergy risk.
• You have been given an allergy action plan or specialist advice.

Helpful habits

• Introduce new common allergens one at a meal.
• Write down the date, amount and form offered.
• Keep tolerated allergens in the diet regularly.
• Avoid skin testing with food.
• Use official ASCIA and National Allergy Council resources.

Do not continue at home if

• There was swelling beyond mild local redness.
• Baby vomited repeatedly or seemed unwell.
• Breathing, colour or responsiveness changed.
• You are unsure whether symptoms were allergic.
• A health professional has told you to avoid that food.

Gagging can look like

• Noisy retching or coughing.
• Baby's tongue moves forward.
• Baby may go red and push food out.
• Baby is still breathing and making sound.
• It often reduces with practice and safe textures.

Choking can look like

• Silent or unable to cry/cough effectively.
• Difficulty breathing, wheeze or high-pitched sound.
• Blue or grey colour.
• Baby becomes limp, pale or distressed.
• Call Triple Zero (000) if choking does not resolve or baby cannot breathe normally.

Prevention basics

• Baby sits upright and supervised.
• Food shape is safe: avoid hard rounds, chunks and sticky globs.
• Cook, grate, mash or cut risky foods.
• No eating while lying down, crawling, walking, in the car or in a pram.
• Do not force food into baby's mouth.

Seek support if

• Baby gags at almost every meal and becomes distressed.
• Baby coughs, splutters or has wet breathing during meals.
• Baby vomits repeatedly with textures.
• Baby cannot progress from smooth puree.
• You suspect swallowing difficulty or aspiration.

Spoon-feeding

• Parent offers food from a spoon.
• Useful for iron-rich purees, cereal, lentils, meat, yoghurt and allergy foods.
• Pause between spoonfuls and let baby lean in or turn away.

Finger foods

• Baby holds soft, safe pieces and brings them to the mouth.
• Supports self-feeding, texture learning and family meals.
• Foods must be soft, safely shaped and supervised.

Mixed approach

• Many families use both.
• For example: spoon-fed lentil puree plus soft vegetable stick.
• Can help include iron-rich foods while baby practises self-feeding.

Keep any approach responsive

• Offer, then wait.
• Let baby touch and explore.
• Stop when baby turns away, closes mouth, cries or arches.
• Avoid scraping the spoon on baby's upper lip or sneaking food in.
• Trust that early meals are practice.

Keep any approach safe

• Upright seating.
• Soft textures.
• No hard round pieces.
• No thick sticky globs.
• No eating unsupervised.
• Learn baby and child first aid.

What to focus on

• Offer thicker textures, soft lumps and more family foods.
• Provide soft finger foods and chances to self-feed.
• Offer water in a cup with meals.
• Keep tolerated allergens in the diet regularly.
• Move gradually toward shared family meals.
• Let baby practise spoon, fingers and cup without pressure.

Meal rhythm example

• Morning: milk feed, then porridge with fruit and thinned nut paste if tolerated.
• Lunch: soft pasta with mince/lentil sauce and vegetables.
• Snack/taste: yoghurt, soft fruit or toast finger.
• Dinner: family stew, curry, rice dish or fish adapted for texture and salt.
• Milk feeds continue around baby's usual rhythm.

What helps

• Family meals in safe textures.
• Predictable meals and snacks rather than all-day grazing.
• Water as the everyday drink.
• Full-fat cow's milk if using cow's milk.
• Breastfeeding can continue if it works for parent and child.
• Repeated exposure without pressure.
• Safe food modifications for choking risk.

What to avoid relying on

• Toddler formula for healthy children unless medically advised.
• Large bottles of milk replacing food.
• Using dessert as a bribe for dinner.
• Pressure, force or chasing with food.
• Labelling cultural foods as less suitable when they can be made safe.
• Assuming one refused food means baby will never eat it.

Affordable helpful foods

• Eggs.
• Lentils, beans and chickpeas.
• Oats and iron-fortified cereals.
• Frozen vegetables.
• Plain full-fat yoghurt.
• Rice, pasta, noodles and couscous.
• Tofu.
• Tinned fish in spring water where suitable.
• Mince or slow-cooked meat if used by your family.

Useful equipment

• A safe highchair or supportive seat.
• Small open cup or sippy cup for water practice.
• Fork for mashing.
• Sharp knife and chopping board for safe shapes.
• A spoon or preloaded spoon.
• Bibs or washable cloths if helpful.

Optional equipment

• Blender or stick mixer.
• Freezer trays.
• Silicone suction plates.
• Special baby spoons.
• Splash mats.
• Baby food maker.

Family meal shortcuts

• Cook lentils, rice, pasta or mince once and adapt textures.
• Freeze small portions of low-salt family meals.
• Use frozen veg to add colour and fibre.
• Keep a few easy iron options ready for tired days.

Often adaptable

• Rice, congee and rice porridge.
• Lentils, dahl, beans and chickpea dishes.
• Pasta and noodles cut short.
• Mild curries, stews and soups.
• Fish, tofu, egg, chicken or meat dishes.
• Vegetables cooked until soft.
• Yoghurt, cheese and dairy foods where tolerated.

Adapt safely

• Take baby's portion before adding salt or strong chilli heat.
• Use herbs and mild spices if your family enjoys them.
• Cook hard vegetables until soft.
• Remove bones, skins, gristle and hard bits.
• Mash, puree, shred or chop to baby's skill level.
• Avoid honey before 12 months and unsafe choking shapes.

Before starting

First month

Safety

Seek support

Speak with a professional when needed

• Talk with a GP, child and family health nurse, lactation consultant, Accredited Practising Dietitian, speech pathologist, paediatrician, allergy specialist or emergency service when needed.
• Seek personalised advice for premature babies, babies with growth concerns, feeding difficulty, medical conditions, severe eczema, known food allergies or previous food reactions.
• If you are unsure whether something is normal, it is always okay to ask.

Call Triple Zero (000) for

• Choking that does not resolve.
• Breathing difficulty, wheeze, noisy breathing or inability to cry/cough.
• Blue or grey colour.
• Collapse, becoming pale/floppy or reduced responsiveness.
• Swelling of tongue or throat.
• Severe allergic reaction symptoms.