MOVING ONTO FAM

                      MOVING ONTO FAM                         

                     ILY MEALS Stage 3 Lumps, Chopped Foods and Finger Foods


At about the ages of 9 months to 1 year your baby will develop further the ability to chew, even if the teeth haven’t come through yet. Your baby will now be taking a wide variety of flavours and textures of food and eating mostly the same foods as the rest of the family. During this stage, continue to offer foods with a lumpy texture as well as finger foods. It is important to try and eat together as a family. When introducing coarser foods it is a good idea to use a food that is already enjoyed. Try mixing a little of the coarser food into the normal minced or mashed food when you first try. Gradually you will be able to increase the chopped food and reduce the minced or mashed food. You can still cook and freeze baby’s meals for convenience. REGULAR MEALS Your baby should always be encouraged to take three (or four) regular meals. Drinks should be unsweetened and be taken from a cup. Suitable snacks which could be offered include:- -A piece of fruit or vegetable -Fingers of bread or toast with savoury topping -Savoury or plain biscuit, e.g. cracker, digestive, breadstick, rich tea biscuit -½ Bread muffin or teacake, malt loaf, or fingers of pitta bread, or rice cakes MILK Continue with breast or formula milk until your baby is at least 1 year of age. Whole cow’s milk can be used in cooking, e.g. in custard, sauces and with cereals. Whole cow’s milk can be used as main drink after 1 year of age. From 1 year onwards, 3 portions of dairy foods daily should be encouraged. This includes milk used on cereals, in cooking and foods made from milk e.g. milk puddings, custard, yogurt, fromage frais, cheese and sauces. Lower fat milk can be used in cooking after 1 year, but not as a main drink. Semi-skimmed milk can be used as a main drink after 2 years as long as your child is growing well and eats a wide variety of foods. Skimmed milk should not be used before the age of 5 years. EGGS All eggs should be well cooked until the white and yolk are solid for infants under 1 year of age, due to the risk of salmonella food poisoning. Dishes which contain raw, uncooked or partially cooked egg should be avoided until 1 year of age. CHEESE Hard cheese (e.g. Cheddar) can be cubed or grated and used as a “finger food” or in sauces. SPREADS Use small amounts of butter or margarine, e.g. on bread/toast. 2 NUTS Whole nuts should not be given to children until 5 years of age because of the risk of choking. Finely ground nuts (i.e. smooth peanut or other nut butters) can be used from 6 months (26 weeks) of age. If your baby has known allergies, such as eczema, asthma, hayfever and rhinitis, or there is a family history of allergy, then all nuts should be avoided until 3 years of age. SALT Salt and salty foods e.g. stock cubes, yeast extract, should only be added to food in small and weak amounts, e.g. very diluted. Try and discourage crisps and other salty snacks. SUGAR Sugar should not be added to food except tart/sour fruit e.g. stewed cooking apple, as this may cause tooth decay and cause your child to become overweight. STARCHY FOODS Encourage wholewheat products e.g. bread, cereal and discourage foods with added sugar (biscuits, cakes etc.) FRUIT AND VEGETABLES Use fruit and vegetables five times in a day. VITAMINS From 6 months (26 weeks) onwards vitamin drops should be given to:- - breast fed babies - bottle fed babies if the amount of formula taken is less than 500mls (17fl.oz) per day Your health visitor can give you more information on the use of vitamin drops. FEEDING THEMSELVES As babies begin to take more lumpy and finger foods they may want to feed themselves. Let them try by giving them a spoon whilst you are feeding them. Their skills in using the spoon will probably take quite some time to develop. USING A CUP At this stage you can try offering drinks from a cup at lunchtime and between meals. Use a beaker with a spout and two firm handles and introduce to your baby gradually. Use unsweetened orange juice with meals, especially if diet is meat free. Fruit juice should be diluted 1 part fruit juice to 10 parts water. Aim for about 4-6 small cups of drink a day. USING WHOLEMEAL FOODS Wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals are essential in a well balanced diet. These foods should be encouraged. Your baby can be given these but take care to choose a fine textured wholemeal bread. Weetabix is best offered mixed with porridge or Ready Brek.

FIRST TASTES FOR THE FIRST YEAR

           FIRST TASTES FOR THE FIRST YEAR     

FIRST TASTES FOR THE FIRST YEAR First Tastes As advised by Health Visitor/Dietitian (not recommended before 6 months) Mealtimes Become More Important 6-9 months Moving onto Family Meals 9-12 months Healthy Eating for Toddlers On waking Breast or formula feed Breast or formula feed Breakfast Baby rice mixed with breast or bottle milk or cooled boiled water Breast or formula feed Cereal e.g. Weetabix, Readybrek, porridge mixed with breast milk, formula or cow’s milk Breast or formula feed Cereal or hard boiled egg with fingers of toast Breast feed or cup of infant formula Breakfast cereal or hard boiled egg with fingers of toast Breast feed or cup of milk Lunchtime Vegetable puree, e.g. carrots, turnip, swede, parsnips, potato mixed with baby rice if necessary Breast or formula feed Minced/mashed – meat, fish or pulses Pureed/mashed vegetable Potato or rice Stewed or pureed fruit Water or diluted fruit juice* Minced or chopped meat, fish, or pulses Mashed vegetables Potatoes, rice, pasta, or chapatti Milk pudding or stewed fruit Diluted fruit juice* or water Chopped meat, fish, cheese or pulses Chopped vegetables Potato, rice, pasta, or chapatti Yogurt, fromage frais, mousse or milk pudding Diluted fruit juice* or water Teatime Fruit puree mixed with baby rice if necessary Breast or formula feed Pureed or mashed cottage cheese and potato or puree vegetables and baby rice Yogurt or raw soft fruit (e.g. banana, melon) used as finger foods Drink if thirsty – diluted fruit juice* Finger foods e.g. bread with savoury spread or cottage cheese or smooth peanut butter or vegetable dish Fruit, yogurt or fromage frais Breast feed or cup of infant formula Sandwiches or fingers of toast with baked beans or hard boiled egg or cheese pieces with tomato and bread Slices of fruit Breast feed or cup of milk Bedtime Breast or formula feed Breast or formula feed Breast or formula feed Breast feed or cup of milk POINTS TO NOTE • Your baby may take time to learn to eat from a spoon, perhaps a week or two • Start with a flat plastic spoon • Use 1-2 teaspoons of food at one meal and gradually increase the amount • Do not add solids to bottles e.g. rusks • Add no salt or sugar to food • From 6 months (26 weeks) babies should be encouraged to drink from a feeding beaker • Food should become lumpier at this stage • Increase the variety of foods offered, e.g. include chicken, fish, pulses and a wider variety of fruit and vegetables • Cow’s milk can be used to mix cereals from 6 months (26 weeks) • Eggs can be introduced and should be cooked until the white and yolk are hard • Use family foods but do not add sugar, honey, salt or spices • Offer water or diluted fruit juice* • Remember vitamin drops (see advice on next page) • Food should now be minced, mashed or chopped • Low sugar rusks are a useful first finger food. Use fingers of harder foods, e.g. fruit, vegetables, toast • Use a feeding beaker for drinks • Use family foods without salt • Remember vitamin drops (see advice on next page) • Mild spices, e.g. coriander and cumin can be used in small amounts • Your child should now be eating with the family • Stick to savoury snacks – vegetables, crackers, plain biscuits, toast or bread, pitta bread, pieces of fruit • Diluted fruit juice or water for drinks • Remember vitamin drops (see advice on next page) • Cow’s milk may now be offered as a main drink *Fruit juice should be diluted 1 part fruit juice to 10 parts water DID YOU KNOW THE FOLLOWING? SUGAR Adding extra sugar can give a taste for sweet foods which can cause tooth decay and obesity in later life. If you use tins or packets of baby food, look for ones without added sugar. Glucose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, syrup, honey, raw/brown sugar are all sugars. Adding sugar to foods should be limited to that needed for tart/sour stewed fruits. SALT/SPICES The young baby’s system cannot cope with extra salt. Therefore do not add to food or give salty foods, e.g. crisps. (Add salt to cooking after taking out baby’s portion). A small amount of mild spices, e.g. coriander and cumin, can be used with older babies. GLUTEN (wheat, rye, barley, oats) CONTAINING FOODS Foods containing gluten can cause allergic reactions in some babies. Wait until 6 months (26 weeks) of age before giving rusks, bread, cereal, biscuits. MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS Formula milk or breast milk is best used for drinks until your baby is 1 year old, although cow’s milk can be used in cooking after 6 months (26 weeks) of age, e.g. in yogurt, fromage frais, custards, sauces and mixed with cereals. After 1 year, whole cow’s milk can be used as a drink. Your child should be taking 1 pint (568mls) in total. This includes puddings and yogurt as well as drinks. More than this may reduce his/her appetite for foods. Semi-skimmed milk can be used after 2 years as long as your child is growing well and eats a wide variety of other foods. CHEESE Cheese can be introduced from 6 months (26 weeks). Start with cottage cheese and move onto mild cheddar later. This is because of the high salt content of hard cheese. EGGS Eggs should not be introduced until 6 months (26 weeks). They must be well cooked until the white and yolk are hard, due to the risk of salmonella food poisoning. NUTS Whole nuts should not be given to babies and young children until after 5 years of age because of the risk of choking. Finely ground nuts (i.e. smooth peanut or other nut butters) can be used from 6 months (26 weeks) of age. However, if your baby has known allergies such as eczema, asthma, hayfever and rhinitis, or there is a family history of allergy, then all nuts should be avoided until 3 years of age. VITAMIN DROPS Vitamin drops should be given to your baby from 6 months (26 weeks) of age if he/she is breastfed or formula milk intake is less than 500mls (17 fl.oz) per day. Vitamin drops are also recommended for your child after 1 year when cow’s milk becomes the main source of milk in the diet and should be continued up to at least 2 years and preferably 5 years of age. FLUORIDE Take advice from your family dentist to see if fluoride supplementation is needed. HONEY No honey is advised for babies under 1 year of age as it has been found to occasionally contain harmful spores.

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