First Foods for a 6-Month-Old Baby: 7-Day Starter Plan

Your baby is around 6 months old and showing the signs of readiness – now what? Here are the best first foods for a 6-month-old baby, a simple 7-day starter plan, and practical tips for Pakistani kitchens. If you are not sure your baby is ready yet, read when to start solids: signs your baby is ready first.

The best first foods at 6 months

First foods should be smooth or finely mashed, easy to swallow and free from added salt and sugar. Good choices include:

• Baby cereal made with whole grains, mixed to a smooth, runny texture.
• Soft fruits: mashed ripe banana, steamed apple or pear, mango (in season), papaya, chikoo.
• Vegetables: steamed and mashed potato, carrot, pumpkin (kaddu), sweet potato (shakarkandi), bottle gourd (lauki), peas.
• Iron-rich foods: well-cooked and mashed moong daal or masoor daal, khichdi (rice and moong daal), finely minced chicken or meat, and well-cooked egg.
• Dairy: plain, full-fat yoghurt (dahi) with no sugar.

Try to include iron-rich foods every day once your baby is eating well. At 6 months, babies’ iron needs are high, and iron supports healthy brain development.

A simple 7-day starter plan

Offer one small meal a day, about 1–3 teaspoons to begin with, after or between milk feeds. Introduce one new food at a time and repeat foods – babies often need many tries before they accept a new taste.

• Day 1: Smooth baby cereal (2 tablespoons cereal + 60–70 ml boiled water, cooled to lukewarm).
• Day 2: Baby cereal again (repetition helps).
• Day 3: Mashed ripe banana.
• Day 4: Steamed, mashed carrot or pumpkin.
• Day 5: Baby cereal mixed with a spoon of mashed banana.
• Day 6: Steamed, mashed potato or sweet potato.
• Day 7: Smooth moong daal (no salt, no chilli).

In week 2, keep the foods your baby enjoyed, add a new one every few days, and slowly increase to two small meals a day. By 7–9 months most babies move towards three meals a day.

How much should a 6-month-old eat?

At the start, the amount does not matter much – your baby is learning to eat and still gets most nutrition from milk. Begin with a few teaspoons and follow your baby’s cues: leaning forward and opening the mouth means “more”, turning away or closing the mouth means “done”. Never force-feed.

Texture: from smooth to lumpy

Start smooth, then move to mashed foods with soft lumps within a few weeks. By 8–9 months, most babies can manage soft finger foods. Moving through textures helps your baby learn to chew and can make them less fussy later. For thicker cereal, simply use a little less water.

Hygiene and safety tips

• Wash hands, bowls and spoons well, and use boiled and cooled water for mixing.
• Test the temperature on the inside of your wrist – food should be lukewarm, not hot.
• Do not save leftovers from a bowl your baby has eaten from.
• Keep your baby upright and stay with them during every meal.
• No honey, salt, sugar, tea, or whole nuts before 12 months.

Frequently asked questions

Which cereal is best for a 6-month-old?
Choose a single-grain or simple cereal with whole grains first, and no added sugar. Oats and wheat are both popular first cereals; move to multigrain blends from around 8 months.

Can I give my baby khichdi at 6 months?
Yes – well-cooked, mashed khichdi of rice and moong daal, with no salt or spices, is a great early food.

Can my baby have cow’s milk?
Cow’s milk can be used in cooking or mixed into food from 6 months, but not as a main drink until 12 months.

This guide is general information based on WHO and NHS guidance and is not a substitute for medical advice. Organilac cereals contain milk and gluten. If your baby has allergies, eczema or was born prematurely, please speak to your paediatrician before starting solids.