Your baby probably won’t do all these things, but they are all signs that your baby is ready for solid foods:

• Holds head steady and can sit up with support
• Shows significant weight gain (birth weight has doubled)
• Shows interest in food when others eat and opens mouth when food approaches
• Can close mouth around a spoon and makes chewing motions
• Can move tongue back and forth, but is losing tendency to push food out with tongue

You can add pureed vegetables to your  baby's diet as he or she begins to sit at the dinner table with the family. Start with boiled or steamed carrots, potatoes and zucchini. Gradually add other vegetables like peas. Mash them in a mixer and add 1 tablespoon of liquid margarine (e.g. Rama). This adds essential fats to your child’s diet.

You should introduce vegetables before you introduce fruit. This will accustom your baby to the taste of vegetables. Vegetables that contain high levels of nitrate (spinach, endive, lettuce, beetroot) should not be eaten more than twice a week. Avoid giving your child canned vegetables as they contain too much salt. If your child resists eating vegetables, add some drops of lemon.

Introduce the fruits one by one – this gives you time to check for possible allergies. Start with basic fruits such as apples, bananas and pears.