Healthy Baby

Babies have different feeding patterns and tend to want a feed many times a day. Breast milk (or a suitable formula if breastfeeding is not possible) provides everything your baby needs for the first 6 months. After 6 months, you can start introducing a small amount of solids (1-2 teaspoons) and gradually increase this to 1-2 tablespoons, then increase further according to your baby's appetite.

Fresh food ideas for 6-12 months

Feeding a newborn child and watching them grow can be an amazing experience. Like the rest of us, babies need plenty of fresh, nutritious foods in order to grow strong mentally and physically. If you're unsure where to start, try these handy hints on feeding your baby with fresh, healthy ingredients.

For a simple solid food, try rice cereal with fortified iron. Rice cereal is hypoallergenic.

Breast Milk (or Infant Formula, if the breastfeeding is not possible) is the main food for babies up to 12 months of age. Around six months, solid food should be introduced as part of their diet as the babies' iron stores are starting to get low and their digestive systems are now ready to start taking other foods. Unmodified cow's milk should not be used as a drink before 12 months of age.

After 6 months, you can slowly start introducing fresh pureed or mashed fruits such as pear, pawpaw or apple, and vegetables such as potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli, zucchini or peas.

Gradually start exploring a wider variety of foods and increase the amount to ½ a cup per meal, always being guided by your baby's appetite. Make sure you don't keep your baby on pureed food past 8 months, as fork mashed or finely chopped foods are important to introduce more texture. Finger foods are also appropriate.

To be sure your growing baby is getting enough iron, start introducing small amounts of meat, chicken, fish or other iron-rich alternatives. Prepare a simple casserole with lean mince meat or chicken, finely chopped steamed mushrooms, spinach and fresh lentils.

Fresh vegetables are easily mashed or pureed. Try potato and pumpkin, peas, broccoli, English spinach or zucchini. If the mixture seems too thick, add water, breast milk or formula to thin it out a little.

Home-made soups are also an ideal way to introduce your baby to a whole range of fresh vegetables. For a delicious pumpkin soup, steam pieces of fresh butternut pumpkin with a little onion if desired. When soft, cool and add breast milk or formula and blend until smooth.

Fresh food ideas for over 12 months

After 12 months, your baby should be enjoying 3 regular meals a day, and should be able to eat most of the fresh foods your family eats. Gradually introduce a variety of foods so that as your baby grows up, they learn to enjoy a broader range of food.

For fussy eaters, make simple sandwiches fun. Use biscuit cutters to cut freshly-filled sandwiches into a range of cute shapes - such as hearts or stars. 

To get your toddler exploring a wider variety of foods, serve a platter of bite-sized colourful snacks - such as strawberries and blueberries, a few green beans, fingers of wholemeal toast, cubes of cheese, boiled egg quarters or small, trimmed bits of meat.

For dessert, a homemade baked custard is a great way for toddlers to get some of their daily calcium intake. Combine eggs, full-cream milk, a fresh vanilla pod, and some sliced peaches for sweetness. Stir together and bake in the oven.