starting solid foods

A baby is ready for food when they begin to control their tongue, start to sit upright when supported, show an interest in food and have an increased appetite. Generally this happens at about six months
Starting solids before 4 months can be harmful as the babys digestive system is not mature, and it can increase the risk of food allergies and choking. Foods to introduce first Baby cereals eg make iron fortified baby rice cereal into a smooth paste with breast milk, formula or cooled, boiled water. Mashed/pureed vegetables eg potato, pumpkin, carrots. Progress to stronger flavoured vegetables eg peas, cauliflower, broccoli. Mashed/pureed fruit eg well mashed banana, stewed apple or pear, well mashed rockmelon, watermelon (no pips). Introduce fruit after vegetables so the baby doesnt get used to sweet foods first. Freeze any extra amounts of prepared vegetables and fruit in ice cube trays. Dont add sugar, salt, butter or margarine to your babys food. They dont need it. How to introduce solids For the first few months, offer solids after a milk feed, as breast milk/infant formula is still the main food. Solids are given to teach the baby about eating and to provide extra iron, protein and vitamins. To start, offer 1-2 teaspoons of one new food at a time. A new food can be added every few days. Try each new food in the morning in case the baby reacts to it. Reactions can be watery poos, vomiting, rashes, swelling or wheezing. Reactions are uncommon but may occur with nuts, egg, dairy, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. If a reaction occurs, see your doctor, child health nurse or dietitian. Increase gradually to 1-2 tablespoons of solids, 2-3 times per day.

Dont add solids to the babys bottle. The baby needs to learn to chew and swallow. Babies will let you know when they have had enough by refusing the food or turning away. Start with bland, easily mashed or pureed foods. Your baby does not need pureed foods for very long. This stage usually only lasts a few weeks. Some food such as potato, pumpkin, banana and avocados dont even need to be pureed as they mash up easily. About 6-9 months Most babies can manage soft lumps soon after starting solids. Once baby can sit alone and make chewing movements, they can be encouraged to bite and chew, even if they dont have teeth. Encourage the baby to try mashed, minced, diced or grated foods. Offer pieces of food to hold and chew to encourage self feeding (around 8 months) eg ripe banana, soft pear, pieces of well cooked carrot strips, rusks etc. Start to encourage drinking from a lidded cup at about 7 months (use cooled boiled water, expressed breast milk or formula). By about 8 months your baby might be having 3 meals a day and breast milk or formula feeds in between (about 5-6 milk feeds a day). Always supervise a child while they are eating

Gradually offer small amounts of: Meat/Chicken - tender, well cooked meat from stews and casseroles, well cooked lean mince. Fish - without bones or batter. Baked beans, split peas, lentils - well cooked and mashed. Rice, pasta - cooked. Baby cereals (rice cereal, mixed cereal, baby muesli) - high in iron. Dairy - yoghurt, cheese, custard, milk puddings. Over 9 months Offer food the family is eating that is mashed or chopped into bite size pieces. Encourage healthy snacks between meals. The baby will now need 3-4 milk feeds (breast milk or formula) per day, generally after food. Introduce a small amount of hard boiled egg and if tolerated offer eggs in different ways eg scrambled. By 12 months, children should be drinking from cups not bottles, and can have full cream cows milk as a main drink. Babies are eager to feed themselves, encourage their efforts. This is messy, but an important step. Delay the introduction of eggs and dairy until 12-18 months of age for children with a family history (immediate family) of allergies and, who are therefore, at higher risk of developing food allergies. Important Avoid hard foods that can increase the risk of choking, eg hard biscuits, raw apple, carrots, celery (grate or cook until soft), sausage or frankfurt skins, whole peas, corn, beans, grapes (squash or split them), popcorn, nuts (these are suitable as smooth nut spreads), hard lollies, corn chips, small bones or gristle. Fluid for Babies Breast Milk or Formula Continues to be a babys major food source and drink for the first 12 months. In hot weather, offer more frequent, short breast feeds to breast fed babies and cooled boiled water a couple of times a day between feeds to formula fed babies.

What about Cows milk for under 12 months? Cows milk is not recommended as the main drink before 12 months of age as it lacks sufficient iron and vitamins for growth and development. It can strain the gut and may trigger an allergic reaction. Once dairy foods are introduced, small amounts of cows milk can be added to foods, such as cereals, desserts and in cooking. The best drink for toddlers is water Its cheap, freely available, and has no sugar, artificial colourings and flavourings. Most children enjoy water if they can get into the habit or drinking it at an early age. It helps protect against tooth decay. Have a jug of water in the fridge and place it on the table at mealtimes. Add lemon or orange slices for interest. Milk for toddlers Full cream milk is recommended for children under 2 years of age. Older children can have reduced fat milk. Limit to 600ml (3 cups) per day. Too much can reduce appetite and lead to low intake of other nutrients, including iron and fibre. Fruit juice Large quantities of juice can cause tooth decay, reduce appetite and lead to diarrhoea due to its high concentration of natural sugars. If offering juice, limit to no more than 100-200ml diluted juice a day. Dilute it to at least 50:50 with water and serve it in a cup not a bottle. Non-Dairy drinks such as soy drinks Check these have at least 100mg calcium per 100ml and are 4% fat, (full fat version) for children under 2 years of age. Remember Avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle of juice or milk-as this increases the risk of tooth decay. Information has been adapted with kind permission Start them RightA parents guide to Healthy Eating for Under 5s, Child Health Association,Community Nutrition Unit, Department of Health and Human Services Tasmania, Lady Gowrie Tasmania, Playgroup Association of Tasmania. 2002

Government of South Australia

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGEING

Department of Education and Childrens Services

Written by Accredited Practising Dietitians, Family Day Care Produced by Noarlunga Health Services Copyright C 2004

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY
ADELAIDE AUSTRALIA

The Healthy Food Choice in Family Day Care policy is based on specific needs and views expressed by FDC Careproviders and staff, relating to promoting healthy food choices to children in their care and their families. It was developed and refined in consultation with Careproviders, FDC staff and families, during a 3-year project run jointly through Family Day Care, Noarlunga Health Services and Flinders University, funded through the National Child Nutrition Program, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.