By Jo Lenz, Registered Dietitian (HCPC registered), in conversation with Mulu, founder of V&Me · Published July 2026

Good progress with textures looks like direction, not perfection: purées thickening rather than staying smooth, lumps and finger foods becoming normal, gagging lessening with experience, and meals moving towards two a day around 7 months and three by 8 to 9 months. When registered dietitian Jo Lenz was asked for the one thing parents should hold onto, her answer was to take a step back, check the things within your control, and trust the process. This article turns her conversation with V&Me founder Mulu into a practical way to check you are on track.

Signs the process is working

• Textures are moving. Whatever you started with, the centre of gravity keeps shifting: smooth thickening after the first two weeks, lumps appearing, finger foods a regular part of meals. Not all babies progress the same way, but the direction should be forward.
• Gagging is lessening. Gagging is common and protective, and with experience and continued offering it reduces as your baby learns to work food around their mouth and swallow safely.
• Meals are building. Roughly two meals a day by 7 months and three by 8 to 9 months, with nice spacing and regular timing, so your baby gets used to the rhythm.
• Exposure is happening, even without eating. Touching, tasting and rejecting a food all count. Sometimes a child has managed more than it looks, and milk is still providing nutrition between meals in the first six months of weaning.
• Wet nappies and bowels are fine. Jo's practical reassurance: a baby having plenty of wet nappies and opening their bowels fine is managing, even through a patchy few days.

The step back check

When a meal goes wrong, or your baby is gagging or struggling, Jo's advice is not to feel immediately stressed by the situation, but to take a step back and reflect: is this a one off meal, or is it a pattern? Then check the things within your capability such as:

• Milk is not exceeding what is recommended for their age, so it is not filling them up before food.
• Food is offered on a regular basis, at the same sorts of times every day.
• You are eating with them where you can, because watching you eat is a really good experience for them.
• The high chair is comfortable, with a foot rest, so they are physically set up to eat.
• Mealtimes are short, not drawn out, and low pressure. You are not forcing anything, that is not your job. Your job is offering a balanced variety and being responsive to their hunger and fullness cues.

Then trust the process: keep offering, stick with it, and know that the next meal is never too far away.

Free texture progression guide download

A simple guide designed by Jo Lenz, ready to be printed and stuck to the fridge.

Above

Signs to get support

Progress is not linear, and bad days around illness and teething are normal, with most children bouncing back within three to four days. But get support rather than continuing helplessly if every meal feels unmanageable and your baby is really struggling, or if you see signs of dehydration: lots of vomiting or diarrhoea, not drinking well, fewer wet nappies. Your GP or health visitor is the first point of call, and a paediatric dietitian is the specialist most skilled at unpicking feeding difficulties in young children. There is no silly question, and just running it past someone to ask if this is normal is a perfectly good reason to get in touch.

Keeping progress on the plate

Daily practice is what moves textures forward, and that is what a V&Me subscription is: a different meal every day at your baby's stage, cooked fresh each morning in our Battersea kitchen and delivered across London, with the progression built in. See our texture options here.

FAQs

Q: How do I know my baby is on track with textures?‍

A: Look for direction: textures thickening, lumps and finger foods becoming normal, gagging lessening with experience, and meals building to three a day by around 8 to 9 months.

Q: What should I check if mealtimes keep going badly?‍

A: The things in your control: milk not exceeding the recommended amount, regular meal times, eating together, a comfortable high chair with a foot rest, and short, low pressure meals.

Q: When should I get professional help with feeding?‍

A: If every meal feels unmanageable, or if there are dehydration signs like vomiting, diarrhoea, poor drinking or fewer wet nappies. Start with your GP or health visitor, and ideally see a paediatric dietitian.

This article is based on a recorded conversation between Jo Lenz, registered dietitian, and Mulu, founder of V&Me. It is general guidance, not a substitute for individual medical advice. If you are concerned about your baby's feeding, speak to your GP, health visitor or a paediatric dietitian.

Jo Lenz is a registered dietitian with 19 years of experience, including 13 years in the NHS, and has worked with V&Me since it began. V&Me cooks fresh baby and toddler meals every morning in its Battersea kitchen and delivers across London.