Q: What should my baby’s first foods be?

This topic is complex but here is a brief summary:

• No solid food under four months, preferably six.
• Breastmilk or formula is all many babies need up until six months.
• Signs a baby is ready for eating solids include: being able to sit well in a high chair, having good head control, starting to put things in their mouth and perhaps interest in watching other people eat or trying to grab others’ food.
• My personal philosophy is to start with feeding veggies only, such as cooked and pureed pumpkin, carrot, zucchini and raw mashed avocado.
• Once veggies are progressing well, then introduce fruit such as cooked and pureed apple, apricot, peach, pear, mango and ripe mashed banana. Tinned fruit in juice (not syrup) is fine for pureeing.
• Due to infants’ limited ptyalin enzyme production in the saliva, starchy foods can cause mucous-thickening issues (such as asthma, ear infections and runny noses). So avoid things such as rice, baby rice cereal, bread, biscuits and potatoes until their molars (their starch-grinding teeth) are through. Stick to veggies, fruit and dairy.

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Any advice given is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice and must not be relied upon as such. For any healthcare advice, always consult a healthcare practitioner.