Articles and Advice: Your Baby 6-12 Months

Fruits and vegetables at about 6 months
You can start serving vegetables to your baby a few days after giving her cereal. Start on fruit next.

As well as adding many new taste sensations to her menu, fruit and vegetables provide calories, vitamins, minerals and fibre. These foods are essential to good health and help regular bowel movements. Serve some every day.

Introduce your baby to vegetables one at a time. Wait about 3 days before trying another. Your baby must eat several vegetables separately before taking them in combination.

What vegetables to choose
Start with the following: carrots, squash, zucchini, yellow and green beans and sweet potatoes. At this age, it’s important to serve your baby’s vegetables cooked and blended to a thin purée.

How much to give her
You can start by giving your baby 3 to 5 ml (½ - 1 teaspoon) of vegetable per meal, at lunch and supper. Gradually increase the amount to 5 to 15 ml (1 - 3 teaspoons), until she seems to be eating all she wants.

What fruits to choose
You can start your baby on an apple, a pear, peach or banana. They can be served cooked and blended, except for bananas which are served fully ripe and mashed with a fork. Don’t add sugar when preparing fruit.

Introduce your baby to fruits one at a time. Wait about 3 days before trying another. Your baby should eat several fruits separately before taking them in combination.

How much to feed
Start your baby with 3 to 5 ml (½ - 1 teaspoon) of puréed fruit after the cereal and vegetables at lunch or supper. Gradually increase the fruit portion from 5 to 15 ml (1 - 3 teaspoons) until she’s no longer hungry.

Some very helpful advice

• Don’t buy fruit and vegetable purées containing tapioca, corn starch, flour or sugar because they have less food value.
• Don’t add salt or sugar to your baby’s food.
• Give her water to help digestion and hydration.

Reference:
Doré, Nicole; Le Hénaff, Danielle. From Tiny Tot to Toddler, Practical Guide for Parents from Pregnancy to Age Two. Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 2008. Pages 407-408