Weaning help getting your toddler eating 3 meals a day
Moving on to eating three meals a day can be tough for some toddlers, these tips may help
Once your baby has learnt to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow it, they will begin to take more of the weaning foods. You can then begin giving the food before the milk feed. Have the food ready for your baby when he re-opens their mouth. Hungry babies can get frustrated if they are fed too slowly when they are used to drinking milk quite quickly.
Offer two then three meals each day
Choose another feed and offer a different food at that meal as well. For example give cereal mixed with milk at one feed and smooth mashed or pureed vegetables at the second feed. Then try some smooth mashed or pureed fruit at a third feed each day.
You can offer some soft finger foods with each meal so that your baby can touch and play with foods. He may also put them in his mouth and suck them or begin chewing them.
Daily plan for first meals:
6am Milk feed
10am Baby cereal mixed with baby milk + soft fruit fingers
Milk feed
2pm Smooth mashed or pureed vegetables + soft vegetable fingers
Milk feed
6pm Smooth mashed or pureed fruit + soft fruit fingers or toast crusts
Milk feed
10pm Milk feed
Soft finger foods include:
Soft fruit pieces e.g. mango, melon, banana, soft ripe pear, peach, papaya and kiwi
Cooked - vegetable sticks, e.g. carrot sticks, green beans, courgette sticks, potato and sweet potato
Cooked - vegetable pieces, e.g. cauliflower and broccoli florets
Cooked - pasta pieces
Crusts of bread or toast
Cheese cubes
Soft roasted vegetable sticks e.g. potato, sweet potato, parsnip, pepper, carrot, and courgette