Starting baby on solids sounds easy but there is alot to take into consideration. When it comes time to start feeding baby mums often have lots of questions and from personal experience they will find practical and thoughtful answers in the fabulous book ‘What Do I Feed My Baby?’ by Leanne Cooper.Available from www.metromum.com.au
Leanne Cooper is a nutritionist, leading childhood nutrition expert and author of infant and childhood nutrition books, including ‘What Do I Feed My Baby?’. Leanne’s nutritional support and advice is featured on Huggies websites worldwide, she is on numerous Expert Panels, and consults on nutrition to a number of parenting organisations and magazines.
And we are very fortunate to be allowed to share Leanne's tips with you in our Metro Blog. We hope you find this as helpful as we did.
INTRODUCING SOLIDSWhen should solids be introduced?Between 4 and 6 months, although most commonly closer to 6 months. Up to the first 4 to 6 months of an infant’s life, breast milk or formula will provide all their nutritional requirements for growth. At around 6 months, the iron stores that baby gained in utero begin to run low, which is one of the reasons we start solids around this time.
Don’t be tempted to start too earlyIntroducing solids too early can be a burden to an underdeveloped digestive system (most babies’ digestive systems remain inadequate up to about 6 months of age), as well as impairing maternal milk supply. Other concerns include increasing the risk of food allergies and exposure to bugs that may lead to diarrhoea and other gastric problems.
Most parents soon realise how convenient milk feeding is (especially if it is your second time around). The tendency to want to delay introducing solids creeps into the minds of many of us, however…
Don’t wait too longAccording to research, your baby will not benefit from having solids before 6 months. However, if you leave the introduction of solids too late, you risk undermining your baby’s nutritional status. Iron and zinc levels, in particular, decrease in breast milk as your baby’s demand increases. Other problems include immune challenges and reduced motor development, for example, the skill of chewing.
So how much will baby eat at first? It generally takes about a month from the time of the first introduced food for babies to work up to taking more than 10 ml a day (just over 2 teaspoons), and a month and half to be able to consume more than 100 ml a day.
Babies who were started on solids at a younger age seem to take longer to get to these amounts; hence introducing solids at 6 months appears to shorten the time.
Tips on starting foods Foods should be a fine, runny puree and smooth in consistency.
Introduce foods one at a time, and ensure they don’t include salt, sugar or flavourings of any sort. Maintaining baby’s milk source helps to ensure that any reactions can be attributed to the single food. [is this what you mean here Leanne; that breastfeeding should continue while foods are introduced one at a time?]
Rotate foods so that you give the same one only once in a 3-5 day period. There’s nothing worse than eating the same thing over and over again. This will also help reduce the risk of food reaction or allergy, and in the unlikely event of a reaction, it may become evident before the end of the day.
Once a variety of foods has been introduced successfully, make sure you vary them frequently so that baby gains a balanced diet. Variety at this early stage may also help you get through that fussy stage in the toddler years.
Be persistent. Many studies show that it may take up to 10 opportunities to try a new food before baby accepts it.
Avocado (mmmm) was my favourite starter because in its fatty acid makeup, it is similar to breast milk. Once you’ve diluted it (watered it down) into a runny paste with breast milk or formula it can be an option that baby will enjoy early on.
Food suggestions for bubs starting outGiven the amount that is likely to go in and stay in, baby’s first foods will not provide significant nutrients. Infants of less than 6 months will still rely primarily on breast milk or formula for all their nutritional requirements. The point of introducing solids around this time is to prepare baby for new tastes, textures and modes of feeding.
Start with an iron-enriched infant cereal. While many of these are high glycaemic foods, infants who are just starting out find them easy to digest and swallow. Use breast milk or formula to mix into a smooth paste.
Cooked and pureed vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, choko, parsnip, broccoli, peas, potato, zucchini, cauliflower.
Once you have introduced a few vegetables you can start to mix them and create interesting combinations.
Mashed/cooked/pureed fruits such as avocado, apple, banana, pear, choko, strawberry etc. can also be introduced, although fruit is often best left till after a wide array of vegetables have been introduced to avoid an over fondness for sweet foods.
If a fruit or vegetable is too runny, use baby’s rice cereal as a thickener.
By six months, baby should be consuming iron-fortified baby foods such as rice cereal (as per dietary guidelines for children).
The timing of food groups differs from one culture to the next and as yet there are no hard-and-fast rules. The following is a guide only.
What foods at what age?According to the literature, there are no firm rules for introducing foods. The best we can do is be guided by our baby, and our knowledge of their physical development and digestive system.
1. We know that babies can digest some sugars but find starches more challenging until around 9–10 months.
2. Fat can also be difficult as their livers are still developing.
3. Protein in most cases is fine, although in some it can cause certain allergies, for example cow’s milk protein allergy.
4. Babies seem incapable of digesting foods rich in protein (such as meat) until around 9 months.
The World Health Organisation defines four phases in the introduction of ‘complimentary foods’, determined by baby’s motor development:
1. Stage one is getting baby used to eating from a spoon, using pureed foods, once or twice a day.
2. Stage two is becoming accustomed to texture because of improved motor skills.
3. Stage three is the introduction of lumpy texture and thick consistencies, and again improved motor skills by allowing finger foods.
4. Stage four is self-feeding and nearing family meals.
Some tips before starting out Remember that all babies are different. They eat different amounts, have different taste and texture preferences, and progress at different rates. (See Figure 1 for general guidelines.)
When starting out, offer breast milk or formula first so bub gets all his or her nutrients each day.
Avoid upset tummies by not pushing bub to eat too much initially. He or she will quickly learn to show you they are ready for more.
Introduce new foods only once every 3–5 days and always check for reactions.
The top foods for allergic reaction include egg, milk, seafood, nuts, soy and wheat (not in any order).
Make your purees for storage thicker than you need so you can thin them down and warm them up after being refrigerated with boiling water, breast milk or formula.
When preparing purees for bub to eat straight away, don’t make them too thick; they should be soupy to start with until your little one is drinking water. This can help to reduce the likelihood of constipation.
In the early days, use ice-cube trays to store cooked pureed vegetables. They are a handy size, just pop out, and are easy to thaw. Ensure they are covered and name and date the pack. Some kitchen storage companies make sealed ice-cube containers which can be very useful.
Cook up to three or four vegies (in separate pots) and puree or mash them. Using 250 ml air-tight containers, fill only a third of the container, label, date and freeze. You can take out three at a time to make mixed vegies. This gives you the freedom to make different mixes as often as you choose and helps to ensure a varied diet.
It is always handy to have some ice-cubes of clean boiled water in the freezer. If the pureed food is too hot, just pop in an ice-cube to cool and thin it down ready for use.
Chop woodier vegies like parsnips into smaller pieces to cook faster and make pureeing or mashing easier.
Buy bibs of different colours. Why? Well, use a bib the same colour as the food you are serving to bub, for example a red bib for beetroot days, a green one for pea days and so on.
Keep in mind that When baby starts teething, this may affect their appetite so don’t be put off if he or she seems to have lost interest at this point. It is likely to just be temporary.
It can take up to 10 or more exposures for a baby to take to something new, perseverance is important! Don’t confuse rejection with permanent dislike.
Avoid imposing adult meal and food preferences onto your baby; they don’t need specific ‘breakfast-type’ foods such as sweet foods. There is plenty of time for that beyond 12 months.
When bub starts to become mobile they sometimes temporarily lose interest in food as this new-found movement is more interesting to them. They will be fine and it will pass.
Cleanliness and safetyWithout doubt, cleanliness is crucial to avoiding food contamination. Most of us are very careful with hygiene; however, when dealing with food, it’s worth remembering the following:
Wash fruit and scrub vegetables before use or before refrigerating.
Use hot soapy water to wash your hands.
Use appropriate cutting boards. Wooden boards have been shown to yield the lowest bacterial covering after use and washing.
Take care when heating food in a microwave as the food can be hotter in certain areas than others.
Do not cross-contaminate foods, for example raw meats, poultry or eggs should not be placed together.
Avoid using your fingers to handle food.
Keep hair away from food.
Reduce the food’s exposure to anyone who may be unwell.
Wash sponges in the machine or place in the microwave for two minutes and replace regularly.
Clean up food spills with paper towels and dispose immediately.
If in doubt, discard food that is suspicious.
Food and safe eating A recent study of food-related choking in America found that 90% occurred in infants and children under the age of 5 years and 65% in children under 2. Of the 103 foods studied, round-shaped foods were found to be the most common offenders. The study found the following foods to be most risky (in order):
1. Hot dogs and sweets
2. Nuts
3. Grapes
To further avoid choking, ensure your baby eats only while sitting. NEVER leave infants or young children to eat alone. Avoid hard and round small foods; instead chop food into irregular small pieces and quarter grapes. Some reports suggest avoiding sticky foods such as melted cheeses and peanut butter; however, there is a low incidence of asphyxiation with these foods.
Quick tip: Baby-feeding meshes are a recent product on the market. They are plastic holders with a mesh bag to hold food that baby can then chew on. Fantastic for teething and safely introducing finger foods, for example a wide range of fruit, vegies and other foods. These replace the home-made version using muslin. A great invention.
What should infants drink?Babies need more water than adults to digest their food. Why? Because babies’ kidneys are not fully developed and therefore not as adept at handling the waste products from the digestion and metabolism of food. Infants’ kidneys use more water than adults to dilute and remove waste products from the body. As solids are increasing in volume in the diet, it becomes more important to monitor the amount of water a child is drinking, particularly in the case where milk feeds are being replaced by solid foods.
Water is much better than other fluids, particularly juices and cordials. Ensure that drink bottles and cups are placed in easy-to-see and reachable positions and check the levels throughout the day.
Dietary guidelines recommend that children:
Are not given any fruit juice before 6 months of age.
Are not given juice in bottles or other vessels that pour easily allowing a child to drink juice over the day.
Are not given juice at bedtime.
It is generally agreed that young children should not be given fruit juice and that water is the most preferable fluid.
Created by Leanne Cooper, nutritionist mother of two and director Sneakys; adapted from What do I Feed my Baby? A step-by-step guide to starting solids, by Leanne Cooper 2008
This fact sheet may be reproduced in whole or in part for education and non-profit purposes with acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for commercial use or sale. The information provided is not meant to replace medical advice.
Figure 1 Quick reference guide to introducing foodsAge Suitable foods Consistency Milk feeds
Around 6 months Note: Leaving sweeter foods such as fruit till after the introduction of vegetables can improve acceptance of foods that are not sweet
Gluten free iron-fortified cereal i.e. rice
Vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, avocado, choko, parsnip, broccoli, peas, potato, zucchini, cauliflower, beans.
Avocado
Cooked/mashed fruit such as apple, pear, banana, paw paw, rockmelon.
Teething rusks
Pureed into a smooth paste with breastmilk or formula.
Still relies primarily on breastmilk or formula.
7ish months Working up to 3 meals a day and adding of texture
Iron-enriched rice cereal should be used by 6 months.
Baby yoghurts or plain natural acidophilus yoghurts which are often more nutritious and have less additives
Increasing variety of vegetables first, then fruit (not citrus fruits or tomato), corn, beetroot, peas, capsicum, turnip, parsnip
Increasing variety of fruit – strawberries, mango, blueberries, watermelon, plum, star fruit and custard apples
Brown and white rice cooked till soft
Use of feeding cups over bottles
Offer water regularly over the day
Mashed into a soft and lumpy consistency, similar to the texture of cottage cheese.3-5 milk feeds per day.
8ish months Babies develop a swallowing reflex for coarser foods.
Fish
A teaspoon of almond, linseed, sunflower or hazelnut meal (powder) added to mashed foods for protein and essential fats.
Thoroughly cooked brown and white rice.
Vegetarian proteins such as tofu and lentils
Cheese (cheddar has low amount of lactose)
White meat such as fine pieces of chicken or turkey
Lumpy food Introduce lumpy foods. 3-4 milk feeds per day.
Around 9 months Baby starts chewing and moving food around their mouth
Start with gluten-free cereals such as corn, millet, rice, buckwheat, tapioca and quinoa – try buckwheat and rice noodles before pasta
Nut spreads (caution with allergies)
Expand on cheeses (cottage etc.)
Red meat such as lamb mince
Finger foods – grated cheese, vegetables fruit
Vegetables, thin slices, grated
Peeled and seeded fruit
Beans
Cereals, couscous, semolina, tapioca, pasta, noodles etc. ‘Finger foods’, grated cheese, finely chopped meat. 3 milk feeds per day.
10 months Eggs (cooked egg yolk, offer whole egg after 12 months)
Well-cooked red meats
Small amounts of milk, soy milk, nut milk, oat milk
Stews, rissoles, casseroles, sandwiches, etc Scrambled egg yolk.
Finely chopped or minced meat. 3 milk feeds per day.
11-12 months Other legumes (kidney beans, butter beans, cooked legumes, soy beans, tofu)
Pasteurised milk and milk alternatives from 12 months Weaning from breast or bottle if wished at 12 months.
12 months+ Most foods the family eats. Whole foods except nuts. Water is best fluid.
The above is only a guide some foods are introduced at different times in some families
For further helpful information refer to ‘What Do I Feed My Baby?’ book
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