A structured meal plan removes decision fatigue from weaning — one of the biggest barriers for new parents starting solid foods. This 4-week guide takes your baby from first tastes to a varied diet with a clear, manageable progression.
Before You Start: Principles
These principles apply regardless of week: breast milk or formula remains the primary nutrition throughout the first year — solids are complementary, not replacement. Start with iron-rich foods in the first week. Introduce one new food every 2–3 days (to identify any reactions). Offer foods you eat regularly (variety builds acceptance). Don’t add salt, sugar, or honey. Sit baby in a highchair in a fully upright position.
Week 1: First Tastes — Iron and Vegetables
- Day 1: Iron-fortified baby rice or oat porridge, 1–2 teaspoons
- Day 2–3: Sweet potato purée
- Day 4–5: Carrot purée
- Day 6–7: Parsnip purée or butternut squash
Offer once daily, small amounts. The goal is exploration and introduction, not nutritional contribution. Expect most to be rejected or played with — this is normal.
Week 2: Expanding Vegetables + First Protein
- Day 8–9: Broccoli purée
- Day 10–11: Pea purée
- Day 12–13: Courgette purée
- Day 14: Red lentil purée — first iron-rich protein source
Begin combining vegetables your baby has already accepted (sweet potato + carrot, pea + broccoli). Increase to twice daily toward the end of the week if baby is receptive.
Week 3: Adding Fruit, Meat, and Allergens
- Day 15–16: Apple purée
- Day 17–18: Banana (mashed)
- Day 19–20: Chicken purée — haem iron introduction
- Day 21: Well-cooked egg (scrambled) — allergen introduction
Allergens should be introduced early and one at a time (peanut, egg, tree nuts, fish, dairy, wheat, soy). After each new allergen, observe for 2 hours for any immediate reaction. Continue offering allergens regularly once accepted.
Week 4: Combination Meals and Texture Progression
- Day 22–23: Introduce lumpy/mashed texture if baby is managing smooth well
- Day 24–25: Lentil and vegetable combination
- Day 26–27: Introduce finger food alongside purée (soft broccoli floret, steamed carrot baton)
- Day 28: Full day meal structure: porridge at breakfast, vegetable purée at lunch, protein purée at dinner
By end of week 4, baby should be on 2–3 meals per day, with varied foods across all major categories. Continue daily allergen exposure for any accepted allergens.
The allergen introduction schedule
This 4-week plan builds allergen introduction into the structure. The nine allergens to introduce early (ideally by 8–9 months): cow’s milk (as food — yogurt, cheese; not as a drink until 12 months), eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (finely ground or as butter), wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, sesame. Introduce one new allergen every 2–3 days. Observe for 2 hours after first introduction. Once established, maintain regular exposure 2–3 times per week — tolerance can lapse with extended absence.
Week 3 of this plan is structured to include several allergen introductions — eggs (scrambled or as an ingredient), peanut butter on toast, and fish (soft white fish like cod or salmon are ideal first fish). If your baby has significant eczema or has already reacted to another food, discuss allergen introduction with your GP before proceeding to peanuts and eggs specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my baby rejects everything in week 1?
Completely normal. It can take 10–15 exposures before a food is accepted. Don’t force, don’t give up, don’t interpret rejection as dislike. Offer the same food the next day. Weaning is about familiarity and exploration — there is no rush to established eating in week 1.
My baby is constipated since starting solids — what should I do?
Constipation is common when starting solids as the gut adjusts. Ensure adequate fluid intake (water with meals from 6 months), offer pear and prune purée, avoid large amounts of banana and rice cereal, and ensure the diet includes a variety of vegetables. Most constipation from weaning resolves within 2–3 weeks.
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Related Reading
- 6 month old baby: starting solids – a complete first-foods guide
- Solid food introduction chart: first foods by age
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