Starting solids is one of those milestones that can feel exciting and slightly overwhelming at the same time.

When should you start? Should you try baby-led weaning or purées? How big should you cut food? How much should your baby actually eat? And what do you really need to buy before you begin?

The good news is that weaning doesn't need to be complicated.

Baby-led weaning is about allowing your baby to explore food, practise feeding themselves and gradually become part of family mealtimes. And whether you choose finger foods, spoon-feeding or like many families, a mixture of both, the early weeks are much more about exploring tastes, textures and the experience of eating than finishing a bowl of food.

Here's everything you need to know before getting started.

What Is Baby-Led Weaning?

Baby-led weaning, often shortened to BLW, means offering appropriately prepared finger foods and allowing your baby to pick up food and feed themselves rather than relying on an adult to spoon-feed purées.

For example, instead of spoon-feeding puréed broccoli, you might offer a very soft piece of broccoli that your baby can hold and explore themselves.

This gives babies opportunities to practise skills such as grasping, bringing food to their mouth, biting, chewing and eventually picking up increasingly small pieces of food.

The NHS encourages finger foods from the beginning of weaning and notes that self-feeding can help babies develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

When Can You Start Baby-Led Weaning?

In the UK, NHS guidance recommends introducing solid foods at around 6 months old.

Rather than starting simply because your baby has reached a particular date, look for the developmental signs that show they're ready.

Your baby should be able to:

• stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady
• coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at food, pick it up and bring it to their mouth
• swallow food rather than automatically pushing it back out with their tongue

These signs should appear together. Things such as chewing their fists, wanting extra milk feeds or waking more frequently at night can easily be mistaken for readiness but don't necessarily mean your baby is ready for solids.

If you're unsure whether your baby is developmentally ready, speak to your health visitor or another healthcare professional before starting.

Baby-Led Weaning vs Purées: Which Is Better?

You don't actually have to choose.

Some families follow traditional baby-led weaning and offer only finger foods. Others begin with spoon-fed mashed or puréed foods. And plenty combine the two.

There isn't a "correct" method.

The NHS advises that babies can begin with mashed, lumpy or finger foods from around 6 months, while babies who initially prefer smoother textures can gradually progress towards lumpier foods and finger foods.

A combination can be particularly practical. Your baby might independently eat a strip of toast alongside yoghurt offered on a pre-loaded spoon, for example.

The goal is eventually to expose your baby to lots of different tastes and textures while allowing them opportunities to practise feeding themselves.

What Are Good First Foods for Baby-Led Weaning?

You don't need special "baby food".

From around 6 months, babies can begin exploring a wide variety of everyday foods prepared safely and without added salt or sugar.

Good first foods can include:

• soft broccoli or cauliflower florets
• avocado
• banana
• cooked sweet potato
• soft cooked carrot or parsnip
• ripe pear or peach
• strips of omelette
• toast fingers
• soft cooked pasta
• beans and lentils
• shredded or appropriately prepared soft meat
• boneless fish
• full-fat plain yoghurt

Try not to focus exclusively on naturally sweet vegetables and fruits. Introducing vegetables with different flavours can help your baby experience a much broader range of tastes from the beginning.

How Should You Cut Food for Baby-Led Weaning?

One of the biggest questions when starting BLW is how big should finger food be?

In the beginning, babies generally grasp food using their whole fist rather than their fingertips.

The NHS recommends starting with finger foods that are large enough for your baby to hold in their fist with some food sticking out of the top, roughly the size of an adult finger can work well. Foods should also be soft enough to break down easily in their mouth.

As your baby's fine motor skills develop and they learn to pick up smaller pieces using their thumb and forefinger, the way you prepare food can develop with them.

Certain foods need particular preparation to reduce choking risk. Small round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes should be cut appropriately, while hard foods such as whole nuts, raw carrot and raw apple should not be offered in their hard form to babies.

Always sit your baby upright and securely in their highchair and supervise them whenever they're eating.

Gagging vs Choking During Baby-Led Weaning

Gagging can be alarming to watch, particularly during the first few weeks of weaning, but gagging and choking are not the same thing.

Gagging is a normal protective reflex as babies learn how much food they can safely move around their mouth and swallow. It can involve retching, coughing, watery eyes or pushing the tongue forwards.

Choking occurs when the airway is blocked and can prevent a child from breathing. Unlike gagging, choking may be silent.

We've created a separate, more detailed guide covering the signs to look for and what parents need to know before starting solids:

Read next: Gagging vs Choking in Babies: What Every Parent Should Know Before Starting Weaning

It can also be reassuring to complete a baby first-aid course before starting solids so you know what to do in an emergency.

Introducing Allergens During Weaning

Common allergenic foods don't generally need to be avoided when your baby begins weaning.

From around 6 months, foods that may trigger an allergic reaction can be introduced one at a time and in very small amounts, making it easier to identify a reaction.

These include:

• eggs
• peanuts and nuts
• cows' milk
• gluten
• fish and shellfish
• soya
• seeds

Nuts and peanuts shouldn't be given whole; they need to be served in an age-appropriate form such as finely ground or smooth nut butter.

Once an allergenic food has been successfully introduced and tolerated, NHS guidance recommends continuing to include it as part of your baby's usual diet. Delaying the introduction of foods such as peanut and egg beyond 6–12 months may actually increase allergy risk.

If your baby has eczema, an existing food allergy or a strong family history of allergies, speak to your GP or health visitor about introducing allergens.

What Happens to Milk Feeds When You Start Weaning?

You don't need to suddenly replace milk feeds with meals.

At around 6 months, breast milk or first infant formula remains an important source of nutrition while your baby gradually learns to eat solid food.

Continue breastfeeding or giving first infant formula alongside solids. As your baby becomes established on food, the amount of milk they want will gradually change naturally.

Breastfeeding or first infant formula should continue until at least 12 months.

Think of the beginning of weaning as adding food rather than taking milk away.

Does My Baby Need Water When Starting Solids?

Yes. From around 6 months, once your baby begins eating solid food, you can offer small sips of water with meals.

The NHS recommends encouraging babies to learn to drink from an open cup or free-flow cup from around 6 months, as this helps them develop sipping skills and is better for their teeth.

For many families, a transitional cup can make that learning process easier. Our 3-in-1 Drinking Cup is designed to grow with your baby, moving from a sippy cup to a straw cup and finally an open cup as their confidence and coordination develop.

Don’t worry if early attempts at open-cup drinking result in more water on your baby than in them — learning to drink independently takes practice.

That way we’re not contradicting NHS advice at all. We’re actually using the product’s strongest feature: it can end up as the exact open cup we’re recommending.

How Much Should a 6-Month-Old Eat?

Probably less than you expect.

At the beginning, babies are learning an entirely new skill. They need to discover how food feels in their hands, how to move it around their mouth, how to chew and how to swallow it.

Some days they may eat surprisingly well. Other days most of lunch may end up on the floor.

That's okay.

Start with small amounts and allow your baby to decide how much they want to eat rather than focusing on clearing a bowl or plate.

Gradually, meals become more established. By around 7–9 months, the NHS suggests babies will gradually move towards eating three meals a day alongside their usual milk feeds.

Embrace the Mess

Weaning is messy.

Food will be squeezed between fingers, rubbed into hair, thrown onto the floor and occasionally eaten.

But all that touching, squashing and exploring has a purpose. Your baby is learning about texture, temperature, smell and cause and effect while developing the coordination required to eventually feed themselves confidently.

A wipe-clean bib, suction tableware and a mat underneath the highchair can make the clean-up considerably easier.

And sometimes it's easier simply to accept that a bath is coming afterwards.

What Do You Actually Need for Baby-Led Weaning?

You really don't need cupboards full of feeding equipment.

A few thoughtfully chosen essentials can take your baby from their very first tastes through to increasingly independent family mealtimes.

For most families, we'd start with:

A suction bowl or plate
A stable surface makes it easier for little hands to explore food without the entire meal immediately sliding across the table.

A soft silicone spoon
Gentle on little gums and useful for pre-loaded spoons when offering foods such as yoghurt or porridge.

A wipe-clean sleeved or pocket bib
There will be mess. A good weaning bib is one of those purchases you'll appreciate several times every day.

An open or training cup
Your baby can begin practising drinking water with meals from around 6 months.

A snack cup
Not necessarily essential on day one, but increasingly useful once your baby is eating snacks and you're taking food out with you.

A water bottle
More useful as your baby gets older and you're regularly taking drinks on days out, to nursery or on family adventures.

Children's metal cutlery
You don't need this for the very beginning. As your baby's coordination improves and they become a more confident independent eater, stainless steel children's cutlery can be a useful next step.

The Complete Weaning Set If you'd rather have everything ready from the beginning, we'd recommend our complete weaning set. It includes a suction plate, suction bowl with lid, spoon and fork, 3-way drinking cup, snack cup and pocket bib. Personalisation also makes the set a thoughtful personalised baby gift, particularly for a first birthday or for a little one approaching the exciting milestone of starting solids.

JBØRN Baby Weaning Full Essentials Gift Box

Or Start with the Essentials The JBØRN Baby Weaning Starter Gift Box is a smaller option for families who want to begin with the essentials and add pieces as their baby grows. For the earliest days, the bowl and spoon are likely to be what you reach for most. The stainless steel children's cutlery can then come into its own later as your baby's coordination develops and they become more confident feeding themselves.

JBØRN Baby Weaning Starter Gift Box

Other Weaning Essentials to Add as They Grow

Sleeved Bib Our sleeved bib offers full coverage for messier mealtimes and play, with elasticated wrists and an adjustable Velcro fastening designed to fit little ones from around 6 to 18 months.	JBØRN Long Sleeve Baby Feeding Bib with Personalised Travel Bag
3-Way Drinking Cup Our 3-in-1 Drinking Cup grows with your baby, transitioning from a sippy cup to a straw cup and finally an open cup as their drinking skills develop. Made from lightweight food-grade silicone, it's easy for little hands to hold, dishwasher safe and designed to encourage independent drinking.	JBØRN 3-in-1 Drinking Cup | Baby Sippy Cup
Stainless Steel Cutlery Set Designed with growing hands in mind, each piece features soft silicone handles that offer a comfortable, secure grip. The gentle texture helps children feel confident as they learn to feed themselves. Whether it’s meals at home, lunch at kindergarten, or family outings, this cutlery set is a practical and stylish everyday essential.	JBØRN Stainless Steel Cutlery Set
Snack Cup With Lid & Handle Our Snack Cup encourages independent snacking at home or on the go, with a playful bear-ear design made from food-grade silicone. The secure lid helps keep snacks fresh, hygienic and contained, making it a practical choice for days out, travel and everyday adventures.	JBØRN Baby Snack Cup With Lid & Handle
Stainless Steel Kids Water Bottle Made from lightweight stainless steel, our bottles feature a spill-proof lid and straw for mess-free, easy drinking. At 400ml, they're the perfect size for little hands to grasp. These adorable bottles are high-quality, sustainably made and uniquely designed for little ones on the go.	JBØRN Personalised Stainless Steel Kids Water Bottle
Lunch box As your baby becomes more established with solids and you start taking meals and snacks out and about, a lunch box becomes a useful addition to your weaning essentials. It has a removable divider to keep different foods separated, with a durable stainless steel design and personalised silicone lid, perfect for family days out, travel and, later on, nursery lunches.	JBØRN Personalised Lunch Box

A Simple First Week of Weaning

There's no need for an elaborate meal plan during your baby's first few days.

A gentle first week could look something like this:

Day 1: Soft steamed broccoli
Day 2: Avocado
Day 3: Soft cooked sweet potato
Day 4: Banana
Day 5: Soft cooked courgette
Day 6: Omelette strips
Day 7: Full-fat plain yoghurt on a pre-loaded spoon alongside soft fruit

This isn't a schedule you need to follow exactly. You can offer different foods, repeat foods and begin introducing suitable allergens when you're ready.

The aim isn't to work through a checklist. It's simply to begin giving your baby opportunities to experience different flavours, textures and ways of eating.

Baby-Led Weaning FAQs

Can you mix baby-led weaning and spoon-feeding?

Absolutely. You don't need to follow one method exclusively. Offering finger foods alongside mashed foods or pre-loaded spoons can give babies experience with lots of different textures while still encouraging independent eating.

Do babies need teeth for baby-led weaning?

No. Babies can manage many appropriately prepared soft foods with their gums. Texture and safe preparation are more important than whether teeth have appeared.

Can I start baby-led weaning before 6 months?

UK guidance recommends introducing solid foods from around 6 months, once the developmental signs of readiness are present.

Do I need a special baby-led weaning plate?

No special plate is required for BLW. You can initially put food directly onto a clean highchair tray. However, a suction plate or bowl can make mealtimes easier and gives babies a defined space from which to practise feeding themselves.

What if my baby doesn't eat much?

That's completely normal at first. Your baby is learning how to eat while continuing to receive breast milk or first infant formula. Give them time to explore without pressuring them to finish a particular amount.

What if my silicone weaning set starts tasting or smelling like soap?

Silicone can sometimes retain detergent smells or flavours, particularly when exposed to strongly scented detergents.

We've covered how to prevent and remove this in our separate guide:

Read: Why Does My Silicone Baby Bowl Taste Soapy? How to Remove Silicone Taste & Stains Safely

A Gentle Reminder

Starting solids isn't about how quickly your baby progresses from their first piece of broccoli to eating an entire family dinner.

Some babies dive straight in. Others need weeks of touching, tasting and experimenting before they begin eating larger amounts.

Follow your baby's cues, offer plenty of variety, continue their usual milk feeds and give them the opportunity to learn at their own pace.

There will be mess, gagging, dropped spoons and meals where you're fairly certain the floor ate more than your baby did. But gradually, those first tastes turn into shared family meals and a little person who is increasingly confident feeding themselves.

The right baby weaning essentials can make that journey easier, but they don't need to make it complicated. Start with what you need, add to it as your baby's skills develop, and enjoy watching them discover an entirely new world of food.