organic food - 6 to 12 months

4-6 months:

Around 4-6 months, your baby may be ready to start on solids. Consult your Paediatric nurse (or in NZ Plunket Nurse) for advice. Babies commonly start on baby rice, pureed fruit or vegetables.

6 months:

After 6 months, when baby is interested in finger foods, you can try rusks and dry toast.

White bread is better for your babies digestive system until around 15 months.

Most NZ supermarkets stock white sliced organic bread. Organic rusks can be found at specialised organics supermarkets.

It is especially important to introduce children to a wide variety of fruit and vegetables from an early age. This will establish healthy eating habits for life and provide them with a good supply of vitamins and minerals for growth.

Whether your baby is on a meat or vegetarian diet, you need to ensure that they are eating enough foods that are rich in iron.

For a vegetarian baby, cooked dried apricots, cereals, beans and lentils are rich sources of iron.

For meal and snack ideas:

United States:

Check out this review of top six store-bought organic baby food brands.

View US Feeding charts.

New Zealand:

Signup for our Newsletter to download and print our handy Feeding Guide for your  fridge. 

You will receive instructions via email once you have signed up.

Find out what's in season.

Please note: You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view both these files. You can download the latest version here.

8-9 months:

Young children have small tummies so they need to eat small meals frequently.
Be prepared - have plenty of fruit and snacks on hand.

At around 8-9 months, your baby may be interested in a more extended range of food and textures - especially if they have teeth for chewing and biting.

As well as a more extended range of fruit and vegetables, new foods that can be introduced now include yoghurt, custard and cheese (unless dairy allergies run in the family).

You can buy organic yoghurt (including soy yoghurt) and cheese in most supermarkets, as well as organic milk and eggs to make your own custard.

Egg yolks should not be eaten until after 12 months.

Recommendations about when you should start baby on soy seem to vary - check with your Paediatric nurse (or in NZ Plunket Nurse) or Doctor.

Food allergies/Intolerances:

You also need to be aware that certain foods should be avoided until after 12 months or if allergies run in the family.

If there is a dairy or wheat allergy in the family, it is a good idea to avoid dairy and possibly wheat products until 12 months. You can substitute wheat-based bread for spelt (or dinkel) flour breads.

References:

1. Ministry of Health, Eating for Healthy Babies & Toddlers. Revised December 2005.

Further Reading:

Nourish have a series of articles including Food Intolerance - Tracking down food intolerance in children.