Baby led weaning means skipping purees and going straight to soft solid foods that babies can pick up and eat themselves starting around 6 months. The core signs of readiness are sitting up with minimal support, showing interest in food by grabbing or leaning toward it, and the tongue thrust reflex has disappeared. The best first foods are soft enough to squish between your fingers: steamed broccoli florets in tree shape for easy gripping, soft cooked carrot sticks, roasted sweet potato wedges, ripe avocado in strips, banana broken in half with peel left on for grip, scrambled eggs, soft flaked salmon, toast fingers with thin spread of nut butter. Food should be cut in finger-shaped strips the length of your finger for young babies. Gagging is normal and expected. It is the body working as it should to move food safely. Choking is silent, gagging is loud. Always sit with your baby during meals and never leave them alone. Avoid honey until 12 months, added salt and sugar, choking hazards like whole grapes and whole nuts, and raw hard vegetables. Baby led weaning is messier than purees but the payoff is a child who feeds themselves confidently and is exposed to real textures and flavors from the start.