At This Stage

Here are some tips to ensure that food is safe and sanitary:

• Check to ensure vacuum seal is intact
• Carefully cover and refrigerate all unused food immediately to prevent bacteria growth
• Leftover store bought baby foods should be properly stored in the refrigerator and used within three days (two days for meat), or otherwise discarded
• Do not feed straight from the jar as saliva can contaminate the remaining food – saliva transferred from the baby to the food can partially digest the food, making it watery on the surface
• Seal and store home-prepared food properly – containers should be thoroughly cleaned and have tops that screw on or otherwise fit snugly.
• Discard all unused frozen foods that have been thawed
• Throw away all unused refrigerated homemade foods after 24 hours
• When traveling long distances with your baby, vacuum-packed, store-bought baby food may offer greater food safety in preventing spoilage and bacteria growth compared to homemade foods
• To prevent infant botulism, do not use honey in feeding infants less than one year of age
• To prevent salmonella poisoning, cook all eggs and chicken well and do not use products containing raw eggs
• Check with your healthcare practitioner regarding any food allergies you may be concerned about, like milk or peanuts

Here are some foods you can start giving. Avoid adding salt or sugar to anything and if anyone in your family has suffered from an allergy, it’s always best to check with your doctor first.

• Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, pulses (lentils or beans)
• Mashed, well-cooked vegetables
• Mashed lentils (dhal), split peas and hummus mixed with veg
• Mashed well-cooked tofu or pulses
• Wheat and other grains, well-grounded nuts and nut butters
• Mashed ripe fruit e.g. banana or cooked, peeled apple and pear
• Full-fat yogurts and cheese
• Finger foods, such as well-cooked carrot sticks, melon slices or Heinz Farley’s Biscuits
• Mashed egg, cooked until solid all the way through
• Heinz Baby foods with mashed texture

Vegetables you can introduce at this stage:
• Cauliflower
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Yellow pea and legumes

Fruits you can introduce at this stage
• Blueberries
• Blackcurrant
• Lemons

Other foods to introduce at this stage
• Beef
• Cheese
• Chicken
• Coconut milk
• Fish (salmon, tuna, sardines)
• Lamb
• Lentils
• Oats
• Pasta
• Wheat and whole grains
• Yogurt

Chewing is important for your baby’s muscle development and speech. To help them chew, start with finely mashed foods, then try lumpier mashed textures. When they can sit without help in a high chair, soft or cooked fruits and vegetables are good finger foods.

At first, offer them with mashed or pureed food. Don’t forget to always supervise your little one during feeding.
Here are some good ones to try:

• Finely minced meats, chicken and fish
• Mashed beans and lentils
• Chopped egg and avocado

Once weaning’s begun and your baby is used to smooth puree, try introducing fork-mashed foods. How will you know they’re ready? Sitting without support, chewing their gums (a sign of teething) and taking more of an interest in food are all clues. They’ll also be drinking from a ‘sippy’ cup, with a little help from you.

None of these foods are advisable:
• Whole cow’s milk as a main drink – wait until they’re over 12 months
• Honey – wait until they’re 12 months
• Added salt, sugar or spices
• Soft or unpasteurized cheese
• White fish (e.g. swordfish or marlin)
• Raw shellfish, as this can cause food poisoning