Baby food for beginners

The introduction of solid foods is an adventure for both you and your baby. With our top tips and tricks, you’ll be laying the foundations of a healthy eater for life.

IS BABY READY FOR SOLIDS?

Don’t be in a rush to take this big step! Remember that your breastmilk alone is enough to satisfy your growing baby’s needs for the first six months, after which it’s time to start giving her solid food. If you are going to introduce solids to your baby earlier than this, do not do so before the age of 4 months. This is because her digestive system is not able to process anything but milk before this. In fact, giving your baby solids earlier than four months can have negative effects on her longterm health. Waiting much later than 6 months of age is also not a good idea, as her nutritional needs increase at this age. As a result, she’s ready to be exposed to the different tastes and textures of solids. Age is not the only factor at play though; there’s a number of developmental milestones and fine motor skills that will show that your baby is ready for her first bites of solid food:

■ YOUR BABY CAN SIT UP UNSUPPORTED and has good control over her head and neck.

■ YOUR BABY IS NO LONGER GAINING WEIGHT AS QUICKLY as she did in the early months, and her milk feeds no longer satisfy her, as she gets hungry soon after a feed.

■ YOUR BABY CAN REACH OUT TO GRAB

an object and bring it to her mouth.

■ YOUR BABY SHOWS INTEREST IN YOUR FOOD.

■ YOUR BABY HAS LOST HER TONGUE-THRUST REFLEX and does not automatically push food out of her mouth with her tongue.

■ YOUR BABY MAKES A CHEWING ACTION with her jaw.

■ YOUR BABY HAS DOUBLED HER BIRTH WEIGHT (but if she’s done this before the age of 4 months, she’s still not ready).

■ IF YOU’RE STILL UNSURE,

chat to a healthcare provider, such as your doctor or clinic sister about starting solids. Always remember, you know your baby best. Don’t let pressure or wellmeaning but misguided advice from family and friends push you into starting solids when neither you nor your baby are ready. It really isn’t true that eating solids will make your baby sleep through the night, so don’t use this as a reason to introduce food early on – this could actually harm your baby.

WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE?

Time your baby’s first few bites well. Both you and baby should be calm and relaxed, and your baby should not be too hungry – an hour after a milk feed is a good time to aim for, so do this in the late morning or early afternoon.

Seat your baby in the high chair or on your lap, and use a soft baby spoon to feed her her first taste of soft, runny food.

Keep things relaxed and enjoyable; never force your baby to eat. Be prepared for chaos – this first step is really more about exploring the texture and taste of solids than anything else. If your baby decides to dip her whole hand into the bowl and lick the food off, let her. Encourage the exploration and enjoyment of eating, and be sure to put a bib on your baby and keep a clean cloth handy to wipe up the worst of the mess.

It’s also quite normal for your baby to only eat one or two tiny teaspoons at first. This is a big learning curve, so it’ll take a few days for her to get used to the new sensations solid foods bring. All these new tastes and textures can be very stimulating. Keep her first few solid meals quite runny, as this will make it easier for her to suck the food off the spoon.

WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY BABY?

Start your baby off on baby cereal, fruit puree or vegetable puree. It doesn’t really matter which of these you choose, as your baby is getting used to the idea of solids and so the actual amount of food she takes in is quite small. Each option does, however, have its pros.

Baby cereal is convenient. You can make it up in small amounts, and babies enjoy its mild taste. Read the labels and choose one that is fortified with iron and contains the lowest amount of sugar you can find. Babies also enjoy the taste of fruit purees. A smooth apple puree is a great choice for those first tastes of solid food. It is so easy to make your own. Wash and peel a few apples. Steam the flesh until tender, and then blend until smooth. Serve a tiny portion immediately and freeze the rest in small portions to use in future. Vegetable purees are a popular first choice among parents who want to discourage their babies from developing a sweet tooth. Butternut or sweet potato purees make for excellent starter foods that most babies seem to enjoy.

GRADUALLY DOES IT

It’s important to introduce just one new food at a time over three to five days, so that you can keep an eye out for any adverse reactions in your child.

If she does have a reaction to anything, stop the food immediately.

Once your baby is happily eating single fruit and vegetable purees, you can combine different foods for added variety.

As your baby gets used to the action of chewing and swallowing, you can increase the amount of food you feed her at each meal. Eventually your baby will be eating three tablespoons of food at each meal, twice a day. Keep the texture of the food quite runny at first, and work up to more texture as time goes on. Keep in mind though that all babies are different.

If your baby doesn’t like a certain food, don’t force her to eat it. Rather give her something else and then try to introduce the disliked food at a later stage.

Studies show that babies refuse an unwanted food up to 10 times before they start to like eating it – so keep at it.

If your baby is sick or bothered by teething, her appetite could be adversely affected. She may not be interested in trying anything new at this time, preferring the comfort of foods she knows and loves. This is fine; you can introduce new tastes and textures when she’s feeling better. Never leave your baby alone when she’s eating. There is always the danger of choking, so you need to be close by to react immediately. Likewise, it’s not a good idea to give your baby food in the car. Remember to practise good hygiene when preparing and feeding your baby. Also be very careful when warming baby’s food – test the temperature before you feed it to her.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Once your baby is eating cereal, vegetable and fruit purees, and a combination of these happily, it’s time to introduce yet more culinary experiences.

It’s important that your baby gets used to more texture, so between 7 and 9 months, be sure to feed Baby meals that are lumpier. (Turn the page for a few recipes for some really interesting ideas of what to feed your baby.)

Also don’t delay the introduction of meat into your baby’s diet. Add beef, chicken, lamb or fish to your baby’s meals.

You can also feed your baby pulses and full-cream, unsweetened yoghurt and cheese at this age.

Eggs also make for great baby food.

The latest research shows that you should introduce common allergens like egg and even bread early on to reduce the risk of food allergies (unless there is a known history of food allergy in your family). Continue to gradually increase the amount and variety of foods you feed your baby. Never force feed your baby though – once she turns her head away, it’s time to end the meal.

The list of foods that babies shouldn’t eat is fortunately quite short: avoid anything with added salt or sugar, smoked or processed foods, ready meals and fast foods, honey (under a year of age), cow’s milk to drink (until 10 months), fried foods and foods that pose a choking hazard (such as whole nuts).