6-Month Baby Food Chart: A Week-by-Week Weaning Plan for Indian Babies

Starting solids is one of the most exciting — and most overwhelming — milestones of early parenthood. Your baby is ready, your paediatrician has given the green light, and now you're staring at the pantry wondering: what do I actually give them?

This guide gives you a practical, week-by-week plan designed specifically for Indian families — using ingredients available in every Indian kitchen, aligned with the latest Indian Academy of Paediatrics guidelines.

Before you start: the golden rules of weaning

• Start at exactly 6 months: The WHO and IAP both recommend 6 months — not 4, not 5. Before 6 months, the gut and kidneys are not mature enough to process solids safely.
• Breast milk or formula remains primary: Solids complement milk feeds for the first year — they don't replace them. Your baby should still get 500–700 ml of breast milk or formula daily through 12 months.
• One new food at a time: Introduce one new food every 3 days so you can identify any allergic reactions clearly.
• Never add salt or sugar: Babies' kidneys cannot process added salt, and added sugar (including honey) should be avoided entirely in the first year.
• No honey before 12 months: Risk of infant botulism. Use dates powder or jaggery for natural sweetness instead.

Week 1 (Day 1–7): First tastes

Consistency: Thin puree — almost liquid, like thick cream soup
Amount: 1–2 teaspoons per feed, once daily
Time of day: Mid-morning, after a milk feed (so hunger doesn't interfere with the new experience)

Foods to start with (choose one per day):

• Ragi porridge (thin) — our top recommendation for Indian babies
• Rice kanji (rice cooked with excess water until soft, strained)
• Moong dal water (well-cooked moong dal, water strained off)
• Banana puree (mashed ripe banana, thinned with breast milk)
• Apple puree (steamed and blended apple)

Don't worry if your baby takes only a teaspoon or two — this is completely normal. The first week is about introduction, not nourishment. Continue milk feeds as usual.

Week 2 (Day 8–14): Building familiarity

Consistency: Slightly thicker puree
Amount: 2–4 tablespoons per feed, once or twice daily

Continue with the foods from Week 1 that your baby accepted, and introduce:

• Sweet potato puree (steamed and mashed)
• Pumpkin puree (steamed and blended)
• Barley porridge (like ragi porridge, but with barley flour)
• Pear puree (steamed and mashed)
• Cooked and mashed yellow moong dal

Week 3–4 (Day 15–28): Expanding the palette

Consistency: Smooth mash — a little texture is fine now
Amount: 4–6 tablespoons per feed, twice daily

New foods to introduce:

• Khichdi (rice + moong dal cooked together until very soft — no salt)
• Carrot puree (steamed and blended)
• Avocado mash (no cooking needed — just fork-mash ripe avocado)
• Papaya puree
• Ragi with banana or mango powder (flavoured porridge mixes)
• Soft-cooked and mashed masoor dal

Month 2 (7 months): Adding more texture and variety

By 7 months, your baby's tongue is getting better at moving food around their mouth. Start introducing:

• Mashed (not blended) textures — lumps are your friend now; avoiding all lumps can delay chewing skill development
• Soft finger foods: well-cooked carrot sticks, soft banana pieces, steamed broccoli florets, idli pieces
• Dairy introduction: full-fat curd (dahi), paneer (soft, small pieces or mashed)
• Egg yolk (hard-boiled yolk mashed with breast milk)
• Ragi cookies softened in milk, or BebeBurp baby puffs for self-feeding practice

Foods to avoid in the first year

Signs your baby is eating well

• Steady weight gain (your paediatrician tracks this at monthly check-ups)
• Active, alert, and meeting developmental milestones
• Regular bowel movements (can change in frequency and consistency when starting solids — both normal)
• Opening mouth eagerly when the spoon approaches

Signs to watch for (consult your paediatrician)

• Hives, swelling, or rash within 2 hours of a new food
• Vomiting or significant diarrhoea after a specific food
• Refusal to eat anything for more than 5 days running
• Excessive weight loss or failure to gain weight

Remember: every baby is different. The chart above is a guide, not a rule. Some babies take to solids enthusiastically from day one; others need weeks of gentle encouragement. Both are normal. Trust your baby, trust your instincts, and enjoy this milestone.

BebeBurp's range of porridge mixes, instant khichdi, and organic puffs are designed specifically for Indian babies starting solids — FSSAI certified, paediatrician recommended, and loved by 80,000+ Indian moms.