After mine got the hang of their morning baby rice, I tried a single-ingredient purée (preferably vegetable – see here). Mine seemed to take particularly well to Pea, Broccoli and Sweet Potato flavours (see here, here and here). For the first week or so, it’s a good idea to mix the purée with a little of their milk feed so that it tastes vaguely familiar. I always found my children were more receptive to trying new flavours after their main nap, that is, at lunchtime. At 3pm, they’re not tired and they are full of beans, bursting to see what new adventures you’ve got lined up for them that afternoon. As with breakfast, keep a sippy cup of water at hand to quench their thirst. You don’t want to show them their milk feed until after they’ve had a little taste of solid food. Then, when their interest grinds to a halt, you can give them the rest of their milk feed.
SAMPLE MENU
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Breakfast | Sip of water followed by baby rice and morning milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz) |
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Mid-morning | Baby’s usual milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz) |
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Mid-afternoon | Sip of water followed by a single-ingredient purée (see here) mixed with a little of the mid-afternoon milk feed or cooking liquor, followed by the remainder of the milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz). Pea or Carrot (see here) are good ones to try first |
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Bedtime | Baby’s usual milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz) |
WEEK 2
What happens in Week 2 all depends on how well your baby got on in Week 1. If you didn’t get much past the morning baby rice, then now’s the time to start introducing his first vegetable purée. If your baby wolfed down two meals a day for most of Week 1, then you can think about adding another meal. You can also try adding an extra layer of flavour at a meal by following a purée up with some plain full-fat live yoghurt or a sweeter single-fruit purée, such as Pear, Apple, Peach or Banana (see here). By the end of Week 2, if you are sitting him down twice a day, morning and afternoon, for solids and working in another meal around the mid-morning feed, you’re well on your way to achieving three meals a day.
Be totally guided by your baby and what he can manage. If he’s grouchy and fed up when you sit him down and has no desire to eat from a spoon one day, then leave it. Try again the next day. It’s all about trial and error and what works best for you both.
One thing I would say is that you should try to introduce different flavours quite quickly. You can still repeat flavours, but if you’re managing three sessions a day, try to make sure one of those includes something new.
SAMPLE MENU
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Breakfast | Sip of water followed by baby rice mixed with some of the morning milk feed, then top up with the usual morning milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz) |
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Mid-morning | Sip of water first, then a single-ingredient vegetable purée (see here), followed by some plain full-fat live yoghurt. Top up with the usual mid-morning milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz) |
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Mid-afternoon | Baby’s usual milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz) |
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Teatime | Sip of water first, then a single-ingredient vegetable purée, followed by a single-ingredient fruit purée (see here). Try to give a different purée from the one at lunch, if possible, to encourage a varied palate |
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Bedtime | Baby’s usual milk feed (175–225ml/6–8fl oz) |
VEGETABLE PURÉES
For these first purées for your baby, it’s best to start with single foods so that you can spot an allergy immediately. If there is no reaction to one kind of vegetable, then you can try another, to expand the range of different nutrients and flavours. These can also be mixed with baby cereal and/or your baby’s usual milk. In addition, full-fat cow’s milk can be introduced from six months as an ingredient, but not as a drink on its own in the first year. It’s preferable to provide your baby with mainly veg, rather than fruit, to avoid encouraging a sweet tooth, but don’t overdo the ‘windy’ veg, such as sprouts and cabbage.
PEA
Makes 160ml/51/2 fl oz |
125g/41/2oz frozen peas
Put the peas in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 6–8 minutes or until tender. Drain over a bowl, saving 3 tablespoons of the cooking water. Place the peas and the saved water in a food processor, or use a hand blender, and purée until smooth.
PARSNIP
Makes 160ml/51/2 fl oz |
125g/41/2oz parsnip, scrubbed/peeled and cut into 1cm/1/2in chunks
Put the parsnip in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain over a bowl, saving 5 tablespoons of the cooking water. Place the parsnip and the saved water in a food processor, or use a hand blender, and purée until smooth.
CARROT
