Healthy Kids website: : Introducing solids and feeding toddlers

Introducing solids and feeding toddlers

When do I stop breastfeeding? Why does my toddler throw food on the floor? Young children's feeding needs are always changing and often confusing. It helps to learn about food choices and nutrition for young children, and develop mealtime techniques that really work.

Starting solids

Starting to feed your baby solid food is important for their growth and development. Feeding solids usually begins at around six months, but may take a while to master. Be patient and move at your baby’s pace.

Baby’s first food
A step-by-step guide to starting slowly, increasing the variety, then introducing a full diet (Westmead Children's Hospital).

Introduction to solids
Factsheet that answers general questions about solids, then explains how and when to provide milk, purees, finger food, etc (Westmead Children’s Hospital).

Feeding toddlers

Feeding toddlers and young children can be challenging due to their likes and dislikes. And some children of this age just want to be difficult for its own sake. The trick is to provide interesting foods and establish effective eating habits.

Feeding toddlers
A quick guide on what to feed toddlers and how to encourage them to eat it (pdf 94kb) (NSW Dept of Community Services).

Toddlers and mealtime manners
How to teach good manners at the table, and deal with food-wasting and mess-making, with links to specific topics such as ‘toddlers and choking’ (Better Health Victoria).

Tucker without tantrums
How to ‘think like a toddler’, deal with food refusal, find alternatives to foods toddlers won’t eat, and make meals fun (Westmead Children’s Hospital).