Nutrition and Wholly Fluid Meals

5.1 Identify, using current government guidance, the nutritional needs of babies until they are fully weaned and using information from carers plan a programme of weaning

Weaning is recommended to start at 6 months when stores of iron are depleted, continuing on until the transition from wholly fluid meals to regular solid ones is complete – e.g. 18 months old.

A document could collect information based on professional knowledge and existing methods:
Feeding routines
Feed amounts
Foods parents would like baby to try
Foods actually being tried
Parent/carers views on baby led weaning.
Dietary requirements - lifestyle and medical e.g. vegetarian, allergies
Knowledge regarding vitamin supplements for breast fed babies 6months old and formula fed babies of 12months
Shared recipes?
Contact details for helpful professionals & organisations.
This could all inform a plan where grocery shopping is planned in advance to support children's daily experience of foods.
Foods not recommended for babies/children under 12months of age: honey, salt, excess sugar, choking hazards - nuts, low fat low calorie foods, high fibre foods, and cow’s milk.
In our setting we provide a monthly menu for parents to have a copy of if they would like. The Eat well plate helps to dispel fears on what to provide where meat is missing Stage 1
Babies are only used to milk to you need to start to get them used to a move thicker solid type of texture, starting them off with baby rice and pureed fruits and vegetables helps them get used to a thicker texture.
Stage 2
The next step is to get the used to more solid foods and introducing different tastes, mix them with the above but add pureed meats, beans, yogurts and sauces.
Stage 3
Introducing finger foods and lumpier foods, still puree the foods but not as much so they have a few lumps in, introduce more carbohydrates and put them in 2 meals a day.
Stage 4
Introduce 3 meals a day of more minced and chopped foods. Milk is still important and required they have 500-600ml a day.