Starting Solids & Introducing Allergens — The Australian Guidance

Starting solids is exciting and slightly terrifying. The good news: Australian guidance is clear, evidence-based, and more relaxed than the internet would have you believe.

When to start

Around 6 months, and not before 4 months. Look for the readiness signs (your baby's age matters less than these):

• Sits with support and has good head control.
• Reaches for and shows interest in your food.
• Opens mouth for the spoon / brings things to mouth.
• Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex that pushes food back out.

Milk (breast or formula) stays the main source of nutrition until 12 months — solids are "tasting and learning" at first, alongside milk, not replacing it.

Iron is the priority

Babies' iron stores run low around 6 months, so iron-rich foods first: iron-fortified infant cereal, well-cooked puréed meat, chicken, fish, tofu, legumes, and lentils. Offer a variety of vegetables, fruit, and grains around them.

Baby-led weaning vs purées — you can do both

• Purées / spoon-feeding: smooth then lumpy, gradually thicker.
• Baby-led weaning (BLW): soft finger foods baby feeds themselves from the start.
• Most Melbourne families mix both — purées when out, finger foods at home. There's no wrong answer; follow your baby and your nerves.

Introducing allergens — the part that changed

This is the big one. Current ASCIA (Australian allergy peak body) advice:

• Introduce common allergy-causing foods in the first year of life (from around 6 months), including for babies at higher risk (e.g. those with eczema or a family history). Delaying does not prevent allergy — early introduction may reduce the risk.
• The key allergens: egg, peanut (as smooth peanut butter/paste — never whole nuts), cow's milk (dairy like yoghurt/cheese), wheat, soy, sesame (tahini), tree nuts (as paste), fish, and shellfish.
• Introduce one new allergen at a time, ideally earlier in the day, so you can watch for a reaction.
• Once tolerated, keep it in the diet regularly — ongoing exposure maintains tolerance.

If your baby has a reaction (hives, swelling, vomiting), stop that food and see your GP. For any difficulty breathing, swelling of the face/tongue, or collapse — call 000 immediately.

Choking safety (different from gagging)

• Gagging is normal and protective — babies gag a lot while learning; it's loud but safe.
• Avoid choking hazards: whole nuts, hard raw apple/carrot, whole grapes/cherry tomatoes (quarter them lengthways), popcorn, hard lollies, sausage rounds.
• Always supervise, sit baby upright, and never leave them alone with food. Consider an infant CPR course — worth every cent of peace of mind.

A few firm rules

• No honey before 12 months (infant botulism risk).
• No cow's milk as the main drink before 12 months (small amounts in food/cooking are fine).
• No added salt or sugar, and avoid hard/whole choking foods.
• Offer cooled boiled water in a cup with meals from 6 months.

For an in-person walk-through, look for a starting-solids workshop with a paediatric dietitian in our events.

Disclaimer: melbourne.baby is a community platform — information is general and not medical advice. For allergy or feeding concerns, see your GP, MCH nurse, or a paediatric dietitian. In an emergency call 000.