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Four things you need to know when introducing solids
Starting your baby on solids is an exciting step in their food journey. Here are four things you need to know as you embark on this new food adventure with your little one.
- Look out for these three signs
Developmentally, your baby should start showing signs that they are ready to begin their solids journey at around six months old. Before you start supplementing their breastmilk or formula your baby needs to be able to stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady. They also need to be able to coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so that they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth. Finally, they need to be able to swallow food – and not just spit it back up. When they can do all three of these things, you can start trying them on a little pureed fruit and veg and cereal.
- Don’t stress about quantity
Initially it isn’t important how much solid food your baby is consuming. Instead, the first few weeks is about getting them used to the idea of solids. They will need to get used to new tastes and textures and learn to move the food around their mouth with their tongue. Continue giving them their breastmilk or formula and supplement that with small quantities of solids. Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees make introducing solids easy. Each pouch comes with a resealable screw-on lid, so you can let your baby try a little at a time and simply pop the rest of the pouch in the fridge for later.
- Watch the sugar and salt
Babies should not eat too much salt as it is not good for their kidneys and sugar intake also needs to be controlled. Make sure that you do not add salt to your baby’s food when you are cooking or serving it – and watch out for hidden salt in stocks and gravies. Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees are made using quality fruit and veg. They contain no colourants, preservatives or flavourants – and no added sugar or starch – which means they’re as good as homemade. Plus, they contain no eggs, wheat, soya, nuts, gluten or dairy*, making them allergen-free.
- Be patient and keep trying
Remember, your little one might take a while to develop a taste for different flavours – the important thing is to stay patient and keep trying. Squish offers a wide variety of flavours to choose from, including Pear + Prune; Summer Berries; Sweet Potato, Apple + Cinnamon; and Butternut + Carrot. Make sure mealtimes aren’t hurried – and let your baby set the pace. Look out for signs that they are full or have had enough. To indicate this your little one will keep their mouth firmly closed and turn their head away. Don’t force your child to eat – rather pack the food away and try again a little later.
*Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees are dairy free. Squish Yogi pouches contain cow’s milk.