Starting on Solids

Your baby has been thriving on breast milk during his first six months. He’s growing well and getting the right blend of nutrients in the exact amounts to meet his nutritional needs. At six months, however, breast milk alone is no longer enough. It is during this time to introduce complementary feeding to baby’s diet. This is where you feed baby solid and semisolid foods while continuing to breastfeed.

The 3 Pillars of Complementary Feeding

To ensure you’re in the know about the basics of good complementary feeding, stick to these pillars:

1. Nutritional Needs. Complementary foods should have at least the equivalent nutritional value of breast milk. You should feed your baby a variety of foods in sufficient quantity. Introduction of complementary foods should be based on baby’s age and physiological development. The first food introduced is always cereals, beginning with rice porridge. This can then be followed by pureed vegetables and fruits. Meat, fish or egg white can be introduced after baby is 6-8 months old. Your baby should also be fed vitamin A and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables everyday and be provided a diet with adequate fat content. Limit the amount of fruit juices to avoid displacing more nutrient-rich foods.
2. Timeliness. Complementary feeding typically covers the period from 6 to 18-24 months of age. Baby should start receiving foods in addition to breast milk from 6 months onwards. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants receiving complementary foods 2-3 times a day between 6-8 months and 3-4 times a day between 9-24 months, with additional snacks provided 1-2 times daily. Baby can start having family foods at 12 months onwards.
3. Adequacy. The adequacy of complementary feeding depends on the availability of a variety of foods in the household and the feeding practices of the parents or caregivers. Feeding young infants requires lots of care and stimulation, and you should always be aware of baby’s hunger pangs and also encourage him to eat.

What to Feed Baby

Good complementary foods must be able to provide sufficient energy and nutrients and are appropriate to baby’s stage of development. Here’s what you can feed the little one:

Rice, other cereals and starchy foods

Rice porridge and ready-to-eat iron fortified infant cereals are usually baby’s first food at six months. Give soft rice and mashed noodles when baby is older (11 months or so).

Fruits and vegetables

Start off with diluted strained fruit juices and pureed veggies. When your baby is between 6-8 months, give mashed or chopped soft fruits, and cooked-and-sieved or mashed peas and green leafy vegetables. Between 8-12 months, cut up soft fruits into bite-sized pieces and chop veggies to allow baby to discover their individual textures.

Protein-rich foods

Try toasted and finely ground ikan bilis or cooked and sieved egg yolk and peas. Then, chopped chicken and fish when baby is 6-8 months, and after that, minced or finelychopped meat or soft cheese.