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These guidelines will help you choose healthy food for your baby and toddler.

• Breast milk is best.
• If you cannot breastfeed, use an infant formula until baby is 12 months old.
• Give babies and toddlers enough to drink.
• Start solids with one new food at a time.
• Change variety, texture and quantity as your baby grows.
• Healthy eating habits start early.

Start solids with one new food at a time

It takes time for a baby's digestive system to fully develop,

When baby can hold up its head and starts to show signs of chewing it is probably ready for its first (weaning) foods.  This is usually between 4-6 months, although the age will differ between babies.   Introducing solids to early is not good for your baby.  Discuss when to start foods with your child health nurse or doctor.

Choose a time when baby is most relaxed and happy to introduce a new food.  Babies like the plain taste of milk, so first foods also need to be plain.  Don't add extra salt or sugar to food you make for baby.

Give the milk feed first and offer solids as a 'top up'.  Try 1 teaspoon first and gradually increase until baby is having about 3-4 teaspoons at a meal.

First foods need to be soft and smooth.  Use a blender or push food through a fine sieve with a wooden spoon.  You can add expressed breast milk, formula or water to make the food liquid enough for baby to swallow.  Extra home-made foods can be frozen in ice cubes and use din the next 3-4 weeks.

Canned and bottled commercial baby foods have been specially made to meet the needs of your baby.  Always follow the storage instructions on the bottle or can.

Hold baby while you feed or sit them in a baby high chair.  Use a small teaspoon and put the food in the middle of their tongue.

First try plain, soft foods:

• baby rice or infant cereal
• pureed apple, pear, apricot, peach or ripe mashed banana
• pureed kumara, kamo kamo, pumpkin, potato, carrot, marrow or avocado

(Honey should not be given to infants under 6 months.)

Try new food every 4-5 days.  If they don't like it the first time, leave it for a few days and try again with a small amount.

Give more variety as baby grows

Change the type of food offered, how much you give and the thickness of the mixture.

When baby can sit and is interested in finger foods (about 6-7 months):

Introduce some finely minced (pureed) meat, chicken or egg yolk and include some vegetables - yams, taro, puha, courgettes, cauliflower, broccoli.  Try toast fingers and rusks but only use low fibre products.

By 8-9 months when baby has good chewing and biting skills:

Change the texture of the food with finely chopped meat, boneless fish or tofu and mashed rather than pureed vegetables.  Include a wider range of cooked mashed vegetables such as silverbeet, spinach, peas, beans, tomatoes, cabbage and creamed corn.

Now that baby is 8-9 months you can offer solids before milk feeds.

Other suggestions:

• soft fresh fruit - a few orange segments or slices of kiwifruit are easy to manage
• white bread or plain crackers
• fine porridge
• yoghurt, custard, grated cheese

If you have a strong family history of allergy, some foods should be left out until baby is 12 months old.  These foods are cow's milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice-cream, fish and wheat cereal.  If there is a strong family history of peanut allergy peanuts should not be introduced until the child is 3 years old.  Discuss this with your doctor or child health nurse.  They can arrange for you to see a dietitian if necessary.

When baby is a year old:

Give them small amounts of the same food your family eats.  Although they still need about 2 cups of milk a day, toddlers can try a lot of different foods:

• bread, crackers and breakfast cereals
• vegetables and fruit
• whole milk, full cream or homogenised, yoghurt and cheese
• chopped lean meat, chicken, seafood, whole egg, cooked dried peas, beans or lentils

Some healthy snacks are:

• a small sandwich
• plain cracker with cheese or vegemite/marmite
• small piece of soft fresh fruit or vegetable (you can put pieces of hard fruit such as apple in a soft muslin cloth form the to suck on)
• a small cup of milk (toddlers)
• yoghurt
• home-made rusks (cut slices of bread into fingers and bake slowly in the over.  Store in an airtight jar)

Some babies like to chew when they begin teething.  Offer home-made risks or buy teething biscuits or a teething ring.

• Always make sure babies and toddlers sit down while they eat, and that someone is with them while they are eating.
• Do not give small hard foods such as whole nuts (especially those with skins) until children are at least 5 years old.
• Make sure your hands are clean when making and feeding baby's food.
• Throw out any uneaten baby food left on their plate.