There's also conflicting info that I've read that implies that up to a year most of the calories are supposed to come from milk and eating is just to get practice with the act of eating. Is that really true or am I starving her?

That's what I've read, too. Then I got read the riot act at my 6 month appointment, because she "needs cereal, because she needs more iron, calcium, and carbohydrates". So we're compromising between the baby-led weaning (which freaked my doctor right the fuck out) and the traditional approach. Which means that I still gave her a strip of my beef last night, but we also give her baby oatmeal.