Solid Starts App FAQs

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General Questions

How do I get the Solid Starts App?

You can download the app on Apple or Android.

Is the Solid Starts App free?

The Solid Starts app is free to download and free for you to search for foods, read about each food, and explore new foods. There are paid features, like tracking which foods you've served or marking foods as favorites, that are under a subscription, but you do not need a subscription to view and read about the foods in our First Foods® database.

Which features are free and which features require a paid subscription?

The app is the same free First Foods® database that is found on our website. For every food in our database, you can view nutritional information, how to prepare (by baby’s age) guidelines, choking/allergen information and one recipe. All of that is free and always will be. 

Within the app, you can customize your experience with a paid subscription. This gives you the ability to create a profile for your baby, track which foods your baby has tried, mark foods as favorites, note foods you’d like to try later, track food reactions, and create notes. A paid subscription also unlocks our searchable recipe database featuring over 300 recipes. You can log database foods directly from recipes, create custom recipe lists, and mark favorite recipes.

Will the database still be available on the website?

Yes! The First Foods® database will always be free and waiting for you on our website. It is also free and available to use on the app. You get to choose how you prefer to use it.

I have bought one of your bundles, does that include access to the premium (paid) features of the app?

No. Our bundles and guides are purchased directly through our website but the app subscription is handled completely through either Apple or Google. Because of how the payments are managed, we are not able to combine them. The app's optional subscription is for those who want to customize the free First Foods® database to their needs and be able to track foods and allergic reactions, etc.

Will I be able to view my bundles/guides on the app?

Unfortunately, no. While the bundles/guides are managed through our website, the app subscription is fully paid for and managed through either Apple or Google (depending on your phone). If we want our app to be on the App Store or the Google Play Store, we have to play by their rules which means that the app has to be completely separate from anything on our website.

Can I still make a donation?

Yes, thank you so much for your support! You can make a donation at any time via our donations page to help us keep our First Foods® database free forever! ♡

App Functionality Questions

How can I add a food as a favorite?

You'll need to have the premium version of our app to add favorites. Once you've subscribed, you'll be able to tap the little heart icon on any food to add it to your favorites. You'll also be asked if a food is one of baby's favorites upon tracking it for the first time. You can check on your favorites list any time within the tracker.

How can I track that baby has tried a certain food?

Once baby has tried a food, just tap the plus sign to add it to the tracker, where you'll be asked if you'd like to add it as a favorite, if you'd like to add it to try again later, or if baby had a reaction. You'll also be able to make any notes about that food.

How can I track reactions baby has had to foods?

Once you’ve added a food to the tracker, you’ll be asked if baby had a reaction. From there, you can note which symptoms baby experienced. To see a main list of all foods that elicited reactions to share with family, caregivers, or doctors, simply tap the “Reactions” button on your Tracker page.

How can I add a food to a list to try later?

Once you're viewing any food, you can tap the repeat icon to add it to your list to try later. Lots of people use this as their shopping list as well :)

How can I mark that a food no longer is an allergen?

Click into the food in which you would like to remove the reaction. (You can find the food either via the calendar or by clicking “Foods Tried” on your home screen). Click on the “x Tried” button in the rectangular box under the food name, which will bring you to the food’s note page. Click into the note that contains the reaction, and you will be able to delete the reaction.

Where can I see what size to cut a food for my baby?

First, search for the food. From the food entry, click on "How to serve". That's where you'll find all of the information on how to cut, prepare, and serve each food for baby depending on their age.

The food I was looking for is not there.

We are adding new foods every day! It's a slow process because each food needs to be reviewed by several licensed professionals but we're doing our best to have every single food in the database. Feel free to send an email to [email protected] with your suggestions for new foods to add. We’d love to hear your ideas!

In the meantime, any food not yet in our database can be tracked by using the "Other" entry (Simply search "Other" from the main database page).

How can I add an additional child profile?

From your Profile page, click on the “Add Profile” button that appears in the upper right. You can add a maximum of three child profiles and easily switch between these profiles by clicking on the food icon in the top right corner.

Can I edit the date/note/reactions of a logged food?

Yes! Open your food tracker and click on the date that has the food you want to change, then click on the food name at the bottom of the screen. Click in the "Your Notes" field. There, you can click on the date (underneath the food name at the top) and change it to whatever date you want. You can also edit the food’s notes and reactions on this screen. Click the blue "Update" button when you are done making changes.

What is a “poop friendly” food?

“Poop friendly” means whether a food has qualities that help baby poop.

Can I share my account?

Yes! The same login credentials can be shared across multiple devices, whether Apple or Android. This makes it super easy for parents/caregivers to coordinate the baby’s solid food progress with each other. 

Recipes in the App

Where can I find recipes?

We include a recipe on each food for how to serve that food for the first time. Just search for a food and click on "Recipe.” (This is included in the free version).

With a paid subscription, you can unlock access to our searchable recipe database featuring over 300 recipes. Within that recipe database, search by a specific ingredient, choose a recipe from our curated lists (i.e. “Make-Ahead Lunches,” “Quick Breakfasts” etc.,) or simply scroll through the entire database for whatever catches your eye! You can save recipes to custom lists that you create (i.e. “Baby’s Favorite Breakfasts,” or “Easy Go-To Dinners”) and mark favorite recipes. 

If you're looking for even more recipes, you can check out our Meal & Recipe Ideas Kit for over 200 breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas, plus 100 healthy snack ideas!

What are the recipes included in the app subscription?

There are 300+ recipes in the app, and new recipes are added on a regular basis. Recipes include meals that you can share with baby at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including 100+ simple recipes with 5 steps or less, fewer than 7 ingredients, and prepared in 20 minutes or less. Many recipes are free of common food allergens, including 175+ dairy-free recipes, 250+ egg-free recipes, and 300+ peanut-free recipes. There are also plenty of recipes for various diet types, including 250+ vegetarian recipes and 125+ vegan recipes.

I bought the meal kit. Can I get access to the recipes in the app too?

Unfortunately, no. Because Apple and Google Play host the app and have a separate payment processing system, we can’t link the purchases at this time. We are, however, working on a licensing solution long term to fix this but it’s going to take some time.

I am a subscriber to the app. Can I get access to the recipes in the meal kit too?

Unfortunately, no. Because Apple and Google Play host the app and have a separate payment processing system we can’t link the purchases at this time. We are, however, working on a licensing solution long term to fix this but it’s going to take some time. Rest assured that the recipes you have access to as part of your app subscription cover the bulk of recipes offered in the meal kit. However, if you’d like the Snack guide or any of our meal plans like the First 100 Days meal plan, you would need to purchase those separately.

Are the database recipes in the app still free?

Yes. Any recipe that’s part of a food page in the free First Foods Database will remain free. The app subscription includes a lot more recipes and makes it easy to browse and filter recipes but the database recipes will remain free, forever.

How can I track a recipe that my child has tried?

There is a button to “log recipe” on every recipe. When you click on the button, the app takes you through each food that is included in that recipe, and you can choose to log that food or skip it if you didn’t include it or didn’t serve it to baby.

How can I make lists of recipes?

On each recipe, there’s an icon to add the recipe to a list. People have gotten creative with their lists and we encourage you to do just that. For example, you could make a list for Monday dinners that take 10 minutes or less, or for easy weekday lunches.

You can make as many lists as you want, so have fun with it.

Can I search for recipes by ingredient?

Yes–you can search by ingredient. Type the name of a food into the search bar, and you will find plenty of options to use that ingredient in a recipe to share with baby.

App Troubleshooting

I get an error message when I try to log food / I can't create a baby profile / I'm seeing other error messages. What can I do?

First, make sure you are on the latest version of the app. You can check by visiting the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to see if an update is available for download. Once you've verified you have the current version / updated to the current version, log out of your account from the profile page. Then, log back in again by re-entering your email and password. This is an important "reset" for the app and should solve any error messages. If you still see error messages after that, please send an email to [email protected].

I get an error message when I try to log in

The most common reason for this is trying to log in with a different email address than the one you signed up with. Please note that the email address where you received your Google or Apple subscription confirmation email is NOT necessarily the same address you used to sign up for the app. If you can't log in, think if you may have signed up with another email address.

If you can't remember your password, you can click the "forgot password" link to receive a code to reset your password, as long as the email address you enter is registered in our system. Email [email protected] if you continue to have issues logging in.

I forgot my password. What do I do?

1. Go to the log-in page on the website and click on the “forgot password?” link.

2. Enter the email address that you signed up with.

3. Check your email for the reset code. If you still don’t see an email from Solid Starts after 15-20 minutes, remember to check your junk folder.

4. The email will have a code to reset your password. Return to the website or app and enter this code along with the new password you would like.

5. Click the “reset” button.

6. If you don’t receive the password reset email, or encounter any other issues, contact [email protected] for help.

I keep getting an error when trying to purchase a subscription.

Make sure you have in-app purchases enabled on your phone. Lots of parents disable this to prevent surprise purchases from little hands! If that's enabled, check that you have the most recent version of the app installed by going to the app store and seeing if there is an update for you to download.

Subscription & Payment Questions

How do I cancel my subscription?

Subscriptions can be managed through your profile within the app or through My Subscriptions in the App Store or Google Play Store on your device. We at Solid Starts cannot cancel your subscription for you.

Can I get a refund on the app subscription?

App payments are handled entirely by Apple or Google, so you’ll have to reach out to them directly to request a refund. If you need assistance with how to do this, email [email protected].

Can I share the personalized tracking of foods and reactions with my partner/family?

Yes! The same login credentials can be shared across multiple devices, whether Apple or Android. This makes it super easy for parents/caregivers to coordinate the baby’s solid food progress with each other.

How do I change my payment method?

You'll have to do that within your app account, either through Apple or Google Play. All payments are completely managed through them.

Does my subscription auto-renew?

Yes, if you selected this option upon sign up. Apple/Google will also send you a reminder email when it’s about to auto-renew, and you can cancel at that time if you wish.

What happens to the foods I've tracked if I cancel my subscription?

We are working on functionality to download your tracked foods and save them forever outside of the app, but they will always live within the app itself. So if 10 years from now you want to see them again, just subscribe again with the same email and password and they will all be there waiting for you.

What payment methods do you accept?

We don’t process app payments directly, it’s all done through the App and Play stores. We accept what they accept!

Starting Solids Questions

What is baby-led weaning?

Baby-led weaning is a method of introducing solid food to babies whereby purées and spoon-feeding are skipped entirely in favor of finger foods that a baby self-feeds. We have a lot more information on what it is, how to do it, FAQ's, and troubleshooting on our Baby-led Weaning page.

How do I know if baby is ready to start solids?

There are clear signs you're looking for. See our page on readiness for more detail.

Do you offer guides on how to start introducing solids?

We sure do! We have a whole slew of guides available from 50 fantastic foods for babies starting solids to 25 foods you should avoid, how to introduce allergens, baby-led weaning for caregivers, and more. Plus recipe books for breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas for your family to share meals with baby. They can all be found on our guides page.

How much of a food should I offer to baby?

We really encourage parents to stay away from exact measurements, counting milligrams, etc. because we find it can actually lead to underfeeding or overfeeding. The range for each baby (just as it is with breast milk or formula) can vary dramatically. Instead, we recommend serving food family style (on the table, where baby can see it and reach or grunt for more) and letting baby eat as much or as little as they want. Babies are incredibly good at regulating their own appetite--even from birth! They are excellent at telling us they want more or that they are full. Trust that. As long as more food is in reach/sight, baby should get enough.

Where are the purees?

If you want to make some purees for baby, by all means do so! Any food can be pureed, but our First Foods® database shows you how to serve each food without the need to puree. Variety is key.

I am terrified that my baby will choke. What should I do?

Creating a safe environment for baby to start solids is crucial to your success. Read through our safety page and more information on choking hazards, safe food sizes & shapes, and gagging to prepare yourself.

Food Specific Questions

Does nut milk or yogurt count as introducing nuts as allergens?

Sorry, no. Nut milks don’t contain much of the actual protein from the flesh of the nut itself, which is what causes the allergic reaction. So to rule out a nut allergy it’s best to introduce the nut via nut butter (mix with breast milk, formula, applesauce or yogurt if dairy has been introduced to reduce the choking risk) or sprinkle finely ground nut on fruit, etc. More here.

When can babies have juice?

We strongly recommend you avoid juice until your child is at least two years old, and even then, to think twice. Consumption of juice, soda, flavored milks, and other sweetened beverages can lead to a preference for sweet foods (and rejection of other drinks like water and plain milk) and increase the risk of excess weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

Does it count that baby tried a food if I served it but baby didn't actually eat any of it?

That's really for you to decide, but probably not in our books.

Baby has no teeth, does this change the sizes that I should cut things?

Believe it or not, no. You can loosely follow the size guidelines based on baby's age.

Still have questions about the app? Send us an email to [email protected]