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Key Nutrients and Foods

What Does My Baby Need?

Foods will become more important as a source of nutrients as the amount of milk decreases from 7-12 months. It’s still important to give your baby 500-600 mls (I pint) of milk each day. (see Q&A for more about milk) Your baby will move to three meals a day and be having lots of family meals by 12 months.

Energy
Babies are growing fast and need foods that are a good source of calories (energy). Advice for older children and adults to eat a low-fat diet doesn’t apply to babies. That’s why low-fat versions of foods are not suitable for weaning, eg.low fat yogurt.

Protein
Lots of protein is needed for babies to grow as they should. The best sources of good quality protein are meat, fish, eggs, and cheese. Vegetable protein is not as complete and if you don’t feed meat, care needs to be taken to combine foods to give the right blend of protein. See Special Diets.

Vitamins
Foods that are a good source of Vitamin C should be included. Vitamin D is made by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Your health visitor or GP will advise you about vitamin supplements.

Minerals
Iron and Calcium are particularly important at this stage of your baby’s development.

By 6 months your baby’s natural store of iron will have been used up and so an important part of weaning is to introduce iron-rich foods such as meats, green leafy vegetables, cereals and fortified baby foods. Vitamin C containing drinks or food given at the same meal as iron-containing foods will help with the absorption of iron.

Here is a list of the essential vitamins and minerals, where you can find them and what they do.

Nutrient	Found in	Crucial for
Vitamin A	Carrots, sweet potato, eggs, milk, tomatoes.	Helps in maintaining healthy skin and hair Needed to maintain good vision Helps in the immune system
Vitamin D	Animal products like fish, eggs and meats as well as fruits, nuts, chocolate.	Required for the formation of healthy bones and teeth Helps with calcium absorption from food Helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.
Vitamin E	Spinach, kiwi, broccoli, sunflower oil	Protects body cells Important for the immune system.
Thaimin	Breads, cereals, grains	Helps the body to convert carbohydrate into energy Important for the nervous system Necessary for proper functioning of the heart
Riboflavin	Grains, milk, yogurt, eggs, broccoli, spinach.	Helps the body to efficiently use carbohydrate, protein and fat from the diet Essential for growth Promotes healthy skin and normal functioning of the eyes
Niacin	Meat, fish, cereals.	Helps the body to efficiently use energy supplies Maintains normal functioning of the nervous system and digestive tract
Pantothenic acid	Green vegetables, whole grains.	Helps the body to efficiently use carbohydrate, protein and fat from the diet
Vitamin B6	Cereals, potatoes, meat, fish, avocado.	Helps the body to efficiently use protein from the diet. Helps with normal brain function Aids in the formation of red blood cells
Folic acid	Fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, breads, spaghetti.	Important for producing new body tissue Important for healthy blood cells
Vitamin B12	Meat, dairy products, eggs,	Helps the body to efficiently use energy supplies Important for healthy blood cells Helps maintain the central nervous system
Vitamin C	Citrus fruit, potatoes (skin on), cabbage, tomato juice.	Helps the absorption of iron from foods Helps in the healing of wounds Important for producing new body tissue
Calcium	Dairy products, green leafy vegetables.	Builds and maintains strong bones and teeth Helps to regulate heartbeat Assists in blood clotting process
Iron	Red meat, spinach, green vegetables, chocolate.	Essential for healthy blood production and maintenance
Zinc	Red meat, poultry, beans, cereals.	Necessary for healthy growth, wound healing and proper functioning of the immune system Plays a role in taste and smell sensitivity