Food for growing babies & toddlers


I


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


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 soya 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 & other carbohydrates, vegetables & fruits


Cooking tips Making your own purees is easy


to do and it means you know


exactly what your baby is eating, and 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. 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.


Small Steps 28


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