Learning to eat regular food is a gradual process that usually starts at 6 months. To start with, it mostly involves the child getting used to new textures, more tastes, eating from a spoon and learning to chew.

There are no rules for what to start with and it’s fine to try different foods at the same time. The important thing is that the food has a soft consistency so that your child doesn’t choke.

Tips for food you can give your baby
For example, you can mash a piece of boiled potato or some rice with a fork and add breast milk or formula to it so that it becomes a loose mash. You can make mashed potatoes and vegetables in the same way. Or let your child pick up small, soft pieces of food themselves.

You can also give them boiled, mashed or mixed chicken, eggs, fish, minced meat, beans, lentils and tofu. Meat, beans and tofu contain a lot of iron, which your child needs.

You can easily puree bananas, apples and pears by gently scraping the fruit with a spoon. Keep in mind that your child needs to get used to porridge slowly. For the first few weeks, a few teaspoons of porridge is enough, then gradually increase the amount.

Allow your child to slowly get used to foods that contain gluten, such as bread, sandwiches, pasta and bulgur. Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye – read the packaging. However, there is only a little gluten in oats. Slowly increasing the amount of food containing gluten can reduce the risk of the child developing coeliac disease (gluten intolerance).

Even if you have coeliac disease or are allergic, or if your child has eczema, it is good to introduce all food groups during the first year of your child’s life – including foods with gluten, fish, eggs and peanuts.

Continue breastfeeding or formula feeding as usual during this period. Because breastmilk and formula are so nutritious, you don’t have to worry if your baby wants to progress slowly.

Small children are sensitive to bacteria and viruses that can cause stomach ailments, so it is particularly important to think about hygiene when you cook for your child.

How to give taster portions?
If you haven’t already started taste tests, you should do so when your baby is six months old. Start with small amounts, so that your child gets used to them gradually. For the first few days, a few teaspoons is enough, then the amount can be slowly increased.

Check that the food is not too hot and feed your baby with a small spoon or let them pick up small, soft pieces of food. Most children have difficulty getting food properly into their mouths and swallowing it. The fact that the food comes out again is usually not because the child doesn’t like it, but because they don’t know what to do with it and are not used to the consistency. Regular food is also not as sweet as breast milk or formula, and the new flavours can take a while to get used to.

Some children accept them quickly, while others are more skeptical and need to try new foods many times. You can help your child by tasting it yourself and showing them that you like it. But if your child shows reluctance to eating the food, it is better to wait a few days and then try again.

When is the best time to give them a taster portion?
It doesn’t really matter what time of day you give them a taster portion. Some find it easiest at lunchtime, while others think dinnertime or somewhere in between is more suitable. The most important thing is to offer the taster portion when your child is not too hungry, too full or too tired. You have to experiment to see what works best.

How much food does your baby need at six months?
It is impossible to say exactly how much food small children need. Some children always want more, while others hardly want to taste the food. As a parent, either situation can be frustrating. In the vast majority of cases, your child will make sure that they get enough food by showing when they are hungry. Sometimes it can be easier to get your child to eat if you eat together with them. If your child eats little food but receives a lot of breast milk or formula, then the nutrition from these will go a long way. And remember – if your child grows and develops as they should, you don’t need to worry!

If you have a child who wants to eat a lot, it can be difficult to know when to stop. If your child is still hungry, it may be better to supplement food with breast milk or formula than to increase the amount of food too quickly. The same applies to porridge – increase the amount slowly.