FIRST
FOODS FOR YOUR BABY
Weaning your baby doesn't have to be all about plain baby rice - and some of you
may have already introduced your baby to this
rather bland first food in any case.
Government advice is to avoid any solids until your baby is at least 17 weeks old, and preferably to wait until she reaches six months.
If you have waited until now - or even if you've already started weaning - your baby will be ready for quite a variety of tastes and textures.
Government advice is to avoid any solids until your baby is at least 17 weeks old, and preferably to wait until she reaches six months.
If you have waited until now - or even if you've already started weaning - your baby will be ready for quite a variety of tastes and textures.
“The main thing is to introduce
everything gradually and allow her to get used to a few foods at a time.”
Start with very small tasters, offered mid-way
during a breast or bottle feed when she's not starving hungry, but not satiated
either.
Offer the foods on the tip of your finger or a baby weaning spoon, and start off with just a few spoonfuls at first, then continue with her milk feed.
Offer the foods on the tip of your finger or a baby weaning spoon, and start off with just a few spoonfuls at first, then continue with her milk feed.
“Preparing foods from scratch is your
best bet at first, and it doesn't have to be a chore. Try pureeing some cooked
vegetables without adding any salt, stock or other seasoning, as your baby's
kidneys aren't mature enough to process these.”
You
can mix in a little breast or formula to make the taste more familiar and the
texture creamier.
Make up a batch and freeze it in ice-cube trays: one defrosted cube will be just the right amount for a taster portion.
Ideas for foods to offer your baby include:
• Combinations of different cooked vegetable purees (butternut squash and sweet potato; carrot and potato; potato and celeriac; carrot and swede - and you can use your imagination to think up more).
• Once she's used to the taste of vegetables, and to prevent her from developing too sweet a tooth straight off, start offering cooked, pureed fruits (apple and pear; banana and pear; apple and banana - no need to cook the banana).
Make up a batch and freeze it in ice-cube trays: one defrosted cube will be just the right amount for a taster portion.
Ideas for foods to offer your baby include:
• Combinations of different cooked vegetable purees (butternut squash and sweet potato; carrot and potato; potato and celeriac; carrot and swede - and you can use your imagination to think up more).
• Once she's used to the taste of vegetables, and to prevent her from developing too sweet a tooth straight off, start offering cooked, pureed fruits (apple and pear; banana and pear; apple and banana - no need to cook the banana).
•
When she's got the hang of purees, hand her some finger foods to try: pieces of
bread; sticks of carrot and cucumber; a little cooked pasta; a litte cooked
rice, creamed with breast or formula milk; a rice cake).
• Moving on, you can offer your baby meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein, as well as milk and dairy products.
• If you choose not to give your baby meat or fish, they'll need two servings a day of non-meat protein-rich foods, like pulses (dhal, split peas, houmous), tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) or eggs (but limit eggs to one a day and make sure they're thoroughly cooked).
• It can be handy to keep a few jars or pouches of ready-prepared baby foods in the house. Check the use-by dates and throw away anything that's gone out of date.
• Moving on, you can offer your baby meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein, as well as milk and dairy products.
• If you choose not to give your baby meat or fish, they'll need two servings a day of non-meat protein-rich foods, like pulses (dhal, split peas, houmous), tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) or eggs (but limit eggs to one a day and make sure they're thoroughly cooked).
• It can be handy to keep a few jars or pouches of ready-prepared baby foods in the house. Check the use-by dates and throw away anything that's gone out of date.
Foods to
avoid:
• Avoid giving your baby any foods with additives, preservatives, added salt or sugar or colourings. Don't feed your baby fast foods or salted snacks like crisps, cheese puffs, nuggets or French fries.
• Don't give your baby nuts: they may be allergic or they may choke. Most nuts are also salted.
• Avoid honey until your baby is a year old because of the risk of botulism (food poisoning).
• Don't offer shark, swordfish or marlin, as they may contain levels of mercury your baby's system won't be able to cope with.
• Don't give raw shellfish because of the risk of food poisoning.
• Avoid giving your baby any foods with additives, preservatives, added salt or sugar or colourings. Don't feed your baby fast foods or salted snacks like crisps, cheese puffs, nuggets or French fries.
• Don't give your baby nuts: they may be allergic or they may choke. Most nuts are also salted.
• Avoid honey until your baby is a year old because of the risk of botulism (food poisoning).
• Don't offer shark, swordfish or marlin, as they may contain levels of mercury your baby's system won't be able to cope with.
• Don't give raw shellfish because of the risk of food poisoning.
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