At what age is a child typically ready for stage 1 baby food?

A child is typically ready for stage 1 baby food around 6 months of age. At this stage, infants generally have the necessary physical and developmental readiness to handle pureed foods. By 6 months, most babies can sit up with support, show good head and neck control, and have lost the strong tongue-thrust reflex that can push food out of their mouths.

This age is also when babies require additional nutrients that breast milk or formula alone may not sufficiently provide, such as iron, which can be found in fortified baby cereals and pureed fruits and vegetables. Introducing solid foods at this age helps them adapt to different tastes and textures, laying the groundwork for healthy eating habits as they grow.

It’s important for caregivers to monitor for signs of readiness in their child, but 6 months is widely recognized as the guideline for beginning to introduce stage 1 foods.