Food for growing babies & toddlers


wean. I


Approx 6 months - weaning starts, beginning mainly with purees.


6 - 8 months – most babies begin to master the pincer grasp, to use their thumb and forefinger to pick up safe finger foods, although they may not get it into their mouths yet!


7 - 9 months – your baby’s co-ordination begins to improve so that most food will make it into his or her mouth.


1 year approx – the risk of food allergy is greatly reduced and so it’s safe to gradually introduce full-fat cow’s milk or soy beverage if you wish, rather than breast milk / formula milk


By this age too, your toddler will be ready to try a wide variety of tastes & textures – so experiment with different foods from a well balanced diet - meats, fish (but be careful of bones!), other proteins, dairy produce, bread, pasta and other carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits.


Cooking tips


Making your own purees is easy to do and it means you know exactly what your baby is eating, & it can help you save money too.


Cooking fruit & vegetable purees


The easiest way to make your own purees is to wash, peel, chop and then steam whichever fruit or vegetable you’re using until it’s soft.


Small Steps 28


f your baby is approaching 6 months, you’re probably thinking about starting to


Here are some puree combinations to try


to get you started.


• Mashed potato and carrots • Sweet potato and squash • Sweet potato and carrots • Swede and carrots • Mashed potato and broccoli • Carrots and parsnips • Pears and plums • Bananas and apples • Apples and pears • Apples and blueberries • Banana and avocado


Take care not to overcook as the food will lose its taste and texture. Once cooked you can blend it any way you like. You can change the texture by adding a bit of the reserved cooking water or breastmilk / formula milk. Homemade purees can be made in batches and then frozen. You can use ice cube trays (make sure you cover them so they don’t get contaminated).


When using ice cube trays, you can pop the cubes into labelled freezer bags. This will give you a convenient supply of fresh home made food to mix and match just when your baby wants it, with no fuss!


When re-heating, you must make sure the food is piping hot, then allow to cool before giving to your baby.


Always test it yourself to make sure it’s the right temperature for your baby.


Never reheat foods more than once and do not refreeze uneaten food.


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