LITTLE BITES · THE CALDIORS FOOD GUIDE
From the first solid food at 6 months to family meals at 5. A baby food chart by age and stage, with an age calculator, 32 Indian food ideas you can filter for a vegetarian home, and a seven-day planner, made for real kitchens and wonderfully different little eaters.
Little bites.Step 1 of 4 A LITTLE STARTING POINT
Every baby follows their own rhythm. Use age as a starting point, alongside readiness and your paediatrician’s advice.
Calculate completed months and days, then explore their feeding stage.
6 months · First tastes
At around 6 months, look for developmental readiness alongside age. Continue breast milk or first infant formula while introducing soft complementary foods.
Offer soft food without added salt or sugar. Let your baby set the pace.
Read the guidance →A baby food chart by month, in one place: tap your child’s age and the stage card below updates, so there is no separate page to find for every month.
Before 6 completed months, the explorer and meal planner show no solid-food suggestions. If your baby was premature or has a medical condition, their clinician should guide the timing.
Meal frequency is a general guide, especially for breastfed children; milk feeding and individual needs affect the daily pattern. This tool does not calculate calories, milk volumes, supplements or a nutritionally complete diet.
Step 2 of 4 FROM YOUR KITCHEN, WITH LOVE
Familiar ingredients. Soft textures. A little variety. From 6 month baby food recipes to toddler plates, find an Indian idea that fits your family.
Adapted to your selected age.
meals
A familiar Indian starting point.
Ingredients: moong dal, rice, water, sunflower oil.
Cook washed dal and rice in water until both collapse. Mash together into a thick, spoonable texture; stir in a little oil. Cool before serving.
Flags: Legumesmeals
Vegetable variety + pulses.
Ingredients: pumpkin, red lentils, water, sunflower oil.
Peel and deseed pumpkin. Cook it with washed red lentils until very soft. Mash thoroughly, then add a little oil.
Flags: Legumesgrains
Naturally sweet, with no added sugar.
Ingredients: plain oats, ripe banana, water.
Cook plain oats in water until completely soft. Mash in ripe banana. Adjust with water to a soft, thick texture and cool. Oats may have wheat contamination; check labels.
Flags: Glutengrains
One of several grains to rotate.
Ingredients: ragi flour, water.
Whisk ragi flour into water, then cook thoroughly while stirring until smooth and spoonable. Add water if needed; cool before serving.
Check all ingredient labels and cross-contact risks.vegetables
A simple vegetable taste.
Ingredients: sweet potato, water.
Peel sweet potato and steam until it squashes easily. Mash with a little water until soft; check there are no firm pieces.
Check all ingredient labels and cross-contact risks.fruit
Soften firm fruit first.
Ingredients: pear, water.
Peel and core a pear. Steam until very soft, then mash. For older children, offer a texture they can safely manage.
Check all ingredient labels and cross-contact risks.fruit
A seasonal fruit option.
Ingredients: ripe papaya.
Wash and peel ripe papaya. Remove all seeds and mash the soft flesh. Use only fully ripe, soft fruit.
Check all ingredient labels and cross-contact risks.dairy
Dairy as food, not a milk replacement.
Ingredients: pasteurised full-fat plain curd, ripe banana.
Use fresh plain curd made from pasteurised milk. Mix with finely mashed banana. Avoid sweetened curd and honey.
Flags: Milkprotein
Protein with an explicit egg flag.
Ingredients: egg, water.
Cook an egg until both white and yolk are firm. Mash with water to a moist texture. Introduce egg separately in a small amount before using it in mixed dishes.
Flags: Eggprotein
A plant protein option.
Ingredients: plain tofu, carrot, water.
Peel and steam carrot until very soft. Heat tofu thoroughly, then mash both together with water. Check tofu ingredients.
Flags: Soygrains
An option to discuss for dietary iron.
Ingredients: plain iron-fortified infant cereal (ingredients vary by brand), water.
Choose a plain, age-appropriate fortified cereal without added sugar. Follow the packet instructions using water. Ingredients vary: this guide conservatively flags milk, wheat and soy. Check for all allergens; choose a product that fits your child’s dietary advice.
Flags: Milk, Gluten, Soyfruit
A soft fruit to explore.
Ingredients: ripe avocado.
Wash, halve and remove the stone and skin. Mash fully ripe avocado until soft, with no firm pieces.
Check all ingredient labels and cross-contact risks.meals
Small round foods need changing.
Ingredients: rice, peas, water, sunflower oil.
Cook rice and peas until soft. Mash every pea so none remain round and whole, then mash into the rice with a little oil.
Flags: Legumesgrains
Cooked apple, never hard chunks.
Ingredients: apple, plain oats, water.
Peel and core the apple. Cook with oats and water until the apple is fully soft, then mash. Check oats for wheat contamination.
Flags: Glutenprotein
Pulses in a soft, moist form.
Ingredients: fully cooked chickpeas, pumpkin, water, sunflower oil.
Use chickpeas already cooked until very soft. Steam pumpkin, then mash both thoroughly with water and a little oil. Never offer whole firm chickpeas.
Flags: Legumesprotein
Optional for families who eat meat.
Ingredients: boneless chicken, rice, carrot, water, sunflower oil.
Cook chicken, rice and peeled carrot thoroughly. Remove any bones, skin or gristle. Finely mince and mash chicken into moist rice and vegetables.
Check all ingredient labels and cross-contact risks.protein
Check bones carefully, every time.
Ingredients: low-mercury fish such as salmon, potato, water.
Cook fish thoroughly and check carefully for every bone. Cook peeled potato until soft. Mash fish very finely into potato with water. Do not use shark, swordfish or marlin.
Flags: Fishmeals
A soft home-kitchen combination.
Ingredients: bottle gourd, moong dal, rice, water, sunflower oil.
Peel and deseed bottle gourd; discard it if bitter. Cook with washed rice and dal until very soft. Mash and add a little oil.
Flags: Legumesgrains
Peanut must be introduced thoughtfully.
Ingredients: plain rice flakes, ripe banana, smooth peanut butter, water.
After peanut has been introduced separately and tolerated, cook rice flakes until soft. Mix in mashed banana and a small amount of smooth peanut butter, thinned thoroughly into the food. Never offer a spoonful of nut butter alone.
Flags: Peanutgrains
A tree-nut option, clearly labelled.
Ingredients: rice flour, pear, smooth almond butter, water.
Only after almond is introduced separately and tolerated: cook peeled, cored pear until soft with rice flour and water. Stir in a little smooth almond butter until fully dispersed. No whole nuts or hard fragments.
Flags: Tree nutsprotein
Sesame is an allergen too.
Ingredients: red lentils, smooth tahini, water.
Only after sesame is introduced separately and tolerated: cook lentils until soft, mash, and blend in a little smooth tahini with water. Check tahini ingredients and keep the texture moist.
Flags: Sesame, LegumesRecipe ages describe the suggested form in this guide, not a rule to delay an ingredient. Start a potentially allergenic food on its own in a small amount, then use in mixed dishes once tolerated. Preparation time is approximate; soaking and pre-cooking may be extra.
Step 3 of 4 A LITTLE LESS “WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?”
Seven days of ideas for your selected stage: 6 months. This is inspiration, not a required schedule or a complete diet. Use familiar, tolerated ingredients and adapt every texture. Never introduce several new allergens together.
Caldiors · Little Bites · Educational meal ideas, not a nutrition prescription. Research checked 2 November 2026. Medical review pending. Sources: WHO, NHS, UNICEF India.
Milk feeds come first. No solid-food week is generated before 6 completed months. Follow your paediatrician’s guidance.
For infants, continue usual breast milk or first infant formula feeds. Early tasters may want only a little. Stop at fullness cues; do not force portions. Review exclusions above before printing, and read each recipe’s preparation notes.
THE BIG PICTURE
Milk days to preschool plates, month by month for the first year and then year by year to 5: one baby diet chart by age rather than a new page for every month. If you came looking for a 6 month baby food chart, start at that row and read on as your little one grows.
Foods overlap between stages. The main changes are readiness, texture, variety and the rhythm of family meals—not a new list of permitted ingredients every month.
| Age | Texture & rhythm | Indian food ideas | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth–5 months | Milk feeds, guided by cues | Breast milk or first infant formula | No solid-food plan. Seek support for feeding concerns. |
| 6 months | Soft, thick mashBuild gradually towards 2–3 small meals | Dal-rice mash, soft vegetables, iron-fortified cereal | Check readiness. Start small and continue usual milk feeds. |
| 7–8 months | Mashed foods; soft finger foods as ready | Moistened idli, mashed pulses, soft fruit | Adapt shape and softness; stay beside your baby. |
| 9–11 months | Soft lumps and finely chopped foodsUsually 3–4 small meals | Soft khichdi, moist poha, finely crumbled cooked egg if eaten | Breast milk or formula is still the main milk drink under 12 months. |
| 12–23 months | Modified family mealsMeals plus planned snack opportunities | Dal, soft roti, vegetables, plain curd, tolerated protein foods | Offer a variety of food groups; allow self-feeding. |
| 2 years | Family foods, cut safely | Soft chilla, rice and beans, seasonal fruit | Small portions and relaxed meals; more is available if hungry. |
| 3 years | Varied family textures | Vegetable upma, dal-rice, tolerated dairy or alternatives | Keep offering new foods beside familiar ones. |
| 4–5 years | Family meals and planned snacks | Everyday grains, pulses, vegetables, fruit and family protein choices | Still supervise. Whole nuts are unsuitable below age 5. |
Step 4 of 4 THE IMPORTANT LITTLE DETAILS
There is more to a food than its age label. From the first spoon of mash to finger foods for a 9 month baby, preparation, supervision and your child’s abilities always come first.
Start solids at around 6 months when your baby is developmentally ready. A steady head, an upright supported seat and coordinated swallowing matter. For babies born early, ask their paediatrician about timing.
Read about first foods →Keep children alert and upright while eating. Soften hard foods, remove stones and bones, and quarter small round fruit lengthways. No whole nuts below age 5, hard raw chunks or spoonfuls of thick nut butter. Any food can cause choking.
Learn safer preparation →From around 6 months, introduce potential allergens in small amounts, separately, and keep offering them if tolerated. If your baby has eczema, a known allergy or a family allergy history, discuss introduction with a clinician first.
Read allergy guidance →Avoid honey under 12 months, including in foods. Do not add salt or sugar to baby meals. Whole cow’s milk can be used in food from around 6 months; as a main drink, this guide uses the 12-month threshold.
Foods to avoid →Wash hands, produce, utensils and work surfaces. Cook eggs, fish and meat thoroughly; use pasteurised dairy. Cool hot food before serving. Do not save food left on a child’s plate for a later meal.
Food hygiene basics →Let your child explore at their own pace and stop when full. Keep meals calm and make time for eating together. Repeated coughing during meals, persistent refusal, or poor growth should be discussed with their clinician.
Responsive feeding guidance →THE QUESTIONS PARENTS ASK
There is no compulsory first food. A soft dal-rice mash, a cooked vegetable or an age-appropriate iron-fortified cereal can be practical options around 6 months. Offer variety over time, including protein and iron-containing foods. Watery dal alone is not a substitute for a varied complementary diet.
The calculator shows exact calendar age and total days. Nutrition guidance works in developmental stages, not a unique prescription for day 181 or day 182. The week tool offers adaptable ideas rather than a diet tied to a particular day since birth.
Start with a small taste or a few teaspoons and gradually build as your baby learns. Their usual milk feeds continue. The number on a chart is never a target to force; appetite, milk feeding and development differ.
Yes. Choose Vegetarian for dairy-containing and plant foods without egg, or Plant-based for the basic plant-only recipes; the seven-day planner then prints as a vegetarian baby food chart for your child’s stage. A fully vegan diet or multiple food exclusions needs planning with a paediatric dietitian, including attention to iron, vitamin B12 and other nutrients. The tool does not assess nutrient adequacy.
Plain full-fat curd made from pasteurised milk can be used as a food from around 6 months, once ready for solids. This is different from using cow’s milk as the main drink before 12 months. Milk is an allergen; follow individual advice if milk allergy is suspected or diagnosed.
No. It only hides recipes marked as containing milk in their listed basic ingredients. Packaged cereal, batter and other products may contain unexpected ingredients or cross-contact warnings. Verify every label and ingredient and follow the child’s allergy management plan.
Children can increasingly share family meals, safely adapted to their chewing skills. The emphasis is variety, predictable opportunities to eat, learning independence and relaxed mealtimes. Offer small servings with more available. Food safety and supervision continue throughout these years.
The 7 month baby food chart row above reads: mashed foods, with soft finger foods as your baby shows they are ready, usually 2 to 3 small meals, and breast milk or first infant formula continuing. Indian ideas include moistened idli, mashed pulses and soft fruit. The WHO and NHS guidance behind that row is about texture and pace, not a new list of permitted ingredients at 7 months.
The 9 to 11 month stage moves to soft lumps and finely chopped foods, usually 3 to 4 small meals. Finger foods for a 9 month baby should squash easily between your fingers. The chart row lists soft khichdi, moist poha and finely crumbled cooked egg if your family eats it; for pieces your baby picks up, follow the NHS advice on preparing food safely: soften hard foods, quarter small round fruit lengthways and never offer whole nuts.
From 12 to 23 months the chart shows soft, modified family meals: 3 meals plus 1 to 2 snack opportunities, with dal, soft roti, vegetables, plain curd and tolerated protein foods across the day. UNICEF India’s guidance on feeding a baby from 1 to 2 years is the source for that row: offer a variety of food groups and let your child feed themselves. Indian food for a 1 year old baby is mostly the family’s own meal, adapted for small mouths.
Yes, in all but name. Weaning, the word the NHS uses for starting solids, and complementary feeding, the WHO term, describe the same timeline: first tastes at around 6 months, then mash, soft lumps and finger foods, then family meals in the second year. The age chart above follows that order with Indian ideas such as dal-rice mash, idli, khichdi and poha in place of the examples on UK pages.
“Stage 1”, “stage 2” and “stage 3” are packaged baby food labels, not terms from the WHO or NHS guidance this page follows. The nearest match on this baby food stages chart is the 6 month row: soft, thick mash, a few teaspoons to begin with, usual milk feeds continuing. The later stages here are set by texture and your child’s skills, so read the texture column rather than a jar label.
The 2 year and 3 year rows are the toddler food chart: family foods cut safely, regular meals and planned snacks, with Indian toddler food ideas such as soft chilla, rice and beans, vegetable upma, dal-rice and seasonal fruit. Following the NHS guidance on what to feed young children, keep offering new foods beside familiar ones and serve small portions with more available. Appetite varies from day to day, so the chart is a pattern, not a quota.
CARE YOU CAN TRACE
Timing, feeding frequency and responsive feeding
Readiness, textures and milk in the first year
Introducing allergens and when to seek advice
Honey, whole nuts and food safety
Shape, softness and reducing choking risk
Family food and meals in the second year
Food variety through the preschool years
Indian context; complementary and childhood nutrition
Evidence framework for ages 6–23 months
Have a concern about a feeding statement? Send a correction to our editorial team →
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