When can they eat what

Ordered by the earliest month each food is appropriate. The greyed-out ones are not about timing — they are about choking.

Show for age

From 6 months
Cheese
Choose low-sodium baby cheese, not adult processed cheese
From 6 months
Egg yolk
Start with a quarter. Early introduction lowers allergy risk
From 6 months
Fruit puree (apple, banana, avocado)
Introduce after vegetables so sweetness does not set the baseline
From 6 months
Iron-fortified cereal
The usual first food, because the iron a baby is born with runs out around six months
From 6 months
Liver
Once or twice a week. Best value for iron and vitamin A — but not more often
From 6 months
Red meat puree (pork, beef)
Far better iron than vegetables. Aim for some every day
From 6 months
Peanut (butter or powder)
Never whole. Introducing between 6-12 months substantially lowers peanut allergy risk
From 6 months
Vegetable puree (pumpkin, carrot, broccoli)
One at a time, three days each
From 6 months
Water
Not needed before six months. Small amounts once solids start, from an open cup
From 6 months
Plain unsweetened yoghurt
Fine now, although plain cow milk waits until age 1
From 7 months
Finger food (soft steamed sticks)
Adult-finger thick and longer than their fist, so it can be held
From 7 months
Fish
Bones fully removed. Choose low-mercury: salmon, cod, sea bass
From 7 months
Tofu
Good plant protein and a useful texture for chewing practice
From 7 months
Wheat (noodles, bread)
A common allergen, and early introduction is also advised
From 8 months
Whole egg including white
Add the white once the yolk is tolerated
From 9 months
Minced and small chunks
Texture must progress. Staying on puree makes lumps harder to accept after age 1
From 9 months
Shrimp and shellfish
Common allergens. Start with a tiny amount
From 10 months
Soft rice and noodles
Converging with what the family eats
From 12 months
Whole cow milk
Not as a main food before age 1. From age 1, 350-500ml a day. Not low-fat
From 12 months
Honey
Never before age 1. Botulism spores survive boiling
From 12 months
Juice
Not recommended before age 1. From 1-3, under 120ml a day and diluted. Whole fruit is always better
From 12 months
Salt
None at all before age 1. Roughly 2g a day maximum from 1-3, which in practice means cooking without it
From 12 months
Unpasteurised soft cheese
Listeria risk. Best avoided throughout childhood
From age 2
Chopstick practice
Training chopsticks are fine. The point is self-feeding
From age 2
Lower-fat milk
Fat matters for brain development before age 2. After that it depends on weight
From age 2
Added sugar
Not recommended at all before age 2, and as little as possible after
From age 3
Raw carrot or celery sticks
Steam soft or chop. Raw hard sticks are a classic choking hazard
From age 4
Hard sweets and lollipops
Choking plus tooth decay. Better skipped entirely
From age 4
Popcorn
Not before age 4. The fragments are easily inhaled
From age 4
Whole grapes and cherry tomatoes
Quarter them lengthwise. The shape matches the airway almost exactly
From age 4
Whole nuts
One of the leading causes of fatal choking before age 4-5. Ground or as butter is fine; whole is not
Not before school age
High-mercury fish (shark, swordfish, tilefish)
Affects neurological development. Avoid in childhood
Not before school age
Jelly cups
Best avoided throughout childhood. If inhaled they cannot be dislodged by the Heimlich manoeuvre
Not before school age
Sugary drinks
Not recommended at any point in childhood. The leading source of decay and excess weight

Common allergens

Current guidance on common allergens (egg, peanut, fish, shellfish, wheat) is to introduce them early and repeatedly between 6 and 12 months, which lowers allergy risk. Children with severe eczema or a known allergy should check with a doctor first.

Limits and hard stops

High-risk choking foods before age 4: whole nuts, whole grapes and cherry tomatoes, jelly cups, hard sweets, popcorn, large chunks of meat, raw hard vegetable sticks. Quarter grapes and tomatoes lengthwise.

This is general reference material. It does not replace advice from your doctor. Sources: WHO Child Growth Standards, China Dietary Guidelines (2022), China National Immunization Program schedule (2021), CDC developmental milestones.

This is general reference material. It does not replace advice from your doctor.