9 - 18 Months: Done Weaning,
Now What?

Who better to help you ease your baby into healthy homemade edibles than children’s food expert Annabel Karmel

What to put on the plate
But it's got bits
Fun with finger food
Stroppy spoonfeeders

Just when you thought you’d got spoonfeeding sussed, it’s time to move on from mush and get to grips with bits

Now your baby is up to three meals a day, the next big adventure is ‘advanced weaning’. Your challenge is to introduce more tastes and textures into her diet; hers is to learn how to eat it for herself.

‘Once you’ve found food that your child is happy to eat, it’s tempting to give her the same combinations every time,’ says Boots Parenting Club dietitian Nigel Denby. ‘But offering her a wider choice means she’s more likely to get a varied and balanced diet.’

What to put on the plate

It’s easy to get over-anxious about individual nutrients, but experts recommend taking a more relaxed approach. ‘Don’t obsess too much about whether she’s getting enough of each particular vitamin or mineral from her diet on a daily basis,’ says Nigel. ‘All nutrients work in synergy and, as long as your baby’s having a balanced diet over the course of a week, she will be getting all the vital nutrients she needs.’

Broadly, a balanced diet for a one- to two-year-old should include:

Dairy products (such as milk, yoghurt and cheese).
Protein (such as fish, meat, eggs and beans).
Carbohydrates (such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes).
Fruit and vegetables.
Fats (such as olive oil, in cooking, and oily fish).

Remember, too, that servings are really quite small at this age. One serving of orange could be just two segments for a nine-month-old, and a porridge portion for a 12-month-old could be only two tablespoons.

But it’s got bits, Mum!

As your baby’s first teeth emerge, it’s time for chew, chew training. That means mashing, mincing or finely chopping rather than blending food.

Some babies take a while to get used to lumps and it’s tempting to stick with the smooth so you can be sure she’s getting something. But be warned: if you continue giving purées for too long, your baby may get lazy at chewing - and that could delay her speech. Chewing helps develop the same muscles we use for talking.

‘If your baby refuses lumpy food, make the transition easier by introducing mashed or grated food into her usual purées,’ suggests children’s food expert Annabel Karmel. ‘Or stir cooked pasta shapes into a favourite recipe.’

If you are bringing up your baby as a vegetarian, mashing lentils is a good way of adding both texture and essential nutrients to food. Lentils are rich in both protein and iron, two of the nutrients most likely to get left out of a meat-free diet.

Your baby can eat mostly the same foods as you eat, although you should still avoid giving her nuts, honey and salt. Chopping up your own meals will cut down on preparation time, and help with your ultimate aim: eating together as a family.

Fun with finger food

Finger foods also offer chewing practice and are the first step in helping your baby learn to feed herself. ‘From nine months, introduce foods such as mini sandwiches, pitta bread, rice cakes and carrot sticks and pear slices,’ says Nigel. But don’t forget this means you’ll have to get into the habit of washing little hands before mealtimes from now on.

Once your baby is crawling, or maybe even cruising or walking, she’ll need two or three snacks a day to keep up her energy between meals. ‘I always recommend fingers of wholemeal toast,’ says Boots Parenting Club GP and mum of three Dr Lowri Kew. ‘Dried fruit is good, but make sure it is eaten in one go to protect teeth from decay.’ Easy-to-hold pieces of fruit or veg - such as dried apple rings, orange segments or carrot batons - are also a healthy option. And chilled finger foods, such as cucumber sticks fresh from the fridge, are great for soothing a teething baby’s sore gums.

Stroppy spoonfeeders

When your baby turns one (or even before), she may begin to spurn spoonfeeding and only want to feed herself. Do all you can to encourage this: the more you let your baby experiment, the quicker she’ll learn.

‘It helps to give foods that stick to the spoon and are not too sloppy, such as rice pudding,’ says Annabel. ‘And a suction-bottomed bowl that sticks to the tray is also helpful: your baby is less likely to push it off in frustration as she tries to get the spoon into her mouth.’

Don’t stress about the mess. ‘Relax,’ says Lowri. ‘You can start making strict rules about throwing food when she’s about three!’

Please note: You should never leave your child unattended while eating because babies and toddlers can choke on small pieces of food.

By Linda Bird and Vicky Carlisle