by Joe Wicks
ZINC helps us to process carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the body and usually is present in foods that also contain protein and iron, such as eggs, wholegrains, meat and pulses. Including a selection of these foods in baby’s diet daily should help ensure that zinc needs are also met.
CALCIUM helps to build strong bones and teeth. Most of a baby’s calcium will still come from either breast or formula milk, but you can include small amounts of pasteurized full-fat dairy products, such as plain yoghurt, full-fat cow’s milk and cheese, in your baby’s foods from around 6 months of age. Cow’s milk isn’t recommended as a main drink for your baby until 1 year.
IODINE is often forgotten, but is important as it’s needed for making thyroid hormones in the body and it contributes to normal growth in children. The main sources are white fish, dairy and eggs.
FIBRE is important for the digestive system. Fibre-rich foods include fruits and vegetables as well as wholegrain carbohydrates such as whole-
meal bread, pasta and brown rice. It’s a good idea to use a combination of white and wholegrain carbohydrates for babies and young children, because wholegrains contain lots of fibre and so can be very filling, not leaving enough room for the nutrient-dense foods that infants need when growing so quickly. Including some wholegrains is fine from 6 months of age; you can gradually build on how much fibre you offer as your little one grows.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS
The NHS recommends that breastfed infants in the UK receive a daily supplement of 8.5–10 micrograms of vitamin D from birth until 1 year of age (and then 10mcg of vitamin D from 1 to 4 years of age is recommended daily). Vitamin D mainly comes from sunlight and is hard to get from food alone.
Formula milk is already supplemented with vitamin D, and therefore formula-fed babies won’t need extra vitamin D until a baby is having less than 500ml of formula milk a day.
It’s also recommended that all babies from 6 months of age and up until 5 years of age (if they are having less than 500ml of formula milk) receive a supplement containing vitamins A and C. Speak to your health visitor about this as some areas offer free vitamin drops for young babies, which contain the correct amount of vitamin A, C and D; via the Healthy Start scheme.
Vitamin A supports the immune system and is found in a wide range of foods including oily fish, dairy, eggs, sweet potatoes, mango, spinach and red peppers.
Vitamin C is also important for the immune system as well as helping to enhance iron absorption from foods, so it may help to serve vitamin C-rich foods, such as red peppers, potatoes, berries and oranges, alongside iron-rich foods (see here). Most fruits and vegetables are a good source of vitamin C, so as long as your baby is having these in their diet regularly, they should be getting enough.
Vitamin D is found in just a few foods, such as oily fish, red meat, egg yolks and fortified foods, but mainly comes from sunlight.
It’s important not to offer baby too many supplements at the same time, so speak to your pharmacist before giving your child one or more supplements.
VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN BABIES
Babies can get most of the nutrients they need on a well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet. However, it really can take a fair bit of extra planning. If you want to raise your baby as a vegetarian or a vegan, it’s a good idea to have a chat with a healthcare professional, such as a GP or registered nutritionist or dietitian, first. They can help you ensure your baby is getting the best possible nutrition.
Some of the nutrients that are very important for babies’ growth and development (see here) come largely from animal-based foods. These include iodine, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids, which largely come from fish and dairy in the UK diet. If your baby doesn’t eat fish or dairy, then you may need to think about supplements, or fortified foods that include iodine. Omega-3 can come from a well-balanced diet which includes ground seeds, ground walnuts and fortified foods such as enriched eggs.
It’s also important to include enough plant-based protein, iron- and zinc-containing foods in the diet of a vegan or vegetarian baby. These might include beans, chickpeas, lentils, ground nuts and seeds, fortified grains and cereals and dark green leafy vegetables. Additionally, combining grains and legumes together in the same meal can help provide a balance of proteins for vegan and vegetarian babies.
B vitamins are also found in a really wide variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, bread and cereals, and eggs, meat and milk. If your little one doesn’t eat any animal products you will need to make sure they are having a varied diet to get all of the different B vitamins needed. Vitamin B12, however, is only available in animal foods, so if your baby has no animal products (including no dairy or eggs) they may need a supplement of vitamin B12 or to opt for foods fortified with vitamin B12.
Again, talk to your GP or pharmacist before giving your baby multiple supplements.
PLANT-BASED MILKS
Plant-based milk alternatives (except rice drinks) can be used in cooking or mixed with food from 6 months, but remember to look for versions that are unsweetened and have been fortified with calcium. Breast milk and/or infant formula should be baby’s main drink until 12 months of age, and, just like cow’s milk, milk alternatives should not be given as a main drink until 1 year. As noted already, it’s a good idea to speak to a healthcare professional such as a health visitor or GP if you are thinking of cutting cow’s milk and dairy out of your child’s diet completely. If your child has an allergy or intolerance to milk, or is following a vegan diet, talk to your GP or a registered dietitian. They can advise you on suitable milk alternatives.
Rice milk is not suitable for babies until they reach 5 years of age, due to traces of arsenic that are often found in this milk.
RESPONSIVE FEEDING AND PORTIONS
When it comes to feeding babies, there is so much more to it than simply WHAT we put on their plates. The surrounding environment and the responses and behaviours that they get from their parents can all make a difference to how they develop patterns of eating.
‘Responsive feeding’ encourages lots of communication around feeding including signs of hunger and fullness between a parent and their baby. It can really help during weaning and works like this.
1 A parent sets up the food environment with a calm space, minimal distractions and a good structure around mealtimes.
2 A baby responds by eating, throwing, rejecting, smiling at mealtimes as well as showing their skills and abilities for a parent to interpret (e.g. can they take lumps readily, are they gagging lots, how good is their hand–eye coordination).
3 A parent then, in turn, responds to this by attending to their baby’s signals and encouraging their development – for example moving to lumpier textures, demonstrating how to use finger foods, or stopping a meal if their baby is showing signs of fullness.
In this way, it’s really easy for a baby to learn about food and their own appetite cues, as well as allowing you as a parent to see how you can progress them through their weaning journey.
PORTION SIZES
Responsive feeding can really help when it comes to portion sizes. Lots of parents are nervous during weaning about how much their baby is eating. However, there are no portion size recommendations for babies, and there is a very good reason for this. Babies’ appetites change all the time, from day to day and from meal to meal. Like adults, their appetites are also affected greatly by illness, tiredness, excitement, pain, growth, etc, and so it’s OK for them to reject food sometimes and eat a lot on other occasions. Try not to compare your little one’s appetite with that of other infants, because they are all so different. Instead, try to offer a variety of healthy foods and allow your baby to decide how much they will eat at mealtimes. Looking at their intake over a week, rather than day to day, can be helpful and can often put things into context a little more.
If you’re ever concerned that your little one isn’t eating enough or is eating too much, the best advice is to check their routine around food and milk, t
ake a look at how much milk is being consumed throughout the day, and also go and visit your GP or health visitor to get your little one weighed and to get any questions you have answered directly.
REFUSING FOOD
Food refusal is often a normal part of the weaning journey, so if your baby goes through a period of rejecting food, remember that it’s completely normal.
A few things you can do to bring the enjoyment back into food and mealtimes again are listed below (continues on here):
* Take the pressure off mealtimes and try not to coax or force foods if your baby isn’t keen on eating. Instead, respond to their signals of refusal by gently removing the food or simply saying ‘that’s OK’ and sitting back and eating your own food.
* Keep offering a wide variety of foods, even if sometimes they are rejected.
* Try smaller portions at mealtimes so you’re not overwhelming them with food.
* Sit and eat with your little one as much as possible so they learn from seeing you enjoy your food.
* Avoid drawing too much attention to the food refusal and stop mealtimes if your baby gets distressed.
* Keep trying, sometimes it takes multiple attempts of certain foods before they are accepted. This doesn’t mean offering them every day or every meal, but just not giving up after a few tries.
* Make mealtimes fun and enjoyable, let your baby play with food and experiment with it, lots of smiles and encouragement as well as eating together can all be helpful.
Portion sizes are definitely based on the demands of the baby. Indie’s demands can be really different. Sometimes she’ll have a massive breakfast then not want to eat for the rest of the day. Other times she’ll want to eat all day. If your baby has had a sedentary day, they’re not going to need as much energy. If they’ve had a really active day of crawling and walking, they’re going to need more.
As Indie walks now, she’s eating slightly bigger portions more regularly. Sometimes in the morning she can eat an adult-sized portion of porridge. Breakfast is usually her favourite meal. Sometimes she won’t eat as much for lunch and dinner but it depends on timings and what we’ve been doing that day. Just like there is no set portion size for adults, there isn’t one for kids. And then of course sometimes Indie won’t eat a meal, but we come back in an hour’s time and try again after a distraction, rather than offering alternatives. Patience pays off in the end.
EATING OUT
One thing that really upsets me is seeing the quality of food on kids’ menus in restaurants. They are usually terrible and very limited to things like chips, nuggets, fish fingers and pizza. It’s such a shame that this is what is presented to us as the only option for our children.
My advice is to look beyond the kids’ menu and look at the normal menu for starters or sides that your baby may enjoy, or even choose a meal which you can share with them. This is what we tend to do with Indie. I’m not saying we never give Indie chips or slices of pizza on occasion but we do not limit her world to the kids’ menu.
When we travelled to Costa Rica with Indie at 8 months old we didn’t even ask to see the kids’ menu. We would just order something simple like grilled fish, steamed veg and mashed potato or rice for ourselves and share it with her. At around 1 year we would share almost anything with her including daals, mahi mahi, curries and risottos. I think eating out with your kids is good because they get to try new things you may not cook at home. Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter to ensure the chef doesn’t add salt to the meal but remember, one meal with a tiny bit of salt isn’t a big issue if most of your meals in a week are cooked from fresh at home without any.
One thing stopping a lot of parents eating out in restaurants is the fear of a public tantrum or a screaming baby. Indie has done this many times and it’s usually when she’s hungry or overtired, so timing your meals out is important. Just try to stay calm and don’t worry what other people think. Other parents have been in the same boat before, so just ride it out and keep enjoying meals out with your family.
ABOUT THE RECIPES
KEY
F = Freezable
V = Vegetarian
VE = Vegan
GF = Gluten-free
As the following sections will explain, I recommend starting weaning for the first week or two with single tastes of vegetables, offering one different veggie each day and trying to stick to more savoury and bitter options such as broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes (see veg-led weaning, here). After this, it’s about continuing to offer these veggies as well as other sweeter veggies as part of your baby’s weaning journey, alongside a wide variety of food combinations – including proteins, carbohydrates and fruits.
Indie was an adventurous baby and so she was very good at coping with different textures and ate fairly big portions at some meals from the word go. Some babies move through textures more slowly and have smaller appetites, and that’s perfectly normal too. It’s good to go at your little one’s own pace. Keep progressing with textures though, as it’s good to move from smooth purees to mashed foods, then from mashed foods to minced and chopped as your baby gets more confident with eating.
The recipes in this book are all easy to adapt, so you can offer smaller portions and also softer textures by adding more liquid or by mashing, mincing and chopping your baby’s food a little more.
SAFELY REHEATING AND FREEZING FOOD
* Cool leftovers as quickly as possible, ideally within 1–2 hours.
* Divide cooked leftovers into individual portions in airtight containers or ice-cube trays and refrigerate or freeze.
* Use refrigerated leftovers within 2 days.
* When reheating, make sure the food is heated until it is steaming hot throughout. (But be careful to cool to an appropriate temperature for your child.)
* Be careful with rice, which you should ideally serve as soon as it has been cooked. If that isn’t possible, cool rice within 1 hour and keep in the fridge or freezer. Refrigerated rice should be eaten within 24 hours and never reheated more than once.
* Always defrost leftovers completely, either in the fridge overnight or in the microwave.
* When defrosted, food should never be reheated more than once.
* Cooked food that has been frozen and removed from the freezer should be reheated and eaten within 24 hours of fully defrosting.
SPECIAL INGREDIENTS
Here’s a list of ingredients to avoid or to prepare in special ways.
* Added sugar – avoid as babies simply don’t need it!
* Salt – not good for little kidneys so avoid adding it to your baby’s food or offering salty foods such as gravy and crisps.
* Whole nuts/peanuts – are a choking risk (as are whole grapes), so avoid offering these whole until children are around 5 years of age and ensure they are prepared appropriately – sliced or ground (see here).
* Honey – can contain a specific bacteria that is very rare but can be dangerous so avoid up until 1 year. Remember that honey is also a sugar.
* Unpasteurized, blue or mould-ripened cheese – avoid because they are a risk of food poisoning. Check labels when choosing cheeses. Full-fat hard cheese is fine for your baby and unpasteurized/mould-ripened are OK to offer if they are cooked in recipes.
* Raw fish, shellfish – avoid lightly cooked or raw fish or shellfish for your baby, due to the higher risk of food poisoning these may pose.
* Some raw eggs – raw or lightly cooked eggs are fine for your baby from 6 months of age if the eggs have the Red Lion stamp on them (see photo opposite). If they don’t have the stamp, these eggs are fine to offer to your baby, but make sure they are well cooked all the way through.
* Rice milk – can contain trace levels of arsenic and so it’s best to avoid giving this to your baby until they are 5 years of age.
* Certain types of fish – shark, swordfish and marlin – contain high levels of mercury and so aren’t recommended as foods for your baby. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel are super beneficial
in small amounts, but there are restrictions as to how much young girls and boys should have, due to potential toxins that can build up in the body. Boys are recommended to have no more than four portions of oily fish a week and girls no more than two portions.
FIRST TASTES
For the first two weeks of weaning we started with single tastes each day of a variety of savoury and bitter vegetables, to help Indie start to accept these flavours early on. I wanted to offer her a variety, so we gave her super-soft finger foods alongside some of the same food pureed on a spoon. You can blend or mash these veggies with some of your baby’s usual milk.
You could try something like this:
This is just to give ideas and you don’t have to do this for 2 weeks straight, but it’s good to offer single tastes of veggies for the first week or so, before moving on to combining ingredients – e.g. potato, broccoli and salmon or egg and tomato – and offering a really varied diet with proteins, carbohydrates and even herbs and spices alongside plenty of veggies and fruits (see 6 months+ recipes, here).