Starting Solids in Australia: What the NHMRC Guidelines Actually Say

Starting solids is one of those milestones that generates an absurd amount of conflicting advice. Your mother-in-law says 4 months. The internet says 6 months. Your best friend started with rice cereal. A parenting group on Facebook swears by baby-led weaning with steak strips.

Here's what the Australian guidelines actually say — and what worked for us.

When to start: around 6 months, not before 4

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) — Australia's peak health research body — recommends:

Introduce solid foods at around 6 months of age, when the infant is developmentally ready — but not before 4 months.

This is echoed by the Raising Children Network and the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

Why not before 4 months:

The baby's gut isn't mature enough to handle anything other than milk
Swallowing and chewing reflexes aren't developed
Starting too early doesn't help them sleep longer (this is a myth)

Why around 6 months (not later):

Iron stores from birth start running low around 6 months
Babies need more nutrients than milk alone can provide
Delaying too long can make them more resistant to new textures

The key word is "around" — some babies are ready at 5.5 months, some at 6.5. Watch for the signs, not the calendar.

Signs your baby is ready

According to Raising Children, your baby is likely ready for solids when they show all of these signs:

Good head and neck control — can sit upright with support and hold their head steady
Interest in food — watches you eat, reaches for your food, opens mouth when food is near
Loss of tongue-thrust reflex — doesn't automatically push food out of their mouth with their tongue
Can bring objects to their mouth — hand-to-mouth coordination is developing

Not signs of readiness (common misconceptions):

Waking more at night (usually a growth spurt or developmental change)
Being a bigger baby (size doesn't determine gut maturity)
Chewing on hands (normal developmental exploration at any age)

What to introduce first

The old "start with rice cereal" advice is outdated. The NHMRC guidelines don't specify a required order — instead, they recommend:

Iron-rich foods first:

Iron-fortified infant cereal
Pureed meat, chicken, or fish
Cooked tofu
Legumes (lentils, chickpeas)

Iron is the most important nutrient to introduce early, because your baby's iron stores from birth are declining.

Then add variety:

Vegetables (pumpkin, sweet potato, zucchini, broccoli, peas)
Fruits (avocado, banana, pear, apple)
Grains (oats, pasta, bread)
Dairy (full-fat yoghurt, cheese — cow's milk as a drink waits until 12 months)

Texture matters:

Start with smooth purees or well-mashed food
By 8 months, move to lumpy textures and soft finger foods
By 12 months, most babies can eat modified family meals

Don't stay on purees too long. Babies who don't experience lumpy textures by around 9–10 months can become more resistant to them later.

The allergy question: introduce early, not late

This is where Australian guidelines differ from what many parents expect. The ASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) now recommends:

Introduce common allergy-causing foods in the first year of life — including peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, soy, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish.

Delaying these foods does NOT reduce allergy risk. In fact, evidence suggests early introduction (around 6 months, once solids are established) may reduce the risk of developing food allergies.

How to introduce allergens safely:

Introduce one new allergen at a time
Start with a small amount (e.g., a thin smear of smooth peanut butter mixed into puree)
Give it in the morning — so you can watch for reactions during the day
Wait 2–3 days before introducing the next allergen
Once introduced without reaction, keep it in the regular diet — don't stop and restart

Watch for reactions:

Mild: hives around the mouth, mild rash (common, usually not dangerous)
Moderate: swelling of face or lips, vomiting, widespread hives
Severe (anaphylaxis): difficulty breathing, pale and floppy — call 000 immediately

If your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy, talk to your GP or allergist before introducing new allergens.

What to avoid

Some foods aren't suitable for babies under 12 months:

Honey — risk of infant botulism
Cow's milk as a main drink — low in iron (small amounts in cooking/cereal are fine)
Whole nuts and hard foods — choking hazard (nut butters and pastes are fine)
Added salt and sugar — baby food doesn't need either
Low-fat dairy — babies need full-fat
Tea, coffee, fruit juice — unnecessary and can displace milk feeds
Rice milk — contains arsenic levels unsuitable for infants

How much should they eat?

At the start: barely anything. And that's fine.

6 months: 1–2 teaspoons once a day. Most of it will end up on the floor, the bib, and the high chair. This is normal. The goal is exposure and practice, not nutrition — milk is still the main food source.

7–8 months: Gradually increase to 2–3 small meals. Textures get lumpier.

9–12 months: Three meals a day plus snacks. Milk feeds reduce gradually. By 12 months, solids are the primary nutrition source.

The Raising Children Network has a helpful visual guide showing portion sizes at each stage.

Don't stress about quantities. Babies are surprisingly good at self-regulating. Some days they'll eat everything. Some days they'll reject the food they loved yesterday. Both are normal.

Why tracking solids reactions matters

When you're introducing a new food every 2–3 days, it's easy to lose track of what you've tried and how your baby reacted. After a few weeks, you've got 15+ foods in rotation and can't remember which ones went well.

Tracking helps you:

Log reactions — loved it, liked it, disliked it, or had a reaction
Remember what you've introduced — especially useful for the allergen checklist
Share with your partner or carer — so they know what's been tried and what to watch for
Prepare for health appointments — your child health nurse will ask about solids progress

Track solids and reactions with BabyLog — log what your baby ate, how much, and whether they loved it or hated it. It's free, and your partner can see every entry instantly.