What are the best first foods for my baby?

Very first foods should be easy to digest and unlikely to provoke an allergy. I like to begin with root vegetables like carrot or sweet potato as these have a naturally sweet taste which babies like – after all.breast milk is naturally sweet. I also like butternut squash as a first food. All the orange vegetables are good for your baby as they are rich in betacarotene which is the plant form of vitamin A which is important for growth and helps protect your baby from infection. Apple and pear make good first fruit purees and if you freeze individual flavours you can make up your own combinations like mixing together a cube of apple and pear puree. Banana. Papaya and avocado are good ‘no cook’ baby food and can simply be mashed. Its important that you choose fruits that are ripe and have a good flavour, so its best to taste them yourself before giving them to your baby…

What is the best way to cook vegetables for your Baby ?

Steaming is the best way to preserve the fresh taste and vitamins in vegetables. Vitamins B and C are water soluble and can easily be destroyed by overcooking especially when boiled. Broccoli loses over 60% of its antioxidants when boiled but less than 7% when steamed. Microwaving vegetables is another way to preserve their nutrients. Some vegetables like sweet potato or butternut squash are good baked in the oven . Baking in the oven caramelises their natural sugars and gives them a delicious flavour.

Is it safe to cook my baby’s food in a microwave ?

If you cook in a microwave nutrients don’t leach out into the water like they do when vegetables are boiled. A microwave cooks vegetables quickly and you don’t need much water. Some people worry that cooking in a microwave is bad for our health but don’t be put off. Microwaving is a safe way to cook as long as you follow the manufacturers instructions. It’s particularly good for fish which takes only a few minutes to cook in a microwave.

Why do we not give honey to babies under one?

Honey should not be given to babies under 12 months as it can cause infant botulism. Although this is very rare, it is best to be safe as a baby’s digestive system is too immature to deal with the bug.

When can you give cereals like Weetabix and Ready Brek and do I need to give them with formula milk?

From 6 months, your baby can have gluten so you can give cereals like Weetabix , Ready Brek and Porridge. Weetabix is good but don’t give too much as its quite high in fibre and too much fibre in your baby’s diet is not good as it can mean that your baby doesn’t absorb enough nutrients. Although you should wait until 12 months to introduce cow’s milk as a drink it can be used with cereal and in cooking from 6 months.