For the first six months of life, babies should only get breastmilk or infant formula (not cows milk). This liquid diet is highly nutritious, absorbable and rich in fats, perfect for their needs.
Starting solid foods too early can interfere with their milk intake, which can cause them to be deficient in calories and nutrients because baby digestive systems usually aren't capable of handling solids effectively yet.
Babies need breastmilk or infant formula up until 1 year at least, but by 6 months they are ready for the addition of solid food -- Exciting!
At this time, you should be prioritizing iron and several other key nutrients when planning their meals.
To make this even easier, the powerhouse foods section highlights foods that cover at least 3 of these important nutrients! For a general goal, the best advice I've read is to provide one iron, fat and fruit/veg source per meal
Keep in mind that by giving your baby a wide variety of foods, you are most likely hitting these targets already!
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Combining iron with a vitamin C source (e.g. citrus fruits) increases iron absorption by up to 5x!
Please note that breastmilk may not provide enough B12.
It is recommended that breastfed babies are given a supplement of 400UI per day.
Check out these easy meals for some super simple and healthy food combos.
References: HealthLink BC
