
It’s neither the quantity nor the texture of food that is the key to your child’s dietary habits: their reactions, both good and bad, lie at the heart of their growth and development. It is crucial to take note of baby’s reactions when you introduce an unknown food they have not yet tasted. You need to tread carefully and keep an eye on how they react.
Begin by giving them one or two teaspoons of the food you would like them to try to see whether they want it. Let them get close to it, and wait and see whether they want any more or not, taking your time all the while. Your baby’s needs change as they grow, and their dietary habits are closely linked to their growth.
Some babies need to try a new food several times before accepting it. If baby is not hungry, they will turn their head and close their mouth. If they want to eat, they will be animated and open their mouth in advance. We do not recommend trying to get your baby to eat more or to eat if they are not hungry. Babies who control their own hunger and feeding tend to develop healthy dietary habits, meaning that they do not overeat in later life. In addition, by introducing your baby to varied tastes and textures, they are learning to manipulate food in the mouth and explore flavours for themselves.
See the table below for foods that you can introduce into baby’s diet from 6 to 12 months:
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