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.