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Dr Helen Crawley, Public Health Nutritionist
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Dr Helen Crawley is a Director who manages and co-ordinates First Steps Nutrition. She is a dietitian and public health nutritionist with over 30 years experience in public health nutrition across the lifespan.
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Introducing solids

Purees for babies with special needs

If you decide to introduce solids to your baby earlier than 6 months you need to be more careful about the type of foods used. Stick mainly with low allergenic foods such as fruit and vegetables.
Video Tutorial
In Short
These may need to be pureed as your baby will not to be ready to deal with more lumpy foods. It is also good to remember that these foods are low in protein and fats so your baby will still need to get most of his nutrition from milk. You may also be advised to puree your baby’s first foods if they have special needs, such as a cleft palate, or a developmental delay.

Our video is presented by Melissa Little, Paediatric Dietitian

Follow our simple guidelines for making perfect purees.

To start with, make purees with single ingredients.

  • Carrots, courgettes, sweet potatoes are popular vegetables to start with.
  • Apples, pears are nice to puree. Bananas you can just mash up smoothly without cooking. Avocados too.
  • Cook vegetables around 10 minutes – boil, steam or roast – whatever you like – then puree with a hand blender or vitamiser.
  • Save the water you cook the vegetables (or fruit) in – so you can add extra when you’re pureeing if you want a thinner puree.
  • As your baby grows, make the purees a little less smooth – so there’s more texture.
  • Make combination purees too to get a full healthy meal – some carbohydrate (say cous cous), some vegetables (say parsnip), some protein (say cooked lentils or well-cooked chicken), some dairy (add some milk) and you’ve got a fantastically balanced meal.
Pureeing baby food

Pureeing cooked fruit, vegetables and meat is a really simple and inexpensive way to introduce your baby to solids.

In this video, our paediatric dietitian, Melissa Little, demonstrates how to cook, puree and store homemade nutritious purees for your baby.

To start with, make purees with single ingredients, things like carrots, courgettes, sweet potatoes are lovely vegetables to start with. Apples and pears are also nice to puree. Bananas you can just mash up smoothly without cooking and avocados too.

You only need to cook vegetables around 10 minutes – boil, steam or roast – whatever you like – then puree with a hand blender or vitamiser. Don’t forget to save the water you cook the vegetables (or fruit) in – so you can add extra when you’re pureeing if you want a thinner puree.

As your baby grows, make the purees a little less smooth – so there’s more texture. Make combination purees too to get a full healthy meal – some carbohydrate (say courgette), some starch (say parsnip), some protein (say beans or well-cooked chicken), some dairy (add some milk) and you’ve got a fantastically balanced meal.

DISCLAIMER
This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Essential Parent has used all reasonable care in compiling the information from leading experts and institutions but makes no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. For details click here.