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This handout provides information about feeding healthy full-term infants from age
six to twelve months. Your baby needs healthy foods to grow and to develop
properly. How your baby eats now will help build the foundation for healthy eating
habits for life. Healthy eating is critical to good health. Children and adults who
eat healthy have less chance of becoming overweight and have less chance of
developing certain diseases.
You will probably have many questions about feeding your baby. This handout
provides answers to some of the questions you may have. For additional
information, contact your health care provider.
Please note: For simplicity, the baby is referred to as she in this booklet.
Babies eating habits change during the period of six to twelve months of age.
Breast milk or commercial iron-fortified infant formula is still the main source of
energy and nutrients, but babies need other foods to develop and grow properly.
Babies gradually get used to family foods during the latter part of the first year.
There is no need to rush solid foods. You should give your
baby only breast milk or commercial iron-fortified infant
formula for the first six months of life. Remember, you can
breastfeed your baby for as long as you wish. Breastfeeding
may continue for up to two years of age and beyond. Research
shows that breast milk or formula is all that babies need for
the first six months. Giving your baby solid foods too early
can cause problems because:
Your baby may not drink enough breast milk or formula.
Your babys system is not ready to digest solid food.
Your babys risk of being anemic (low iron) increases.
Your babys risk of developing eczema (skin disorder)
increases.
Your babys risk of developing allergies increases.
Your baby may choke if she is not ready to swallow solid
foods.
Studies show that giving babies solid foods will not help them sleep through the
night.
Getting Started
How can you tell if your baby is ready for
solid foods? Look for these signs. Your
baby:
can sit up with very little help
can hold her head up
opens her mouth when food is
offered
is able to take food from a spoon and
swallow it
can turn her head to refuse food
is six months old.
Wash your hands and your babys hands before each feeding or meal.
When introducing each new food, start with only
one teaspoon to make sure the food agrees with
your baby. Gradually increase the amounts
according to your baby's appetite over time.
Offer only one new food at a time, at least three to
four days apart, so you can see if your baby is
allergic to any new food (see page 5 for more
information on allergies). The new food should be one single type of food,
not a food which is a mixture of different foods.
Be patient with new foods. Do not force new foods. If she turns down a
food, wait a few days and try again. Sometimes a baby may need to try a
food 10 or more times before she knows that she likes it.
Throw away any leftover food which either your baby or your babys spoon
has touched. This helps to keep your babys food safe.
Let your baby take the lead with eating. Remember, it is your job to provide
the food and it is her job to eat the food.
o Let your baby open her mouth before you feed her.
o Let your baby touch her food in the dish or on the spoon. Allow her
to feed herself with her fingers as soon as she shows an interest.
o Feed your baby at her pace. Do not try to make her go slower or
faster than she wants to go.
o Stop feeding when your baby shows she has had enough. Do not force
your baby to finish her food. A baby who is full will close her mouth,
turn her head away, cover her mouth with her hand, shake her head
no, or cry.
o Do not put any food into your babys mouth without her permission.
Avoid playing games which trick your baby into eating.
A variety of foods so your baby can learn to enjoy many different tastes.
Your baby may even like foods you don't.
Plain vegetables, fruits and meats without added salt or sugar.
Serve foods separately (for example, don't stir meat and vegetables
together) so your baby can learn to like different flavors and textures. Do
not give your baby store-bought baby food dinners which combine different
foods.
Foods without added sugar. Babies do not need custards and desserts.
Plain foods without sauces or gravies. Your baby should be able to taste the
food and does not need sauces or gravies.
Remember
These are general guidelines. No two babies are exactly alike. Don't
compare your baby with others as to how much she eats, or when she
accepts a new food.
Mealtimes
Eating is more than just consuming food. The social part of eating is also
important. Your baby should eat with the family. Your baby will learn new eating
skills best in a happy atmosphere, so try to make mealtimes pleasant and unhurried.
Set a good example by what you eat - children are great imitators! Children start
to learn eating habits at an early age.
Keep your baby safe by keeping hot tea, coffee, soup and other hot foods out of
your baby's reach.
Allergies
When introducing a new food, it is important to look for signs of an allergy. Signs of
an allergy can occur within a few minutes or a number of days after eating a certain
food. Signs of an allergic reaction may
include hives, swelling, wheezing, stuffy
nose and itchy watery eyes, eczema,
nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea.
Signs of a severe anaphylactic reaction
may include hives, swelling, difficulty
swallowing or breathing, skin color changes
and dizziness/fainting. A baby may also
pull or scratch at her tongue and talk or
cry with a hoarser or squeakier voice. Get
immediate medical attention if these
severe symptoms occur.
If a baby experiences any of these symptoms or any other reaction while eating a
food, stop feeding the food you think caused the allergy until you can talk to your
babys doctor or health care provider.
If your family has a history of allergies, consult your health care provider for
specific advice about introducing foods to your baby.
Iron-rich foods should be the first foods given to your baby. Start with iron-rich
infant cereals and meat and alternatives. Next, introduce vegetables and fruits.
Texture
pureed foods
soft mashed foods without lumps
Adapted from Butte, et al. The start healthy feeding guidelines for infants and toddlers. JADA;104(3):442-454.
What is gradually?
Gradually means changing the texture of the food you are feeding your baby over
time. Babies develop gradually and so the texture of foods should change gradually.
Watch your babys development for signs. Is your baby showing signs of a new
milestone? Is she sitting without help or starting to crawl? Then it is probably
time to change the texture of her food. But dont compare her to other babies.
Remember, babies all develop at different rates.
Caution - Choking
Babies can choke or suffocate easily since they do not have the teeth and chewing
abilities of an older child or adult.
Babies should eat sitting upright with an adult present. Babies should never
eat while alone or while moving around.
Certain foods can be a choking hazard for children before they reach four
years of age. Choking hazards include foods that are:
o hard (such as nuts, seeds and raw carrot pieces)
o hard to chew (such as corn, shellfish, popcorn, candy, raisins and other
dried fruits).
These foods are safer for infants and young children when
they are prepared as described
Hard vegetables or fruit - grate carrots, remove pits in fruit, cut grapes in
quarters lengthwise with seeds removed, and soften raw vegetables by
cooking so that they are easier to chew.
Wieners or hot dogs - to make safer cut in quarters lengthwise and then into
bite-sized pieces. Note: Hot dogs and wieners are not good choices as they
are high in fat and salt.
Peanut butter and melted cheese given alone (i.e. from a spoon) are hard to
swallow and could get stuck in the throat and block air flow. To make these
foods safer for young children, spread thinly on a cracker or bread.
Foods which can be hard to chew - cut these foods into baby bite-sized
pieces.
Infant Cereals
Infant cereals are fortified with iron and are an important source of iron for the
first 18 months.
Read the label on the cereal box carefully. Some brands of cereal have
added formula and some do not. Follow directions for mixing.
Mix dry cereal with recommended liquid to make it runny like thick soup.
As time goes on, use less liquid to make thicker cereal. This helps your
baby learn how to chew and swallow.
Do not add sugar or sweeteners to the cereal.
Always feed cereal from a spoon. This helps your baby learn to chew.
Never put cereal in a bottle. This can cause choking.
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You can cook and then puree, grind or mash these foods, depending on the
texture your baby needs.
Once your baby is ready for more texture, mix cooked ground meat with
pureed meat. This will help your baby learn to chew.
Do not add salt.
If warming food, stir it thoroughly. Taste the food to make sure it is not too
hot. Do not put the tasting spoon back into the food.
If you use commercial baby food:
o Choose plain meats, instead of dinners or other combinations.
o Always check the expiry date on the jar. Do not use food past this
date.
o Do not feed your baby directly from the jar. Put a portion in a small
bowl or plate so you are not putting germs from your babys mouth into
the jar while feeding.
o Opened jars of meat and poultry should be stored in the refrigerator
and thrown out if not used within 48 hours.
Start with 1 teaspoon (5 ml). Increase the amount according to your babys
appetite.
Fish is a healthy part of your babys diet and an important food for growth and
development. But some fish have high mercury levels which can be unhealthy for
your baby. Health Canada provides advice for limiting exposure to mercury from
certain types of fish. Refer to www.healthcanada.gc.ca for the latest information
or check with your health care provider.
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Grain Products
Grain products contain fibre, vitamins and minerals and are a good source of energy.
Infant cereal is a grain product which is started at six months of age. Other grain
products can be started at around nine months of age. Examples of grain products
include bread, unsweetened regular cereals, crackers (unsalted top), pasta and rice.
Choose whole grain bread, crackers and pasta at least half of the time.
Choose brown rice more often.
Choose unsweetened whole grain cereals as finger foods. Continue to offer
infant cereals.
Check the ingredients of the grain product. If one of the ingredients is a
new food for your baby, start with a small amount of the grain product.
Continue feeding the new food and wait three to four days before you add
another new food.
Start with a small amount, such as 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of cooked rice or cut-up
cooked pasta, a finger-sized piece of bread or a small cracker.
Increase the amount according to your babys appetite.
Milk
Breastfeeding has many benefits and cows milk should not replace breast
milk. The number of times a day you breastfeed should not decrease when
cows milk is introduced.
Mothers who breastfeed may choose to wait longer than 9 to 12 months of
age before introducing cows milk.
Whole cows milk (3.25% MF) can be given to your baby when she is 9 to 12
months old as long as she is eating a variety of other solid foods.
Introduce whole cows milk gradually. For formula-fed babies, the change
from iron-fortified infant formula to whole cows milk should be completed
by around one year of age. At this time, a formula-fed baby should be
consuming a healthy diet, including two cups of milk a day, to meet her
vitamin D needs. For information about vitamin D needs for breastfed
babies, see page 27.
Continue to give your child whole milk until she is at least two years old. Do
not give her 2%, 1%, .5% or skim milk.
Soy beverage, rice beverage or other vegetarian drinks (even if they are
fortified) should not replace breast milk, formula, or whole milk in the
first two years. These beverages do not contain enough protein or calories
to help your baby grow.
Yogurt
Cheese
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Finger Foods
A finger food is any small piece of food that can be picked
up from the high chair tray and brought to the mouth using
fingers. Offering finger foods helps babies learn to chew
and feed themselves.
Your baby is ready for finger foods when she is able to hold
food in her hand and bring it to her mouth. Other signs
that your baby is ready for finger foods are that she is
grabbing the spoon and learning to crawl.
Most older babies enjoy eating with their hands. Be ready
for some fun and for a mess!
Finger foods should be offered as snacks and with meals.
Finger foods should be healthy foods.
Soft, ripe, peeled fruit cut into very small baby bite-sized pieces or
strips (e.g. bananas, pears, peaches, plums, cantaloupe or kiwi). See
choking section on page 8.
Strawberries and grapes do not have to be peeled but should be cut into
small bite-sized pieces.
Blueberries do not have to be cut or peeled.
Cooked vegetable pieces (baby bite-sized pieces or cut into strips)
Dry toast strips, bread crusts and unsalted crackers
Unsweetened cereals
Shredded cheese, cheese cubes or cut-up cheese sticks
Cooked tender meat, cut up finely or ground
Cut-up cooked pasta
Cooked beans and other legumes
Foods to Avoid
There are some foods which should not be given to babies during the first year
including:
honey (It can make your baby very sick with botulism, a type of food
poisoning. Honey is safe for older children and adults).
candies and chocolate
soft drinks (pop), fruit drinks, sport drinks
tea, coffee, herbal teas
salt, pickles
foods sweetened with artificial sweeteners
fried foods
high fat snack foods (e.g. cheese snacks, corn chips, potato chips)
processed meats such as ham, bacon, wieners, salami, pepperoni, bologna, and
sausages
salt meat and salt fish
sweets
cake, cookies
sugar-coated cereals
jelly/gelatin desserts
gravy
salad dressings and mayonnaise.
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Solid foods should add to, not replace, breast milk or commercial iron-fortified infant formula,
which are nutritionally superior for young babies. Let your babys appetite guide how much food
you provide.
Age
Foods
Comments
Birth
Six to Eight
Months
Infant cereal
Introduce one type of grain at a
time. Start with rice; then try
barley or oatmeal; then corn, wheat
and mixed grain infant cereal.
Continue with
breastfeeding or
formula.
Age
Nine to Twelve
Months
Continue with
breastfeeding or
formula.
Wait 3 to 4 days
between the
introduction of each
new food.
Food
Comments
Grain Products
Bread, pasta, crackers (unsalted
tops) and rice
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Finger Foods
See list on page 17.
Baby Food
Both home-prepared foods and commercial baby foods are acceptable choices for
babies.
Can be cheaper.
Allows you to control the texture as you do the mashing and chopping.
Allows a greater variety of choices.
May increase your babys acceptance of new textures because the flavour
stays the same as the texture changes.
Helps your baby get used to family foods.
You can use a blender, food mill, food processor, fork, or potato masher.
If you use a processor or blender, note that vegetables puree best in large
quantities and meats in small ones.
Food, hands and equipment must be clean.
Fresh foods should be cooked just until just tender and processed quickly.
Do not add salt, butter, oil, margarine, seasonings, spices, sugar or
sweeteners. If you feed your baby what you are feeding the family,
separate out your baby's portion before you add salt, butter, oil, margarine,
seasonings, spices, sugar or sweeteners. Once your baby is used to the taste
of the food, you can add the spices which you add to your familys food.
When cooking, don't put the tasting spoon back in the food.
Choose lean cuts and trim the fat before cooking. Take the skin off poultry.
Do not give your baby salt fish, salt meat, bacon, or other processed or
smoked meat. These are high in fat and/or salt.
Roasted, broiled or stewed meat, poultry or fish that has been prepared for
the family can be used. Do not add sauces or salt until your baby's portion
has been taken out.
Remove bones before cooking or choose pieces of meat away from the bone
to process.
Cook meat thoroughly and process quickly. Do not let cooked food stand at
room temperature for long periods of time. If storing, refrigerate
immediately.
Vegetables
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Use fresh or frozen vegetables. Don't use regular canned vegetables because
they contain more salt than babies need. For mashed vegetables, you can use
unsalted canned vegetables.
Dont puree any canned vegetables as they become "soupy" when blended.
Clean fresh vegetables.
Cook fresh or frozen vegetables until just tender. Don't overcook them.
Baking or steaming retains the most nutrients. If you boil, use as little water
as possible.
Choose a variety such as carrots, turnip, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels
sprouts, peas, squash, parsnip, sweet potato, green or yellow beans, cabbage,
and tomatoes (strained).
Fruit
Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Preparing Food
Wash your hands before preparing food and during food preparation.
Washing hands is especially important if you have touched raw meat, poultry
or fish.
Use clean utensils and dishes.
Refrigerator
Refrigerate food immediately after preparation.
Do not store food in refrigerator for more than two to three days, depending
on the type of food. Opened jars of meat and poultry baby food should be
stored in the refrigerator and thrown away if not used within 48 hours.
Opened jars of vegetables and fruit should be stored in the refrigerator and
thrown away if not used within 72 hours.
Store food in a plastic or glass container and cover tightly.
For Freezing
Homemade baby food may be frozen and stored in the freezer of the
refrigerator for up to two months.
Homemade baby food may be frozen and stored in a deep freeze for six to
eight months.
Common Questions
Here are some questions which parents and caregivers often ask:
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treated water with a low mineral content. Bottled water should have less than 500
ppm or mg/L of total dissolved solids. Note: natural spring water which is not
commercially bottled and has not been tested for safety should not be used.
Health Canada recommends caution when using home water treatment equipment.
Some water softeners increase the sodium content of the water, and charcoal
filters can increase the silver content of water or may contaminate the water with
bacteria.
Health Canada also recommends caution when using well water for infant feeding
(birth to 24 months). Well water may naturally contain high amounts of nitrates,
nitrites, arsenic, fluoride, or other heavy metals. If you are using private well
water for your baby, the water should be tested at least twice a year for these
substances. Well water should also be tested for coliform bacteria. Contact your
nearest Government Service Centre for information on free testing for bacteria.
They can direct you to laboratories where you can pay for testing for the other
substances.
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If your baby uses a pacifier, do not dip it in anything sweet as this may cause
tooth decay.
Never put your baby to bed with a bottle of milk, juice or any sweet liquid.
This practice promotes tooth decay and is a choking hazard.
Ask your public health nurse or dental care giver for information about the
proper way to clean your babys teeth.
Additional Information
Giving your baby the gift of healthy eating habits is a wonderful thing to do.
Remember, support and information is available from public health nurses,
dietitians, doctors and other health care providers. Some public health nurses,
Healthy Baby Clubs and Family Resource Centers offer information sessions about
feeding babies. You can also check out the following websites:
Health Canada www.hc-sc.gc.ca
The Canadian Health Network www.canadian-health-network.ca
Dietitians of Canada www.dietitians.ca
Our thanks to Manitoba Health for permission to use original illustrations and adapt
content in developing this resource. Thank you to the parents, caregivers and
health care providers who provided insight and guidance in the development of this
handout.
Notes:
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2007