When should I start complementary feeding?
As your child develops, their nutritional needs change too, and there comes a stage, when a breast-feed just isn’t enough to satisfy them. This often happens around 6 months of age, when many children are ready for complementary feeding.
Planning your child’s complementary feeding routine
Moving to solids is a big milestone for you and your child, so it’s not surprising that some mums can feel unsure about what and when to feed. Establishing a feeding routine at set times each day will help your child get used to their new complementary feeding diet.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to complementary feeding, but it’s always a good idea to start slowly; one feed of solid food a day to test the water is fine. Gradually move up to two or three solid feeds a day. You’ll probably find that the more solids your child eats, the less milk they’ll want. However, milk is still important.
First complementary feeding foods
Your child’s first complementary feeding foods should be both gentle in flavour and smooth in texture. Purées, roughly the consistency of double cream, are ideal for learning how to swallow solid foods. Many mums start off with child rice, mixed up with some of their usual child milk. This helps to introduce children to a subtle new texture with a familiar taste, making it less strange for them to eat.
Don’t worry if your child seems to spit up everything you give them, it can take a while for them to learn how to eat and get used to new tastes and textures – after all, they’ve only been used to milk until now. Just take it slowly and don’t give up!
For a more detailed plan of what to feed your child, take a look at our online 7-day meal planner.
Eating as a family
Once your child is happier eating a variety of solid foods, you can save time and energy by giving your child a mashed-up or blended version of what you’ve cooked for the rest of the family, as long as you’ve not added any sugar or salt, as their delicate stomachs are too sensitive. Just go slowly and let your child take their time and before you know it, they’ll be feeding themselves and demanding seconds like the rest of the family!
If you’re stuck for inspiration, we’ve got lots of ideas for healthy, tasty meals in our complementary feeding recipes section.