As parents, we are constantly wondering when our baby can start eating different food textures. How do I know if my baby is ready to make the transition from pureed food to small pieces? What should I do if my baby is gagging or refusing to eat a new texture?

Most of baby’s nutritional needs are met with breast milk or infant formula up to 4-6 months of age. After that, babies will usually have growing nutritional needs, which will have to be filled by foods of different shapes and textures. The following provides answers to all your questions about ideal food textures.

Every baby is unique and progresses differently. It’s up to us as parents to adapt to our child’s pace. Observing your baby carefully is the best way to assess whether they are ready for new foods and textures!

Most of the time, this coincides with the point where breast milk or infant formula no longer satisfies your baby. This is often the case if your child has been feeding more often for more than 5 days and still seems hungry even though they empty both breasts 8-10 times in 24 hours, or even if they drink more than 40 oz a day from a bottle.

Generally, when a baby is physically ready to eat solid foods in addition to drinking breast milk or formula, they will send a few warning signs. Solid foods can be incorporated without any risk when they can: sit up on their own, lean forward, support and control their head, show interest in food, grab the food and put it in their mouth, and turn or say “no” with their head when they aren’t hungry anymore. If they are able to push away objects they no longer want, it also shows that they can push away a spoon when they are full.

The process of eating requires the development of a variety of motor skills. Babies aged 6 months or a bit younger may not have sufficiently developed gross motor skills to eat food in pieces. When you begin to introduce complementary foods to your baby between 4 and 6 months of age, it’s best to start with pureed foods. New textures can be introduced gradually, starting with a smooth puree, then a thicker or coarse puree, and working up to a grainy puree.

It is worth noting that the development of fine motor skills generally follows the development of the child’s mastication abilities. This means that a child who is unable to bring food to their mouth will not be able to chew the pieces properly. For example, a child who is unable to pick up a raspberry will not be able to chew it well using the side jaws.

The development of oral motor skills normally follows a structured and parallel timeline. When baby begins to chew—between 6 and 8 months of age—you’ll be able to notice a vertical, up-and-down movement of the mouth, with very limited use of the side jaws. They use their tongue to mash the food on the palate, but are not yet able to move it sideways to the inside of the cheeks.

This is why soft foods are preferred at this stage of development as they are very easy to crush, even if baby does not have teeth yet. Whether it’s well-cooked vegetables or ripe fruit, babies should be given foods that are in large enough pieces because at this age they are still unable to dislodge small chunks in their cheeks.

Babies who start eating pieces of food have super strong gums! They’ll also have an easy time gnawing on some solid foods with their gums, so, be prepared for a little mess! Your baby will spit out the food, take it back, suck it up, soften it a bit, and chew it again until they’re full (or tired of eating it!).

BLW has become increasingly popular in recent years. This approach can be used as early as 6 months of age for most babies to introduce complementary foods in pieces. BLW also allows the child to discover different food colours, textures, flavours, smells and shapes while developing fine motor skills and coordination. However, it’s important to note that the process of introducing new foods should not be split in two stages: all textures, from smooth purees to small pieces, are perfectly compatible with BLW, and vice versa.

The size of the food varies based on your baby’s age, stage of chewing development and gripping ability. You must observe your child carefully in order to adapt the food to their motor development. The following table shows the size of the food according to your baby’s ability to grip. Always keep in mind that, regardless of age, the size of food should be adapted to your baby’s gripping ability since it reflects their chewing skills.

Eating with a spoon requires good hand-eye coordination. For little hands, this takes a lot of practice and training! Baby first needs to learn how to scoop up food, bring the spoon to their mouth and eat the contents without spilling it all over their tray and bib. It may be a good idea to let your little ones practice with mashed potatoes and an easy-to-grip spoon when they seem ready to do so. Children love to imitate adults!

Around 8 months of age, babies develop the ability to move their tongues around in their mouths. They start to be able to remove small pieces of food that get stuck in their cheeks. Around the same time, babies learn to use their side gums to chew harder foods like meat. This is the right moment to introduce slightly harder textures and smaller pieces. Watch how your baby reacts when presented with a new shape or texture. Depending on their reaction, it may be best to introduce it at a later time, when their abilities are more developed.

Sometimes your baby may refuse to eat some pieces. Don’t worry, this is totally normal! Your baby may not be ready or may be afraid to try something new. In any case, never force anything on your little one.

To help your child become familiar with different food textures and pieces, you can leave the food on their tray or plate and let them grab it and feed themselves. To simplify things, you can also offer them food they already know well that they often eat in puree. This will give them an idea as to what the food should look, taste and smell like when they start eating pieces of it. Remember to feed your baby in a relaxed environment, as they can easily get distracted and be far more interested in their surroundings than the piece of broccoli in front of them!

Don’t panic, gagging is a normal reflex babies have to prevent them from choking. It happens when food gets too far into baby’s mouth or throat. This doesn’t mean that baby doesn’t like the food or that the texture is not age-appropriate. Keep in mind that your baby is learning to eat.

However, persistent signs of refusal, gagging or vomiting, whether from touching, seeing or swallowing food, should not be overlooked. Talk to your doctor as soon as possible; they can refer you to the appropriate resources. The sooner this problem is addressed, the better and more quickly it will be resolved.

Foods that are hard, small, round, smooth or sticky remain a risk until the age of 4, as they can get stuck in the child’s throat and block their airways.

Official guidelines recommend that, before the age of 2, bones should be removed from meat and fish, fresh grapes should be cut into quarters, and cores, seeds and pits should be removed from fruit. The guidelines also recommend grating hard, raw vegetables or fruits such as carrots, turnips and apples.

Avoid peanuts, whole nuts, seeds, hard candies, cough drops, popcorn, gum, whole grapes, raisins, sausage slices, raw carrots and celery, food served on a toothpick or skewer, and ice cubes, among other things, until the age of 4.

By Annie Ferland, Nutritionist & Doctor of Pharmacy

Help with research and writing: Mara Hannan-Desjardins, Nutritionist