Starting to introduce your baby to solid foods, also known as weaning, can be a challenging time, with lots of contradictory advice out there.
Should you hand-mash vegetables, or can you buy ready-made products from the shop? And should you avoid certain types of fruits?
If it's not something you've been through before, it can be hard to know where to start, which is why Baby and Child Nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed has put together an Online Weaning Course for parents.
As well as knowing what to feed your baby, it's just as important to know what to avoid, which is why Charlotte shares a full list to help parents during her course.
However, she's also shared some foods she would avoid offering her baby or toddler with The Mirror.
First, she would avoid offering grapes or whole nuts, because they are a choking hazard. Charlotte added: "They should be sliced lengthways and into quarters before offering. I always get nervous seeing babies around grapes as they are often a staple brought out at parties and sometimes in childcare settings."
Another no-no in Charlotte books is baby chewy or cereal bars, simply because they are "very sweet and aren't ideal for young ones". She added: "Babies need super nutrient rich meals as they have small appetites and small body sizes, but need lots of energy and nutrients as they grow."
Next, Charlotte recommends avoiding all adult ready meals because of the "textures, food grade ingredients" and the "levels of salt and sugar".
Lastly, the baby expert would avoid any fizzy, sugary drinks or baby juices due to their high sugar content. She explained: "Many older children and teens get far too much sugar from soft drinks, and they are a food (drink) that really aren't necessary in our diets."
"Offering sweet liquids to babies and toddlers is likely to encourage a taste for them and put babies off having water, which ultimately is all they need for hydration. Just because there are juices marketed towards babies and toddlers – it doesn’t mean they need them or should have them.
"Stick to milk and water for babies and young children."
Baby and Child Nutritionist, Charlotte Stirling-Reed, is now running an Online Weaning Course, a complete step-by-step guide for parents to introduce solids to their baby. Find out more at www.srnutrition.co.uk.
