Starting solids: Tips and guidelines

Many babies do not want a big breakfast and thrive on nibbling at fruit for most of the morning, contrary to most opinions. Babies are often natural ‘grazers’ – they might reject regular meals, preferring to snack throughout the day – your task is to provide healthy snacks. Try, by close observation, to find your child’s natural eating rhythm and support this. And remember, babies do not get bored with a diet that does not vary greatly, as adults might.
Take these cautionary comments seriously in the early stages of feeding:

• Do not add sugar, salt or butter to a baby’s foods.
• Never force baby to eat if he is disinclined and do not resort to antics and bribes to persuade him to eat healthy food.
• Do not give a heavy meal at night and supper should be at least two hours before bedtime to sufficiently digest.
• Make sure that you do not offer unhealthy snacks like biscuits, crisps and sweets.
• Preferably don’t add cereal to baby’s bottles.
• Over the age of one year, be sure that milk does not replace food in your child’s diet. Often children who drink excessive quantities of milk (400ml to 500ml every 24 hours is enough after a year) lose their appetite for food.
• Restrict dairy products like cheese and yoghurt as children are often allergic to these.
• Acidic fruits like oranges, guavas and strawberries are best left until after two to three years in many children, so try these carefully.
• Bananas are constipating in many children under the age of seven months; they should always be very ripe.
• Always keep fruit separate from other foods and offer sweet and acidic fruits at different times too, to avoid skin rashes.
• Many babies are allergic to eggs, and have health problems with excessive amounts of sugar and wheat.
   
• Preparing fresh food daily is the most nutritious – convenience foods should be reserved for busy and difficult times.
•  Milk (breast or formula) is very important right up to one year. Meat is not important in the first year, and vegetarian babies can be very healthy.
• If babies are very used to bottled food, mix in the food you have prepared, gradually increasing the amount.
• A teething child often goes off his food for a while.
• Allow baby’s taste buds to guide you.
• Respect nature’s colour code. If your child eats something from most colour groups, most days of the week as she grows, you can be sure that the diet is balanced. Greens, yellows, whites, oranges, occasionally reds; it’s all been thought out by wise old Mother Nature.
• Do buy very good quality animal protein if giving to baby; make it a small part of the meal only and preferably use free range, unmedicated products.
• Last, but not least, set a good example as parents. Eat healthily and your baby will do so too.

Picky eaters


solids, baby, weaning, first foods, fussy eaters