Publication
Fun first foods: An easy guide to introducing solid foods
How this booklet will help you
Friends and relatives may give you lots of different advice and make weaning seem confusing or like a race. But it is neither. To give your baby the best chance of a good start in life use the up-to-date information in this booklet where you’ll find tips, advice and recipes for weaning.
This easy-to-read booklet will give you information on the different stages of weaning. Because all babies develop differently, it is easier to give guidance on stages rather than ages. As a rough guide, babies who don’t start weaning too early can progress quite quickly through the first stage.
What is weaning about?
Weaning is about introducing other foods to your baby alongside her usual milk. It is sometimes called introducing solids, or complementary or mixed feeding.
When should weaning begin?
Breast milk alone can provide all the nourishment babies need until they are around 6 months old. Try to feed your baby on breast milk alone for up to 6 months of age. Most babies need food in addition to milk from 6 months. However, some babies may need other foods before then.
It is really important that weaning should not begin before 4 months. This is because a younger baby’s digestive system and kidneys are too immature to cope with other foods and there is a risk that the baby may develop allergies.
For the sake of consistency we have used ‘she’ or ‘her’ throughout the booklet.
Signs to help you tell if your baby is ready for other foods
Your baby’s routine may alter when she is close to 6 months. The following signs can suggest she is ready for other foods as well as milk:
- wanting more milk after you have finished a feed or demanding feeds more often
- waking up during the night after starting to sleep through (check she is not ill)
- eye and hand co-ordination is better
- beginning to bite or chew and ready to swallow food taken from a spoon.
Allergies in the family?
Have you or your partner, or any of your children, had hay fever, asthma, eczema or an allergic reaction to food? If so, then avoid giving your baby any of the foods listed on page 28 before she is 6 months. After that you may gradually give these foods one at a time, checking there is no reaction. Talk to your health visitor if you are worried. Don’t give your child peanuts and peanut products until she is at least 3 years old, and whole nuts until at least 5 (see page 28).
Making Food Fun
Weaning is a time for learning about foods. Your baby needs to learn that:
- foods come in different colours, flavours and textures
- some foods are eaten from a spoon, whilst other foods can be held or squished in the hand
- some drinks come from a cup.
Weaning is about gradually moving from an all-milk diet to one which provides nutrients from the four main food groups. For a healthy diet babies should be encouraged to eat a variety of foods from each of the following groups.
Fruit and vegetables
These should be a major part of your baby’s diet. You can use fresh, tinned, dried and frozen varieties (but remember to buy tinned fruit in natural juice as this is better for your baby’s teeth). They are a good source of vitamins and minerals essential for your baby’s health.
Fruit and vegetables are ideal first foods, e.g. pureed carrot or mashed banana. Later they are ideal finger foods, e.g. sliced pear or melon sticks and great for snacks.
Starchy foods
This group includes potatoes and sweet potatoes, breads (wholemeal and white), cereals, porridge, rice, pasta, noodles and cous cous. They provide a good source of energy, vitamins and minerals.
Protein-rich foods
Lean red meat, oily and white fish (include tuna canned in oil and sardines), chicken, eggs and pulses (beans, peas and lentils, etc.), Quorn™ and tofu are high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals.
Milk and dairy foods
Dairy foods are made from milk, e.g. cheese and yoghurt. Milk and dairy products contain calcium, which is needed for strong bones and teeth. They also provide energy, protein, vitamins and minerals for your baby.
Babies have high energy needs for their size and should have fat as part of their balanced diet up to the age of 2. After that they will gradually move to a lower fat diet the same as the rest of the family. Good sources of fat will come from butter or vegetable spreads on bread or toast fingers, vegetable oils such as olive oil or sunflower oil used in cooking, and after 6 months, cheese, full fat yoghurts and fromage frais, and full fat cow’s milk used in cooking, e.g. cheese sauce, custards, rice pudding and semolina.
Examples and servings of the four main food groups
What is a serving?Every baby is different and you will have to be guided by your baby. The amount will change as your baby grows and becomes used to new foods, tastes and textures. At first a serving may only be a few spoons but later it could be a snack of finger foods (see page 22). The important thing is that you offer your baby a range of foods from all 4 food groups as shown below. This will ensure that your baby gets a healthy balanced diet.
Listen to some happy music at meal times and sit down next to your baby so you are near to her eye level.
Fruit and vegetables |
Starchy foods |
Protein-rich foods |
Milk and dairy foods |
|
Stage 1: |
Pureed apple, pear, mashed banana. Pureed carrot, swede or parsnip |
Pureed potato. Baby rice. No gluten-containing cereals until 6 months. |
Lentils or small amounts of well-cooked red meat or chicken pureed with potato or rice. No eggs, fish or soya (tofu) under 6 months. |
Not until 6 months. |
How many servings? (per day) |
||||
Stage 2: |
2-3 |
2-3 |
1-2 |
1-2 |
Stage 3: |
3-4 |
3-4 |
2 |
1-2 |
Stage 1: Getting Started
What this stage is about
Up until now your baby’s only food has been milk. Now your baby needs to get used to food coming on a spoon as a smooth puree.
What you will need
To make food into a puree use a spoon and sieve, or a small blender.
Have everything you need ready before you start:
- the pureed food or baby rice
- a bib for baby and apron/tea towel for yourself
- a sterilised, soft, flat baby spoon and bowl
- a clean cloth for wiping spills
- a mess mat or newspaper.
How to start
Choose a time of day when your baby is relaxed and awake and you have time to spare. Some people like to give a milk feed first, some afterwards. There is no right way, just the way that suits you and your baby. After a couple of weeks you will find the pattern that suits you both.
What to expect
Eating is fun and your baby needs to learn this too! Try not to worry too much about mess, and if your baby spits food out the first couple of times, just wait and try another day. Remember that your baby can pick up how you are feeling, so if you are nervous, she may be too.
How often and how much?
- For the first few days just give your baby pureed food one meal a day.
- At first give only a few teaspoons of one food.
- Gradually increase the amount.
- When your baby seems happy with food from a spoon, add solids to another meal.
- Be guided by your baby’s appetite, this may be a fewteaspoons or a quarter of a cup.
Don’t forget that milk is still the most important part of her diet. At this stage she will continue to drink the same amount of her usual milk (breast or infant formula).
Food safety
- Wash your hands before preparing your baby’s food.
- Sterilise the feeding bowl, spoon, bottle / feeding cup and any containers used to freeze extra food, until your baby is crawling and putting objects in her mouth.
- Spoon out and heat only the amount of food you may need.
- Throw away any uneaten or heated food.
- Make sure you stir and test any heated food before giving it to your baby.
First foods
- Baby rice mixed with her usual milk (expressed breast milk or formula), always in a bowl, not in her bottle, or cooked sieved potato.
- Pureed fruit such as apple, pear or banana.
- Pureed vegetables such as carrots, parsnip, swede.
Do not add sugar or salt to foods (salt can overload a young baby’s kidneys).
Do not give any foods in your baby’s bottle.
The consistency of first foods is smooth puree rather like a smooth yogurt.
Until your baby is 6 months old it is best to avoid certain foods. These are listed on page 28.
Get baby comfy in a bouncer, supported chair or your arms; pop a bib on her, put newspaper on the floor, and cover yourself!
Food choices
When choosing foods for your baby try to avoid foods that fill your baby up with sugar or fat, or are high in salt and/or have few vitamins and minerals. These include foods with lots of sugar added to them or fatty foods, e.g. sweetened drinks and fizzy drinks, fruit squashes, fruit drinks, chocolate, sweets, crisps and corn snacks, deep fried foods, chocolate coated biscuits, pastries, tea and coffee.
Caring for her teeth
It is important that you clean your baby’s tooth/teeth by brushing as soon as teeth appear. Twice daily gentle toothbrushing with a soft ‘baby’ toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste is needed to prevent tooth decay. A smear of toothpaste should be used for babies and a small pea-sized amount for toddlers and older children. She should not have fruit juice or sugared drinks or other food (e.g. rusk or rice) from a bottle, as this may harm her teeth.
Recipes
Remember: Do not add any salt to baby’s food
Carrot and parsnip puree 1 carrot
1 parsnip
1. Peel and dice the carrot and parsnip.
2. Steam or boil the vegetables in a little water until soft
(8–10 minutes).
3. Puree the vegetables until smooth using baby’s usual milk to achieve the right thickness.
4. Don’t add any salt.
This makes several portions. Freeze extra in sterilised ice-cube trays.
When your baby is used to this puree, add baby rice or other cooked vegetables.
Pear puree1 ripe pear
1. Peel and roughly chop the pear.
2. Place in a small pan with a tablespoon of water.
3. Gently heat until the fruit is tender.
4. Cool slightly.
5. Press through a sieve or blend to a puree.
Add a little baby rice, a pinch of ground cinnamon, or try another fruit such as mashed banana.
Lentil and potato puree 1 medium potato, peeled
50g red lentils, washed (no need to soak)
1. Cut the potato into quarters and boil until soft.
2. Meanwhile place the lentils in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer until soft (20+ minutes). Drain thepotatoes and lentils and puree together.
1 eating apple, peeled and chopped
5 ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped into pieces
2 tablespoons water
1. Place the apple and apricots in a saucepan with the water and simmer gently until the fruit is tender.
2. Puree.
Freeze extra in sterilised ice-cube trays
Stage 2: Moving On
Once your baby has become used to eating a few foods it’s time to move on. Each baby is very different but as a rough guide ‘getting started’ might last 2–4 weeks. Some babies will move on faster than others - be guided by your baby. If your baby doesn’t like the food the first time, don’t worry, leave it a few days then try again.
The next stage of weaning is about introducing:
- more foods: give her 1–2 servings of protein-rich foods, 2–3 of starchy foods and 2–3 of fruits and vegetables.
- more texture: from puree to lumps, and lumps to mashed and minced foods.
- more nutrients: as your baby’s need for iron and other important nutrients increase.
- more meals: moving from food at one meal a day to foods at 2 and 3 meals a day.
- more food experiences: drinking from a cup, and feeding herself with finger foods.
It is normal for babies to spit out lumps in food. At first use her favourite foods, making them thicker then with a few lumps.
More foods
Try mixing a new food with a familiar one. For example:
- add cooked lentils to carrot or parsnip puree
- mix some full-fat natural yogurt into stewed fruits
- mash potatoes with some minced meat (but remember no salt should be added to baby’s food).
More texture
Through this stage your baby will move from thick purees to mashed or minced foods. Don’t be frightened of giving your baby lumps in foods. It is important for her to learn that food comes in different textures. Some babies hate lumps but are happy to eat finger foods such as cooked carrot sticks, or small pieces of crust or toast.
More nutrients
As your baby gets older make sure that your baby has a variety of foods from all the main food groups to get the vital nutrients she needs. See page 6 for examples and servings.
Iron
Iron is essential for your baby’s normal development. Breast milk contains iron but after around 6 months there is not enough for your baby’s needs. Give iron-rich foods regularly such as:
- Red meat, dark chicken or turkey meat, canned fish. Use minced meat for dishes such as shepherd’s pie (page 20). Liver contains a lot of iron but it should be only eaten once a week.
- Low sugar breakfast cereals with added iron. Wholemeal bread, lentils, beans and green vegetables contain some iron too.
Don’t leave your baby alone while eating in case she chokes.
More meals
Little by little, bring your baby into line with family meal times so that she has food at 2 then 3 meals a day. She will still need milk on waking and at bedtime and can drink cooled boiled water or diluted natural fruit juice at meal times (see drinks, pages 29–30).
When your baby can hold things in her hand, let her join in with a spoon at meal times. Try not to worry about the mess — this is quite normal!
This is what a day may look like
On waking |
Breast or bottle feed |
Morning |
Baby cereal with baby’s usual milk. Fruit – pureed at first then soft fruit pieces. |
Lunch |
Pureed then minced or mashed savoury meal. For example:
Offer cooled boiled water in a cup. |
Dinner |
Pureed food then minced or mashed. Finger foods when ready.
Offer cooled boiled water in a cup. |
Bedtime |
Breast or bottle feed. |
Drinks |
As the amount of food increases your baby will drink less milk. After 6 months she will get much of the calcium she needs from milk products such as cheese, full-fat yoghurt, fromage frais and custards. |
More food experiences
Start to offer cooled boiled water in a cup, helping her until she can hold it herself. Avoid giving her sweetened or acidic drinks, e.g. fruit drinks, squashes, fizzy drinks, both sugared and low calorie which will harm her teeth. Between meals only offer your baby cooled boiled water or her usual milk to drink.
Learning to drink from a cup can be messy but she needs to learn to sip not suck. Drinks taken from a bottle are more likely to lead to dental problems because the fluid tends to stay in the mouth longer than when sipping from a cup.
Recipes
Make this simple sauce to accompany pasta.
1 dessertspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
1 small courgette, finely chopped (optional)
400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
1⁄2 teaspoon dried herbs (optional)
1. Heat the oil and gently fry the onion until soft.
2. Add the red pepper and courgette if used. Continue cooking,
stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the can of chopped tomatoes and herbs if used.
4 Cover and cook gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Variation
• Add 200g (8oz) minced beef at step 1 to make a Bolognese sauce.
• Add a few mushrooms, or a drained can of tuna.
To serve with pasta and cheese:
15–20g small pasta shapes
1 tablespoon of grated full-fat cheddar cheese
1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
2. Drain and serve with a tablespoon or two of the tomato and
vegetable sauce and top with cheese.
This recipe is suitable for all the family, and can be frozen.
1 dessertspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, scrubbed, grated or finely chopped
100g split red lentils
1⁄2 teaspoon korma paste or 1⁄2 tsp mild curry powder
200ml water
100ml canned coconut milk
1. Heat the oil and gently fry the onion until soft.
2. Stir in the carrot, lentils and korma paste or curry powder.
3. Add the water and coconut milk, stir and bring to the boil.
4. Cover and reduce the heat, allowing to bubble gently for 15–20 minutes. Keep checking and stirring, adding more water if required.
5. When the lentils are soft, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
6. Mash or puree to the right texture for your baby and serve with plain boiled rice.
This makes several portions. Freeze in small quantities as soon as the food is cool.
100g minced beef
1⁄2 small onion, finely chopped
2–3 tablespoons of water
1 small carrot, scrubbed and grated
2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon frozen peas
1–2 tablespoons milk
1. Place the mince and chopped onion in a small pan and cook gently until the mince is browned. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water and the grated carrot. Cover and allow to cook gently for 15–20 minutes.
2. Stir occasionally, adding more water as required.
3. Meanwhile boil the potatoes until almost tender. Add the peas for the last few minutes. Then drain and mash together with a table- spoon or two of milk. Don’t add any salt.
4. When the mince is cooked, serve with the mashed potato.
2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
10g (knob) of sunflower spread or 1 dessertspoon vegetable oil
1 small leek, chopped into very small pieces
5 small florets of broccoli
Milk to mix
1. Boil the potatoes until tender.
2. Meanwhile heat the sunflower spread or oil, and gently cook the leek until soft. Then remove from the heat.
3. Steam the broccoli over the potatoes until tender.
4. Mash the potatoes with the leeks and broccoli, using milk
as required.
Stage 3: Mini Meals
As your baby approaches her first birthday you can expect her to be eating a wide range of different foods from all the food groups. As she will be drinking less of her usual milk now, it is important to make sure she has calcium from other dairy foods such as cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais, and milky sauces and puddings.
Foods should come in a variety of textures:
- chopped or minced
- whole small vegetables and soft breads
- liquids from a cup.
She may be able to feed herself using a spoon, and certainly will enjoy eating with her fingers. Finger foods encourage your baby to chew but always stay around in case she chokes. Some examples of finger foods and snacks are:
- small sandwiches filled with ham or cheese
- cool, filled cooked pasta such as tortellini
- dried chopped apricots
- cucumber sticks
- small breadsticks with a cheesy dip (mix 1 tablespoon of grated cheese with 1–2 tablespoons of plain fromage frais).
Joining in with the family
Eating with your baby makes her feel more included. She may be slower and make a mess but try to be patient. When you are making family meals, think of ways in which you can save yourself time by cooking something you can all eat. You will all benefit from having less salt, so don’t add any salt whilst cooking or at the table.
Using bought baby foods
It can be sometimes be convenient to use jars or packets of baby food but don’t let them replace homemade foods altogether. Homemade foods can offer your baby more variety in texture and will encourage her to accept lumps and more solid foods.
- Choose foods where the label says they do not contain added sugars.
- Make sure the foods are within their use-by date.
- Only heat up the amount you need, and throw away any food your baby doesn’t eat.
- Manufactured baby foods do not contain any added salt. Don’t add any salt to homemade foods.
- Bought baby foods tend to be much more expensive than making your own food.
Your baby does not know that a sweet course often follows savoury. Try not to use a sweet food as a reward for eating a savoury one. She may think that sweet foods are better than savoury.
Your baby's routine and some menu ideas
For finger foods and snacks see page 22.
For drinks: don’t forget only to give your baby milk or water to drink between meals (see page 29–30).
Breakfast
• Baby porridge made with milk
• Baby muesli (no whole nuts)
• Toast with mashed banana
• Cup of unsweetened diluted fruit juice
(1 part juice to 5 parts water)
Lunch
• Chicken casserole with vegetables and mashed potato
• Tuna and pasta bake
• Creamy lentil and vegetable curry* with rice
• Canned fruit salad in juice with yoghurt
• Baked apple stuffed with chopped dates
Dinner
• Simple tomato sauce with vegetables* and pasta
• White fish in cheesy sauce with bread and butter and green beans
• Mashed sardines on toast with cucumber and tomato slices
• Homemade carrot soup with toast croutons
• Chopped banana with custard
*see recipes
Ask your health visitor about vitamin drops for your baby. Babies and young children should have vitamin drops (A, C and D) up to the age of 5. Vitamin D can be made by the body from sunlight but in winter there isn’t enough sun, so drops are really important.
Homemade carrot soupMake this for all the family, adding seasoning after you have taken out baby’s portion.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 large carrots, scrubbed and chopped or grated
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into small pieces
500ml of water
1⁄2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Around 150ml full-fat milk
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 5 minutes over a low heat.
2. Add the carrot, stir and cover. Cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the potato, water, and nutmeg and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Puree. Return to the pan and add enough milk to make a smooth soup. Stir and heat through.
Makes 2–3 portions. Can be frozen.
300g potatoes/3 medium potatoes
Salmon fillet weighing roughly 100g
3 tablespoons full-fat cow’s milk (50ml)
10g (knob) of sunflower spread
1. Peel and quarter potatoes.
2. Cook in boiling water until soft. Do not add salt!
3. Place salmon and milk in a small saucepan and cook gently until the fish flakes easily and is the same colour throughout. If required add a tablespoon or more milk.
4. Alternatively cook fish and milk in a microwave oven on 75% for 3–4 minutes (depending on the wattage of your oven).
5. When potatoes are cooked, drain well and return to the pan.
6. Add a knob of sunflower spread and a tablespoon of the cooking milk from the fish.
7. Mash the potatoes until soft and creamy adding more milk if required.
8. Carefully check salmon for bones and flake into pieces with a fork.
9. Mix the salmon into the potato.
10. Cool slightly and serve to your baby.
Variation:
- Cook 3 tablespoons (70g) frozen peas and add to the salmon at step 8. Spoon salmon and peas into a small ovenproof dish. Top with mashed potato and bake at 180°C for around 20 minutes until piping hot.
- To make oat-coated fish cakes beat 1 egg in a shallow dish or plate. Place 2 tablespoons of oats in another. Using clean hands roll about 10 small balls from the cooled potato and salmon mixture and press lightly to flatten. Using 2 forks dip the little patties into the egg. Turn over to coat both sides then drop into the oats.
- Make sure they are fully covered in oats. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan and gently fry the patties until they are golden brown on both sides — about 5–6 minutes per side.
Try, try and try again is the best way of getting babies and children to eat fruit and vegetables. The more they see them the more likely they are to eat them!
Recipes
When can my baby eat...?
The table below shows foods which may be unsuitable for your baby before 6 months, and when they may be introduced. There is particular advice for babies from families with a history of allergies (see page 3). This is marked with * in the table.
Food |
Under 6 months |
Over 6 months |
Cow’s milk and dairy products (cheese, fromage frais, custard, milk sauces and yoghurt) |
No |
Yes* |
Cereals that contain gluten, e.g. wheat, rye, barley and oats , so avoid rusks, pasta, bread, flour, and gluten containing breakfast cereals including porridge until 6 months |
No |
Yes* |
Follow-on formula |
No |
Not needed – continue breastfeeding or using formula |
Citrus fruits and juices (oranges, grapefruit) |
No |
Yes* but juices diluted and kept to meal times |
Soft berry fruit (raspberries and strawberries) |
No |
Yes* |
Fish and shellfish (e.g. prawns) |
No |
Yes* |
Eggs |
No |
Yes* and ensure they are always well cooked |
Nut pastes, nut butter and ground nut oils |
No |
Yes* |
Whole nuts and seeds |
No |
Not until 5 years as risk of choking on nuts |
Soya products, e.g. tofu, soya yoghurt |
No |
Yes* |
*Yes, but if you have a family history of allergic disease see the advice on page 3.
Some foods are unsuitable for babies under one year because they pose a health risk. These are honey, liver pâté and soft mould-ripened cheese such as brie.
If you think your baby may have reacted to a food, contact your health visitor or doctor. Write down what happened and avoid giving that food again unless advised to do so.
What can my baby drink?
Milks
Breastfeeding can continue up to and after her first birthday for as long as you both wish. You may swap from infant formula to offer full-fat cow’s milk as a drink at one year. Follow-on formula which is intended for babies over 6 months is not recommended or needed. It is more expensive than formula.
Cow’s milk, full-fat and pasteurised , is suitable as a main drink after one year. However, after your baby is 6 months old, products made from cow’s milk such as yoghurt, fromage frais, custard and rice puddings can be offered. After 6 months you can also use full-fat cow’s milk for cooking, e.g. sauces and puddings. Semi-skimmed milk is suitable after the age of 2 only if your toddler is eating and growing well.
Goat’s or sheep’s milk are unsuitable for babies under 1 year, and after this must be pasteurised.
Soya-based infant formula should only be used on the advice of your doctor or health visitor. This is because of possible long-term side-effects of soya-based formula and its sugars content. These sugars can cause tooth decay, making it important for babies to drink from a fast-flow teat or a cup. Soya formula is not suitable as a bedtime drink unless you clean your baby’s teeth afterwards.
Other drinks
Water is the best alternative drink to milk. Use plain boiled water as mineral, sweetened, flavoured or carbonated water can be too high in salt and minerals for babies. Give the water in a cup. If the cup has a lid make sure the water can drip out if turned upside down. Leak-proof cups are convenient but encourage your baby to suck rather than sip.
Natural fresh fruit juices are a good source of vitamin C but contain naturally present sugars that can cause tooth decay. They are also acidic. Acidic drinks may erode your baby’s teeth. Fruit juices should be unsweetened, well diluted (1 part juice to 5 parts water) and given in a feeding cup at meal times only.
Sugary or diet fruit squashes, fizzy drinks and fruit drinks (these are fruit-flavoured sugary drinks) are not suitable for babies. This is because they are of low nutrient value in a baby’s diet and can harm her teeth. It is easy for a baby or toddler to fill up on these drinks and not have enough room for food. Between meals only offer your baby water or milk to drink.
Baby fruit and herbal drinks are not suitable for babies as they are usually sweetened.
Tea and coffee contain substances which prevent your baby getting nutrients from food and have no nutritional value themselves. Don’t give your baby tea or coffee even if very diluted.
The vitamin C in fruit juice will help your baby absorb iron from food. Offer it at meal times only from a cup
How to prevent your baby choking
- Always stay with your baby when she is eating.
- Cook tough vegetables such as green beans and carrots for use as finger foods.
- Encourage your baby to chew or avoid giving small items such as peas, raisins, or whole grains.
- Avoid putting too much food on the spoon in case she feels rushed.
Ask your health visitor for advice on how to deal with choking.
More information on weaning
Look out for leaflets on weaning in your local supermarket, doctor’s surgery and health visitor’s clinic.
Visit your library for cookery books on weaning.
If you have access to the internet look at some of these websites. It is very important to get specialist information if you are intending to bring up your child as a vegetarian.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/baby/weaning
http://www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/advice_for_you/yourbaby
http://www.healthyliving.gov.uk
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/infant.html
You can also call the healthyliving line on 0845 2 78 88 78.
Alternative languages are available on request from Health Scotland
Published by Health Scotland.
Edinburgh Office: Woodburn House, Canaan Lane, Edinburgh EH10 4SG
Glasgow Office: Clifton House, Clifton Place, Glasgow G3 7LS
© NHS Health Scotland, 2005.
ISBN: 1-84485-298-9
Health Scotland is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion and Public Health Development.
2119 5/2005