Previously we looked at some of the important things about feeding infants — from breastfeeding to introducing solids. This month we will continue by looking at some of the other points to remember about nutrition as your child grows and develops towards one year of age.

Ideally an infant will have been breastfed (preferably exclusively) up until 6 months of age, at which point solid foods should be introduced. The period between 6 and 9 months of age is a critical period for establishing a good routine with regard to solid foods and for laying the foundation for healthy eating habits. As such a bit of planning and a lot of patience is needed. By the end of nine months, an infant should have progressed from having a breastfeed first and then some solid food, to having solid food first followed by a breastfeed

Examples of foods that need to lay the foundation of an infant’s diet include vegetables (such as pumpkin, carrot or potato) and fruit (apple, pear or banana), as well as different meats, breads and cereals. Giving your child variety and exposing them to new tastes while they are young is also very important.

Also consider texture — while the first solid foods introduced at six months need to be finely pureed with no lumps, the texture can progress from pureed, to softened and mashed with small lumps, to finely chopped, to small pieces which constitute finger food.

So, the variety of foods and the texture progress with and complement the developmental stage of the infant. From around 8 months, infants can generally sit without assistance, hold a bottle and grasp and release foods, as well as having increased tongue flexibility and lateral jaw motion (chewing). Once a child is able to self-feed, it is important to develop these feeding skills by allowing the infant to touch, taste, feel and self-feed a variety of foods.

Establishing healthy eating habits from the beginning is of great benefit to health — I encourage you to put the effort in now and reap the benefits later!

Healthy Recipe BABY RECIPE CHICKEN IN WHITE SAUCE Ingredients 1 tablespoon finely chopped cooked chicken (no skin) 2 teaspoons flour or cornflour 100ml milk   Method Blend flour and milk in a saucepan, and simmer for a few minutes until beginning to thicken. Add chicken and process in a blender until smooth. Heat well before serving. You will not need to puree this recipe for babies who are over eight months old.