Once you've recognised the signs that your baby is ready for complementary feeding you can begin to introduce first foods.
Introduce textures gradually - from smooth...
Learning how to eat might seem like a mammoth task, but the best way to get through it is to introduce different textures gradually. At first, babies need to get used to the sensation of having solid food in their mouth, then learning how to move food from the front to the back and then swallowing. That's why smooth purées are best when your baby begins solids, because they're easy to cope with and digest.
...to a little more texture...
Once your baby can manage smooth purées, the next step for them is to start to learn how to chew. For this stage, they'll need foods with a little more texture. They'll come to understand that to get the food ready for swallowing they'll need to move their jaws up and down a bit.
...to chunks and lumps...
When your baby is happy with a little more texture, it's time to move on to the next stage, and this is about learning to chew mini pieces of food.
...to toddler shapes and textures
Toddlers need fun and variety to keep them interested in their food and although they're ready to chew on more grown-up shapes and textures, they still need a nutritionally balanced diet that's right for them.
Slowly introduce new tastes
Learning to eat is also about introducing tastes gradually, and at the start, babies need to get used to tastes other than milk. Babies are born with a liking for sweeter foods so naturally sweet flavours are easier to cope with at first. Vegetables like potato, sweet potato/kumara, pumpkin, carrot, as well as fruit such as pear, apple, apricot, avocado, banana, peach and mango are all good options.
Remember to always introduce new foods one at a time. And try one new food every 3-4 days; this way you can tell what food your baby can or cannot tolerate.
All other taste preferences, aside from sweet, are acquired tastes so introducing your baby to a wide variety of savoury foods early on is important.