Feeding your baby
baby; infant; food; feeding; breast; feeding; breastfeeding; milk; formula; solids; drinks; water; smooth; lumpy; finger; safety; choking; preparation; safe; fish; tuna; meat; vegetable; fruit;
Contents
Babies need the right foods to:
- grow
- learn to eat
- help them to learn to talk.
Birth to around 6 months
Breastmilk is the best and most natural food for babies.
- Breastmilk is all the food and drink you baby needs for the first 6 months.
- If your baby is not having breastmilk, use infant formula.
There are many topics on this site about breastfeeding (eg. see 'Breastfeeding – a new baby') and formula feeding (eg. see 'Bottle feeding- all about infant formula').
Foods to prepare for babies 6 months and older
Talk with your doctor if you are worried about food allergies.
6-7 months Smooth (pureed foods)
Milk is still the most important food for the first year. If you choose not to breastfeed, use an infant formula.
What to offer
Baby rice cereal mixed with full cream cows milk or breastmilk or formula.
- Well cooked, pureed vegetables and fruit - choose a variety of colours.
- Smooth mashed banana, avocado
- Well cooked and pureed meat.
- Baby yoghurt.
Remember
- Breastmilk or infant formula is still important. Give solids after or between milk feeds.
- Offer one new food at a time.
- Start offering solids once a day and increase to 2-3 times each day.
The topics 'Starting solids 1 – how and when to start solids' and 'Starting solids 2 – questions and answers' have much more information about smooth foods.
7-8 months Mashed foods (soft lumps)
Milk is still a very important food for your baby. If you choose not to breastfeed, use an infant formula.
What to offer
Baby cereals, porridge, wholegrain breakfast biscuits.
- Cooked and mashed vegetables and fruit (all sorts).
- Soft fruit (banana, avocado).
- Cooked and mashed meat, chicken and fish (remove all bones).
- Full fat grated cheese.
Remember
- Offer solids 3 times each day.
- Give solids after or between milk feeds.
- You can begin a meal pattern of breakfast, lunch and tea.
- After 6 months, give tap water from a cup.
The topics 'Starting solids 1 – how and when to start solids' and 'Starting solids 2 – questions and answers' have much more information about lumpy foods.
8-12 months Progress from lumpy, to chopped and finger foods
Milk is still a very important food for your baby. If you choose not to breastfeed, use an infant formula.
What to offer
Cooked or soft vegetables and fruit in small pieces (all sorts).
- Minced meat and cooked pieces of chicken and fish.
- Bread - wholemeal is best.
- Cooked pasta, rice.
- Lentils and beans.
- Full fat cheese and yoghurt.
- Well cooked egg.
Remember
- Offer 3 meals a day and start to offer 1-2 snacks.
- Let your baby guide how much food they take at each feed.
- Let babies self-feed.
The topics 'Starting solids 1 – how and when to start solids' and 'Starting solids 2 – questions and answers' have much more information about types of finger foods.
12+ months All textures (except hard foods)
What to offer
- Family foods.
- Keep offering new foods. It may take many tries to accept new foods.
Remember
- Offer 3 meals a day plus 1-2 snacks.
- Continue to breastfeed or replace with full cream milk from a cup.
- Your child needs no more than 600mls of milk a day.
- Continue plain tap water from a cup.
Making food for your baby
Wash hands with soap and water.
- Use clean utensils to make and serve food.
- Home made food is good for babies.
- Make up batches of food and freeze in ice block trays for later use.
- Don't add salt or sugar.
- Store leftovers in teh fridge and use within 24 hours.
Safe eating and drinking
Always watch your baby.
- Sit your baby up.
- Honey is not safe for babies under 12 months old.
Choking
- Children under the age of 4 years can choke on small hard pieces of food.
- Do not give whole nuts, whole grapes, raw carrots and apple, pop corn and lollies.
The topic 'Choking' has much more information about preventing choking, and the topic 'Child safety' provides information about other ways to keep young children safe.
The topic 'Food safety' has information about safe food preparation.
Resources
South Australia
- Parent Helpline - phone 1300 364 100
- Child and Family Health Centres - for an appointment ring
1300 733 606 (9am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday)
(see also Locations A - Z)
- Centre for Health Promotion, Women's and Children's Hospital:
http://www.chdf.org.au
Non-English speaking: for information in languages other than English, call the Interpreting and Translating Centre and ask them to call The Department of Health. This service is available at no cost to you, contact (08) 8226 1990.
The content of this topic was produced by:
The Centre for Health Promotion, CYWHS.
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The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.