Top tips for weaning your baby

Weaning can be one of the most exciting times for a mom and, of course, for the baby too! New flavors, new sensations and new expressions… you will begin to appreciate the saying: “Variety is the spice of life!”

However, it can be a bit stressful, and there is no question that if you want your baby to have the best and most nutritious start to life possible, you MUST get organized. SO…

my best tips

1 – Think a day in advance!

2 – Keep a diary: this is vital to monitor reactions to food, baby’s mood, which may be related to changes in blood sugar levels and will of course be something to refer to years later or when number 2 arrives.

3 – Introduce ONE food at a time. This is important to note any unusual reactions (especially if there are signs of allergy or a history of allergy in the family).

4 – When you are going to introduce a new food to your baby, leave it 3 days before starting any new food. Signs of an allergic reaction include sneezing, runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, or ear infection.

5 – Alternate foods from one day to the next as much as possible.

6 – Be patient – mealtimes should not be rushed. Your baby will decide when he is full.

7 – Persevere in a meal, if at first your baby does not seem to like it. Try again the next day, or in a few days or weeks.

8 – Try not to worry too much during the weaning process!

9 – When you are “away from home”, the best foods to take with you are bananas and ripe avocados. Both are easy to mix and will be tasty, nutritious and satisfying for your baby!

10 – If your baby becomes a little constipated when you first give him solid food… don’t panic. Bowls may take a while to “wake up” with solid food. Try giving him kiwi!

By the time a baby reaches the age of 6 months (usually having doubled its birth weight), energy (calorie) requirements, as well as nutrient requirements such as protein, iron (see below), selenium, zinc, vitamin A & D, & essential fatty acids, exceeds what can be supplied by breast milk. Ideally, quality breast milk or follow-on milk should be continued until at least the age of one year. DO NOT give a baby cow’s milk until she is AT LEAST one year old. Some believe that she should be closer to 2 years old; I would definitely say 2 if there is a history of allergies in the family.

Build the food for the next 4 months “loosely” in the following order…

Vegetables and Fruits – See note below, but overall enjoy presenting a full variety! Fruits are easy to introduce as babies love sweetness and of course they learn what NATURAL sweetness is. Avoid fruit juices. Fruits also go well with vegetables, but try not to rely too much on fruits, just because you think your baby is more likely to want something sweet! Just look at some fruits with large seeds like raspberries – kiwis should be fine. Frozen fruits and vegetables, such as peas, are fine for your baby and can be very helpful to use!

Legumes and beans, well cooked and well blended, try chickpeas, white beans and puy lentils. These mash up well and pair with savory or sweet ingredients and add bulk for satisfying.

Cooked brown rice, quinoa, millet, and tapioca: Homemade porridges or purees using these grains are better than store-bought baby rice. If you need to use baby rice, make sure you buy one that is organic and FREE from fillers, eg Organix.

Lamb, poultry, and fish (especially oily fish like wild trout and sea bass which have the lowest levels of PCBs and mercury): Introduce these in small amounts at first, concentrating on organic meats if possible. After introducing meat like lamb or chicken, your baby’s mood and energy levels may soar!

At 6-9 months, iron requirements are believed to be 7-8 mg/day.

To give you an idea of ​​how to get there, mix and match the following foods that are good sources of iron…

• 4 dried apricots (best soaked and crushed) – 5mg
• 100g cooked red lentils – 2.4mg (pair with something sweet for an interesting dish)
• 100g of cooked peas – 2mg
• * 100 g of cooked spinach – 1.6 mg (do not give up to 1 year)
• 100g of cooked chickpeas – 1.5mg
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses – 1.5mg
• 4 plums – 1mg
• 100 g of cooked sweet potato – 1 mg
• 150g cooked pumpkin – 1mg
• ½ avocado – 0.4mg
• 100g cooked cabbage – 0.4mg
• 1 tablespoon of grapes – 0.4 mg
• 100 g of cooked carrot – 0.4

More thoughts…

Focus on vegetables as much as fruits for the first few weeks if you can. Try “sweeter” vegetables like carrots, parsnips, peas and sweet potatoes, squash, asparagus, cauliflower, and broccoli.

Shop seasonally and locally whenever you can. Do not stop introducing a food that you do not like or that you did not like as a child! Remember, with a baby, you are starting out with a clean palate and NO understanding or experience of likes and dislikes. So go ahead with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, squash, leeks, turnips, or mushrooms—they might surprise you! ALL of these vegetables are fantastically healthy in their own right!

N.B

In general, it is recommended to avoid the “deadly nightshade family” of vegetables, as they contain substances that a baby may be sensitive to. These include eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. Wait until the first year is over!

After introducing them as individual foods, try these “mashed” or “puree” combinations…

• Ripe avocado and banana
• Ripe avocado and mango
• sweet potato and peas
• Quinoa and papaya porridge
• quinoa and kiwi
• beets and peas
• broccoli and peas
• Orchard fruit puree – apple, ripe pear and peach
• Apple, parsnip and butternut squash
• Apricot and turnip – don’t be afraid to combine fruits and vegetables – be imaginative!

• Combos of meat, fish and beans..
• Chicken, rice or sweet potato and broccoli
• Lamb, peas, sweet potato
• Tuna salad: crushed and blended yellowfin tuna, avocado, natural yogurt, chopped chives and lemon juice.
• Mashed beans and root vegetables: kohlrabi, celeriac, sweet potato, and organic baked beans (sweetened with apple juice)

Other foods that will form your baby’s “diet”…

Appropriately fortified foods, for example, goat’s milk, organic baby rice, cooked brown rice, tapioca, millet, and quinoa porridge. These cereals have a very low allergenic potential, as well as being excellent sources of protein and carbohydrates (see above).

* Spinach is a good source of iron (as well as calcium and vitamin A), but it is best left until the baby is 1 year old.

Blue-green algae and spirulina are widely available green “superfoods” in supplement form, and are useful additions for vegan/vegetarian babies, “atopic” babies, especially those who don’t start eating grains of any kind until the age of 1 to 2 years .

(NOTE: 10 g of dry spirulina provides almost 3 mg of iron).

For these babies, the best cereals to start introducing are millet and quinoa, very nutritious, gluten-free and excellent sources of protein and iron. Both can be cooked and served as porridge, with interesting additions, such as banana or papaya.

How much food should I give?

The following is a guideline for the first 3 months of weaning, eg 6-9 months of age.

Weeks 1 and 2: Try 1-2 teaspoons at lunch, mid-feed or bottle feed.

Weeks 3 and 4 – As above + 1-2 teaspoons at breakfast mid-bottle or breast-feeding. Increase feeding at lunchtime to 3-4 tsp.

Weeks 5 and 6 – 1-2 teaspoons at breakfast. Introduce 2 lunchtime dishes with 5-6 teaspoons, and introduce a teatime feeding of 2-3 teaspoons.

Weeks 7 and 8: As above, offer solid foods FIRST at lunchtime, then top up with milk.

Weeks 9 & 10 – As above + solids only for lunch + water from a beaker – offer solids FIRST at tea time.

Weeks 11 and 12: Solids for lunch and tea only. Give a glass of water after lunch and tea.