Weaning your baby from milk to solids is an exciting time and a big step for both of you. What you feed your baby as he starts his life journey is all-important for healthy development. So follow our guide to weaning and try some of our delicious recipes on the way?

Baby’s best first foods
Root vegetables like carrots, sweet potato, parsnip and swede tend to be the most popular with very young babies – they have a sweet flavour and smooth texture once puréed. The best first fruits for young babies are apples, pears, banana and papaya – choose fruits that are ripe and have a good flavour. Lots of fruits like banana, papaya and peaches, do not require cooking provided they are ripe – simply mash them with a fork to make instant baby food. Baby rice makes a good first food as it is easily digested and its milky taste makes an easy transition to solids. First foods need to be semi-liquid and as close as possible to the consistency of milk so that they are easy to swallow. Give them at room temperature or lukewarm. Steaming or microwaving is the best way to preserve the fresh taste and vitamins in vegetables and fruits.

Perfect Puree Makers
Making healthy and delicious purées at home using the freshest of ingredients couldn’t be simpler. Try one of these options to make the perfect purée for your baby.

Baby Food Grinder
A hand turned food mill ideal for making smooth purees for young babies as it gets rid of tough fibres which are difficult to digest in foods like dried apricots and sweetcorn. Its also good for pureeing potato as pureeing in a blender breaks down the starches and produces a sticky texture

Electric Hand Blender
These are ideal for making baby purées and can handle quite small quantities.

Food Processor
These are good for puréeing larger quantities when making batches for freezing. Many have mini-bowl attachments that will work better with smaller quantities.

Feeding tips for baby
Prepare baby food in bulk. You can freeze portions in ice cube trays so that you don’t need to cook every day. Take a look at my Make Your Own range in Boots which includes covered ice cube trays and blender.


Recipes for healthy development

Stage I
from 4 to 6 months

Introducing solids

Don’t be in a hurry to wean your baby onto solids. Milk provides all the nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months or so. Remember, there is no precise ‘right’ age to introduce solids – so follow your instincts and speak to your GP or health visitor for advice since no two babies are the same. However, you should wait at least 17 weeks before weaning as a baby’s digestive and immune system are not sufficiently developed before this time.

Breakfast (4 to 6 months)

Apple and Pear Purée with Cinnamon

Makes 4 portions

Apple and pear purée is an ideal first food – it’s easy to digest and unlikely to cause allergies.

2 dessert apples
2 ripe pears (eg: Conference pears)
4tbsp pure unsweetened apple juice or water
Add a generous pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Put the fruit into a saucepan together with the apple juice or water, cover and cook over a low heat until tender (about 6 to 8 minutes). Blend the fruit to a smooth purée.

Lunch (from 6 months)

Carrot Purée (suitable for home freezing)

Makes 8 portions

In the first few weeks of weaning make sure that the carrots are cooked for quite a long time so that they are soft enough to purée to a smooth consistency. This method of cooking also works with any of the other root vegetables.

350g carrots, peeled and chopped

Put the carrots into a steamer set over boiling water and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain the carrots and place in a blender, adding some of the water from the bottom of the steamer. Spoon some of the purée into your baby’s bowl and serve lukewarm. You can freeze the remainder in an ice cube tray or in small plastic containers.

Tea/Supper (from 6 months)

Potato, Carrot and Sweetcorn Purée (suitable for freezing)

Makes 3 portions

Sweetcorn is a good source of betacarotene and a great source of fibre. For young babies it is best to purée sweetcorn through a mouli as it will be easier to digest and will have a smoother texture.

25g butter
50g onion, peeled and chopped
175g carrots, peeled and chopped
200g potatoes, peeled and chopped
250ml vegetable stock or water
50g tinned or frozen sweetcorn
1 to 2tbsp milk

Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the chopped onion for 1 minute. Add the carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover with the stock or water and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the sweetcorn and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Purée in a Baby Food Grinder and then stir in the milk to make a good consistency for your baby.


Feeding tips for baby…
Don’t add sugar or salt to your baby’s food. Salt is harmful to a baby’s immature kidneys and adding sugar is a bad habit.

Solid signs

Your baby starts demanding feeds more often.
Your baby still seems hungry after its usual milk feed.
Your baby was sleeping through the night but has started to wake for a feed.

Stage 2 (from 7 to 9 months)

Introducing meat and fish

Its important not to carry on giving only fruit and vegetable purees for too long. Babies grow more rapidly in their first year than at any other time in their life and by 7 months need nutrient dense foods like cheese, meat and fish. Red meat is an important food for babies as it provides the best source of iron and the iron babies inherit from their mother runs out at 6 months. Oily fish like salmon is good too as it contains essential fatty acids which are vital for brain and visual development.

Breakfast (from 7 to 9 months)

Porridge with Apricots (Suitable for freezing)

Makes 4 portions

Porridge is packed full of nutritious ingredients. Oats help stabilise blood sugar and give long lasting energy. Dried apricots are a good source of betacarotene, iron and also contain fibre.

150ml milk
2tbsp porridge oats
6 ready to eat dried apricots (approximately 60g), chopped
1 large ripe pear, peeled, cored and cut into pieces

Put the milk, porridge oats and chopped apricots in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Purée together with the chopped pear in a hand blender.

Lunch (from 7 to 9 months)

Fillets of Plaice with Carrots, Cheese and Tomato (Suitable for freezing)

Makes 5 portions

Fish is an excellent low fat source of protein and it is important to encourage a liking for fish early on. This recipe provides a good source of protein, calcium and vitamins.

250g carrots, peeled and sliced
225g plaice fillets, skinned
2tbsp milk
40g unsalted butter
2 medium ripe tomatoes, skinned de-seeded and chopped
40g grated Cheddar cheese

Steam the carrots for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the fish in a microwave dish, add the milk, dot with about 15g butter and cover leaving an air vent. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

Alternatively, put the fish in a pan, cover with a little milk and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, add the tomatoes and sauté until mushy. Stir in the grated cheese until melted. Blend or mash the cooked carrots together with the tomato mixture. Remove the fish from the cooking liquor and flake, checking to make sure there are no bones. Mix the fish together with the carrots and tomatoes. For younger babies you can blend the fish together with the carrots and tomato for a smoother texture.

Tea/supper (from 7 to 9 months)

Chicken with Sweet Potato and Apple (Suitable for freezing)

Makes 4 portions

Chicken is an ideal ‘growth food’ as it is packed with protein and vitamin B12 . Apple and chicken make a delicious combination. Sweet potato is rich in betacarotene, the plant form of vitamin A and mixing chicken with sweet potato gives it a smoother texture making this recipe a good introduction to chicken for your baby.

1 tbsp vegetable oil
40g chopped onion
110g chicken breast, chopped
300g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
half a dessert apple, peeled and chopped
200 ml unsalted chicken stock.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté for a couple of minutes until it turns opaque. Tip in the sweet potato and apple and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree to the desired consistency.

Feeding tips for baby
Babies over six months can include gluten in their diet and don’t need special baby cereals. Choose cereals low in sugar and salt like Weetabix or Ready Brek. Also its fine to use cow’s milk with cereals and in cooking from 6 months

Stage 3
from 9 months to 1 year

Introducing finger foods
As your baby develops better finger control, introducing finger foods will help to develop the skill of biting, chewing and self feeding. When your baby seems to cope with soft foods like steamed vegetables and fruit, try introducing raw vegetables like carrot and cucumber. Take care with hard foods to begin with as sometimes babies can bite off a chunk and then choke on it.

Breakfast (from 9 months to 1 year)

Cheese Scramble

Makes 1 portion

Until your child is one year old, scrambled egg should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid.

1 egg
1tbsp milk
15g butter
1tbsp Cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 tomato, skinned and de-seeded

Beat the egg with the milk. Melt the buter over a low heat, then add the egg mixture. Cook slowly, stir all the time. When the mixture has thickened and looks soft, add the cheese and chopped tomato. Heat through and serve.

Lunch (from 9 months to 1 year)

Annabel’s Mini Fish Pie (Suitable for freezing)

Makes 3 portions

If you want your child to grow up liking fish then you should try this delicious mini fish pie.

375g potatoes, peeled and diced
11/2tbsp milk
40g butter
A little salt and pepper
(for babies over one year, Do not add salt if your baby is under a year old)
15g butter
25g onion, peeled and finely chopped
1tbsp flour
75ml milk
50ml vegetable stock
125g cod fillet, skinned and cubed
125g salmon fillet, skinned and cubed
1tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
25g frozen peas
50g Cheddar cheese, grated
1 lightly beaten egg

Preheat the oven to 3500F/1800C/Gas Mark 4. Bring
a pan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the potatoes, reduce the heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash together with the milk and half the butter until smooth and season to taste for babies over one year old. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Gradually stir in the milk and then the stock. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish with the parsley and bay leaf. Simmer for about 3 minutes and then stir in the peas and cook for 1 minute. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cheese until melted. Season with a little salt and pepper Divide the fish between 3 ramekin dishes and top with the mashed potato. Brush with the lightly beaten egg. Heat the pie through in a pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes and finish off for a few minutes under a pre-heated grill until golden.

Tea/supper (from 9 months to 1 year)

Risotto with Butternut Squash (Suitable for freezing)

Makes 4 portions

Butternut squash is now more readily available in supermarkets.

It is rich in betacarotene – the plant form of vitamin A which is important for your baby’s growth, fighting infection, healthy skin and good vision.

n 50g onion, chopped
n 25g butter
100g basmati rice
150g chopped and peeled butternut squash
450ml boiling water
3 ripe tomatoes (approx 225g) skinned, de-seeded and chopped
50g Cheddar cheese, grated

Sauté the onion in half the butter until softened. Stir in the rice until well coated. Pour over the boiling water, cover and cook for 8 minutes over a high heat. Stir in the chopped butternut squash, reduce the heat and cook, covered for about 12 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a small pan, add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted. Stir the tomato and cheese mixture into the cooked rice.

Feeding tips for baby
A dollop of food on a plate can look very unattractive. It’s a good idea to make mini individual portions of foods like Cottage Pie or Risotto in mini ramekins.

In my Make Your Own range in Boots I have a set of three coloured ramekins with lids that are ct size for older babies or toddlers.