Feeding: Your Baby
Feeding: Your Baby
YOUR BABY
A guide to help you
introduce solid foods
Acknowledgements
The Best Start Resource Centre would like to thank the Nutrition Resource Centre and the members of the advisory committee
who contributed their time and expertise to the development of this resource.
For reviewing the 2016 version, we want to thank the members of Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health
(OSNPPH), Nutrition Resource Centre, Marg La Salle, RN, BScN, IBCLC, CCHN(c), BFI Lead Assessor.
Table of Contents
Baby’s first food 1
Introducing solid foods 2
How to introduce solid foods 3-4
Food allergies 5
Six to nine months 6- 7
Nine months to one year 8
Help your baby be a healthy eater 9
Homemade baby food 10
Food safety 11
Sample menus for baby 12
Resources Back Page
This guide is about feeding your baby from six months to one year. It has
information and answers questions you may have about breastfeeding and
starting solid foods.
Breastfeeding is all your baby needs for the first six months. Then continue to
breastfeed for two years and beyond while introducing your baby to a variety
of solid foods and liquids. Breastfeeding provides your baby with important
nutrients and immune protection even when solid foods are started.
Breast milk protects your baby’s health in ways that infant formula does not.
You can breastfeed as long as you and your baby want to. There is no age when
a baby is too old. The longer you breastfeed, the more benefits you and
your baby get.
If you include infant formula as you are introducing solids, you will make
less breast milk. This can lead to early weaning. If you stop breastfeeding,
it can be hard to start breastfeeding again and re-establish a plentiful milk
supply for your baby. If you are thinking about using infant formula, get
all the facts first.
Babies who are breastfed or receiving breast milk need a daily
vitamin D supplement of 400IU (10 micrograms). Continue to give
your baby a vitamin D supplement for as long as he is breastfed
or receiving breast milk or talk to your health care provider
about when you can stop. After two years of age, a vitamin D
supplement is no longer recommended. Babies who are not
breastfed do not need a supplement because vitamin D has
been added to infant formula.
1
INTRODUCING
solid foods
INTRODUCING SOLID FOODS
When starting to introduce solid foods, it is important to follow your baby’s signs of readiness
for food.
Growth Spurts
Your baby will have many growth spurts. It is important to know the difference between growth
spurts and your baby’s readiness for solid foods. During a growth spurt, your baby may have
some days when he seems hungrier than usual. During those times, breastfeed your baby more
often. The more you breastfeed your baby, the more milk you will produce. Growth spurts
are not a sign that your baby needs solid foods. Starting solids does not help your baby sleep
through the night.
2
How to
INTRODUCE
solid foods
HOW TO INTRODUCE SOLID FOODS
Since birth, your baby has been growing on breast milk. At six months of age, breast milk is still the most
Having different important food but the time has come to add solid foods, especially iron-rich ones. Solid foods provide a
textures is important variety of nutrients, flavours, and textures for your baby.
to help your baby
The first foods you offer your baby need to be rich in iron such as:
learn to chew.
• well cooked meat or meat alternatives;
Babies who stay
on pureed texture • beef • chicken • turkey • lamb • fish • pork
too long or who • whole egg • tofu • legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas)
start lumpy textures • iron-fortified infant cereals;
too late may have • rice infant cereal • oats infant cereal • barley infant cereal • wheat infant cereal • mixed cereals
a hard time feeding
later on. You can What kind of textures can I start with?
also start offering
Offer your baby finger foods and a variety of soft textures such as lumpy, and tender-cooked and finely
soft finger foods minced, pureed, mashed or ground.
with supervision.
Offer finger foods when your baby reaches for food or seems to want to feed himself such as finely minced,
mashed cooked meat, deboned fish, and poultry; pieces of soft-cooked vegetables and fruits; soft, ripe fruit
such as banana; grated cheese; and bread crusts or toasts.
Here are some textures to try:
It is also important
to introduce a variety
of textures from
other food groups.
Finely minced Ground Lumpy
For more information
on how to introduce
other food groups,
see pages 7 and 8.
3
HOW TO INTRODUCE SOLID FOODS
4
Food
allergies
FOOD ALLERGIES
When you introduce a common food allergen for the first time, only offer one per day and wait two
days before introducing another food allergen. This will help you to know which food caused a potential
allergic reaction. If there is a reaction, it will likely appear within 48 hours. You do not need to wait
to introduce all other foods but should always be watching for signs of an allergic reaction. If you, your
partner or siblings has a food allergy, talk to your health care provider for advice on how to safely
introduce solid food.
Signs of an allergic reaction are rash, vomiting, diarrhea, or breathing problems. Stop feeding a food if
you think it causes any of these symptoms. Talk to your health care provider. Call 911 if your baby is
having trouble breathing.
Once your baby eats a common food allergen, such a peanut butter, offer it regularly to help maintain
tolerance to the food. Some of these foods, such as peanuts and tree nuts, may be a choking hazard.
See page 11 for more information about food safety and choking hazards.
5
six to nine
months
What to feed your baby from six to nine months
Some finger foods to try:
Meat and alternatives: •Y our baby needs iron for good health. It is important to continue to breastfeed according to your
• Finely minced, ground, baby’s cues and to offer iron-rich foods two or more times a day.
or mashed cooked meat. • After introducing iron-rich foods, introduce other food groups in any order. The four food groups
• Deboned fish and are: Vegetables & Fruit, Grain Products, Milk & Alternatives, and Meat & Alternatives.
poultry. • Feed your baby solids at regular times. Keep mealtimes pleasant. Include your baby at family
• Pieces of cooked egg. mealtimes.
• Small tender-cooked • Remember to offer your baby a variety of soft textures. See page 3 for more information about
beans (black beans, textures.
navy beans) or larger
tender-cooked beans cut What kinds of meats and alternatives should I feed my baby?
in half (kidney beans). •C ontinue to offer well cooked meat or meat alternatives such as beef, chicken, turkey,
Grains: lamb, fish, pork, egg, tofu, and legumes.
• Bread crusts or toasts. • If cooked meat or meat alternative is dry, add water, expressed breast milk, broth or mix with
• Cooked pasta. vegetable puree. Cook and cube, mash, or puree tofu. Cook egg white and yolk well.
• Pieces of tortilla. • Offer your baby deboned fish such as salmon, halibut, sole, char, haddock, cod, or trout.
• Cut up muffin. •D o not give your baby fish high in mercury more than once a month. These include swordfish,
• Plain o-shaped cereal. shark, fresh or frozen tuna steak, marlin, orange roughy and escolar. Canned albacore tuna
contains less mercury than fresh tuna. Do not give it more than once a week. For more
information, see Mercury in Fish, applicable for children: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/
chem-chim/environ/mercur/cons-adv-etud-eng.php.
• Limit or avoid giving your baby deli meats such as ham, wieners, bologna, salami, or sausages.
These are high salt and low in essential nutrients. Also limit or avoid dried fish, since it has been
preserved using large amounts of salt.
• Shredded, grated or What kinds of vegetables and fruits should I give my baby?
cubed cheese.
•Y ou can offer any type of fruit or vegetable that your family eats, including squash, peas, sweet
• Plain yogurt potatoes, green or yellow beans, apples, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, avocados, and bananas.
• Wash and peel fresh vegetables and fruit before using.
• Give your baby mashed or pieces of cooked vegetables and fruit. You can mash or cut lengthwise
bananas, papayas, avocados, mangoes, melon, and canned fruits without cooking them.
• If you use store-bought baby fruit avoid “fruit desserts”. They are high in sugar.
• Store-bought combination vegetable and meat dinners have less nutrients than jars of single foods.
If you use them add extra meat or alternatives and vegetables to your baby’s meal.
By one year old, your baby should be eating a variety of foods from each food group and drinking
liquids from an open cup. Babies can go directly from breastfeeding to drinking fluid milk from an
open cup.
8
Help your
baby be
a healthy
eater
Help your baby be a healthy eater
9
Homemade
Baby Food
Homemade Baby Food
Making food for your baby is a great way to let your baby enjoy the healthy foods that you enjoy. You
do not need special equipment. Making food for your baby also:
• Saves you money.
• Lets your baby try a greater variety of foods and food from your culture.
• Helps your baby get used to different textures and tastes.
• Lets your baby eat the same foods as your family.
Remember to offer your baby a variety of soft textures such as mashed, minced, ground, pureed, lumpy,
grated, and tender-cooked. See page 3 for more information about textures.
10
FOOD
SAFETY
FOOD SAFETY
Do not feed your How do I keep baby’s food safe?
baby directly •S
erve freshly made baby food or an opened jar of store-bought baby food right away.
from the jar or You can also store it in a covered container in the fridge for two days.
container of • You can store baby food in a fridge freezer for two months or a deep freezer for six months.
baby food unless • Make
sure the safety seal on the jar of store-bought baby food is not broken. Listen for a
you’re giving popping sound when you open a jar of baby food.
your baby the
• Check the “best before” date on store-bought baby food.
whole amount.
• Put
the food for your baby into a bowl. Throw out any food that has come in contact with
your baby’s saliva.
• Defrost raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood in the:
• Fridge • Microwave • Container or sealed bag submerged in cold water
• When using the microwave, cook the food right after it thaws.
• Refreezing
thawed food is not recommended.
• Perishable food should not be left out for more than:
• 1 hour during summer outdoor activities. • 2 hours at room temperature.
11
Sample
menus for
baby
Sample menus for baby
• When solid food is introduced, breastfeeding continues on cue.
• Breast milk can be offered before or after solid foods.
• These menus are only a guide. You can decide according to your convenience and your child’s cues.
• Every baby is different. Trust that your baby knows how much to eat.
Time of Day 6 Months 6-9 Months 9-12 Months
Early morning Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk
Morning Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk
Iron-fortified infant Iron-fortified infant cereal mixed with Iron-fortified infant cereal mixed with breast milk
cereal mixed with breast milk or water or water
breast milk or water Mashed fruit Soft fruit
Snack Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk or homogenized milk
Small pieces of toast, bread, crackers, from an open cup
roti, or pita Unsweetened dry cereal
Noon Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk or homogenized milk
Mashed vegetables from an open cup
Chopped meat or meat alternatives*
lain mashed or finely chopped meat
P
or meat alternatives* Cooked pasta or cooked rice
Chopped vegetables
Grated cheese
Soft fruit
Snack Breastfeeding/breast milk Breastfeeding/breast milk Whole grain and fruit muffin
Cubes of cheese
* Meat alternatives include fish, cooked legumes, beans and lentils, tofu and eggs.
12
Resources
Your local public health department
Registered dietitians or public health nurses provide information and support:
1-800-267-8097 or www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/system/services/phu/locations.aspx
Dietitians of Canada
Information on food and nutrition: www.dietitians.ca
EatRight Ontario
Speak with a registered dietitian for free:
1-877-510-510-2 or www.eatrightontario.ca
Updated 2017