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Starting Solids

Public beta

First foods, without the second-guessing.

A calm, step-by-step guide to starting solids and introducing the 9 major allergens — aligned with WHO, AAP and NIAID guidance, and built to keep your pediatrician in the loop.

Get Miriel How the program works

Starting Solids is a new feature in public beta. It is educational guidance based on published feeding guidelines — not medical advice — and your pediatrician always comes first.

Know what to serve.

A first-foods library shows how to prepare each food safely by age — and flags common choking hazards.

Introduce allergens with a plan.

Guided, one-at-a-time introductions for peanut, egg and the rest of the major nine, with simple logging for how each one went.

Keep the essentials close.

Foods to avoid before 12 months, choking prevention, and clear reaction signs — free, and always a tap away.

How the program works

Starting Solids walks you through the whole first-year arc, one calm step at a time. It describes what to do and helps you keep track — it does not diagnose, treat, or make any medical decision for you.

  1. 1 · Readiness check

    A short readiness checklist — sitting with support, steady head control, interest in food — plus an adjusted-age option for babies born early. When to actually begin is a conversation for you and your pediatrician.

  2. 2 · A quick risk screen

    Two quick questions — severe eczema, or an existing food allergy — follow NIAID guidance. If either applies, Miriel asks you to confirm your pediatrician has approved allergen introduction before you begin.

  3. 3 · Guided allergen introduction

    Introduce the 9 major allergens one at a time, with a 2–3 day spacing rule between each new food and one-tap logging for how each one went.

  4. 4 · Keep them in rotation

    Introducing an allergen once isn't the end of it. Miriel reminds you to keep already-introduced allergens in regular rotation and gently re-offer foods your baby refused.

  5. 5 · Texture progression

    From smooth purées to soft finger foods across 6–12 months — whether you prefer baby-led weaning, spoon-feeding, or a mix of both.

  6. 6 · A bridge to toddler feeding

    Around 12 months, what your baby has tried carries forward into the rest of Miriel — so first foods become the starting point for toddler and big-kid meals.

Safety essentials are free

The safety information every new parent looks for is free for every family, no subscription required:

  • — Foods to avoid before 12 months — honey, cow's milk as a main drink, added sugar and salt, high-mercury fish, and unpasteurized foods, with the reason for each.
  • — Choking prevention — common choking hazards and how to prepare foods in age-appropriate shapes and sizes.
  • — Gagging vs. choking — the difference between the normal gag reflex and real choking, and what to watch for.
  • — Reaction signs — what an allergic reaction can look like, and clear emergency guidance if you ever need it.

A subscription unlocks personalization — the daily "what to feed today" plan — but the safety essentials are always free. If you think your child is having a severe allergic reaction, call your local emergency number immediately.

Take it to daycare and grandparents

The people who feed your baby when you're not there need the same information you have. Miriel's caregiver tools are free and contain no personal identifying information about your child:

  • — A one-page Caregiver Card — the allergens your baby has been introduced to, foods to avoid, and safe-feeding basics, ready to hand to a daycare or grandparent.
  • — A "can my baby eat X?" check — ask Siri or Spotlight and get Miriel's age-appropriate serving guidance for a food in seconds.
  • — PII-free share cards — celebrate a first food or a milestone without exposing any of your child's data.

Where Miriel fits with your pediatrician

Miriel is built to keep your pediatrician in the loop, not to replace them. The clearest example is the risk screen: for a baby with severe eczema or an existing food allergy, Miriel will not simply push ahead — it asks you to confirm your pediatrician has approved allergen introduction first, following NIAID guidance. The references behind Miriel's guidance are published openly on the research page, and the safety-first way they're applied is described on the methodology page. For the plain-words version — where the guidance comes from and how we keep it safe and accurate — see our approach.

Your child's privacy is built in the same way. Children don't have accounts and never log in — parents manage everything — and the Caregiver Card, share cards, and food check are all free of personal identifying information. Miriel's data handling is aligned with COPPA controls.

Starting solids — common questions

When should my baby start solids?

Most babies are ready for solids around 6 months, once they can sit up with support, hold their head steady, and show interest in food. Miriel includes a readiness checklist, but the timing is a conversation for you and your pediatrician — Miriel's guidance is aligned with WHO, AAP and CDC recommendations and is educational, not a substitute for that advice.

How does Miriel help me introduce peanut and the other major allergens?

Miriel guides you through the 9 major allergens — peanut, egg, cow's milk, tree nuts, sesame, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish — one at a time, with a simple 2–3 day spacing rule between each new one and one-tap logging for how each went. For higher-risk babies (severe eczema or an existing food allergy), Miriel first asks you to confirm your pediatrician has approved allergen introduction, in line with NIAID guidance. Miriel does not prevent, diagnose or treat allergies; it helps you follow a plan and keep track of it.

What are the 9 major food allergens?

Peanut, egg, cow's milk (dairy), tree nuts, sesame, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. Miriel walks you through introducing each one, one at a time, and keeps a log of what your baby has already tried.

How far apart should I introduce new allergens?

A common approach is to wait 2–3 days between each new allergen, so that if a reaction appears it is easier to tell which food caused it — and to keep already-introduced allergens in regular rotation rather than dropping them. Miriel builds this spacing and rotation into its reminders. Always follow your pediatrician's advice for your own baby.

What foods are choking hazards before 12 months, and how is gagging different from choking?

Common hazards include whole grapes, whole nuts, popcorn, hard raw vegetables and hot-dog rounds; Miriel's first-foods guidance shows how to prepare foods in age-appropriate shapes and sizes. Gagging is a normal, noisy, protective reflex as babies learn to eat; choking is silent and needs immediate action. Miriel's safety essentials explain the difference and what to watch for — and that guidance is free.

Does Miriel support baby-led weaning or purées?

Both. Miriel covers purées, soft finger foods, and the texture progression from 6 to 12 months, so you can follow baby-led weaning, spoon-feeding, or a mix of the two — whatever suits your baby and your pediatrician’s advice.

What foods should babies avoid before they turn one?

Honey (a botulism risk), cow's milk as a main drink, added sugar and salt, high-mercury fish, and unpasteurized foods are commonly avoided before 12 months. Miriel's free safety essentials explain each one. Always confirm with your pediatrician for your child.

Does Miriel replace my pediatrician for starting solids or introducing allergens?

No. Miriel is an educational tool that helps you follow published feeding guidelines and keep track of what you have done. It does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition, and it never replaces your pediatrician’s individualized advice — especially on the timing of solids and the introduction of allergens.

More on the whole 6-months-to-12-years journey on the pediatric nutrition AI page, or read when to start solids on the blog.

Start solids with a calmer plan

Miriel is free to download, and the first-foods safety essentials are free for every family. Download it and start with the readiness check.

Get Miriel See pricing
Miriel AI Starting Solids program screen