Congrats! If you are looking at this article your child must have hit the half-year milestone. Your baby must be indicating the signs that she is ready for a solid diet. During the previous six months, she has gained all the required nutrients through breastfeeding and now it is time to initiate a solid food diet. It is great fun to watch the baby tasting new food and giving expressions over the little lovely face. But consider a solid diet as complementary feeding. It is not the replacement for breast milk or formula milk. 

Signs that the baby is ready for a solid diet

1. The baby now holds the head and neck without external support. This means that the baby can easily swallow the food.
2. The baby can sit erect and stable either with or without support. 
3. The little one gets fascinated by food and its smell and shows interest when others are eating food. 
4. The baby opens its mouth when food is offered.
5. The baby seems hungry after being breastfed or formula fed. 

If you see all these signs in your baby before hitting the age of six months then talk to the doctor before giving her solid food. Early introduction of solid food may lead to digestive troubles as the digestive system usually does not turn mature enough to cope with solids before the age of six months.  

If your baby does not show such signs after turning six months old then also you need to talk to your doctor. As at this age, the baby’s nutritional requirements increase. It cannot be fulfilled through breastfeeding or formula feed. But the first food is not exactly solid food, it should be mashed or pureed food. 

What is the right quantity of solid food per day?

The quantity varies from baby to baby based on appetite. It also changes day-to-day. The approximate quantity is –

• 1 tbsp fruit puree or vegetable puree. Gradually increase to 4 tbsp.
• 2 tbsp of cereal. Gradually increase to ¼ cup. 

• One meal a day is enough for a 6-month-old baby. Gradually you can increase to 2 meals, in a month's duration. When you start weaning, initiate with small portions. Begin with the semi-liquid food and later you can go for the thick consistency of food as your baby learns to eat food. 

• Always introduce one kind of food at a time and make sure to follow the three days rule to notice any allergic reactions. Meanwhile, note down the ingredients of the food. It will help you easily recognize allergic food. 

• If your baby rejects unfamiliar foods, take it easy. No panic! It is common. Patiently continue to offer a variety of foods. 

• Avoid the food that may irritate the digestive system of the baby. Avoid greasy or spicy food. Don’t add salt or sugar to the baby food till 1 year of age. 

• If you discover a baby uneasy after introducing a new food for e.g. episodes of vomiting, swelling in eyes or lips, development of rashes then it could be an allergic reaction. Stop feeding that food and contact your pediatrician.

Baby food chart for Indian 

Normally a baby consumes milk every 2-3 hours. Solid food should be introduced in between these feeds. It is best to consider fruits for the baby’s first food. Below is the sample diet chart for a 6 months baby with Indian baby food recipes. You can replace the added recipes with stewed pear, mango, papaya, avocado, chiku puree, or any other seasonal fruit. 

BM = Breast Milk

FM = Formula Milk

For the next week, you may introduce vegetable puree instead of fruit recipes and add one more solid meal. Here you can also introduce cereals. Changing the ingredients adds up the nutrition to the baby’s food with novelty in taste.

For the third week, you can add 2-3 tbsp of ‘daal ka pani’ into the diet chart to add a pinch of protein into the baby’s diet. For the upcoming weeks, you may prepare the recipes mixing two or more ingredients like vegetable soup.

Some important tips

• Always sterilize the utensils you use to feed the baby.
• It is better to steam cook the food rather than pressure cook.
• Feed the baby with breast milk or formula milk on demand rather than sticking with the timetable mentioned in the chart above.
• See the doctor before introducing a new recipe into the chart.

Introduce your baby to healthy foods to develop her liking towards them. Play soft music or rhymes when feeding her. Initially, place her on your lap while feeding her and later make her sit in a feeding chair.

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