Food and drink routines for babies

When children are between 0 – 6 months old, they only need regular breast or formula milk in order to get everything that they need. After this, children will start to transition onto solid foods. Getting the right food in the first year of life is very important, as children will triple their body weight, and will grow and develop more rapidly now than at any other stage in their lives.

Click through the slider to learn more about feeding babies aged 0 – 1 years.

  • Breastfeeding

    Breast milk is often talked about as being the best thing for young babies, and it is! Breast milk contains all of the nutrients and calories that babies need to grow, and it also contains anti-bodies that protect babies from disease. Most children are breastfed from birth to around 6 months old. Although children do not normally consume breast milk after this age, cow’s milk should remain a regular and important part of a child’s diet until they are about 2 years old.

  • Bottle-feeding

    Bottle-feeding is an alternative to breastfeeding, where babies are given formula milk. This comes in several forms, and it’s important to consult a GP about which kind of formula is best if you are unsure. When bottle feeding a baby, it’s important to never leave them propped up with a bottle, as they might choke, and to wash your hands thoroughly before preparing milk and equipment. Similarly, you must always use properly sterilised equipment, and always check the temperature of the feed before giving it to the baby.

  • Weaning at 6 months

    At this age, children will start to eat pureed foods, which are easy to swallow and can be eaten off a spoon. These might include vegetable purees, fruit purees, and once spoon-feeding is more established, yoghurt and some meat and fish purees. It is often a good idea to mix these foods with milk at first so that babies recognise the texture and will adapt more quickly.

  • Weaning at 6 – 9 months

    At this age, children can begin to eat mashed foods that are slightly thicker, but are still easy to swallow. This might include fish, meat, poultry and lots of fruits and vegetables. Anything can be mashed, and you can simply mash up the food that an older child might eat using a knife and fork! Children at this age can also eat in highchairs, although they should be supervised at all times.

  • Weaning at 9+ months

    At this age, you can start to introduce foods that can be eaten with hands as well as a spoon. These foods should be quite soft, and include things like pitta bread, fish fingers, and pieces of banana. Although children will be able to eat these foods themselves, they must be supervised at all times to make sure they do not choke.

As with all children, it’s important that babies have regular feeding routines, so that they do not become hungry or uncomfortable. Babies often need eight feeds in 24 hours, and you can measure how much milk a child needs to be given according to their weight. If you are unsure, simply ask the child’s parent or carer!

You’ve learnt a lot about food and drink routines for babies on this page, now let’s move on to learn about those same routines for older children.