I have three very good eaters and aside from a few hiccups, weaning was very successful. However, that didn’t mean I didn’t worry about what they could and couldn’t eat at certain ages and how much they should be having.
10 things I learnt during the weaning journey
Feeding fun.
1) Babies can eat prawns from six months
2) From one year of age your child can eat brie, camembert and other mould-ripened soft cheeses (made with pasteurised milk)
3) Raw kidney beans are poisonous (cooked kidney beans are fine)
4) Children can’t eat honey until they are one due to the risk of botulism
5) From six months babies can have cow’s milk added to their food and from one can have full fat milk as a main drink
6) Little ones can have eggs in any shape or form, as long as they are well-cooked, from six months
7) Think in terms of what your child has eaten in a week as opposed to during one meal or even during a whole day (easier said than done I know)
8) It’s fine to pep food up with herbs and spices from 6 months. I’m talking about aromatic spices as opposed to ‘hot’ spices. That said, I introduced my twins to chilli con carne, which included 1tsp of chilli powder, at around 9-10 months. You can find the recipe I use on this post.
9) You can give pureed meat, chicken or fish from six months (I started with milder-tasting fish and chicken before quickly moving onto red meats)
10) You can give finger foods from six months. Large pieces/slices/chunks of steamed veggies, and fruits are ideal. As are sticks of cheese and grissini aka bread sticks (check for salt content though)
Check out: The first steps in negotiating the minefield of baby weaning
Common weaning and feeding problems and ways to resolve them
