Publication
Fun first foods: An easy guide to introducing solid foods (Revised 2011)
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!