Starting Solids: Best First Foods for Baby

Written By No. 1 baby & children’s cookery author Annabel Karmel

Introducing solids to your baby is such an exciting milestone and an opportunity to really show your food explorer what tasty delights there are to try when it comes to the wonderful world of food. Whether you are spoon-feeding or baby-led weaning the nutritious foods you’ll be offering will be the same. So, let’s take a closer look at some of those power-packed first foods to explore with your baby. Vegetables Introduce a variety of vegetables – both sweet and bitter tasting to ensure your little one develops a palate for all tastes. Babies are born with a preference for sweet flavours (as breastmilk and formula milk are sweet) so start with single sweet root veggies like carrot or sweet potato. But the trick is to also frequently introduce those ‘bitter’ tasting vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and cauliflower early on in those initial weaning weeks, and beyond! Fruit Once your baby has been busy getting stuck into lots of new vegetables you can start to introduce fruit. Whether it’s pureeing, mashing, or serving as soft finger foods, there are so many nutrient dense fruits for baby to sample. Fruit is packed with vitamins and nutrients, and many pair well with vegetables so it’s time to get creating some tasty flavour combinations to further expand your baby’s palate. Iron-rich protein and omega 3s So you’ve mastered those first taste vegetables and fruits, it’s time to up that nutritional intake. From six months, offer foods containing iron-rich protein including red meat and poultry, beans and pulses as well as those omega 3 essential fatty acids – salmon being the cream of the crop! As a guide you should be giving your baby iron-rich protein foods twice a day. If your baby is following a vegetarian diet they will need a slightly higher amount as plant-based sources are not so well absorbed by the body. Did you know that vitamin C helps with iron absorption? Try to pair iron containing foods with a vitamin C rich food such as strawberries, mango, orange segments, red peppers, tomatoes, broccoli or leafy greens. When it comes to brain development, those omega 3 essential fatty acids are super important. Your baby needs these specific fats for their health and development, and because they can’t produce essential fatty acids themselves, it is important they come from food. Giving oily fish like salmon is a great way to pack in this critical nutrient so try and include oily fish in your baby’s diet twice a week. At 7 months By seven months, your baby will generally be eating three small meals a day alongside their usual milk. It can be helpful to try and make sure mealtimes are made up of three key nutritionals:

An iron-containing protein food

E.g. beef, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, pulses, tofu, fortified breakfast cereal with milk.

A vitamin C-rich food (to help your baby better absorb the iron part of their meal)

E.g. small portion of raspberries as dessert or a steamed broccoli floret as a side.

Energy-boosting foods – ideally a carbohydrate and a fat

E.g. baked sweet potato with unsalted butter, cooked pasta drizzled with olive oil, or smashed avocado on fingers of toast. I know it seems like there is so much to think about and so many foods to cover! But, as long as you’re regularly giving new foods (paying extra attention to those nutrient-rich foods), you’re trying new textures and letting baby also explore foods for themselves, you’re well on the way to weaning success. Check out my dedicated Weaning Hub over on my app and discover everything you need to know about introducing foods to your baby including your ultimate ingredient index! Looking for mealtime inspiration for your baby or toddler? Annabel’s award-winning recipe app is home to over 1,000 simple and delicious ideas for the whole family, PLUS new recipes every week. Packed with expert weaning support, including Annabel’s #1 listen-along guide, it’s a kitchen essential for happy, healthy mealtimes. Start your FREE trial today! Get your first month FREE with promo code BabalooAK.