Introduction of food: Iron
According to new data collected by Health Canada, it is now recommended to offer iron-rich foods as the first foods our baby will eat around the age of 6 months, the age at which most babies are ready to start eating a more varied diet. As infants need a lot of iron to meet their nutritional needs and to help them develop their body and their brain, Health Canada recommends that we serve foods rich in iron at least twice a day. Foods rich in iron include meats, poultry, fish and meat substitutes.
The introduction of potentially allergenic foods
Health Canada has also issued new recommendations for the introduction of potentially allergenic foods. Under these new recommendations, it’s no longer necessary to delay the introduction of these foods in your baby’s diet, and no particular order of introduction has demonstrated efficacy in preventing allergies, on the contrary, delay in the introduction of allergenic foods seems to only delay the onset of the allergy.
That means you can now introduce dairy products, whole eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish along with the other foods. If you think your child is at risk of developing allergies, contact your doctor or allergist so he can adapt the recommendations based on your particular family situation.
How to start introducing foods?
- Start by introducing foods that are rich in iron like meats, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes. You can also find infant cereals fortified with iron.
- Introduce one new food at a time, and wait 2 to 3 days before introducing a new one, so you can identify the signs of an allergy and know which food caused it.
- Avoid adding spices or sweeteners to foods so your baby can learn to discover natural flavors while he is developing his sense of taste.
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From 6 to 9 months |
From 9 to 12 months |
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Grain products |
Offer between 30ml to 60ml of cereals fortified with iron, twice a day. You can then start offering other grain products like little pieces of dry toast. |
Start offering other grains like whole wheat, rice and pasta. |
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Vegetables |
Offer cooked pureed vegetables. |
Start offering little pieces of soft cooked vegetables |
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Fruits |
Offer pureed or mashed fresh fruits. |
Try soft fresh fruits in pieces. Don’t forget to remove the pits. |
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Meats and substitutes |
Offer pureed meats, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes. |
Cut very small pieces to avoid the risk of choking. |
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Milk and milk products |
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At 9 months, you can start offering milk products like yogourt (3,25 % or more), cottage cheese or shredded hard cheeses.
You can start whole cow milk (3,25 %)
After 12 months, your baby should not consume more than 24 oz. of milk products a day or he could develop anemia. |
From Soins de nos enfants – L’alimentation de votre bébé jusqu’à un an
What not to offer baby
- Don’t offer sweetened foods and drinks like candy, soft drinks or energy drinks, as they don’t fill any nutritional needs for baby.
- Don’t give honey to babies under a year old since there is a risk of infant botulism (food poisoning).
