Got the hang of purees? Great, now it’s time to start mixing it up a bit. This is your chance to introduce new flavors to the menu but also to encourage your baby to get the hang of chewing by doing less of the work for them and providing food with lumpier textures.

Strange as it may seem, they don’t need to have teeth to chew textured baby food….it’s amazing what those little gums can do!

Where possible, it is now fun to try and include your baby when the rest of the family is eating, so that mealtimes become a social occasion. Most babies are ready for this around 7 months but be guided by your baby before you start introducing textured baby food.

What’s on the menu?

You can still give them the same food you have been pureeing but try adding less liquid or mashing instead of blending so that they still get the taste of banana or carrot that they love but with a coarser texture.

You can now introduce much more variety for example;

• Mashed up lean meat or poultry
• Mashed lentils or chick peas

• Full fat milk products, such as cottage cheese or yogurt
• Mashed up white (e.g. cod) or oily (e.g. fresh salmon) fish
• Well-cooked egg

Have a look at our recipes for inspiration.