Baby’s First Food Planning

Things to take note:

·       Start with bland flavors, moving on to stronger and more tangy tastes at a later stage.

·       Introduce solid food gradually in this sequence:

Grains > Fruit > Vege > Beans/Fish > Poultry > Meat

·       Offer only a small amount of food (about 1 tsp) and gradually increase the quantity over a few meals.

·       You could give your baby vitamin drops containing vitamins A and D from six months. This is especially important for breastfed babies, and babies who drink less than 500ml of formula milk a day.

·       Give your baby sips of water from a cup or beaker at mealtimes. If you give your baby fruit juice, keep it to mealtimes only, and dilute it well. Add one part juice to 10 parts water.

·       Food to Avoid until baby is at least 1-year old:

-        Sugar, Honey, Salt

-        Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose or Sucrose

-        Sweet biscuits, sugar-coated breakfast cereals, cakes and soft drinks

-        Butter, Oil, Ghee

-        Fresh Milk, Low Fat and Skimmed Milk, Dairy products

-        Bran, Wholemeal bread, Brown rice

-        Egg white

-        Peanut, tree nuts, wheat,

-        Fish (cod, seabass, flounder), Squid, Oyster, Shellfish

-        French beans, Peas, Legumes, Lentils, Long beans, Soy

-        Citrus fruits, Kiwi, Pineapple, Mango, Cantaloupe, Strawberry (to prevent oral rash)

-        Popcorn, grapes (to prevent choking)

·       Your baby may have a food allergy if he has:

-        Rash or hives (red, itchy bumps on the skin)

-        Coughing, wheezing or trouble breathing

-        Vomiting

-        Diarrhea

·       To help you spot a possible food allergy, give your baby one new food at a time for a few days. Watch for any signs of a food allergy. Then try another new food. Don’t mix new foods together until your baby has tried each one alone.

·       If your baby has an allergic reaction, stop feeding her that food and tell your baby’s health care provider. If your baby has a severe allergic reaction call 911 right away. Signs of a severe reaction include:

-        Swollen tongue or throat

-        Turning blue

-        Trouble breathing

-        Passing out

(A) First Tastes

1.     At about 6 months

2.     Cues:

-        She can hold her head up.

-        She stops pushing things out of her mouth with her tongue.

-        She doubles her birth weight or weighs more than 13 pounds.

-        She opens her mouth, drools or leans forward when she sees food.

3.     When: Before milk feed

4.     Quantity: 5 milk feeds, 1-2 solids

BREAKFAST: Cereal mixed with baby’s usual milk

E.g.: Baby rice or oats, maize noodles, millet or well-mashed cooked rice

Starts with rice-based cereal before moving to oat-based cereal

Food to be introduced:

Week 1: Banana, Apple, Carrot, Pear	Week 2: Sweet Potato, Avocado
Week 3: Potato, Pumpkin	Week 4: Cauliflower, Broccoli
Week 5: Papaya, Zucchini, Spinach	Week 6: Chicken
Week 7: Fish	Week 8: Egg Yolk
Week 9: Chickpeas, Tofu

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
Midday Meals	Mashed banana	Mashed banana	Mashed banana	Carrot puree	Carrot puree	Banana + Cereal	Carrot puree
Evening Meals	Cooked apple puree	Cooked apple puree	Cooked apple puree	Carrot + Apple	Carrot + Apple	Cooked pear puree	Cooked pear puree

Week 2	Day 8	Day 9	Day 10	Day 11	Day 12	Day 13	Day 14
Midday Meals	Banana + Cereal	Cooked pear puree	Carrot + Sweet potato	Carrot + Sweet potato	Carrot + Sweet potato	Apple + Avocado	Apple + Avocado
Evening Meals	Carrot + Apple	Mashed banana	Cooked apple puree	Mashed banana	Cooked pear puree	Mashed banana	Carrot + Sweet potato

Week 3	Day 15	Day 16	Day 17	Day 18	Day 19	Day 20	Day 21
Midday Meals	Apple + Avocado	Apple + Potato	Apple + Potato	Apple + Potato	Pumpkin puree	Pumpkin puree	Pumpkin puree
Evening Meals	Carrot + Sweet potato	Cooked pear puree	Mashed banana	Cooked pear puree	Carrot + Apple	Carrot + Potato	Mashed banana

Week 4	Day 22	Day 23	Day 24	Day 25	Day 26	Day 27	Day 28
Midday Meals	Pumpkin + Cauliflower	Pumpkin + Cauliflower	Pumpkin + Cauliflower	Cauliflower + Broccoli	Cauliflower + Broccoli	Cauliflower + Broccoli	Apple + Potato
Evening Meals	Carrot + Apple	Mashed banana	Carrot + Potato	Cooked pear puree	Carrot + Apple	Mashed banana	Potato + Pumpkin

Week 5	Day 29	Day 30	Day 31	Day 32	Day 33	Day 34	Day 35
Midday Meals	Mashed papaya	Mashed papaya	Mashed papaya	Zucchini puree	Zucchini puree	Zucchini puree	Spinach + Potato
Evening Meals	Cooked pear puree	Carrot + Apple	Mashed banana	Potato + Pumpkin	Pumpkin + Cauliflower	Carrot + Sweet potato	Carrot + Apple

Week 6	Day 36	Day 37	Day 38	Day 39	Day 40	Day 41	Day 42
Midday Meals	Spinach + Potato	Spinach + Potato	Mashed papaya	Chicken broth	Chicken broth	Chicken porridge	Potato + Pumpkin
Evening Meals	Apple + Avocado	Mashed banana	Cauliflower + Broccoli	Potato + Pumpkin	Apple + Avocado	Cooked pear puree	Zucchini puree

Week 7	Day 43	Day 44	Day 45	Day 46	Day 47	Day 48	Day 49
Midday Meals	Fish/carrot porridge	Fish/carrot porridge	Fish/carrot porridge	Chicken + Spinach porridge	Fish porridge Mashed papaya	Cauliflower + Broccoli + Potato	Potato + Pumpkin
Evening Meals	Carrot + Apple	Apple + Potato	Carrot + Sweet potato	Cooked pear puree	Apple + Avocado	Mashed banana	Zucchini + Rice cereal

Week 8	Day 50	Day 51	Day 52	Day 53	Day 54	Day 55	Day 56
Midday Meals	Egg Yolk + Chicken porridge	Egg Yolk + Chicken porridge	Egg Yolk + Chicken porridge	Fish/carrot porridge	Chicken broth + Potato	Spinach + chicken porridge	Egg Yolk Fish/carrot porridge
Evening Meals	Spinach + Potato	Carrot + Sweet potato	Apple + Avocado	Mashed banana Pumpkin porridge + Chicken broth	Zucchini + Rice cereal	Pumpkin + Cauliflower	Spinach + Potato

Week 9	Day 57	Day 58	Day 59	Day 60	Day 61	Day 62	Day 63
Midday Meals	Chickpeas puree	Chickpeas puree	Chickpeas puree + Apple	Tofu chicken porridge	Tofu chicken porridge	Tofu chicken porridge + Spinach	Egg Yolk Fish/carrot porridge
Evening Meals	Mashed banana Pumpkin porridge + Chicken broth	Spinach + Potato	Carrot + Sweet potato	Zucchini + Porridge + Chicken broth	Cooked pear puree	Apple + Avocado	Cauliflower + Broccoli

(B) Soft Chews

1.     7-9 months

2.     Cues:

-        She can sit up without support.

-        She starts to feed herself and brings food to her mouth.

3.     Quantity: 4 milk feeds, 3 solids

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
Breakfast	Baby cereal	Breakfast wheat biscuit	Baby muesli	Baby oats	Baby cereal	Baby oats	Baby cereal
	Ripe pear pieces	Ripe peach pieces	Ripe plum pieces	Ripe mango	Ripe avocado	Watermelon	Papaya
Midday Meals	Chicken porridge + Spinach	Fish/carrot porridge	Chickpeas with vege	Meat porridge + Spinach	Pumpkin porridge	Salmon + Potato	Fish porridge + Spinach
	Cooked carrot sticks	Cooked broccoli florets	Peeled chickpeas	Steamed tofu	Cooked pumpkin	Cooked potato sticks	Flaked fish
Evening Meals	Mashed banana with plain yogurt	Mashed vege with grated cheese	Peach + Plum dessert	Zucchini + porridge	Carrot + Sweet potato	Cauliflower + Broccoli	Apple + Avocado
	Banana slices	Toast fingers	Ripe peach pieces	Banana slices	Ripe pear pieces	Cooked broccoli florets	Ripe avocado

Week 2	Day 8	Day 9	Day 10	Day 11	Day 12	Day 13	Day 14
Breakfast	Baby cereal	Breakfast wheat biscuit	Baby muesli	Baby oats	Baby cereal	Baby oats	Baby cereal
	Watermelon	Banana slices	Papaya	Ripe pear pieces	Golden kiwi	Ripe avocado	Ripe cantaloupe
Midday Meals	Meat porridge + Sweet potato	Egg yolk Fish porridge + Spinach	Lentils with vege	Tofu chicken porridge + Spinach	Chickpeas with vege	Lamb with potato + squash	Pasta + zucchini
	Cooked sweet potato	Flaked fish	Cooked potato sticks	Steamed tofu	Peeled chickpeas	Cooked squash	Cooked zucchini
Evening Meals	Zucchini + Porridge + Chicken broth	Mashed vege with grated cheese	Apple + Avocado	Mashed banana with plain yogurt	Peach + Plum dessert	Fish porridge + Spinach	Carrot + Sweet potato
	Cooked zucchini	Toast fingers	Ripe avocado	Banana slices	Ripe peach pieces	Cooked carrot sticks	Cooked sweet potato

(C) Chunkier Chews

1.     9-12 months

2.     Cues:

-        She can sit up without support.

-        She can hold food between her fingers and thumb (also called a pincer grasp). 

-        She can hold objects (like a spoon) in her hand.

-        She starts to chew food.

3.     Quantity: 4 milk feeds, 3 solids