Up until 6 months of age, your baby will thrive solely on your breast milk, or an appropriate infant formula. If your baby is putting on adequate weight you can be confident your milk or formula is providing all the nutrients needed at this stage.
Around 6 months of age solids should be introduced. Your baby will need solids to supplement his/her diet at this time to provide iron, other nutrients and to encourage chewing. Remember however that every baby is different and that this advice is intended only as a guide for the 'average' child. Do not compare your baby's progress to other babies.
Some signs that your baby is ready for solid foods include:
- Baby is able to sit with support and is able to hold his / her head up.
- Baby is reaching for food and wants to join in on family meals.
- You will notice that milk may no longer seem to satisfy your baby who seems unsettled and may want more feeds.
- Baby can move his / her tongue from the front to the back of the mouth. He / she no longer pushes solids straight back out.
There is no advantage to starting solids earlier than 6 months of age. Starting too early increases the risk of developing food allergies.
Discuss when to start solids with your Early Childhood Health Centre Nurse, Maternal Child Health Nurse or a Paediatric Dietitian and find out what is best for your baby.
Around 6 Months. It is best to start your baby on bland, mashed or pureed foods first. Rice cereal fortified with iron is a useful first food for most babies as it has a low risk of an allergic reaction and the extra iron is important as your baby's own stores start to run low at about this time. Start with 1-2 teaspoons and gradually increase until he or she takes 2-3 tablespoons a day.
Foods I can feed my baby:
Offer 1-2 teaspoons of rice cereal after milk feeds. Then try pureed or fork mashed vegetables such as potato, pumpkin, carrot, zucchini and then pureed or stewed fruits like banana, cooked apple, or pear.
Remember to offer one new food for 3-4 days initially before introducing another new food.
Thereafter, increase the types and varieties as your baby enjoys the new tastes and textures.
Your baby should be starting to show more enthusiasm for food and enjoying 3 'solid' meals of 1/3-1/2 a cup of food at each meal. At this age, 3-4 breast or formula feeds per day are still needed.
A range of iron-rich foods should now be included in baby's diet, eg red and white meat, lentils well cooked and mashed, and iron-fortified cereals. At this stage offer coarser textured, fork-mashed or finely chopped soft foods. Even without teeth most babies can chew efficiently by 8-9 months. Encourage chewing to assist in the development of the muscles essential for eating and speech. A delay in the introduction of lumpy foods may result in later feeding and speech problems.
Cereal and Grains - Cereals that contain oats and wheat can now be given as well as pasta and rice. Rusks and pieces of toast are also suitable to encourage chewing.
Fruit juice - Juices are not necessary and should be limited to about 100mL of diluted juice per day offered from a cup. Never give juices in a baby bottle.
Fruit - Slices of soft fruit such as melon, pear and bananas are ideal.
Vegetables - Soft cooked vegetables. Try to give baby a variety of different coloured vegetables throughout the week to ensure that he or she is getting a variety of nutrients.
Meat/Meat Alternatives - From 6-8 months, try finely chopped or minced chicken without skin, cooked beef and lamb without fat. Soft, mashed, cooked lentils, beans, and tofu can also be introduced during this stage, as well as steamed fish without the bones. These foods are good sources of iron.
Dairy/Dairy Alternatives -Continue with breast milk or formula as the major drink till at least 1 year. Yoghurts and cooked custards made with calcium fortified soy milk or cow's milk can be introduced.
Cheese - Cottage cheese or grated mild cheddar cheeses may be given with vegetables, or served with bread or soft cracker biscuits. Cheese sticks and slices are popular "finger" foods.
Egg Yolk - If there is no family history of allergy, hard-boiled egg yolk can be introduced from 7 - 9 months. If this is tolerated, whole egg can be introduced at approximately 10 months.
Babies now enjoy 3 solid meals and 3 milk feeds (~600ml) a day. The size of each meal at this age should be about ¾ - 1 cup of food. At each meal give:
- A starchy food such as cereal/grain/potato/pasta or bread,
- And some fruit or vegetables
- And a protein food, eg dairy food, meat, legumes, fish or egg.
Freshly prepared family food is best for your baby. Gradually introduce a wide range of foods so that, as your baby grows up, he/she enjoys a wide variety of foods.
At this stage baby is learning to drink from a cup and likes to try to feed him / herself.
Finger Foods - Babies want to assert their new-found independence and should be encouraged to feed themselves. Offer foods such as crusts of bread, fingers of toast, cheese sticks, slices or pieces of steamed or soft vegetables and pieces of fruit such as strawberries, mango and banana.
Food Ideas - Babies will now eat foods such as pasta or spaghetti with sauce, tofu with vegetables, casseroles, vegetable omelettes, patties, mashed baked beans and cereals with milk and fruit or yoghurt.
Baby will enjoy lots of different textures and flavours at this stage.
Babies now can enjoy the range of foods the family is enjoying. Healthy foods are needed throughout life. By making family meals healthy and nutritious, you can help set an example for your toddler and encourage the development of preferences for healthy foods. For further information and practical tips on healthy eating for toddlers, contact the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.
Introducing solids can be a time of fun and discovery for both you and your baby. It's always a good idea to introduce solids when both you and baby are feeling relaxed and you have plenty of time. Following are a few simple tips that can make all the difference.
Remember that this is a new skill your baby is learning - he/she may reject a spoon at first. If so, wait a few days before trying again.
Don't rush it - Try one new food at a time, every 3-4 days. Introduce new foods early in the day. If a food is refused, or if it obviously does not agree with your baby's digestion, do not force, but try again a few weeks later unless there has been a severe reaction (eg swelling or a rash).
Offer the breast/bottle - Until 7 - 8 months give your baby a chance to satisfy their hunger with sucking at the breast or bottle before giving them food on a spoon. You'll be more happy and relaxed.
From 8-9 months change to offering solids first.
Do not put solid foods in your baby's bottle.
Utensils - Use a small shallow rubber or plastic spoon with smooth edges.
Don't overheat - You may like your food hot but your baby will accept it better at room temperature or only slightly warmer. Always test the temperature on the back of your hand or wrist before giving to baby - no heat should be felt. If using a microwave to cook or heat infant food, heat the food through then cool if necessary. Remember microwaves heat unevenly. Always mix the food thoroughly after heating to ensure the even distribution of heat.
What about the mess??? - Babies are messy eaters, at first you will need a bib and plenty of tissues. As the baby grows older and sits in a chair, it is wise to cover the floor or make sure eating is done in a room with a washable floor.
Never leave baby alone while he/she is eating.
Wash your hands before preparing or handling food for your baby.
- Wash cups, plates, knives, forks and spoons in hot soapy water or a dishwasher before using for baby.
- Never leave baby alone when eating.
- Until 5 years of age, avoid hard lumps of food like whole nuts, peas, gristle on meat, lollies or hard fruits and vegetables such as apple and carrot that can cause choking.
- Discard any uneaten food, rather than saving it, to reduce the risk of bacterial growth and food poisoning.
- Baby should sit down (in a secure chair) when eating. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR BABY TO MOVE AROUND WHILST EATING AS THIS COULD LEAD TO CHOKING.
- Do not give tea, coffee, cordial, herb teas or cola drinks as they contain sugar, caffeine and natural chemicals that are unsuitable for your baby.
- Protect baby's teeth by avoiding soft drinks, cordials, juices, cakes, lollies, biscuits and flavoured milk. Never give juices in a bottle of any type at sleep time. Don't forget that putting baby to bed with a bottle to suck is harmful to teeth.
- Because of the high risk of allergy, NUTS, even smooth nut butters such as peanut butter, are discouraged until after 12 months. For children with a strong history of food allergy, all peanut products should be avoided until after 3 years of age.
Made from the goodness of whole grain wheat, Weet-Bix is naturally high in carbohydrates and dietary fibre. Combined with a delicious malty flavour, Weet-Bix is also a good source of iron and 4 B vitamins, which is important for your child's growth and development.
Inadequate fluid, too little food or a low fibre intake in children over 12 months often causes constipation. An increase in fibre rich foods and fluids such as water is advised. Encourage baby to eat fruits, vegetables, wholemeal breads and cereals.
If the baby is bottle fed check how you prepare the formula as concentrating the formula can cause constipation.
Prepared baby foods that use high quality ingredients, minimal additives and preservatives, and no added salt or sugar can provide good nutrition provided you select a good variety of different foods and dishes. However, there can be some problems if babies are only given prepared baby foods to eat. Prepared baby foods are uniformly soft whereas home cooked foods have a variety of textures and flavours. Also, home cooked foods can be prepared in different shapes and sizes, which are great for finger food and for babies learning to self-feed. Prepared baby foods are however, convenient to use when you are away from home or travelling.
Select fresh fruits and vegetables and peel if necessary. For young babies, always steam or microwave until tender. Allow to cool and puree or mash as appropriate for age. DO NOT ADD SUGAR OR SALT.
Hint: When preparing fruit and vegetables, freeze the extras in ice cube trays. They can then be stored in a plastic container or bag in the freezer (for up to 3 months) and can be easily heated for convenient meals when you are busy or going out.
This information has been favourably reviewed by one of Australia's leading Paediatric Dietitians, Carmel Smart, who is Dietitian Manager at John Hunter Children's Hospital, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
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