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as at around 6 months, the baby's body stores of iron become depleted. Iron plays a crucial role in development, and def
STARTING SOLIDS – WHEN AND WHAT? A GUIDE TO INFANT NUTRITION

With so many opinions and advice on when and how to start solids, it can be confusing to know what is best for you and your baby. To help you cut through the clutter, this guide summarizes key recommendations from the latest Infant Feeding Guidelines.

SIX MONTHS

IRON-RICH FIRST

Around six months, your baby will be ready to start eating solid food. Not only will this satisfy their appetite and curiosity, it will ensure their nutritional needs are met as after six months of age, breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet your baby’s increasing nutritional and developmental needs.

The new guidelines state that first foods must be iron-rich, as at around 6 months, the baby’s body stores of iron become depleted.

While solids are being introduced, the World Health Organisation recommends you continue breast-feeding until around 23 months of age. If breast-feeding is not possible, use a suitable infant formula until 12 months of age and remember that cow’s milk should not be given as the main drink before 12 months of age.

Iron plays a crucial role in development, and deficiencies can lead to numerous health and developmental issues, which is why parents are urged to focus on ensuring their baby has an adequate iron intake.

Iron-rich first foods are red meat and iron-fortified baby cereal IRON-RICH FOODS The best sources of iron are meat, fish and poultry because they contain haem iron, a type of iron which is well absorbed by the body. Red meat, such as beef and lamb, is recommended as an ideal first food choice because it has the highest amount of haem iron. Other sources of iron include iron-fortified cereals, legumes and cooked tofu. The iron in these foods is called nonhaem iron, and is less well absorbed by the body. Serving vitamin C-rich foods, such as half an orange or three broccoli florets, with non-haem iron food sources can help to increase iron absorption.

TEXTURE Texture plays an important role in the transition to solids, so it’s key to ensure that you are providing food in a form that is safe and age-appropriate. Start soft, with pureed or lumpy food, and gradually progress to more solid bites as per the Infant Feeding Guidelines. Encouraging your baby to chew is important for developing the muscles used for speech and while this transition stage can be very messy, it’s also very important. AGE

TEXTURE RECOMMENDATIONS

6 MONTHS “Silky, Smooth” stage

Food should be nutrition rich, with red meat an important addition to the diet. Puree meat with boiled water and casserole juices, and incorporate vegetables such as zucchini, pumpkin and sweet potato

7 MONTHS “Lumpy, Mushy” stage

Encourage your baby to chew various textures, which develops muscles used for chewing and speech and expands their palate. Babies can chew even without teeth, and don’t worry if they gag (but don’t choke) on lumpy bits as they are learning to chew – it’s all part of the process.

8 MONTHS Finger Food stage

At this age, hand control improves and you should encourage self-feeding by offering soft finger foods that can be easily managed and chewed.

12 MONTHS Toddler Stage

As children start to exert their independence you should encourage them towards healthy choices, and avoid rewarding them with less nutritious treats for things such as finishing their plate. Don’t worry if they reject or refuse new foods – offer them again until they become familiar and accepted.

VARIETY Giving your baby a wide variety of foods is important to help develop their palate and tastes. Don’t be discouraged if they reject foods on the first try – it can take a few tries before they decide they like it! Beyond the focus on sources of iron, other nutrient-rich foods can be introduced in any order and at any rate, as long as the texture is suitable. This can include vegetables of different colours, fruit, wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, yoghurt, custard, cheese and well cooked eggs, while small amounts of cow’s milk can be used when preparing solid foods. Hard, small or round pieces of food such as nuts, carrots or apples should be grated, cooked or made into a paste to reduce the risk of choking, and meals should not have any added sugar, honey or salt, though herbs and spices are encouraged to widen baby’s taste for different flavours. RECIPES For recipes that will feed the entire family, from babies and toddlers to mums and dads, go to www.beefandlamb.com.au. There you’ll find a range of recipes that will help you prepare meals that are nutritious and the right texture for your child’s developmental needs.