Stage one baby foods list

When is a child ready to start solids?

Diving into the world of solid food with your baby is a messy, adorable milestone that, let’s be honest, sometimes feels a little confusing. While some little ones happily slurp down baby cereal at 6 months, others won’t go near a mashed carrot until they’re hitting the 9-month mark — what gives?

The truth is, while solid food exposes babies to new tastes and textures, it’s not even necessary in the very beginning (yes, really).

“While the general recommendation for starting solids is between 4 and 6 months old, solids at this point are more about introducing baby to new tastes and developing oral motor function,” says Dr. Melanie Custer, a pediatrician at Deaconess Clinic in Evansville, Indiana. “Breast milk or formula should continue to be the primary source of nutrition through 12 months.”

Of course, when your baby is eyeballing your bowl of oatmeal every morning, it’s only natural to start wondering when to start baby food. Here, experts and veteran parents weigh in on the dos and don’ts of starting solids, a.k.a. Stage 1 baby foods. Ready the bibs!

What is Stage 1 baby food?

Stage 1 baby foods are single-ingredient foods that are very thin in consistency. You can either buy them at the store or make them yourself, as long as they’re a smooth puree with zero chunks and include just one ingredient so you’re introducing your baby to one new food at a time.

And remember, every child is different and develops at their own individual pace. Check with your child’s doctor for baby food recommendations during the first year.

When to start Stage 1 baby food

According to Custer, the reason it’s recommended that full-term babies wait until 6 months to try solids is because they’re losing iron stores that were built during pregnancy, and iron is important for infants’ brain development.

“Growing babies need all the nutrients they can get — and breast milk and formula are both far superior to solids when it comes to nutrients, including iron,” says Jenifer Thompson, an advanced practice dietician at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. “It’s important to remember that solid foods are also called complementary foods because their intention is to complement the breast milk and/or formula baby is drinking.”

Thompson also notes that offering solids too early on — prior to 4 months — has been associated with excessive weight gain and adiposity (excess fat) in preschool and older ages.

Signs baby is ready to start solid food

Knowing your baby is ready for Stage 1 foods goes beyond celebrating their half-year birthday. It’s important to look out for developmental and social signals, as well.

“One of the biggest indicators that your baby is ready for solid foods is that they’re showing an interest in what other family members are eating,” says Dr. Kristen Treegoob, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

If you notice baby staring at your food and opening their mouth or leaning forward if food is ever offered, these are signs that solid foods have piquéd your baby’s interest, according to Thompson.

“I knew my son was ready for solids when, at 7 months, he started staring — like, really staring — at all of our food during dinner,” says mom of two Erin Henderson, of Waltham, Massachusetts. “It reached a point where we felt bad eating in front of him!”

Other signs your baby may be ready for solids, according to Custer and Thompson, include:

They can sit up with little to no support.
They can hold their head up without being wobbly.
Their tongue thrust reflex has disappeared. “Before introducing solids, it’s important to make sure your baby can open their mouth for a spoon and accept food off of it, rather than pushing it away with their tongue, which is an involuntary habit until about 4 months,” says Custer.

What Stage 1 baby food to start with

According to Thompson, it’s recommended that early solid foods provide a source of iron, protein and zinc. But remember, you’re complementing your baby’s diet, not revamping it, so it’s OK to get a little creative and go with your gut.

“There is no medical evidence that solid foods must be introduced in any particular order, or that vegetables must be introduced before fruits to ensure that they don’t have a preference for sweets and will it not lead to a dislike of vegetables,” says Thompson.

And once you get going, continue to mix it up.

“There is no one-size-fits-all for solid food introduction, and we typically recommend parents introduce a variety of tastes, colors and food groups in the first few months,” says Treegoob. “That said, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breastfed infants first begin with iron-rich foods, which include iron-fortified infant cereals and iron-rich pureed meats. Formula-fed infants typically get enough iron through formula, so they may have a little more flexibility at first.”

Here’s a list of first foods to try (make sure all are pureed to very thin consistency):

Bananas.
Avocados.
Sweet potatoes.
Carrots.
Pureed meats, such as chicken and turkey.
Butternut squash.
Peaches.
Applesauce.
Grains, such as barley, oats, wheat and rice.

Custer does note that infants should not eat raw or cooked honey until 12 months, as it might contain spores that can cause infantile botulism, a serious illness that can hamper an infant’s ability to move, eat and breathe. For more tips on food storage, our experts weigh in on how long baby food lasts.

How to start Stage 1 foods safely

When your baby first starts experimenting with solids, keep in mind it’s a gradual process, and you’re still a ways off from three solid meals per day. In the beginning, it’s best to think of solids as more of a snack than a meal.

“Babies will often start with just a bite or two at first and advance to three to four tablespoons at a time,” says Custer. “When they’re first starting off around 6 months, they can have solids one or two times a day.”

“Foods should be offered one at a time when babies are starting off with solids,” says Thompson. “Then, wait between three to four days before introducing a new one, so you can properly identify an adverse reaction or intolerance.”

Here are a few more tips for feeding your baby:

Make sure they’re sitting in an upright position, such as in a highchair, to prevent the risk of choking.
Add a little breast milk or formula to their food. “At first, foods should be just slightly thicker than breast milk or formula to allow the infant to get used to eating,” Custer says. “Foods can get thicker as their eating skills are mastered.”
Always feed your baby with a spoon. “Unless you’ve been advised by your pediatrician, never put solid foods, including infant cereal, in bottles with or without milk,” says Treegoob.
Give baby breast milk or formula first. “Both of my babies were more open to trying solid foods in the beginning when they were happy and relaxed,” says mom of two Darcy McConnell of Garwood, New Jersey. “That was always after they had their bottle. ”

Also, be patient. Starting solids is a learning curve for everyone.

“If your baby turns their head away, spits out food or pushes you away with their hands when you try to feed them solid food, then they are not quite ready,” says Treegoob. “Try again in a few days.”

How baby-led weaning works

A less conventional way to start your baby on real food is baby-led weaning, which forgoes what’s thought of as Stage 1 baby food altogether, as well as a spoon.

“The baby-led weaning approach to introducing solid foods recommends that purees and traditional baby foods be omitted, and to start with finger foods, as well as self-feeding right from the beginning,” says Thompson. “This method may be preferred for some, but should always be discussed with a pediatrician since a possible concern of this method is the risk of choking, which could be minimized with appropriate food choices.”

Proponents of baby-led weaning believe that letting baby pick, choose and explore food on their own will help with appetite control overall (possibly reducing the risk of obesity later in life), as well as promote a taste for a wider range of foods. All of this said, research on baby-led weaning is still fairly scant, so it’s important to discuss it with your pediatrician if you choose to take this approach.

Ready for the next stages?

Stage 2 baby food
Stage 3 baby food

10 Baby Food Purees (Stage 1)

Everything you need to know about making stage 1 baby food, including 10 recipes for tasty purees that are perfect for introducing solids.

Introducing solids to your baby is such an exciting milestone but it can also be an overwhelming time with lots of questions. When is your baby ready for solids? Which foods should you start with? And how do you make homemade baby food?

I’m here to make sure you have all the information you need! Plus sharing 10 baby food purees to give you some ideas of where to start if you’ve decided to make your own baby food.

When To Start Solids

Most pediatricians recommend babies start solids between 4-6 months, but you know your baby best so trust your gut and do what feels right to you (with guidance from your pediatrician)!

I have a great guide for introducing solids to babies where I outline the basics and share my approach, but just to recap, here are some signs that your baby is ready to start enjoying solid food:

Baby can hold their head up in an upright position without too much bobbing
Baby can sit up with (or without) support
Baby has lost the tongue thrust reflex
Baby puts their hands or toys in their mouth
Baby has shown interest in food such as leaning forward and opening their mouth or trying to grab food you’re eating

How to Introduce Solid Food to Baby

Once you’ve decided that your baby is ready to start solids, it’s go-time. There are different approaches to this including baby led weaning, where you skip purees all-together and let your baby feed themselves with finger foods from the start and traditional weaning, which starts with pureed (or blended) foods.

With Olivia I did a hybrid approach where the first few foods we introduced where purees and then we started with a few finger foods when she seemed ready. I go into more detail on this in my introducing solids post.

To be honest, if you’re planning to do baby led weaning this post probably won’t be that helpful because it’s focused on how to make a variety of single ingredient purees.

What is Stage 1 Baby Food?

If you decide to use purees, you’ll quickly notice that baby food is labeled by three stages. Here is a breakdown of what these different stages mean:

Stage 1 (4-6 months) – single ingredient foods that are pureed into a very thin consistency with no chunkiness whatsoever that can be served with a spoon.
Stage 2 (around 6-8 months) – slightly thicker consistency and typically includes food combinations and the addition of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, mint, basil, etc. See my stage 2 baby food combos.
Stage 3 (around 9-12 months) – thick blended foods with chewable chunks or small cut up pieces of easily chewed food.

Best First Foods for Baby

Solid foods can be introduced in any order, but most pediatricians recommend starting with a single-ingredient food that is easy to digest like pureed sweet potato, carrot, banana and/or avocado. Other options include pureed meats, poultry, beans and iron-fortified baby cereals like rice cereal or oatmeal.

You just want to be sure the first few foods are pureed super smooth and almost a liquid consistency. You can easily thin purees with breastmilk or formula.

As baby gets more practice with eating you can reduce the amount of liquid and offer purees with a thicker texture.

Food Allergies and Known Allergens

When introducing foods it can be helpful to introduce only one food every three to five days so you can watch for any signs of allergic reactions. A reaction could show up almost immediately or a few days after so it’s recommend to introduce one food at a time when starting out so you can track what may be causing a reaction in your baby. Reactions include: hives or rashes, itching, shortness or breath or more serious reactions like vomiting or swelling of the lips and tongue.

It’s also helpful to be mindful about common allergens. Foods like diary, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy and shellfish should be introduced gradually after less allergenic foods have been tolerated. The previous recommendation was to wait on these foods, but that as since changed and in fact, delaying the introduction of these foods may increase the risk of a child developing allergies.

One food that is off limits until a baby is at least 1 year old is honey because of the risk of infantile botulism.

How to Make Homemade Baby Food

We covered when and what foods to start with. Now lets talk how to make a basic baby food puree! Don’t fret, it’s super easy. Here’s the basic process:

Prep: you’ll want to start by ensuring your fruit or vegetable of choice is thoroughly cleaned. Even if you’re using organic fruits and vegetables, you’ll want to washed and dry your produce! Once the produce is clean, you’re ready to peel and chop into chunks. You can skip this step for some fruits or veggies.
Cook: some foods like banana and avocado don’t need to be cooked, but many do. For cooking, you can steam, boil or roast. I recommend using a fork to test that they’re tender and soft.
Blend: place cooked food into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth (or the consistency you desire), adding liquid (breast milk, formula or water) as needed.

That’s it! You’ve just made a homemade baby food puree!

Best Tools For Making Homemade Baby Food

You really don’t need any fancy kitchen appliances, but there are a few tools that will come in handy when making homemade baby food.

Steamer basket – Steaming is one the easiest ways to cook foods for making purees and having a steamer basket is key. I have a really basic steamer basket that fits in most pots, but I also use the steamer basket that comes with my Always Pan.
Blender – I’ve been using my Vitamix blender and love how smooth it makes the purees. You can also use a food processor or an immersion blender.
Silicone ice cube trays – In the beginning I really liked to make large batches of pureed food and pour it into a silicone ice cube tray with a lid to freeze for later. It was perfect when babies aren’t eating big portions because each cube is about 1-2 ounces.
Freezer bags – Once you have frozen cubes of puree you can transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. I love reusable Stasher bags for this.
Storage containers – As soon as you start making homemade baby food you realize that you need lots of little containers. A friend loaned me a bunch of plastic storage containers for keeping homemade baby food and I also invested in these glass containers that are freezer safe.
Permanent markers – When storing and freezing baby food you’ll want to label everything with the name of the food and the date.
Baby food maker – if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that steams food and blends it there are some cool gadgets (like the BEABA Babycook) that make homemade baby food a breeze!

10 Stage One Baby Food Purees

Ready to get started making some stage 1 baby food purees? Here are 10 easy recipes to get you started. These are the purees I used in the early days with Olivia. She loved all of these, but there are a ton of other purees you can try including pear puree, apple puree (aka applesauce), bean purees (like chickpea or lentil puree) and even chicken puree.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse vegetable! They’re packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and babies love their sweet flavor.

Sweet Potato Puree

3.88 from 8 votes

Sweet potato puree is so easy to make. Just bake your sweet potatoes, peel and blend until smooth! It's a great first food for babies, but can also be used in baking recipes, mixed into oatmeal, added to smoothies or served as a side dish.

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Carrot

Carrots are low on the allergy scale and easily digested by a tiny tummy. They are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in the body, which is crucial for eye health and overall immune function.

Carrot Puree

4 from 39 votes

How to make carrot baby food by cooking and blending carrots into a smooth and creamy puree. Carrot puree make a great stage 1 starter food for babies.

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Avocado

Avocados are high in heart-healthy fats as well as fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants! They’re incredibly nutritious and super easy to prepare.

Avocado Puree

5 from 3 votes

Avocado is great first food for babies. It contains healthy fats, it’s easy to blend and it’s delicious. Make it in your food processor or blender or simply mash!

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Banana

A great first food to introduce to babies, bananas are naturally soft and mushy, easy to digest and loaded with vitamins and minerals. The best part? You don’t need to cook them!

Banana Puree

5 from 2 votes

Fresh banana puree is a great first food and baby will love it because it tastes sweet! Easily make it by mashing or blending ripe bananas.

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Peas

Peas are naturally sweet and pack a punch with nutrition, containing a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are also high in protein, with 4 grams per half-cup serving. Fun fact, peas are actually a legume!

Pea Puree

5 from 5 votes

Pea puree is a great first food when introducing solids to babies and all you need is a bag of frozen peas and a blender or food processor!

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Butternut Squash

Technically a fruit, butternut squash is packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Butternut Squash Puree

Make butternut squash puree at home with this simple recipe! Just scoop the seeds, roast, blend and use in recipes that call for butternut squash puree. It's also a great first food for babies!

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Peach

Peaches are naturally sweet and perfect for introducing baby to solid foods. They are rich in many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Peach Puree

5 from 4 votes

Peach puree is so easy to make using fresh peaches! It's a great first food for babies, but can also be used as a topping or mix-in for breakfast, dessert and drink recipes.

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Mango

Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, mango is especially high in vitamins A and C. They also contain a group of digestive enzymes called amylases which help little tummies just starting with solid foods.

Mango Puree

5 from 3 votes

How to make a delicious mango puree out of fresh (or frozen) mango. It's perfect for serving to baby or to use in recipes.

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Blueberry

Small but mighty! Blueberries are known as a superfood. Superfoods are usually plant-based and rich in nutrients that are beneficial to your health such as vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fiber.

Blueberry Puree

5 from 1 vote

Blueberry puree is full of antioxidants and vitamins and makes for a quick and easy first food for baby! It can also be used as a topping or mix-in for breakfast, dessert and drink recipes.

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Strawberry

Strawberries pack quite a health punch! They are low calorie, taste delicious and are a great source of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds.

Strawberry Puree

5 from 1 vote

Strawberry puree is easy to make and naturally sweet with no added sugar! Use it in baked goods, drinks or as baby food.

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How to Store Purees

Freshly pureed baby food should be stored in the fridge and used within 3-4 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing purees in an airtight container. I like using silicone ice cube tray or freezer safe jars because they make it easier to thaw smaller amounts for serving to babies.

How to Thaw Frozen Puree

I recommend thawing frozen purees in the fridge the night before you want to use them. In a pinch, you can also thaw it quickly with a warm water bath. It thaws quickly if you’re defrosting a small amount to serve to a baby.

FAQ

Can I store homemade baby food purees?

Yes! Making large batches of purees and storing them in the refrigerator or freezer makes feeding baby homemade purees a breeze.

Can you freeze homemade purees?

Freezing baby food that has been made with frozen fruit or vegetables is fine, as long as you have cooked the frozen foods first. Do not refreeze foods that have thawed without cooking. I recommend labeling baby food with the ingredient and date before you place them in the freezer.

Can you freeze baby food made with breast milk or formula?

If you are freezing baby food that has been mixed with fresh breast milk you’re fine! However, you should not freeze baby food that has been mixed with previously frozen breast milk. Once frozen breast milk has been thawed, it should never be re-frozen.

If you are using formula, it should be okay to freeze baby food that has been mixed with it. Most formula companies don’t recommend freezing formula, but you’re using such a small amount.

You can also freeze the baby food purees without adding any liquid. You can then thaw the baby food puree in the fridge overnight and then thin the food to the desired consistency with breast milk or formula right before serving.

This post about freezing baby food has a ton of great insight and tips.

Should I use organic fruits and vegetables?

I recommend using organic produce when possible, though I realize this isn’t always in the budget. Either way thoroughly rinsing your fruits and vegetables is an important step whether they’re organic or not.

This list of the dirty dozen fruits and vegetables from the EWG is a good guide if you can only budget for some but not all organic produce.

Is it safe to thin baby food with cow’s milk?

From a nutritional point of view, most doctors recommend waiting to introduce babies to cow’s milk until one year of age. If you need to thin your puree you can use breast milk, formula or plain water.

What is the difference between stage 1 and stage 2 baby food?

Stage 1 purees are very thin with no chunkiness and are single ingredients. Stage 2 baby foods can be more elaborate with food combinations as well as chunkier textures.