Healthy eating for your baby (six to 12 months)
What’s inside this booklet:
Starting solid foods
Iron and vitamin D
Food allergies
Texture is important
Safety tips
Responsive feeding
Let the rainbow be your guide
Sample menus
A quick guide to feeding baby
Frequently asked questions
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page 9
page 10
page 11
Introducing solid foods is a time of discovery for
you and your baby. In this booklet, we answer
your questions about feeding full-term, healthy
babies so you can feed your baby with
confidence.
Starting solid foods
At about six months, your baby is ready to start
eating solid food. This helps ensure they get the
energy and nutrients they need. They are also
ready to chew foods and experience a variety of
foods and textures. Following your baby’s cues
and allowing your baby to take the lead in
feeding helps them develop a healthy
relationship with food.
Women who are breastfeeding should continue
to offer breastmilk “on-cue” to their baby, as long
as both mom and baby would like, along with
solid foods. Health Canada recommends
breastfeeding for two years and beyond. Offer
infant formula for your baby if they are not
exclusively fed breastmilk.
To speak with a public health nurse about
breastfeeding or to make an appointment at
one of the free York Region Breastfeeding
Clinics, please call Health Connection at 1-800361-5653; TTY 1-866-252-9933. To access
breastfeeding information online,
visit www.york.ca/breastfeeding
Why start solids at about six months?
You will probably hear or read different advice
on how to feed your baby. Some of this
information can be outdated or is not based on
Canadian recommendations. Your baby’s
health care provider may offer advice based on
your baby’s individual needs.
Starting solid foods too soon can increase your
baby’s risk of food allergy and may affect their
growth. Your baby needs more calories,
vitamins and minerals, especially iron, at about
six months.
When you are first starting solid foods,
breastmilk provides most of the nutrition your
baby needs. This gradually changes, and
between nine and 11 months, solid food
begins to provide around half of your baby’s
calories and nutrients.
Is your baby ready for solid foods?
Your baby is ready for solid foods when they
have better head control and the ability to:
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Sit up and lean forward
Show fullness cues (e.g., turns head away)
Pick up food and try to put it in their mouth
If your baby was born premature, talk to your
baby’s health care provider about when to start
solid food.
absorb more iron. Offer iron-rich foods at least
two times a day.
What do I need to get started?
All babies living in Canada need vitamin D
daily. A daily vitamin D supplement of 400
International Units (IU) is recommended for all
babies who are breastfed or receiving
breastmilk starting at birth. Continue to give
your baby vitamin D for as long as breastmilk is
the main milk source for your baby. Exclusively
formula-fed babies get vitamin D in their infant
formula and do not need a vitamin D
supplement. See the Vitamin D for babies and
young children fact sheet for more
information.
You don’t need special baby food equipment.
Here is a list of items you’ll find helpful:
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Bib
Small bowl or cup
Baby spoons (why not use two spoons - one
for you and one for your baby to practice
with)
Washcloth for after the meal
Vitamin D
Solids before or after milk?
You can use a blender, food processor, potato
masher or a fork to make the food for your baby
the right texture. There is no need to buy
expensive baby blender systems since babies are
not on blended foods for very long.
Babies need iron
Iron is important for your baby’s growth and
brain development. By about six months, babies
need more iron. Offer iron-rich foods as the first
foods you give your baby.
Here are examples of iron-rich foods:
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Beef, chicken, turkey, pork, fish, eggs
Beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, edamame
Iron-fortified baby cereals
Including meat and non-meat sources of iron
helps to ensure baby gets the iron they need.
Offering foods high in vitamin C, such as fruit and
vegetables every day, can help your baby’s body
Breastmilk is still the most important part of
your baby’s diet. It provides most of the
nutrition your baby needs to grow and develop
during the first few months of introducing solid
foods. At each feeding, you can breastfeed or
give infant formula before or after you offer
solid foods. Do what works best for your baby.
This may change as your baby gets older and
they begin to eat more regular meals. If you
find your baby is not very interested in solids
after breastfeeding, wait 15 to 20 minutes to
offer solids.
Tips to get you started
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Have your baby sit upright (e.g., in a
highchair) when eating solids, not leaning
back.
Provide foods that are semi-solid in
texture. See the Texture is important
section.
Offer some foods from a spoon since eating
from a spoon is a new skill for your baby.
Have fun and expect a mess! Babies use their
five senses when eating. This is how they
explore and discover new colours, flavours,
textures, and sounds
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How much should my baby eat?
Let your baby be your guide in terms of how
much they want to eat. Your baby will let you
know when they are full by:
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Turning their head away
Pushing the spoon away
Closing their mouth
Work towards providing two to three larger
feedings and one to two smaller feedings
depending on your baby’s appetite.
Getting started:
You can offer new foods each day to your baby,
except for foods that are more likely to be
allergenic (see Food allergy section). This means
that other than the most allergenic foods, there
is no waiting period between offering new foods.
Offer iron-rich foods daily, and as you add each
new food, alternate between food groups. Check
out the Let the rainbow be your guide section for
ideas on what to feed your baby.
Once you are offering iron-rich foods, there is no
particular order to follow for introducing new
foods. For example, you don’t need to offer all
vegetables before moving on to fruit. Offer your
baby a variety of foods. Don’t be limited by your
own likes and dislikes. Even if you don’t like
butternut squash, your baby might.
If you offer a food and your baby refuses to eat it,
offer it again another day without pressure. It
may take many attempts before your baby
accepts a new food. Be patient. Babies make a
funny face when they are offered something
new. This does not mean they don’t like the food;
it is just that they realize it is new.
Foods for your baby do not need any added salt
or sugar. Check for these ingredients if
purchasing baby foods in the store. It is fine to
add spices or herbs (e.g., cinnamon, basil, cumin)
to your baby’s food. As your baby gets older,
everyone in the family will share the same meals.
Growing babies need more fat in their diet
than adults. You should choose the full-fat
version of foods for your baby (e.g., 3.25
percent milk-fat or two percent or higher milk
fat yogurts) until your baby is two years old.
What should my baby drink?
In addition to breastmilk, or if not
breastfeeding, infant formula, you can offer an
open cup of water, with or between meals.
Avoid giving fortified-soy, almond or rice
beverages as their main milk source because
they do not have the calories or nutrients your
baby gets from breastmilk or infant formula. It
is not recommended to give these products to
babies until after two years of age.
Pop, fruit drinks, sports drinks, coffee, tea or
herbal teas, such as chamomile, are not
healthy for a baby. These drinks may interfere
with a baby's intake of nutritious, energydense foods needed for their rapid growth.
Should I give my baby juice?
Babies do not need to drink juice. It can fill
them up making them less hungry for food.
Also, sipping on juice, even when it’s diluted,
between meals can cause tooth decay.
Food allergies
The latest research suggests that there is no
benefit to waiting to introduce the most
commonly allergenic foods until babies are
older. Even infants with a first degree relative
(a parent or sibling) with an allergic condition
such as atopic dermatitis, food allergy, asthma
or allergic rhinitis do not need to wait. The
most commonly allergenic foods are eggs,
milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame,
soy, and wheat. This means that once your
baby is about six months, you can offer all
foods except fluid cow’s milk and honey.
If your baby is allergic to a food, a reaction will
most likely occur within the first 48 hours of
eating that food. When introducing these
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commonly allergenic foods, wait two days before
offering another new food. For foods that are not
common allergens, there is no need to wait
before offering another new food.
Signs of an allergic reaction include: diarrhea,
vomiting, skin rash or hives, swollen lips, tongue
or face. If you notice one of these signs after
feeding your baby, stop feeding that food. Check
with your baby’s health care provider before
reintroducing the food that caused the reaction.
If your baby has difficulty breathing they need
immediate emergency help by calling 9-1-1.
If your baby has a food allergy, make sure that
anyone who takes care of your baby is aware of
the allergy. It is important to read the ingredient
list on food packaging to be sure the product
does not contain the allergen. Even a small
amount of the food can cause a reaction.
½ cm or ¼ inch
1 cm or ½ inch
Soft mashed
Grated
Texture is important
Babies older than six months develop and learn
to chew even if they don’t have teeth yet. This
means that babies can gum soft pieces of food
before they have teeth. Your baby may not need
pureed food. Start with soft, lumpy, tendercooked mashed, ground or minced food. Babies
quickly learn to eat soft foods cut into small
pieces.
It is important to offer lumpy foods before your
baby is nine months old. Research shows that
delaying the introduction of lumpy textures past
nine months may cause feeding difficulties. It has
been shown that children exposed to texture
later may eat less vegetables and fruit when they
are older. Giving your baby a variety of textures
now, helps them be ready to eat what the rest of
the family eats. Continue to increase the texture
as your baby gets older. This can include small
pieces that your baby can feed themselves.
At first, offer soft foods cut into ½ cm (¼ inch) to
1 cm (½ inch) pieces for babies. This is big enough
for little hands to grab without being a choking
hazard.
Soft cooked, small pieces
Safety tips for feeding
Safety is important no matter what type of
food you are feeding your baby. The following
are tips to help your baby be safe while eating:
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Babies need to be watched while eating.
Sometimes they gag on a new food or new
textures and this is normal. Your baby gags
to avoid choking.
Do not give honey to your baby during the
first year. Honey may contain bacteria that
can cause infant botulism.
Do not feed your baby solids from a bottle
(e.g., put cereal in a bottle). It can be a
choking hazard and does not help your
baby develop eating skills. Research also
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shows that babies do not sleep longer if
cereal is put in the bottle.
Babies do not need mesh feeding bags. Your
baby learns more by eating these foods on a
spoon or with their hands. Since these
products are difficult to clean well, there is a
risk of bacterial contamination. Also, feeding
bags increase the length of time sugars in
foods are on your baby’s teeth, putting your
child at higher risk for tooth decay. Avoid
using mesh feeding bags for teething.
Do not use your baby’s spoon to taste your
baby’s food or check the temperature of the
food. Use a different spoon. Sharing spoons
means sharing germs.
Feed your baby from a dish, not directly from
the jar or container it comes in. Throw out
any food left in the dish that your baby does
not eat at that meal. Spoons carry saliva and
germs back to food causing it to spoil.
You can store leftover baby food (storebought or homemade) in the fridge at a
temperature of 4°C (40°F) or lower for two
days. After two days, throw it out.
It is not recommended to use a microwave to
heat baby food as the food could be heated
unevenly and may burn your child’s mouth. If
you do use a microwave, make sure you mix
the food thoroughly and check the
temperature before offering the food.
A safer way to warm baby food is to place a
dish of baby food in a bowl of warm water.
Any food can cause choking. Some foods are
more unsafe than others including foods that
are:
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Hard (e.g., raw carrots, raw apples)
Small and round (e.g., grapes, olives)
Smooth or sticky (e.g., peanut butter on a
spoon)
• Pitted (e.g., olives, cherries)
• Sharp or can be inhaled (e.g., nachos and
popcorn)
You can make these foods safer by grating raw
vegetables, cutting grapes in half or quarters,
removing pits and not serving sharp foods.
Do not use raw vegetables and fruit as teething
aids. Small pieces may break off and can be a
choking hazard.
What is responsive feeding?
Responsive feeding is about responding to
your baby’s hunger and fullness cues in a
timely and supportive way while respecting
their developmental needs. Feeding this way
can help your child to manage the amount and
type of food they eat and develop a positive
relationship with food and eating.
Responsive feeding:
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Choking prevention
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Babies and young children explore their world by
putting things in their mouths. Although they
have a strong gag and cough reflex, their small
airways can become blocked more easily.
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Children under four years of age are at a higher
risk of choking. Now that your baby is feeding
themselves they may put more than just food in
their mouths, you need to be aware of the
choking hazards around your baby.
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Allows your baby to guide each feeding
Balances helping with encouraging selffeeding
Involves eye contact and positive, gentle
talk with your baby
Uses eating utensils that meet your child’s
age and family customs (e.g., fingers,
spoon, chopsticks)
Responds to hunger and fullness cues (e.g.,
let baby stop eating when they are full)
Minimizes distractions (e.g., remove toys
and turn off screens when eating)
Takes place in a comfortable and safe
environment where the family eats
together and parents role model healthy
eating
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Is sensitive to your baby, including changes in
their physical and emotional state
Offers different food combinations, tastes
and textures
Finger foods and self-feeding
Babies learn about textures, tastes and
colours by handling their food. Put a bib on
your baby and cover the floor with a plastic
sheet to help with cleaning up. Wait until
they are done eating before wiping them
down.
As you continue to introduce new foods, you may
find your baby beginning to show interest in selffeeding small pieces of food (called finger foods).
Babies get to this stage at different ages,
sometimes right when they are introduced to
solid foods or a few months later. Begin to offer
pieces of finger foods before nine months of age.
feeding, you can still introduce an open cup
and offer it daily.
By about 12 months of age, you can offer your
child water or homogenized milk from a cup.
Try to offer milk at meals and snacks to help
keep your child’s teeth healthy. If your child is
using a bottle, switch them to a cup by 12 to
15 months of age. They should be off the
bottle by 18 months.
Parents can help their baby learn to drink from
a cup. Start by holding the cup against their
mouth and slowly tipping it. Your child will
begin by suckling at the cup’s edge. As they get
older they will develop a sucking action that
will allow them to pace their own intake.
Encourage your baby to feed themselves. This
helps them learn to eat independently. Offer
foods they can grasp and that are easy to chew.
Place small pieces of food on your baby’s high
chair tray and let them choose what they want to
try. This is a learning process, so give them plenty
of opportunities to practice.
Grabbing food and getting it into their mouth is a
big part of your baby’s development. They may
not actually eat a large amount of food this way
but it is a part of the process (and the mess).
If your baby refuses to be spoon-fed, letting them
feed themselves might be the answer for you.
Start with soft-cooked vegetables, ripe fruit,
bread, cereal, pasta, cheese cut into small cubes,
small pieces of deboned fish, meat or egg and
slightly mashed beans.
Using a cup
The introduction of a cup at around six months is
a great way for your little one to learn drinking
skills. You can begin by offering water or
expressed breastmilk in an open cup while they
are eating. Whether you are breast or bottle6
Let the rainbow be your guide
Meat and alternatives
Vegetables and fruit
Meat and alternatives are a good source of
iron and important for your baby.
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Vegetables and fruit can be offered once ironrich foods have been offered.
Vegetables for your baby should be cooked.
Begin with finely mashed and then slowly
increase to small pieces of soft cooked
vegetables.
If you offer raw vegetables or fruit, try grating
them. Examples include carrot, zucchini and
apple.
All vegetables can be offered. You do not
have to offer green vegetables before orange
(or vice versa).
There is no proof that offering vegetables
before fruit will help your baby like
vegetables more.
Offer your baby a variety of soft fruit such as
apricots, avocado, banana, berries, cherries,
mango, melon, peaches, pears, plums, and
grapes cut into quarters.
Offer a variety of vegetables such as cooked
peas, beans, carrots, sweet potato, squash
and broccoli.
Grain products
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Offer single grain baby cereals, such as rice,
barley and oatmeal, before mixed grain
cereals. Be aware some single grain cereals
have added milk solids or infant formula. This
means your baby could be having two new
foods at once (the grain and the milk). If you
choose to make your own cereal at home,
offer meat or meat alternatives twice a day to
make sure your baby gets enough iron.
Traditional rice-based foods (e.g., congee) are
not a good source of iron, even if there is
some meat or fish in the recipe. Offer ironrich foods daily as well.
As your baby develops their chewing skills,
you can offer pieces of toast, naan, cooked
noodles, pita, rice, roti, steamed bun, and
unsalted crackers.
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Offer beef, turkey, dark-meat chicken
lamb, pork or fish.
Begin with finely ground or mashed
textures and progress to ground meats and
then to small pieces of tender, moist
meats.
Avoid or limit the use of processed meats,
like deli meats or hot dogs.
Offer scrambled eggs (including both the
white and yolk) or cut up boiled egg.
Try meat alternatives such as mashed tofu
and legumes (e.g., lentils, kidney beans).
Milk and alternatives
Continue to breastfeed whenever your baby
wants. Offer infant formula for your baby if
they are not fed breastmilk. Wait to introduce
homogenized milk until your baby is nine to 12
months and is eating a variety of iron-rich
foods. Babies who drink too much cow’s or
goat’s milk are at risk for iron deficiency. That
is why it is recommended not to offer more
than 750 millilitres of fluid cow’s milk a day.
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Offer only pasteurized, homogenized
milk (3.25 percent milk fat) and milk
products.
• If milk is offered, offer it in a cup at a
meal.
• Offer full-fat cheese (grated or cut into
small pieces), cottage cheese and
yogurts.
• Do not give raw (unpasteurized) milk. It
is not safe.
• Goat’s milk can be given if it is fortified
with folic acid and vitamin D.
• Soy and other plant-based beverages
are not suitable as the main milk source
for children under 24 months. Give a
soy infant formula if you want to give a
soy product.
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There is no need to transition your child
to a toddler milk or follow-up formula.
family enjoys. This also exposes them to the
wonderful variety of tastes and textures.
Homemade or store-bought baby food?
Summing it up
Here are some things to keep in mind when
comparing homemade to store-bought baby
foods:
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Homemade baby food:
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Costs less
Allows you to change the texture easily
Allows you to offer a wider variety of foods to
your baby
Store-bought baby food:
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Is convenient
May have added sugar or salt. Watch out for
fruit “desserts” they often have added sugars.
Read the ingredient list and look for words
that end in “ose” like sucrose and fructose
Requires you to thicken the texture once your
baby is ready for more challenging textures
Your baby does not need specialty baby food
products. Here’s why:
Fruit in squeeze pouches can be a concern for
dental health as well as prevent babies from
being exposed to lumpier textures.
Products like toddler puffs and baby rice rusks
or rice biscuits that dissolve in baby’s mouth
do not help your baby learn to chew and keep
them from being exposed to the real taste of
fruit and whole grains.
Instead give foods from Canada’s Food Guide so
your baby will get used to eating foods your
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Continue to breastfeed or offer breastmilk
for two years and beyond.
Offer iron-rich foods as your baby’s first
foods and provide them twice a day.
Introduce a variety of vegetables, fruit,
grains and milk products in any order after
iron-rich foods.
Avoid honey in the first year.
New foods can be offered every day for
most foods (vegetables, fruit, meats, most
grains).
Allow two days between offering common
food allergens (eggs, milk, peanuts, fish,
shellfish, sesame, soy, tree nuts, wheat)
regardless of the family’s history of allergy.
Feed your baby when they are showing you
they are hungry.
Trust that your baby will tell you when they
are full.
Work towards providing two to three
meals and one to two snacks.
Offer a variety of textures to your baby.
Give lumpy or small pieces of food by nine
months of age.
Introduce an open cup to you baby.
Offer a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU if
your baby is breastfeeding or drinking
breastmilk.
Eat together as a family.
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Sample menu for Sarah – Seven months old
Sarah continues to breastfeed on demand, between meals and during the night. She is exploring and
eating new foods at meal times. Sarah’s parents are helping her learn to drink from an open cup by
offering small sips of water when she eats.
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Morning
Iron-fortified baby
cereal
Iron-fortified baby
cereal
Mashed peaches
Iron-fortified
baby cereal
Afternoon
Ground or finely
minced fish
Mashed squash
Minced hard-boiled egg
Mashed sweet potato
and peas
Ground or finely minced
chicken
Mashed green beans
Early Evening
Iron-fortified baby
cereal
Applesauce
Iron-fortified baby
cereal
Iron-fortified baby cereal
Minced peaches
Sample menu for Mateo - 11 months old
Mateo is eating a wide variety of foods and is feeding himself at most meals and snacks. Mateo
continues to breastfeed on demand between meals and may wake to breastfeed at night. Mateo might
play with and occasionally take a sip of water or whole cow’s milk at some of his meals. Mateo needs
some help drinking from an open cup.
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Breakfast
Scrambled egg
Cooked, mashed apricots
Iron fortified baby cereal
mixed with chopped
blueberries
Pieces of pancake
dipped in applesauce
Morning
Snack
Cottage cheese
O-shaped cereal
Small pieces of toast with
thin layer of peanut butter
Cheese cubes
Small pieces of kiwi
Lunch
Mashed kidney beans
Small pieces of avocado
Whole wheat pasta
Tofu pieces
Squash chunks
Brown Rice
Baby cereal mixed with
Plain yogurt and prunes
Afternoon
snack
Grated cheese
Oatmeal muffin
Banana slices
Unsalted crackers
Plain rice cake
Diced canned peaches
Dinner
Chopped tender chicken
Sweet potato pieces
Plain yogurt with mashed
banana
Grated cheese
Minced fish
Soft-cooked pasta
Soft-cooked broccoli
Brown rice
Grated raw carrot
Ground lamb
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A quick guide to feeding your baby
Use this chart as a guide for feeding your baby. Remember to follow your baby’s hunger cues to decide when and how much to feed
them. The chart below will help you decide what types and textures of food your baby needs now and as they grow.
Beginning textures to start with
soft, mashed, tender-cooked foods
Then work towards
ground, minced, chopped and pieces of family foods
Meat and
Alternatives (ironrich foods)
Offer beef, pork, fish, poultry, beans, lentils, egg, and tofu.
Continue to offer a variety of meat and alternatives Start to
include small pieces of meat, mashed beans, scrambled and
boiled egg.
Vegetables
Choose a variety of vegetables. The order you introduce them
does not matter.
Offer soft, cooked vegetables cut in half to 1 cm pieces.
Fruit
Choose a variety of fruit. The order you introduce them does not
matter.
Offer pieces of soft ripe fruit like grated apples, bananas,
peaches, and kiwi.
Grains Products
Baby cereals are a good source of iron. Try giving hot cereals like
oatmeal and cream of wheat as well.
Offer finger foods such as pieces of bagel, toast strips, roti,
noodles, pasta and unsalted crackers.
Milk Products
Offer full-fat yogurt, and cottage cheese.
Continue with yogurt.
Grate or give small cheese cubes.
Milk
Offer breastmilk at meals and on demand.
When baby is eating good sources of iron daily you can
transition to homogenized 3.25 percent milk (around nine
to 12 months). You can continue to breastfeed.
Water
Offer small amounts of water (e.g. 2 oz or 60 mL) throughout the
day in an open cup.
Offer small amounts of water (e.g., 2 oz or 60 mL)
throughout the day in an open cup.
Juice
Your baby does not need juice. If you choose to give your baby juice, choose 100% juice. Do not give more than ½ cup (4 oz or
125 mL) a day.
Other Advice
Avoid honey in the first year.
Avoid adding sugar or salt to your baby’s food.
Give 400 IU of Vitamin D to breastfed babies and children until two years of age.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Should I breastfeed before giving my
seven month old baby solid foods? When
do I stop breastfeeding before meals?
In the first year, breastmilk is the most
important part of your baby’s diet.
However, research suggests that it does
not matter whether you breastfeed before
or after offering solid foods. You can decide
according to your convenience and your
baby’s cues, which are likely to change as
your baby gets older and eats more solid
food. By 12 months of age, babies should
be eating three meals plus two to three
snacks each day along with breastfeeding.
If you are not breastfeeding, and are giving
your baby infant formula, the information
above also applies.
2. My baby doesn’t seem to like solid foods
very much. What can I do to encourage
him to eat more?
Introducing solid foods is a learning
experience for both you and your baby.
Some babies may be hesitant with all the
new colours, textures, smells and tastes. Be
patient and let your baby take the lead.
Forcing your baby to try new foods may
cause them to dislike these foods. Continue
to offer new foods. If your baby refuses, try
again the next day and if you are still not
successful, try again in a week or two. You
can offer a new food along with a food that
she likes. Don’t hide new foods — you do
not want to turn her off the foods she
already likes and it is important for babies
to experience new flavours.
Sometimes babies who enjoyed solids at six
months of age begin to refuse to eat solids
around eight to nine months. Often these
babies want to feed themselves, so offer
soft pieces of food that are easy to pick up
and eat.
3. I’m afraid to feed my eight month old
anything other than pureed foods because
they might choke. Can’t I just continue
with pureed foods until he’s older?
It is important to offer your baby new and
more challenging textures as they get
older. If you wait too long to offer mashed,
minced, lumpy or chopped foods, your
baby may have a harder time accepting
these textures once they are about nine
months and may have feeding problems,
including having a hard time chewing new
foods.
Start with softer foods and progress quickly
to thicker, lumpier textures. Soon you will
see that your baby is ready for small pieces
of food they can pick up and eat.
Gagging is not the same as choking and
your baby may gag with new textures.
Gagging is a natural reaction that stops
them from choking. Try not to react
strongly and get upset because that may
upset your baby. Do not offer unsafe foods
to your baby, but do let them explore new
textures as they grow older and develop.
4. There are traditional foods that I want to
give my baby. Is that okay?
It is important for your baby to learn to eat
the foods that your family eats. Many
traditional and cultural foods provide good
nutrition for baby. As you introduce these
new foods be sure to include foods from all
of the food groups throughout the day. For
instance, congee can be a part of your
baby’s diet. As it is mainly made of rice,
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and water at least twice a day. Wait 30
minutes after each feeding to brush.
which is not an iron-rich food, you would
need to be sure to include meat with this
meal so your baby gets the iron they need.
Offering traditional foods that include
vegetables and fruit, meat and milk
products will help to ensure your little one
gets a wide variety of nutrients.
All babies should visit a dentist or dental
hygienist by one year of age. They will
make sure everything is healthy in your
baby’s mouth and answer questions that
you may have. This is a good time to
discuss how to best take care of your
child’s teeth, such as when to begin using
fluoridated toothpaste and the frequency
of oral health visits.
5. I am going back to work. Does this mean I
have to stop breastfeeding?
Many moms continue to breastfeed when
they return to work or school. Some moms
have their baby brought to their
workplaces to be breastfed and others
express their milk while at work. This
expressed milk can be fed to your baby by
the caregiver. Some women breastfeed
only when they are with their baby. You
have the right to breastfeed or express
your milk while at work or school.
Public health nurses and lactation
consultants can provide guidance and
support to breastfeeding women. To speak
with a public health nurse about
breastfeeding or to make an appointment
at one of the free York Region
Breastfeeding clinics, please call Health
Connection at 1-800-361-5653; TTY 1-866252-9933. To access breastfeeding
information on-line,
visit www.york.ca/breastfeeding.
6. How and when do I start to brush my
baby’s teeth?
Taking care of your baby’s oral health
should begin even before the first tooth
appears. Clean your baby’s mouth every
day. Use a clean, soft, damp cloth to wipe
gums, inside of cheeks and the roof of the
mouth. As soon as teeth appear, brush
them gently with a small, soft toothbrush
Where to find more information
For more information and additional nutrition
resources, see our Feeding Young Children
section at www.york.ca/nutrition
•
Healthy eating while breastfeeding
•
Vitamin D for babies and young children
•
Feeding your vegetarian child
•
Constipation in babies and young children
•
Finger foods
•
A guide to eating fish for women, children
and families
•
Changing yuck to yum: Ten tips to help your
child become a good eater
•
The ABCs of fruit juice
•
Iron and your child
•
Oral health for babies and children
Some of our factsheets are available in
multiple languages.
Speak to a registered dietitian at no cost by
calling EatRight Ontario at 1-877-510-5102 or
by going to www.ontario.ca/eatright.
May be reproduced without permission provided source
is acknowledged. 2014.