Starting solids guide
Solids Logs That Track New Foods, Not Every Meal
Once solids begin, the number of things you could record jumps. Try to write down every meal and you will give up within a fortnight. What actually matters in this period is not grams eaten — it is which ingredient was new, and what happened afterwards.
Last reviewed 2026-08-08 · A general record-keeping guide, not medical advice.
Stop trying to log every meal
Solids logs collapse under ambition. People start by recording ingredients, grams and leftovers, and about two weeks in they record nothing at all.
Narrowing the purpose makes it survivable. There is really one moment when this log is needed: when something appears on your baby's skin or in their gut and you have to work out what caused it.
Focus on what is new
Which makes new ingredients the thing to capture.
| Situation | Worth logging? | | --- | --- | | An ingredient given for the first time | Always | | Any meal with an unusual reaction | Always | | An ordinary meal of familiar foods | Optional |
Dropping that third row without guilt is what lets the habit last.
What to record on a first try
Four fields cover a new ingredient:
- The ingredient
- The date first given
- Which meal, and roughly how much
- The reaction that day and the next
Writing "none" is itself information. When you eventually sit down for allergy testing or a consultation, having a list of foods already tried without incident speeds everything up.
Fix the words for reactions
Reactions get described differently by different people and read back as vague weeks later. Settle on a short list:
- None
- Redness around the mouth
- Hives
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Refused (disliked it, unrelated to any reaction)
That last option exists so simple dislike does not get filed as a possible reaction.
Never let the log delay a response
This is the guide where the distinction matters most. Laboured breathing, facial swelling or a baby going floppy is not a situation for making an entry. It is a situation for emergency care.
The log exists afterwards — or in the waiting room — so you can say exactly: "this was the first time they had this today."
Reading it alongside milk feeds
Milk remains the main source of nutrition for a while after solids begin. Watching how feeds change as solid volumes grow shows you the transition.
Carry on with the approach in newborn feeding records, and if you want to see it against weight, weight and growth records covers that side.
Frequently asked questions
- When should solids start?
- The right timing depends on your baby's development and guidance varies slightly between health bodies. WHO recommends introducing complementary foods at around six months, but the individual decision is worth settling with your clinician.
- How long should I wait between new ingredients?
- Introducing one at a time with a few days between is commonly suggested, because it narrows the cause if a reaction appears. The exact spacing and order depend on your baby, so follow your clinician's advice.
- Do I have to log every single meal?
- No. Recording familiar foods as well makes the habit unsustainable. Concentrating on new ingredients and any meal with an unusual reaction is far more realistic.
- What should I do if I suspect an allergy?
- Visible reactions such as hives, vomiting or difficulty breathing need immediate medical attention. The log's role is to let you state precisely what was eaten when you get there.
- Should food eaten at nursery be recorded?
- Definitely, if it included anything new. Babies sometimes meet an ingredient outside the home before they meet it at your table, and a split record makes narrowing down a cause much harder.
Sources
Shared records instead of memory