Skip to content

Weaning - introducing solid foods


As parents, we all want the best for our babies as they grow.

What babies and young children eat and drink is important for their health both now and in the future.

By about 6 months, babies will begin to need more iron and nutrients than breastmilk or formula milk alone can provide. Introducing solid foods at this age also helps them develop important skills such as learning to feed themselves and the different textures help develop muscles that are important for speech.

You can use meals you are already eating as a family for weaning babies onto solid foods. This means you know exactly what they are eating and you can help them become familiar with the tastes and textures of family meals.

In these videos Registered Dietitian Sarah Keogh shows us how to adapt family meals for weaning.

Butternut squash with pasta

Chicken and vegetables

Chicken and rice

Pasta Bolognese

Here’s more information about weaning

The Feeding your baby booklet guides you through introducing your baby to solid food.

My Child: 0 to 2 years is filled with expert advice from health professionals in the HSE.

Information on weaning from mychild.ie 


Related pages


Safefood Logo

Sign up for our family focused healthy eating and food safety news.

Safefood logo

The site content is redirecting to the NI version.

Confirm