Give complementary foods from 6 up to 9 months

Note: The white background food image represents a meal and the yellow background represents a snack.

What:

• Continue breastfeeding on demand (following the baby’s cues) both day and night.
• Feed your baby animal-source foods as early and as often as possible. Cook them well and chop or mash them into fine pieces. Babies can eat well-cooked and finely chopped or mashed eggs, meat and fish even if they don’t have teeth.
• Enrich the first soft mashed foods preferably with animal-source foods, such as eggs, milk and non- sugary and non-flavoured milk products. See Counselling Card 21 for other examples of diverse and nutritious foods for babies.
• Feed colourful foods such as beans, peas, and lentils; orange or red fruits and vegetables, such ripe mango, papaya, carrots, pumpkin; and dark-green leaves, such as kale and chard. Soak beans and legumes before cooking so they cook faster and are easier to digest.
• Offer additional nutritious snacks (such as mashed boiled egg, fruit or bread with nut paste) once or twice per day.
• Avoid offering sweet biscuits, sugary drinks or snack foods high in fat, salt and sugar.

How:

• Chop, mash or strain (puree) the foods so that your baby can easily chew and swallow them.
• Gradually increase the amount of food to about one-half cup (250 ml = 1 cup). (Show the suggested amount in a cup brought by the mother.)
• Give your baby two to three meals a day and offer one snack.
• Provide finger foods to children to eat by themselves.

Responsive care and feeding practices

• Interact and talk with your baby while washing hands and feeding.
• Give your baby time to get used to eating foods other than breastmilk.
• Sit down with your baby, be patient, and actively encourage your baby to eat.
• Smile at your baby; sing to your baby. Don’t force your baby to eat.
• Use a separate bowl or plate to feed your baby. A separate bowl or plate allows you to see how much your baby has eaten.
• Follow your baby’s lead. Pay close attention to your baby’s hunger or fullness cues.
• See Counselling Cards 27, 28 and 29 on responsive care and early learning and Counselling Cards 13, 14 and 15 on handwashing, hygiene and clean water.