Solids plan: the first 100 days

Solids plans circulate online that prescribe exactly 40 g of parsnip for day 17. Honestly: no real baby eats like that. What works is a phase plan – clear stages with milestones that you reach at your own pace. That's exactly how this plan is built.

In short: phase 1: establish the vegetable-potato-meat purée at lunchtime – that's where the iron comes from. Phase 2, each about a month later: add the milk-and-cereal purée and the cereal-and-fruit purée, and introduce allergens alongside. Phase 3, from 8–10 months: lumps and finger food – ESPGHAN's window for learning to chew. Milk is allowed the whole time; the baby sets the pace.

By Felix Plaschka, developer of HeyFini and dad of a daughter. Published 1 September 2026, last reviewed 1 September 2026.

We are parents, not doctors. This guide does not replace a visit to your midwife, health visitor or pediatrician. Facts and figures come from the sources listed. More about us.

Phase 1: the first purée, roughly weeks 1–4

Start with a few spoonfuls of vegetable purée at lunchtime – carrot, parsnip, pumpkin or courgette, cooked and finely puréed. After a few days add potato, then meat, or whole-grain cereal as the vegetarian option: the complete vegetable-potato-meat purée delivers exactly the iron that runs short from around 6 months. A splash of rapeseed oil belongs in it for energy and good fatty acids, and vitamin-C-rich fruit or vegetables improve iron absorption. Goal of this phase: the lunchtime purée gradually replaces one milk feed.

Phase 2: second & third purée, roughly weeks 5–10

About a month after starting, the milk-and-cereal purée joins in the evening – filling, with calcium, and whole-grain flakes add extra iron – and roughly a month after that the cereal-and-fruit purée in the afternoon – the order of the two can be swapped. Alongside runs the most important part of this phase: variety and allergens. Egg cooked through, thinned peanut butter, fish, yoghurt as an ingredient, different cereals – introduced early and then repeated regularly – here's why.

Phase 3: lumps & the family table, from 8–10 months

Now the “lumpy-food window” opens: ESPGHAN recommends introducing lumpier textures by 8 to 10 months at the latest so that chewing gets learned – miss it for long and you often end up with a pickier eater later. In practice: only mash purée coarsely now, offer soft finger food such as cooked vegetables, soft fruit or a bread crust, let your baby join in with whatever is safe from the family table. The safety rules still apply unchanged: sit upright, stay with your baby, nothing round or hard served whole.

⚠️ No deadline stress: all timings are guidance, not exam dates. A baby who is two weeks “behind the plan” is not a problem case – just raise anything unusual with your paediatrician: no interest at all well after the 7th month, gag panic at every texture, a dip in weight. Premature babies plan with corrected age, together with their doctor.

How you really recognise progress

Milestone	Typically in phase
First spoonful managed, first vegetable accepted	1
Complete lunchtime purée replaces one milk feed	1
10+ different foods tried	1–2
Egg, peanut and other allergens introduced & repeated	2
Three purée meals established	2
First lumps mastered, eats along at the family table	3

The plan that ticks itself off

In HeyFini this plan is called the Solids Journey: the first 100 days in three phases, with 14 milestones – and the special thing is that the milestones tick themselves off automatically from the meals you actually log. You only record what was on the menu; the journey shows where you are, what's next and why. No PDF, no daily dictation – a plan that moves with your baby.

Sources: Starting solids and readiness signs: German network Gesund ins Leben, infant nutrition recommendations; ESPGHAN, Fewtrell et al. 2017; American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); choking hazards and raw milk: German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR); allergens: LEAP study, Du Toit et al., NEJM 2015; EAACI; German S3 guideline on allergy prevention (AWMF); iron: ESPGHAN and Gesund ins Leben.

Download HeyFini on the App Store

Frequently asked questions

Which vegetable should I start with?

Tried and tested: carrot, parsnip, pumpkin or courgette – mild, well tolerated, easy to purée. There is no “one right” starter vegetable.

How much should my baby eat?

As much as they like. A few spoonfuls are normal at first; your baby's hunger and fullness cues beat any number of grams.

When can my baby drink water?

From the start of the third purée meal, water belongs with meals, ideally from an open cup. Tap water is fine.

Is baby-led weaning compatible with this plan?

Yes. The phases apply just the same – instead of purée textures you work with safe, soft finger food from the start and pay particular attention to iron sources.

By Felix & Merle · parents of Josefine

We built HeyFini out of our own everyday life with a baby – the plan follows the three-purée approach of the Gesund ins Leben network and the ESPGHAN recommendations on complementary feeding. More in our story. Last updated: September 2026.

More guides on starting solids

General guidance, not medical advice. For questions about your child, talk to your paediatrician or midwife.