Introduce one food at a time and continue with this single food for 2 to 3 days before introducing another. This helps baby get used to the new taste and allows you to check their acceptance and tolerance of the food. If baby seems to dislike a particular food the first time, do not offer it again for a few days. Continue with foods that are liked, then retry the new food again or try mixing it with already accepted foods. Research has shown that some babies need to try a new food up to 10 times before they accept it - so don't give up.
Vegetarian feeding guide
Moving on to solids is a big step for any baby. A vegetarian diet can meet
the needs of a growing child but it does require a conscious effort.
The following is a guide to assist you in delivering the right combination of
food to your baby:
Up until 4-6 months
Breast milk or infant formula is all that baby needs.
Around 4-6 months
Baby may now be ready for solids. Remember breast milk or formula is still the
most important food. Please consult your health professional for advice.
From 4 months
(After the milk feed)
- Rice-based, iron-enriched infant cereal mixed smooth with boiled, cooled water, or breast milk or formula.
- Cooked and pureed apple, pear, apricot, peach, nectarine. Raw, ripe mashed banana, mango. (Tinned fruit may be used.)
- Cooked and pureed pumpkin, potato, kumara, carrot, marrow, courgette (zucchini). Raw, mashed avocado.
- Remove skins and seeds from fruits and vegetables.
After 6 months
Add to foods introduced earlier -
- Infant muesli, wheat-based infant cereal, porridge made from oatmeal or rolled oats.
- Cooked egg yolk.
- Home-made vegetables soups or stock, mixed with vegetables.
- Yam, cauliflower, broccoli, taro, swede, puha, bok choy, green beans, parsnip, beetroot (cooked).
- Melon, plum (skins and seeds removed). Raw persimmon (scooped out soft pulp or peeled wedges if firmer).
- Dried fruit - prunes or apricots, cooked to soften, then pureed.
- Serve with other fruit or infant cereals.
- Toast fingers, rusks.
Around 8-9 months
Baby is interested in an extended range of foods and varied
texture. Some of these foods will still need to be modified by mashing and/or
finely chopping.
Include first and second stage foods plus -
- Tofu, legumes such as lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas, cooked, and mashed or sieved.
- Silverbeet, spinach, peas, cabbage, tomatoes, creamed corn, celery, brussels sprouts, mushrooms (cooked).
- Vegetables suitable from 4-6 months on (e.g. potato, kumara, pumpkin) can now be offered baked in wedges instead of mashed.
- Onions, leeks and turnips can also be used in soups and casseroles.
- Orange, mandarin, kiwifruit, feijoa, pineapple, berries.
- For finger foods offer small amounts of prunes, apricots, raisins, sultanas, soaked in hot water for ½ hour
- Pasta, white rice
- Spaghetti, mashed baked beans.
- Yoghurt, custard (made with egg yolk or custard powder), cottage cheese, grated cheese.
- Vegemite/marmite.
- Smooth peanut butter.*
Leave until after 12 months
Cow's milk as a main drink, adult breakfast cereals, honey, egg
white.
After 12 months, baby can join in family meals and eat a wide variety of
foods.
Milk remains important for calcium. 1 to 3 year olds should include at least 2 to 3 servings of milk and/or milk products each day. A serving is 1 cup (250ml) of milk, or 150g tub of yoghurt, or 2 to 3 slices (40g) of cheese.
Karicare Toddler milks can be used as an alternative to cow's milk. Karicare Toddler milks contain additional iron, Vitamin C and inulin, a type of dietary fibre.
Karicare Gold Toddler 3 is enriched with omega DHA.
For teething, offer
A piece of fruit or vegetable wedge wrapped in muslin, e.g. a peeled apple
quarter, stick of carrot. After 6 months rusks or dry toast can be used.
If allergies run in the family delay the following foods until 12 months:
Cow's milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, tofu, wheat, fish, peanut butter*
*If there is a strong family history of peanut allergy, delay until after 3
years
