Me + My Baby
Simply Delicious
You're convinced they're ready for solids and the stage - or rather the table - is all set. But where do you start? It's not like you can just stride in with a roast dinner! Here are some ideas about the best first foods to tempt your baby into discovering the wonderful world of food.
Starters Orders
Most health visitors suggest you start your baby on rice cereal. You can either make this yourself or buy baby rice, which is normally enriched with vitamins and iron and free of sugar and salt. Mix it up with the milk you usually give your baby or boiled cooled water - it's best to aim for a sloppy consistency that's not much thicker than milk. Usually they'll only have a teaspoon or two at first - if that! Don't be tempted to sweeten it with fruit - you don't want your baby to become too accustomed to sweet tastes and reject everything else. If your baby's allergic or intolerant of milk products, ask your health visitor for advice on first foods to try.
One Step at a Time
Even if your baby has lapped up their baby rice, just give it to them once a day for another three or four days. It's important at this stage to introduce one food at a time, so that if there's an allergy or sensitivity, you'll easily spot it. Symptoms to look out for that might be related to what they've eaten include rashes, diarrhoea, excessive bloating or wind, a runny nose and eyes, wheezing or just general crankiness. If you think they've had a reaction, avoid the food you suspect has caused it for a week or so and then try again - if they have the same reaction two or three times it's a good indication they're sensitive to that food and so avoid it.
Appetisers
After three or four days of baby rice, it's time to expand the menu a little. Vegetable purees are a good second food - they're packed with vitamins and minerals and will get your baby used to savoury tastes. Pureed squash, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip and yam usually go down well as they're slightly sweeter than green vegetables. Babies tend to like their food bland, so it's probably best to avoid strong flavoured vegetables such as broccoli until they're more used to eating solids. Again, try each vegetable puree for three or four days before introducing a new one.
Fruity Treats
Most babies love eating fruit, especially if it's fully ripe and naturally sweet. At first, you can try cooked purees of apples and pears - bananas are the only fruit that can be eaten raw until they're about six months old when they can move onto mashed papaya, pear, melon, mango and peach.
Most health visitors suggest you start your baby on rice cereal. You can either make this yourself or buy baby rice, which is normally enriched with vitamins and iron and free of sugar and salt. Mix it up with the milk you usually give your baby or boiled cooled water - it's best to aim for a sloppy consistency that's not much thicker than milk. Usually they'll only have a teaspoon or two at first - if that! Don't be tempted to sweeten it with fruit - you don't want your baby to become too accustomed to sweet tastes and reject everything else. If your baby's allergic or intolerant of milk products, ask your health visitor for advice on first foods to try.
One Step at a Time
Even if your baby has lapped up their baby rice, just give it to them once a day for another three or four days. It's important at this stage to introduce one food at a time, so that if there's an allergy or sensitivity, you'll easily spot it. Symptoms to look out for that might be related to what they've eaten include rashes, diarrhoea, excessive bloating or wind, a runny nose and eyes, wheezing or just general crankiness. If you think they've had a reaction, avoid the food you suspect has caused it for a week or so and then try again - if they have the same reaction two or three times it's a good indication they're sensitive to that food and so avoid it.
Appetisers
After three or four days of baby rice, it's time to expand the menu a little. Vegetable purees are a good second food - they're packed with vitamins and minerals and will get your baby used to savoury tastes. Pureed squash, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip and yam usually go down well as they're slightly sweeter than green vegetables. Babies tend to like their food bland, so it's probably best to avoid strong flavoured vegetables such as broccoli until they're more used to eating solids. Again, try each vegetable puree for three or four days before introducing a new one.
Fruity Treats
Most babies love eating fruit, especially if it's fully ripe and naturally sweet. At first, you can try cooked purees of apples and pears - bananas are the only fruit that can be eaten raw until they're about six months old when they can move onto mashed papaya, pear, melon, mango and peach.
