Baby Food Chart 6 to 12 Months: Indian Month-by-Month Guide

A good baby food chart for 6 to 12 months starts solids at around six months while breastfeeding (or formula) continues as the main drink. You begin with one or two spoonfuls of smooth, single foods such as mashed rice and dal, then move to thicker mashes, soft lumps and finger foods, so that by 12 months your baby eats family meals three times a day plus snacks.

When should you start solid foods?

Most babies are ready for their first foods at around six months (26 weeks). Before this, breast milk or infant formula gives your baby everything they need. Around six months, a baby’s iron stores from birth start to run low and their gut, mouth and hand skills have matured enough to handle food.

Waiting much past six months can make new textures harder to accept and leave gaps in iron. If your baby was born early, ask your paediatrician when to begin, because the timing may be based on corrected age.

Signs your baby is ready

Look for these three signs together, usually at around six months:

• Your baby can sit up and hold their head steady, with only a little support.
• They can look at food, pick it up and bring it to their mouth.
• They can swallow food instead of pushing most of it back out with their tongue.

Month-by-month baby food chart (Indian first foods)

Use the table below as a gentle guide, not a strict timetable. For a printable plan with daily meal times, try our free baby food chart tool, which suggests Indian meals by month.

Amounts are a rough starting point. Let your baby guide you: open mouth and leaning forward means more; turning away, closing the mouth or pushing the spoon means they have had enough.

A note on dal water and rice water

Many families in India start with dal ka paani or rice water. These thin liquids fill a small tummy without giving much energy, protein or iron. It is better to mash the cooked dal and rice themselves into a thick, smooth paste. A good test: the food should stay on a tilted spoon rather than run off it.

Textures: from smooth to finger foods

Moving through textures on time helps your baby learn to chew.

• Around 6 months: smooth mashes and soft purees. Some parents also offer soft finger foods from the start (baby-led weaning); both methods are fine and can be mixed.
• 7–9 months: mashed food with soft lumps, plus soft finger foods your baby can squash between their fingers, such as a strip of ripe papaya, a steamed carrot stick or a piece of soft idli.
• 9–12 months: chopped family food. Your baby will begin to pick up small pieces with thumb and finger.

Gagging is common and is a normal safety reflex as babies learn new textures. Choking is different, and is covered in the safety section below.

Iron-rich foods your baby needs every day

Iron is one of the most important nutrients between 6 and 12 months, because a baby’s stores fall around six months and the brain is growing fast. Offer at least one iron-rich food at every meal if you can.

Vegetarian sources

• Lentils and pulses: moong, masoor, toor dal, well-cooked mashed rajma and chana
• Ragi (finger millet), bajra and jowar porridge
• Green leafy vegetables such as palak and methi, cooked and blended into dal or khichdi
• Paneer and tofu, mashed
• Smooth peanut or sesame (til) paste stirred into porridge, once you have introduced these allergens

Non-vegetarian sources

• Well-cooked egg, both yolk and white
• Soft, well-cooked chicken or mutton, minced or mashed
• Well-cooked boneless fish

Plant iron is absorbed better when eaten with vitamin C. Pair dal or ragi with a little mashed tomato, orange, guava, amla or papaya. You can check the nutrients in common foods in our Food A–Z guide.

Introducing common allergens

Current UK and US guidance is that common allergenic foods can be introduced from around six months, one at a time, as part of your baby’s diet. There is no benefit in delaying them, and early introduction may help lower the chance of some food allergies.

Common allergens include cow’s milk (in curd, paneer or cooking), egg, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. Offer a small amount of one new allergen, preferably in the morning so you can watch your baby through the day, and wait two or three days before trying the next one.

If your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy, speak to your doctor before introducing peanut or egg, as they may suggest a supervised plan.

Foods to avoid before 12 months

Some foods are unsafe or unsuitable in the first year:

• Honey: do not give honey, including in ghutti or home remedies, before 12 months. It can carry spores that cause infant botulism, a rare but serious illness.
• Salt: do not add salt to your baby’s food. Their kidneys cannot handle much. Cook your baby’s portion before adding salt for the family, and limit papad, pickles, namkeen, stock cubes and ready-made masalas.
• Sugar and jaggery: avoid adding sugar, gur or sweetened drinks. They encourage a sweet tooth and tooth decay. Mashed fruit gives natural sweetness.
• Whole nuts: whole or chopped nuts are a choking risk until at least five years. Use smooth nut butters or finely ground nuts instead.
• Cow’s milk as a main drink: cow’s or buffalo milk should not replace breast milk or formula before 12 months, as it is low in iron. Small amounts in cooking, curd and paneer are fine from six months.
• Tea, coffee and fruit juice: tea and coffee reduce iron absorption and contain caffeine. Juice is not needed; offer whole fruit instead.
• Raw or undercooked egg, meat and fish, unpasteurised milk products, and fish high in mercury such as shark and swordfish.

From six months, you can offer small sips of clean, boiled and cooled water in an open or free-flow cup with meals.

Choking safety at mealtimes

Choking risk is real but can be kept low with a few habits:

• Always sit your baby upright, in a high chair or on your lap, never lying down or in a moving vehicle.
• Stay with your baby for the whole meal, and never leave them alone with food.
• Cut round foods such as grapes, cherry tomatoes and small berries into quarters lengthwise.
• Cook hard vegetables like carrot and beetroot until soft enough to squash between your fingers.
• Avoid whole nuts, popcorn, hard raw vegetables, whole chana or peas, and hard sweets.

It is worth every parent and carer learning infant first aid, including how to help a choking baby.

Sample day at 9–10 months

Here is one example of how a day might look once your baby is on three meals. Use the baby food chart to build more variations around your family’s food.

• Early morning: breastfeed or formula
• Breakfast: ragi porridge with mashed banana, or soft poha with peas mashed slightly
• Mid-morning: breastfeed
• Lunch: palak moong dal khichdi with a little ghee, plus soft papaya pieces
• Afternoon: breastfeed, plus a small snack such as plain curd or a soft idli
• Dinner: soft roti pieces with mashed dal and lauki sabzi, or scrambled egg with soft rice
• Bedtime and night: breastfeeds as needed

Mild spices such as jeera, haldi and hing are fine; avoid chilli and heavy spice in the first year.

When to see a doctor

Contact your paediatrician promptly if your baby:

• Shows signs of an allergic reaction such as hives, swelling of the lips, face or eyes, vomiting soon after a new food, or a sudden rash
• Has difficulty breathing, wheezing, persistent coughing, pale or floppy appearance after eating (call emergency services immediately)
• Is choking and cannot cough, cry or breathe (start infant first aid and call for emergency help)
• Is not gaining weight, is losing weight or has fewer wet nappies than usual
• Has diarrhoea or vomiting lasting more than a day, blood in the stool, or signs of dehydration such as a sunken soft spot or dry mouth
• Still refuses all solid food or cannot manage any lumps by around 9 to 10 months
• Looks unusually pale or tired, which can be a sign of iron deficiency

Frequently asked questions

What is the best first food for an Indian baby at 6 months?

There is no single best first food. Thick, smooth mashed rice with moong dal, ragi porridge, or mashed banana or pumpkin are all good starts. Try to include an iron-rich food such as dal or ragi early on, and keep breastfeeding.

How much should my 6-month-old eat?

At first, just one or two teaspoons once a day is enough. The aim is to learn tastes and textures. Slowly increase to two or three tablespoons and then two meals a day, following your baby’s hunger and fullness cues.

Can I give curd to my baby before 1 year?

Yes. Plain, unsweetened homemade curd made from pasteurised or boiled milk can be offered from around six months. It is a useful source of protein and calcium. Avoid flavoured or sweetened yogurts.

Does my baby need water after starting solids?

From six months you can offer small sips of boiled and cooled water with meals in an open cup. Breast milk or formula still provides most of your baby’s fluid needs, so large amounts of water are not needed.

Sources

• World Health Organization: Complementary feeding
• NHS: Weaning and feeding
• NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
• CDC: Infant and toddler nutrition
• MedlinePlus: Infant and newborn nutrition