Good nutrition during the baby to school-age years is key to helping children grow, feel good and achieve their best. What your child has to eat is an essential part of their dental care.
Starting your baby on solid food is a big step. Babies can be introduced to solids between the age of 4-6 months, but before this age their bodies are not able to cope with food properly. At first when introducing food, it is normal for all babies to spit food our and screw up their face, but this does not necessarily mean that the food is disliked. You should offer the same foods on several ocasions to allow your baby to get used tothe new taste.
- Ideal first foods are baby rice, pureed fruits (apple, banana, pear) and pureed vegetables (sweet potato, potato, carrot). It is important that these are of a thin, smooth lump-free consistency.
- From the age of 5 months baked beans, lentils, red meat, poultry and fish (without bones) can be introduced. These foods should still be smooth although they can be a thicker puree.
- By the time your baby reaches 6 months they can be given a wider variety of foods including bread, pasta, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais. At this age you should gradually change from smooth to mashed foods and then onto soft, lumpier textures. Aim for 3 small meals each day.
- Gradually, between 6 and 12 months, wide variety of flavours and textures should be introduced to make sure your baby gets all the nutrients needed for growth and development. If your baby refuses a food, don't force them to eat it, take it away without fuss and try it again in a few days.
- By the time your baby reaches 12 months, they should be enjoying the same healthy foods as the rest of your family.
General Points to Remember:
- From the age of 6 months, start to use a feeding cup to give your baby water, expressed breastmilk or formula milk.
- From 6 months you should start to brush your baby's gums or teeth if they have any.
- DO NOT add sugar or salt to any food.
- DO NOT give fizzy juice and if you do give diluting squashes keep them to mealtimes only (including low calorie and sugar free varieties).
- Full fat cow's milk can be introduced from the age of one year as a main drink. Before this age you should give your baby breastmilk, formula milk or water.
- Always supervise meals and drinks to avoid the risk of choking.
- Ready prepared jars or packets of foods can be expensive and often contain sugar and thickeners, which are of little nutritional value. Ready prepared foods can however be useful on occasions when you may be going out for the day.
Children need a varied diet to ensure they get all the nutrients they require for growth and development. Nursery aged children often have small appetites and need regular meals with small snacks in-between. snacks should be as nutritious as possible and sugar free to prevent tooth decay. Chocolate bars, sweets, cereal bars and sweet biscuits should be saved for mealtimes and as treats rather than taken between meals.
Here are a few suggestions for healthier snacks:
Here are a few suggestions for healthier snacks:
- Fruit - mouth size chunks, cubes or slices of apple, pear, satsuma, orange, banana, kiwi, melon, strawberries and grapes. There are lots to choose from. But the ones in season or on special offer which will save some money.
- Raw vegetables - carrot, pepper, celery, cucumber, cherry tomato, red cabbage, turnip, radish and courgette.
- Toast, bread rolls, baps, French bread with a small amount of polyunsaturated spread.
- Small sandwiches with marmite, cheese, tuna, thin slices of meat.
- Pitta bread pockets - on their own or with a filling.
- Bread sticks - on their own or with a dip or soft cheese e.g. Dairylea, Philadelphia or cottage cheese.
- Oatcakes, rice cakes, crackers and crispbreads.
- Natural yoghurt with fruit or fromage frais.
- Home-made pizza triangles.
- Muffins, plain, potato or cheese scones, crumpets, pancake, plain buns.
- Plain microwave popcorn.
- Crisps or corn snacks e.g. Quavers, Golden Lights, Wheat Crunchies, Tortilla chips or Twiglets - keep these to a minimum e.g. no more than once per day, because these are high in salt and fat.
Drinks
It is very important for infants and young children to have plenty of fluids to drink, as it helps their body to function properly and helps prevent constipation.
- Milk and water are the only safe drinks for teeth so can be recommended between meals. Drinking water should be encouraged at all times.
- From the ate of 2 years children can be given semi-skimmed milk at home providing they have a wide and varied dite, but children eating only a limited range of foods should continue to have full fat milk until the age of 5. Skimmed milk is not recommended for any child under the age of 5.
- Remember that cow's milk is unsuitable as the maim milk for children under one year.
- Fresh fruit juice is a good source of vitamin c but is best given with breakfast or a main meal to help with the absorption of iron. Fresh fruit juices are quite acidic so can be harmful to teeth and so should be diluted with water (1 part juice to at least 2 parts water).
- Squashes are best avoided, especially between meals. If offering squash with a meal then offer "no added sugar" varieties and dilute well (1 part squash to at least 8 parts water). Squash should always be served in a feeding cup, not a bottle, to minimise risk of tooth decay.
- Fizzy drinks (either diet or sugar containing) should be kept for special occasions and, if given, preferably offered wit food.
- At around 6 months of age it is a good time to encourage the use of a drinking cup instead of a bottle for water, diluted juices and even for formula milk or expressed breast milk.
- Tea and coffee are not recommended for children under 5 as the tannin present can hinder the absorption of iron. However, if tea is given to encourage a child to drink milk, make the tea as milky as possible and don't add sugar.
It's easy to get stuck in a rut with lunchboxes, especially if children insist on having the same sandwich filling day after day. changing a few items ina lunchbox over the course of a week can help to provide a range of important nutrients and encourage children to try new foods.
With a little careful planning, a healthy lunchbox can be prepared in a few minutes. Don't forget that the contents of a lunchbox have to survive until the middle of the day and by that time, may have been dropped a few times! there are many novelty lunchboxes and bags to choose from, but remember a plain plastic box does the hob just as well.
With a little careful planning, a healthy lunchbox can be prepared in a few minutes. Don't forget that the contents of a lunchbox have to survive until the middle of the day and by that time, may have been dropped a few times! there are many novelty lunchboxes and bags to choose from, but remember a plain plastic box does the hob just as well.
- Sandwiches are an easy choice for a packed lunch. To give a little variety, try different breads and rolls such as wholemeal, granary, poppy seed, sesame seed, pitta bread, bagels and baps. Try some breadsticks or crackers too.
- For sandwich fillings include ham, turkey, chicken, fish, egg, banana, Edam, mozzarella or cottage cheese. Add plenty of salad, but avoid too much mayonnaise or salad cream as these are high in fat.
- Home-made pasta and rice salads are ideal for packed lunches.
- Included some chopped raw vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, peppers or cherry tomatoes.
- An apple a day can soon become boring so include a variety of fruit. choose fruits that are in season as this will be more economical. Include a pot of fruit salad as a change to a whole fruit. try some dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas, mango or apricots.
- For a dessert include milk-bases puddings such as yoghurt, fromage frais, a small pot of custard or mousse.
- Choose fruit scones, pancakes or fruit loaf as healthier alternatives to sweets and chocolate. Use fun-sized chocolate bars but encourage children to keep these for lunchtime, not as a snack.
- For a drink include milk or water. Small cartons of pure fruit juice are easy to transport but remember these should be diluted to 1 part juice to at least 2 parts water. Squashes should be diluted to 1 part juice to at least 8 parts water.
Starting Off
Feeding babies under 12 months
Feeding babies under 12 months
Starting Off
Feeding babies under 12 months
Feeding babies under 12 months
All fizzy drinks and squashes (whether "diet" or otherwise) provide little in the way of nutrition, and drinking them between meals may reduce a child's appetite for food at mealtimes
