Phoenix solids calendar

Responsive feeding throughout: you decide what, when and where; Phoenix decides whether and how much to eat.

Breastmilk/formula remains the primary source of nutrition at 7 months.

Focus on learning eating skills, not achieving a certain quantity.

Eat together where possible so Phoenix can watch you eat the same foods.

Meal progression

One meal per day initially.

Increase to two meals during the month if Phoenix is consistently interested, staying seated happily, reaching for food and wanting more opportunities.

No pressure to increase if he's not ready.

Nutritional priorities

Iron-rich foods almost every day, rotating:

• Beef
• Sardines
• Salmon
• Chicken
• Lentils
• Beans

Vitamin C-rich fruit/vegetables often paired with iron-rich foods.

Healthy fats included regularly (avocado, olive oil, yoghurt, oily fish).

Allergen strategy

Continue regular exposure to allergens Phoenix already tolerates:

• ✅ Egg
• ✅ Dairy
• ✅ Fish

Egg approximately 2–3 times per week.

Peanut approximately 2–3 times per week after successful introduction.

Introduce only one new allergen at a time, spaced by several days:

• Peanut
• Sesame
• Soy
• Almond
• Cashew
• Walnut
• Hazelnut

Once tolerated, allergens become part of normal meals rather than separate "tests."

Texture progression

Prefer finger foods over purées where possible.

Include a mix of:

• Soft spears
• Flakes
• Mashed foods
• Resistive foods (e.g. broccoli stalk)

Gradually move towards adapted family meals.

Family meals

By the end of the month, begin offering:

• Fish pie
• Mild dhal
• Bolognese
• Bean chilli
• Chicken casserole

Modify only for:

• Salt
• Choking hazards
• Texture

Choking safety

Foods are modified according to common infant feeding guidance:

• Whole nuts ❌
• Thick nut butter ❌
• Grapes/cherry tomatoes quartered lengthways
• Peas squashed
• Fish checked for bones
• Apples cooked until soft
• Carrots cooked until soft
• Bread lightly toasted rather than doughy

Skill development

The calendar deliberately includes opportunities to practise:

• Grasping food
• Bringing food to the mouth
• Biting
• Chewing
• Managing different textures
• Drinking from an open or straw cup (if you choose to introduce one)

Variety

Rather than introducing a completely new food every day, the calendar aims to:

• Repeat familiar foods so they become accepted.
• Introduce new foods gradually.
• Rotate proteins, fruits and vegetables.
• Build confidence with foods Phoenix already enjoys.

What I'd change in future months

Once you've worked through the common allergens, I would simplify things considerably. Instead of following a planned calendar, I'd aim for a weekly rhythm like:

• 🥚 Egg: 2–3×
• 🥜 Peanut: 2–3×
• 🥛 Dairy: most days
• 🐟 Fish: 1–2×
• 🥩 Red meat or legumes: most days (for iron)
• 🌰 One tree nut: once every week or two, rotating through almond, cashew, walnut, hazelnut, etc.
• 🍽️ Family meals: as often as practical

That becomes much easier to sustain long-term and is very much in keeping with the Solid Starts philosophy of integrating babies into family meals.