How do I introduce meat and fish to my baby?

Just as you conquer stage one of weaning and your baby is on three meals a day – happily eating all the foods you offer – the next phase looms in the distance. Stage two awaits, which means it’s time to get serious about food!

The stage between seven and nine months is a period to really consider the nutritional content of your little one’s meals more carefully.

What happens between seven and nine months?

• Your baby starts to show off their personality
• He or she will start to make decisions on what they like and dislike
• The will undergo rapid development of motor skills
• There will be many more hours of wake time

Your babbling baby

Your baby’s cooing and babbling is adorable but it is also their way of exercising and learning to be able to speak our language. They need to develop key muscles in their mouth as well as learn how to control their tongue more carefully and this is where the chewing and swallowing action helps develop these muscles.

Extra energy and nutrients

With all this development and co-ordination, as well as the reduced milk feeds, it means your baby needs extra energy and nutrients, including protein, calcium and fats to grow.

The Importance of Iron

A baby’s iron requirements are particularly high between six and 12 months. Babies are born with a store of iron that only lasts for about six months, after this period it is VERY important to make sure that they get the iron they need from their food.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency during early childhood and it is vital for nutritional needs to be met, as symptoms can be difficult to detect.

Symptoms of an iron deficiency are:

1. Baby may just be tired and pale
2. Baby will be more prone to infection
3. Growth and development may seem to slow down

Which meat do I start with?

Chicken is an ideal first meat; it blends well with root vegetables which gives the purée a smoother texture. Chicken also works well with fruits like apple and is particularly delicious when cooked together with butternut or sweet potato.

If possible, try and use the chicken thigh or dark meat as this contains twice as much zinc and iron than the white meat. Chicken Livers are also extremely rich in iron and ideal for babies as it has a soft texture and is easy to digest.

Teaching your baby to eat red meat

We mistakenly believe that babies don’t like the taste of certain foods when, in fact, it is the texture that they object to. This is often the case when it comes to red meat.

Unless you choose to raise your child as a vegetarian, red meat is an excellent source of iron and provides the best source of iron, which is vitally important for both physical and mental development.

Other sources of iron can be found in:

• Egg yolk
• Wholemeal bread
• Fortified cereals
• Beans
• Lentils
• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Dried fruit (apricots and peaches)

When it comes to introducing meat and chicken into your baby’s diet, it can be done in numerous ways and it is entirely dependent on how you wish to feed your baby. As long as they are eating it and growing healthily, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Can I give my baby fish?

So many children grow up turning their nose up to fish. This is not because they find it bland or boring, usually it’s because they have never been introduced to it in a tasty way.

Fish is really simple to cook, just don’t over-cook it as it can become tough and tasteless. However, when cooked gently, it is easy for baby to chew and can even be flaked with a fork.

Always check for bones and ensure you buy your fish from a reliable source.

As with all new foods, there are some rules that need to be followed. Firstly, start off with a white fish, which is low in fat, high in protein and easy for baby to chew. Once your baby has accepted the taste of fish and there is no sign of an allergy, you can slowly move them onto salmon and other oily fish.

Bumbles™ loves:

• Salmon
• Trout
• Fresh tuna
• Sardines

These are all an excellent source of fatty acids which is important for the development of your baby’s brain, nervous system and vision. From seven months, fish should ideally be included in their diet at least twice a week.

Have you tried the Bumbles™ recipes?  We have some fabulous fish dishes. Visit our website for more: http://bumblescookeryclub.co.za/

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Bumbles Cookery Club

The Bumbles™ Cookery Club offers detailed workshops for each vital stage of the weaning process, as well a support and social group for moms to enjoy.

Our goal is to guide and assist moms, and dads, through the different weaning stages and to understand and learn the importance of each stage, when to introduce each food group and how to create delicious, nutritionally balanced meals not only for your little one but for the whole family.

Latest posts by Bumbles Cookery Club (see all)

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