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| Health & Well-Being
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Weaning Winners
From mealtime tools, to a simple food guide, here's to winning at weaning
Your must-have mealtime tools:
• Soft-tipped weaning spoons
• Unbreakable plastic bowl
• Bibs
• High chair
• Splash-mat or old newspaper to protect the floor
WEANING NO-NOs
Pitfalls to avoid when feeding your baby.
• Don’t surprise baby by bringing the spoon up to her mouth from the side - bring the food gradually towards her mouth from the front so she can see it.
• Don’t reheat food. Always heat a small amount at a time and keep the rest in the fridge. Once food has been thawed, don’t refreeze it.
• Don’t heat food in the microwave - it can cause hotspots that may burn your baby’s mouth.
• Don’t be tempted to wean before your baby’s 4 months old. Your baby’s body isn’t ready yet.
• Don’t assume your baby will only like bland food - flavour it with herbs and mild spices. For example, try adding cinnamon to apple purée or a little ground ginger to sweet potato.
EAT RIGHT
Your month-by-month guide to what to feed baby.
6 MONTHS+
Stick to plain foods, such as baby rice made up with breastmilk or formula. When she’s used to rice, introduce fruit or veg purée. Never add salt or sugar to her food. Ideal first foods are ripe bananas (mashed with a fork), cooked apples, pumpkin, or carrot.
7-9 MONTHS
Let her try lumpier foods once she’s used to solids, so mash rather than blend. She’s ready for a few new additions to her diet now, but keep them plain and nutritious. Try boneless fish, chicken, thoroughly-cooked egg yolk, bread, pasta, yoghurt and lentils. Babies love the sweet flavour of fruit, so offer peeled grapes, pear and mango, as well as veggies such as green beans, cucumber batons, peas and sweetcorn. Encourage her to feed herself by giving her finger foods like chopped bananas, mild Cheddar cheese cubes or cooked carrot sticks.
10-12 MONTHS
Your baby should be eating three regular meals a day, plus two or three healthy snacks in-between. She can eat almost everything you eat now (for exceptions, see Forbidden Foods, page xx). Include iron-rich foods, such as red meat, chicken, fish, lentils and fortified sugar-free breakfast cereals. If your baby’s now eating the same meals as the rest of the family, don’t add salt when you cook the food. You can season your portion afterwards.
FORBIDDEN FOODS
Most foods are safe for your tot's tiny tummy, but some can cause allergies or illness, or pose a choking risk. Here's what not to give your munchkin.
SALT
Babies under 12 months should have none at all, or at most 1g a day. Never add salt to cooking or give your baby high-salted processed foods. Limit her intake of salty foods, like cheese and sausages. Avoid gravy or sauces as they are usually loaded with salt and additives.
HONEY
Honey can cause infant botulism, a serious form of food poisoning, so avoid giving until 12 months.
EGGS
Avoid until 6 to 8 months, as they can cause serious allergic reactions. Until 12 months, eggs should be thoroughly cooked - raw or undercooked eggs can cause salmonella food poisoning.
SUGAR
Sugar causes tooth decay. Ban fizzy drinks as they're too sugary for your little one's growing teeth. Fruit juice is also high in sugar, so dilute with water and offer only at mealtimes and never from a bottle.
NUTS
Whole nuts are a choking hazard and shouldn’t be given to children under 5. If you have a family history of allergies, including asthma, eczema and hayfever, avoid giving peanuts and peanut-based products until your child is 3.
TEA, COFFEE
Tea or coffee or other caffeinated drinks. They prevent the body from absorbing iron.
LOW-FAT FOODS
Low-fat foods, unless otherwise advised by a health professional - your baby needs plenty of calories to grow.
HIGH-FIBRE FOODS
High-fibre foods, like bran cereals - they’re too hard to digest.
If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg
- Mother & Baby
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