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When to Start -
Consult your baby's midwife or G.P. for advice on when to introduce solid foods if
you are unsure. Typically, babies are fed exclusively breast milk or infant formula for the first six months of life, but
your doctor will have specific recommendations based on your baby's size and development. When you do begin feeding pureed
foods, it is a good idea to introduce them one at a time, watching to be sure that your baby doesn't have an adverse reaction.
If you see any reaction get medical advice straight away.
What you need to make vegetable and fruit puree's -
It's simple all you need is a pan or steamer, a strainer and a blender or food processor, oh and some
freezer bags if you want to freeze some for another day. Make sure that everything that you use is extra clean and remember
to wash your hands, as you know babies are much more susceptible to germs.
Warning: Never give honey to a child under 1 year. Honey sometimes contains botulism,
which can be deadly to babies.
As your child grows you can vary thier diet and include pasta and meat. Meats can be poached, pureed, and
frozen. Be sure that you do not add seasonings, since babies tummies are a bit more delicate than adults. Additionally, there
is no need to salt at this age. It is best to keep your baby's foods as simple and pure as possible and start with simple
fruit and vegtables.
How to prepare Fruit & Vegetables:
Vegetables
The best way to prepare the vegetables is to wash them thoroughly, remove skins any bruised bits,
cut them into chunks and then steam them but if you haven't got a steamer, boil them in a pan until soft. Once they are cooked
put them in a blender or foodprocessor until they are pureed, the consistency of the puree depends on the age of the child,
if the child is small then the puree should be smooth and if older then you can make it a bit more chunky to encourage them
to chew. Once you have the puree ready, you can store in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to two days or freeze
for up to a month so date the packs.
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Fruit
When preparing fruits, wash, peel, remove all seeds, chop into chunks and place into a pot. Cover
with just a small bit of water and boil until tender, usually about 10-15 minutes, depending on the type of fruit chosen and
the size of the chunks. Once the fruit is fully cooked, puree and store in the same manner as vegetables. As with the vegetables
it is a good idea to label freezer bags with not only the contents, but also the date so that you use up the oldest batches
first.
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Basic vegetable recipes
Do not add salt, sugar, or fat.
- 1 cup cooked fresh or frozen vegetables without salt (use potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, yellow squash)
- 4-8 Tablespoons cooking liquid, formula, or water
Puree vegetables and liquid in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze. |
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Fresh Fruit
Try different varieties of fruit in this recipe.
- 3/4 cup ripe fruit (uncooked peaches, nectarines, bananas, pears, apricots, apples)
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened fruit juice
Remove skin and seeds from fruit. Puree ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze.
Once you have tryed single fruit or veg on thier own you can experiment mixing ingredients, below are some tried and tested
favs.
Carrot & Apple Mix
- 1/2 medium apple, cored, peeled
- 1/2 carrot, washed and peeled
- 2 Tablespoons fruit juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Puree all ingredients in blender. Or, grate apples and carrot and mix with juice before serving.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Place into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
Puree ingredients until smooth. Serve |
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Apricot Puree
- 1 pound dried apricots
- white grape juice or apple juice or water.
Bring liquid and fruit to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Place into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin
pureeing.
Puree ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze |
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Nectarine & Pear Cream
- 3 ripe pears
- 1 nectarine
- 4 teaspoons baby rice
- 50ml milk
Peel, core and slice the pears, put in a microwaveable dish with a little water. Cover and microwave
until tender, drain and cool
Peel the nectarine, remove the stone and chop into small pieces
Liquidise or mash the pear, nectarine, baby rice and milk together
Banana Shake
- 1 banana
- Milk
- Baby Cereal (optional)
Peel a ripe banana - do not cook. Place banana in a food processor/food mill or blender and puree. You can also mash
the banana in a bowl using a fork
Add formula/breast milk or water to thin or add baby cereal (if desired) to thicken up.
Banana and Apple mash
Or as many as you like is you are making a batch
Peel, core and cut 1 apple into slices/chunks, place slices or chunks into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover
apples
Boil until tender; be sure to check on the water level.
Peel a ripe banana and mash in a bowl with a fork. Puree
if necessary but mashing with a potato masher will typically get this mix smooth.
 Baked Apples
Use as many apples as you want
Core the apples and remove or leave peel on the chocie is yours. Place in a pan with just enough water to slightly cover
apples.
Bake in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes or until tender; be sure to check on the water level.
Once baked, either cut apple into little bits and serve as a finger food or mash, serve or freeze.
Strawberry & Apple puree
- 3 medium apple, cored, peeled
- Handful of strawberrys, washed, stalk removed
Clean fruit then cut into chunks.
Place fruit in a pan with 5 tbs of water, heat till fruit is soft and pulpy.
Puree all ingredients in blender. Pass through a sieve to remove seeds
Serve, or place in freezer bag or ice cube trays and freeze
Apple & Cherry puree
- 3 medium apples, cored, peeled
- Handful of cherries, washed, stalk removed
Clean fruit then cut into chunks.
Place fruit in a pan with 5 tbs of water, heat till fruit is soft and pulpy.
Puree all ingredients in blender. Pass through a sieve to remove stone
Serve, or place in freezer bag or ice cube trays and freeze
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Add your childs favourite recipes to our list
Other topics in this category
Signs your child is ready for solids
In most cases your child will tell you that they need more to eat, signs of
this are that
• your child is still hungry after a full milk feed
• they
start to demand feeds more frequently
• they start to wake during the night for a feed when they
would usually have slept through the night.
If you are unsure about whether to introduce solids get advice from a medical professional
like your midwife.
Weaning Chart
This chart gives a basic idea of the type of things to give at the various ages, remember every child
is different if you have any concerns speak to a medical profesional. No salt is needed to be added to a childs food until
they are over 1 year.
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Foods to avoid for babies under 12 months
- Honey, should not be given to a child before it is a year old, this is due
to a bacteria that can be present in honey that can cause Infant Botulism. After a baby is a year old, the intestine matures
and the bacteria is unable to grow.
- Salt, you should never add salt to babies' meals, it puts a strain on their kidneys
and causes dehydration. It is also a good idea to avoid smoked foods.
- Sugar, there is really little need to add sugar unless you are using a fruit that is
very sour. Adding sugar can increases the risk of tooth decay when your baby’s teeth start to come through.
- Eggs, it is said that due to the risk of salmonella, eggs should not be given to children
under six months and after that they should be cooked until the yolk and white are solid.
- Unpasteurised cheeses, should not be given to babies under a year as there is a risk
of listeria infection.
- Wheat and gluten, should be avoided until your baby is over six months.
- Fish and shellfish, many babies can have allergies to shell fish and there is a slight
risk of food poisoning from fish so it is recommended that you do not give them before six months.
- Nuts and seeds, peanut butter and nut spreads should not be given to babies
and in fact it is recommended that it is not given to children under three, provided there is no history of nut allergy in
the family. Nuts are not recommended before the age of five due to the risk of choking.
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only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician
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