GHK | Trying New Foods

Trying New Foods

For the first 6 months of their life, your baby gets all the nutrition they need from breastmilk or formula. As they continue to grow and develop, they need solid food to meet their nutritional needs.

Best times to try

Your baby will let you know how they feel. When they are hungry, they will get excited when they see food, lean towards you and open their mouth. When they have had enough, you will notice that they turn away, lose interest or push the spoon away. Try the following when introducing new foods:

Pick a quiet time, when you and your baby are relaxed, and you have plenty of time
Breastfeed (or offer infant formula) first
Begin by offering a few teaspoons of food, once a day
Offer small amounts of the new food alongside foods they already like
If your baby isn’t interested the first time you try with solid food, wait until tomorrow and try again
Don’t try to force your baby to finish a portion of food if they don’t want to.

It can take 10-15 tries before they accept a new food. Be patient and keep trying.

Trying new foods infographic

Where to start

Age	Food texture	Foods	Things to avoid
6 months	Smooth pureed foods	Breast milk Smooth, mashed or soft pieces of fruit and vegetables Add a few teaspoons of these to one meal. Iron-rich foods such as: Iron-fortified infant cereal (such as rice cereal) Minced meat, chicken and fish Tofu and legumes Mashed, cooked egg Cooled, boiled water can be offered as a drink	Don’t add salt to foods Avoid honey – this can cause botulism. Avoid hard foods and whole nuts until 3 years – these are choking hazards
6-7 months	Smooth mashed foods	Breast milk Infant cereal (iron enriched) Smooth mashed fruit Smooth mashed vegetables Well cooked, pureed meats, tofu and legumes Cooled, boiled water can be offered as a drink
8-12 months	Mashed or chopped foods Finger foods	Breast milk ‘Finger foods’ – food chopped into bite sized pieces for a baby that they eat with their hands Well-cooked mashed or minced chicken, meat, fish egg Mashed or soft cooked vegetables like beans, lentils, broccoli Chopped soft raw fruit like banana and melon Cereals, pasta, noodles Cooled, boiled water can be offered as a drink
9-12 months	Mashed or chopped foods Finger foods	Breast milk Introduce cheese, custard and yoghurt Cooled, boiled water can be offered as a drink
12 + months	Family foods	Breast milk or full-cream cow’s milk Most food the family eats, with some foods cut into small pieces Vegetables cooked until soft Cooled, boiled water can be offered as a drink

Add variety so that your baby can try different foods, get different nutrients and develop their mouth and jaw muscles.

You do not need to delay the introduction of eggs, peanuts, wheat or other allergy causing foods. If you have concerns about allergies, talk to your Child and Family Nurse.

Eating family foods

Making your own baby foods can be cheaper than buying prepared foods from the supermarket.

Tips for preparing baby food:

Use meat and vegetables you are using to prepare the family meal
Remove skin and bones from meat
Cook food until it is soft, then mash with a fork
Wait until it has stopped steaming before moving food to the fridge
Store in a sealed container
Label clearly with the date

Plain water, breastmilk or infant formula can be added to puree food if liquid is needed. pureed food to be frozen

You can keep food in the fridge for two days and up to one month in the freezer.

Freeze pureed baby food in ice cube trays to make portioning easier, spoon into tray and cover with plastic wrap. When ready you can re-heat in the microwave or stove (test temperature before using). After re heating, throw away any leftovers – do not refreeze.

For more information on starting solids see the Pregnancy Birth and Baby website.