Plum baby weaning of life guide

Summer/Autumn Edition 2012

The

Weaning of Life ™

What they don’t tell you

“Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”

Elizabeth Stone

Introduction

Introduction

This isn’t going to be easy, but let’s face it, no one said it would be.

There’s so much bumph out there telling you how to do this and when to do that, you can end up exhausted before you start. And no new mum has time or energy to spare.

Well, in case you don’t already know, this is our second edition. Yes, based on the success of our first edition we’re back and better than ever. And if you were lucky enough to catch our guide first time round, you’ll probably notice quite a few changes. First, there’s more, a whole lot more. Including new weaning tips from mums, our exciting new four-season recipes – and of course, more of the stuff you need to know about weaning in a straightforward, no-messing -around kind of way (okay, maybe a little).

Now where were we? Ah, Weaning. By definition, it’s exhausting, hilarious, beautiful, mad and damn well difficult at times, but what we all really want is a well-fed, happy baby.

So it may sound odd, but the best advice is to take most advice with a pinch of salt unless it resonates with your natural maternal instinct.

Because your baby was, until very recently, a part of you.

And you’ll know your child better than anyone else in the world.

Now we’ve established how wonderfully special you are, let’s begin.

Weaning is one of those areas where every parenting guru pushes you their book, every magazine wallops you with their top tips and every relative crosses their arms and gives you their ‘in my day’ experiences for good measure.

Even the official guidelines seem to change more often than a baby’s nappy.

Just like our pots and pouches, this guide is filled with the good stuff you’ll need to give your baby a Plum start – so please read on...

Just the facts So the one thing this is not meant to be is an “Instruction” book.

However, having commissioned one of the most far-reaching new research studies on weaning, we plan to tell you the facts – the simple, scientific facts – about this amazing journey and trust you to know best how to implement them for your own baby.

What you CAN rely not to change is Plum providing the right ingredients at each stage of weaning, so healthy eating can become a lifelong pleasure for your child; while also being convenient for you.

Like all mums, Susie Willis – founder of Plum – knew that introducing wholesome and varied food to a growing baby not only gives them everything they physically need but it also helps develop their tastebuds for life.

She’s created the perfect alternative to a meal cooked with love by you.

So if you haven’t nodded off (and with a young baby, we really couldn’t blame you), we can begin.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

What is wea If you’re used to the idea of weaning yourself off things – chocolate, caffeine, mojitos, thoughts of Daniel Craig in skimpy shorts – for babies, think about it as doing the same thing in reverse.

It’s basically the gradual introduction of ‘solids’ into your baby’s diet. ‘Solids’ being anything other than milk, but still pretty far from solid at first! Starting with a teaspoon or two once a day, you gradually increase portion size and build up to 3 square meals.

Mum Quote...

“Rusk is a devil to get out of your hair, it sets like plaster of Paris!”

Elizabeth (Read our Plum Mum quotes on pages 46–49)

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What did we learn from all that research?

aning?

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

What age and why?

Ignore ‘well-wishers’ pointing to the calendar – your baby will give you crucial signs, which are far more important than anything that the latest weaning guidance dictates.

We’ve given you some signs to look out for on Page 21, but you’ll probably start at between 4 and 6 months. Before 4 months, the digestive system’s too delicate to cope with anything other than milk (and weaning too early could lead to problems like eczema and asthma in later life). After 6 months, babies start needing more nutrients than they can get just from milk, for the many types of change their bodies are going through.

That leaves you with a “Weaning Window” – from when your baby first starts trying solid food, to around the end of Stage 2 – in which to maximise the development of your baby’s tastebuds. Sounds daunting and complicated, but don’t worry – that’s what this guide’s all about.

Why is variety so important?

This Weaning Window is your time to introduce as wide a range of flavours as you can into that rosebud-like mouth, from cabbage to curry (though think mild korma, not vindaloo!) Your baby’s tastebuds are developing fast and towards the end of Stage 2 the Weaning Window will begin to close. After this, you’ve got a heck of a job introducing foods they haven’t got tastebuds for. So if all they’ve known is bland porridgy mush, don’t be surprised if

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all they want as a toddler is sweet, empty carbs.

Each new flavour hit may be met with a funny face, but don’t be put off; it often takes numerous tries to accept a new flavour; and if you just keep smiling at your baby’s new talent for gurning, you’ll both start to enjoy this crazy game.

And of course, the wider range of tastes you can introduce, the more adventurous your baby’s tastes will be – and the

more likely he or she is to have a balanced, nourishing diet in later life. Indeed studies have shown that babies fed a healthy range of all the major food groups have a higher IQ and verbal fluency at 4 years old. It really is true that what you feed them now will later have an impact on what they’ll eat in the future. So the sooner you think about it, the easier it will become.

What did we learn from all that research?

Why are textures so important?

Why can’t they just drink vitamin-enriched thickshakes for the rest of their lives? First, that’d be very dull. Second, “Are you made of money?” But third and most important, the actions a baby uses to chew and swallow food actually help to develop and strengthen the important muscles they need for speaking.

Lumps in food are the way forward when it comes to them eating more confidently.

Infants fed more textured meals (which need to be

chewed) before 10 months usually grow up to be more adventurous with a greater variety of foods. Mums who feed babies lumps later may discover that it’s that little bit harder to get them to eat chewy foods as it requires more from their tiny jaw and tongue muscles.

Since a young baby’s instinct tells them to use their tongue to swallow, they need to learn to take their tongue from the roof of their mouths, chew with their jaws and then swallow. Gradually thickening

the consistency of the food, from liquid milk to a smooth thicker consistency and ending up with lumpier food, as well as foods they can hold and chew on seems to be all the help they need.

And your next job will be teaching them not to talk with their mouths full!

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Can introducing new foods too early cause allergies?

No! This is a bit of an old (not to mention young) wives’ tale.

Recent studies have shown no evidence to prove this. Your baby may or may not be allergic to certain foods and introducing them later won’t make any difference.

Food allergies to look out for Allergies are not uncommon in children, and are rarely in connection with food. You’re far more likely to see an allergic reaction after contact with pollen, mould, dust or pets.

An allergy comes about when the immune system makes a mistake. In its everyday job protecting the body from germs and viruses, it sometimes mistakes harmless substances for things that might harm you (you see, it means well, bless it!).

Fortunately, only a tiny fraction actually have a true food allergy. A few more may have a food intolerance, which is slightly more common. And the good news is that most children grow out of them.

So the risk of your baby having an allergic reaction to food is pretty low, but if a sibling or parent has an allergy, including asthma or eczema, then the chances are slightly higher; so if you’re worried about this or your baby is showing symptoms, speak to your doctor or health visitor.

Allergic symptoms can develop between a few minutes and several hours after contact with even small amounts of the food. They can include swelling of the face or lips, an itchy, blotchy rash, eczema, wheezing, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, streaming from the eyes or nose or faltering growth.

Any food can cause an allergic reaction, but in children, the most common ones are milk, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, soya, other nuts, fish, celery, sesame and wheat.

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These are the main ones to look out for:

Dairy Dairy is the most common food allergy, and it’s most noticeable when a baby is first exposed to milk. But the good news is that most babies outgrow it by the age of 5.

However, if you notice any symptoms like tummy pains, eczema, runny poo or difficulty breathing – at around the same time as the first bottle – it’s wise to get him or her checked out for a dairy allergy.

Soya Quite often, babies with a dairy allergy also have a soya allergy (their little immune system’s having a bit of a wobble). So if your baby’s been diagnosed with a milk allergy, probably best to avoid soya too. Again, they’ll usually grow out of it, and by the age of 5 you’ll be wondering what the fuss was about.

Food intolerance Food intolerance is different to an allergy, because it doesn’t involve the immune system. It’s basically a difficulty digesting certain foods, and can cause symptoms like tummy pain, colic, bloating, wind, diarrhoea and vomiting.

The most common type in babies is milk, or lactose intolerance. It usually comes about after a tummy upset and may last a few weeks.

If you suspect that your baby has a food intolerance though, please don’t rely on your own diagnosis – other conditions can cause the same symptoms – so always see your GP.

What did we learn from all that research?

A few things it’s better to avoid during weaning.

Cow’s milk (as a main drink)

Honey

Cow’s milk is fine when mixed with food – just avoid giving it to babies as a drink until they’re a year old. This is because babies drink a lot more than they eat, so they need to get as many nutrients as possible from their drink – and naturally, breast milk or formula have a lot more of the stuff human babies need than the stuff cows make for their own babies.

Don’t fall for the ‘old wives’ remedy “my baby has a cough, best grab the honey” (remember your baby might like to watch Winnie the Pooh but he or she hasn’t the immune system of a bear). Honey may contain serious food poisoning bacteria, so it’s worth staying clear until your baby is over 12 months.

Soft or undercooked eggs It’s okay to introduce eggs as long as they’re fully cooked. Salmonella is often found in eggs, but it’s completely destroyed by thorough cooking, (and it’s better to be safe than sorry).

Nuts Tiny babies and small children can choke on whole nuts, but as long as you hold off on peanut and other nut butters till your baby’s nine months old, they’ll make a very nutritious and valuable part of the diet.

Salt Your baby’s kidneys are still developing, so salt can damage them, leading to high blood pressure in later life. Definitely avoid using salt in any of the food you give to your baby and check the labels of any processed family foods you use – they are very likely to contain added salt. It’s best not to encourage a taste for salty foods.

Sugar and sweets A treat for you, but if a baby’s never tasted sweets, he or she can quite happily learn to regard other foods as treats instead. Sugarsweetened snacks and drinks are extremely bad for babies’ dental health, and will only make them cranky once the energy rush has worn off – so everybody’s happier if they don’t get into them.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Calcium We all know dairy products have lots of calcium, which helps develop healthy bones, teeth, nerves, heart and muscles. But don’t forget vegetables such as broccoli, greens, butternut squash and sweet potatoes – it’s even in tofu.

Mum Quote...

“I like to include herbs in his food, that way he’s not a fussy eater. He loves mashed carrot and sweet potato with coriander” Elizabeth (Read our Plum Parents quotes on pages 46–49)

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What did we learn from all that research?

What nutrients do babies really need?

Iron

Vitamin B

OK, so you’re not building a bionic baby, but plenty of iron is vital for red blood cells, building muscles, brain cells, cartilage and other connective tissues. And research tells us that iron deficiency can cause tiredness and poor concentration, leading to problems with learning and co-ordination. So, since the iron reserves that babies are born with are all used up by the time they reach 6 months old, you need to pack in plenty of red meat, fortified breakfast cereals and green leafy vegetables (just like we do at Plum).

B vitamins, including folic acid, enhance the immune and nervous systems, maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, promote cell growth and regulate metabolism. They’re found in meat, whole grains, potatoes and bananas.

Zinc

Vitamin D

Zinc gives the immune system a boost and helps cells grow and repair themselves. So in what foods can you expect to find it? Well, its in quinoa – a popular ‘superfood’ that can be found in most of our pots and pouches (see, it’s not just there to sound exotic). It’s also in meat, fish, eggs, peas and beans – although there is often no way of telling whether your baby is getting enough, so make sure they get a good balance of all these foods.

Vitamin D’s important functions include boosting calcium absorption, so it’s vital for strong, healthy bones. You find it in oily fish and eggs – and our own bodies can make it when we’re exposed to sunlight (so those UV rays aren’t all bad).

Vitamin A Vitamin A doesn’t just help to develop the eyesight – it also helps your baby fight off viral infections. So your little one will benefit enormously from eating Vitamin A-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, milk and cheese.

Vitamin C As well as helping us fight off germs, Vitamin C also plays a supporting role, helping our bodies absorb iron and calcium, and as any fule kno, is found in fruit and vegetables.

Vitamin E Vitamin E protects and develops the body’s cells. It’s an important antioxidant, it protects against UV damage and it also boosts cell growth and helps the nervous system develop.

So it’s hugely important. And fortunately, it’s plentiful in nuts, seeds, green veg and vegetable based oils.

Vitamin K Vitamin K is not, we assure you, a made-up vitamin; it helps with blood clotting, protects against fractures and even some cancers.

We remain convinced it didn’t exist when we were growing up, but our experts assure us it’s always been right there in the broccoli, and also in cereals (there’s at least one in snap, crackle, pop) and vegetable oils.

…so you’ve seen the A-Z of vitamins (okay – maybe not to Z, but K is as far as they go). And that can’t be a bad thing because the more you know about what goes into your baby’s body the more you’ll understand just how beneficial informed weaning can be for you and your baby.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Homemade or read As a weaning mum, you’re likely to come into contact with competitive-mum-itis. But rest assured, if little Sophia/Hermione eats only homegrown, organic, steamed superveg by day, trust us – her competitive mum is no doubt weeping into her blender by night.

Life isn’t meant to be an endurance test, and weaning is hard work enough without going over the top. Visions of 3 home-cooked meals a day and the calm domestic goddess smile soon fade when the reality of sweet potato highlights in your hair and purée wallpaper patterns sets in.

Your baby wants – needs – time with you. So don’t beat yourself up if you let the domestic halo slip. Aim for balance; home-cooked meals and a good stash of pouches and pots in the cupboard when you need to call in reinforcements. If you feel the need to keep up appearances, squeeze a pouch into one of your own pots and lie through your teeth.

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Just bear in mind that your baby’s nutritional needs are changing hugely month by month, and differ from yours; so a mushed-up version of your own meal might not always suffice.

And please remember that Plum recipes have been developed closely with dietitians , based on years of research, to provide exactly what babies need at each stage of development.

The varied flavours and intelligently-chosen organic ingredients (ahem, like quinoa) can lay the foundations for a lifetime of healthy eating and a happy relationship with food.

Homemade or readymade?

dymade?

Mum Quote...

“I wish I’d known how messy it would be – we wouldn’t have bothered with bibs, we’d have just sat him down naked to eat!”

Alex (Read our Plum Parents quotes on pages 46–49)

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

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Homemade or readymade?

What equipment do I need for weaning?

• A helmet (only joking) • Small, soft weaning spoons (or a clean pinkie) • Small bowls, for easy mixing • Muslins. A lot of muslins • Bibs. A lot of bibs • Time and patience. A lot… you get the picture • A high chair or a Bumbo, to keep your baby fairly upright • A camera for the future entertainment of visiting girlfriend/boyfriend • A splash mat or a machine washable blanket (perfect for catching your baby’s Jackson Pollock impression)

Steam or squash?

What do I need for making homemade food?

• A hand held blender • A freezer full of ice cube trays (or to save space – freezer bags to store the frozen food cubes!)

• A fork and sieve • A steamer, or a colander over a pan of water • Time, perseverance and a gold star to award yourself for effort

Anything soft, such as banana, pear or avocado, can simply be mashed. Anything hard, like apricots, should be simmered till soft, then puréed. Steam stuff if you can, so those lovely nutrients aren’t lost.

Any tips for cooking in bulk?

Fresh is best but, let’s face it, no one is realistically going to purée two teaspoons of sweet potato for lunch each day. So you may as well do enough to last a few days.

Prepare one fruit or vegetable at a time, line up plenty of ice

cube trays, steam, blend, then simply spoon into the trays.

Pop each into a freezer bag and freeze once cooled.

BUT! Beware of potato attack; blending breaks down the starch too much and you’ll find you’ve defrosted a lump of glue. Mash it with breast milk or formula instead and it should behave.

With lots of trays of different food in the freezer, you can start to mix and match flavours once your baby has tried each on its own.

Remember, the important thing is that your baby has a varied diet.

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Seasonal Recipes

Here at Plum we spend every waking hour thinking about ways to help babies eat as well as they can – and enjoy every tiny mouthful.

In fact, we’ve created four seasonal recipes for you to try out at home, in your kitchen.

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Recipes

Spring your baby’s tastebuds to life There’s nothing better to get your baby’s tastebuds dancing than fresh new flavours – and they don’t come any fresher than Spring, with its baby carrots, beets and peas all bursting with spring sunshine.

A Sweet Summer Treat Every baby should grow up knowing the taste of summer. From green peas and courgettes to sweet summer berries, there are endless ways to get the best flavours out of what’s in season.

Easy peasy fresh pea and mint soup Gorgeous spring peas are naturally sweet and full of Vitamin K. But don’t worry if you can’t get your hands on fresh ones; frozen peas work too, but try to avoid using tinned peas or mushy peas, as they contain added salt.

Ingredients 3 cups of peas 20g unsalted butter Fresh mint or dried mint, to taste Breastmilk or formula If you’re using fresh peas, steam or simmer them for 10 minutes, until cooked. Frozen peas won’t take quite as long.

Drain them and blend with the butter and mint, adding enough breastmilk or formula to make it the right consistency for your baby.

Fresh strawberry, papaya and yogurt smoothie A simple, fresh and healthy summer smoothie that you’ll want to tuck into as well! Papaya is full of Vitamin A, the strawberries add the tang of Vitamin C to the mix – and it’s all given a deliciously creamy texture with a dash of yummy yogurt.

Ingredients 1 papaya 1 punnet of strawberries (maybe 2 if you fancy a Pimms) 100ml plain full-fat yogurt or fromage frais Cut the papaya into quarters, scoop out the seeds, then run your knife along the inside of the skin to peel the chunks of fruit. Wash and hull the strawberries, and cut them in half.

Blend the fruit and yogurt together to taste (you may not want or need all the yogurt). Once it’s done, simply let the slurping begin!

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Awesome Autumn treats Well, all the leaves are brown but the sky doesn’t have to be grey over the kitchen. We’ve got a great way to bring some Autumn colour to your baby’s tastebuds.

Salmon, broccoli and pumpkin mash Super tasty, super healthy and super easy. This recipe combines three super ingredients for a boost of Omega-3, protein, Vitamin A and loads of other yummy goodness.

And whilst pumpkin is at its delicious peak in September and October, why just waste it making lanterns for Halloween?

Ingredients 2 portions of salmon fillet (about 200g) 1 small butternut pumpkin Olive oil 1 small head of broccoli 20g unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 teaspoon fresh) Squeeze of fresh lemon juice Breastmilk or formula milk Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (gas Mark 6). Peel, de-seed and slice the pumpkin, then brush slices with olive oil and put on a baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes. Add the salmon portions to the tray and bake another 15 minutes, turning the salmon once. Test salmon with a fork to make sure it flakes easily and is cooked through, then set aside to cool slightly.

Cut the broccoli into pieces (you can use most of the stem as well, just peel off any tough skin before slicing it). Steam for 5–10 minutes, until soft enough to mash.

Flake the salmon flesh into pieces, removing any skin and checking carefully for bones. Mash or purée the salmon with the pumpkin, broccoli and dill, adding the lemon juice and enough breast or formula milk to bring it to the right consistency for your baby.

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Recipes

Wonderfully warm Winter food Baby it’s cold outside, but here’s an ideal recipe to help keep your baby’s tastebuds aglow throughout the coldest months of the year.

Sweet potato and pumpkin curry Don’t give up on veg when the frost is on the ground! Sweet potatoes and pumpkin are delicious this time of year – and packed with nutrients too! The warming Indian spices will keep you all snug and toasty – and if you add a few chopped green chillies to the adults’ bowls, the whole family’s happy!

Ingredients 300g peeled, cubed sweet potatoes 250g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed 1 large onion, chopped 25g ghee or butter 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp dried ginger 1/2 tsp ground coriander (freshly chopped coriander for garnish) 1/2 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp tomato purée 200ml boiled water or salt-free veg stock

Mum Quote...

“Buy dark coloured bibs!

Or even better, the rubbery wipe-clean ones!”

Rachel (Read our Plum Parents quotes on pages 46–49)

Simmer the sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes; then add the pumpkin and simmer another 5 minutes, until chunks are cooked, but still firm (test with a skewer; if it goes through with only a little resistance, that’s perfect). Drain and set aside.

Heat the ghee or butter in a large pan.

Add the onion and cook until lightly browned.

Add the turmeric, coriander, ginger, cumin and tomato purée and cook for about 2 mins. Add the potatoes and stir to coat them with the spices.

Add the water or stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chopped coriander.

At this point, you can take out your baby’s portion and fork-mash or purée it to the right consistency, then all sit down to eat together! Serve with rice for the adults and older babies who can handle a bit of texture. A lovin’ spoonful of plain yogurt on the top will finish it off perfectly.

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Stage One

Stage One

How do I know when my baby’s ready to start weaning?

Mrs Plum, in the dining room, with the weaning spoon… time to turn detective and look for the cues and clues to find out if your baby’s ready…

Is your baby: • Double their birth weight?

• Developing sitting skills somewhere between a weeble and Buddha?

• Supporting their head well?

• Trying to cram everything into their gaping, dribbly mush?

• Fixing any food in the vicinity with a ninja death stare?

• Hungry. All. The. Time?

Yes? Then ready, steady, WEAN! But if you find they spit it out, they’re probably not ready just yet – so hold off and try again in a few days.

Bon appetit!

Remember, eating is fun. We all spend hundreds of pounds eating out for fun. And now your baby wants to get in on the action. So, lick your lips, try a bit first – not just to check the temperature – but to show you’re sharing an enjoyable experience with your baby that will help him or her associate the experience with happy, positive feelings. You’ll be pleased to know that Plum meals don’t taste like those old-fashioned baby foods, so you don’t need to put on a smiley face. No really! Try it yourself.

So what super ingredients are in Plum?

Good question, and thank you for asking!

At Plum, we take a pride in basing our foods on ingredients that nutritionally punch above their weight – such as: • Quinoa – twice the protein of rice and packed with energy and key minerals.

• Blueberry – amazing health supporting properties; packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

• Carrots – lots of Vitamin C and beta-carotene; good for eyesight, cardiovascular and general health development.

• Banana – Olympic-standard source of energy; aids development of eyes, bones, kidneys, digestive system…

Where do I begin?

Have you heard the murmurs of ‘baby rice’ beginning across the post-natal groups? Most people start with a bit of baby rice, you can mix it with either breast milk or formula into a smooth, runny slop consistency. Any fruit or vegetable cooked and puréed is just as good for a first taste and may even be met with enthusiasm for more.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Tip-top tips for first weaning: 1

Consider clingfilming the walls. The splatter zone extends further than you think!

2

Sit your baby in a high chair (in an upright, supported position) in clothes that can stand a gloop-attack.

3

Do not proceed without ready supplies of bibs, muslins, damp cloths, wipes and kitchen rolls.

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Stage One

4

Choose a time when your baby is hungry and alert but not ravenous, and you’re relaxed and unhurried.

And if you can pass on any tips on how to achieve ‘relaxed and unhurried’ with a small baby in tow, we’d be delighted to hear them.

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Be careful where you put your spoons. When feeding your baby, remember that once food has been in contact with saliva it becomes the perfect playground for bacteria to thrive.

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For the same reason, if you feed directly from the pot, transferring the spoon from mouth to pot and back again, and then you put the pot back in the fridge, you’ll just be setting up a nice culture of bacteria in the pot.

Far better to spoon a portion out into a bowl, then throw any leftovers away. Lecture over.

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Start at home, so baby’s at ease and not distracted (easier said than done).

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Use your (clean) finger to put a taste on your baby’s lips first, then use a tiny soft weaning spoon.

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Keep the spoon poised ready, in case the food comes straight out again.

(Who are we kidding? WHEN it comes straight out again!)

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If your baby doesn’t seem interested, take it as a blessing in disguise and try again in a couple of days.

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Take your time, and make sure you’ve given yourself enough time. Children (even babies) are evil geniuses, highly skilled at spotting and exploiting weaknesses; so if you’re trying to rush and getting stressed, they’ll take no prisoners.

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Remember to factor in time to clear up and change clothes (theirs and yours). Alternatively, do a runner, regardless of mushencrusted ensemble, and time your arrival home for roughly half an hour after daddy is due back.

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And don’t worry about how much actually goes down. To start with, it’s more about getting the hang of new tastes and textures than being able to consume a 3-course meal.

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Let them try holding a soft weaning spoon, the more familiar they are with cutlery now – the more confident they’ll be at picking up a knife and fork (you’ll be hearing “where’s my tea?” in no time) later in life.

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Start with 1 teaspoon, once a day, at the same time.

Then build up to 3 times a day, increasing portion sizes as you go. After 2-3 weeks, once you’ve established a routine, it’ll be time to start introducing other foods and perhaps 2 courses – a main and pudding.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

When, and how much?

When is really up to you, and also depends on your baby’s rhythm or routine (if you have one). Before a feed is a good time to try, so it might be best to fit your weaning routine around your breast or bottle timings. Then, once you’ve both got the hang of things, continue the weaning at family mealtimes.

Babies love the social side of eating and are usually the first to start the food fight.

How much? No prizes for guessing that it totally depends on your baby. If they’re gobbling the lot, keep slowly increasing your portion sizes. Simple. It’s nigh on impossible to overfeed a baby – unlike Labradors, they have an in-built mechanism to stop eating when they’re full. So as long as they’re putting away good, nutritious stuff, you’re doing a good job.

eating when they’re “Babies have an in-built mechanism to stop full, so just as long as they’re putting away good food, keep going with the nutritious stuff.”

What, and why?

Your baby needs a good mix of the five major food groups. Sorry to say, it’s not as easy as saying 3 portions of carbs, 2 portions of veg, etc, because the proportions change with each stage of development. For example, during a growth spurt, they might go carb crazy.

Your baby will probably guide you though.

So, if you’re left wondering why your little ray of sunshine will eat all the cabbage in the land one day, and turn their nose up the next, who knows? It might just be because they’re a whole lot more in tune with what their bodies actually need than we are!

Clever little monkeys.

Mum Quote...

“Double bibbing is the best – a long-sleeve bib with a smaller bib over the top!

Saves most clothes. (Plus a wipe-clean floor!)”

Hannah (Read our Plum Parents quotes on pages 46–49)

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Stage One

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

The 5 major food groups 1 Carbs Starchy foods including bread, cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta and other grains such as quinoa (pronounced ‘keenwah’ – and you can read all about it on page 28), oats and millet.

This is where your little dynamo gets his or her energy from. As well as the well-developed brain, healthy body and regular bowels!

Wholegrain carbs have more fibre, vitamins and minerals, and release energy more slowly, but while fibre is good, you don’t want to overload those baby bowels, so a mix of white and wholegrain carbs is fine.

2 Fruit and veg

3 Dairy

The brighter the better – as these contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (flavonoids and phytochemicals, such as beta-carotene, which help prevent cell damage, disease and infection). Fruit and veg also contain fibre, especially in the skins, to keep those bowels a-movin’. Try to ensure they are eating a rainbow of colours to cover all nutrients – and if you can get the 5-a-day into your baby, good on you. A portion is roughly the size of the child’s palm, by the way.

If you don’t know by now that milk, cheese and yogurt are packed with calcium, and that calcium is important for teeth and bones, then you clearly didn’t watch enough TV ads as a child. Dairy produce is also well-stocked with protein and vitamins. Once they’re old enough, stick to whole, full-fat milk until your child is 2, then think about whether you need to move to semi-skimmed.

Fromage frais is a great dairy ‘starter’. It’s naturally smoother and creamier than yogurt, so it sits on the spoon better and doesn’t dribble out so easily. When you venture into yogurt, either go for plain, or find a fruit yogurt with no added sugar, which your baby simply doesn’t need. You guessed it… Plum’s organic fromage frais and yogurts are one of the very few that have no added sugar – see our saintly halo sparkle! (Plus they’re great for soothing teethers).

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Stage One

4 Protein Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses pack a punch of protein, along with B vitamins and minerals (iron and zinc) – and, surprise, surprise, quinoa (again).

Protein basically builds body tissue, such as muscles, (as well as hair and nails), which is why body builders devour several chickens a day. Protein is made up of amino acids; some are made in our bodies, some we can only get from food.

Complete proteins contain all the different amino acids we need from food, and include meat, fish, eggs and quinoa. See? There’s no getting away from it! Although your body can piece together amino acids from different sources, we like to give it a helping hand by providing everything in one go, by using quinoa as a base for all our pouches and pots. But how can that tiny super seed benefit my child? Check out the facts on page 28.

5 Fats and sugars Somewhat irritatingly, our lucky little bundles of fun need more fat in their diet than we do.

But it’s important to think about good fats (omegas 3, 6 and 9) and not-so-good fats.

Found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocados, unsaturated fat is good, and has a hugely important role to play. It’s an energy source, it helps build healthy cells, feeds the brain and helps the body use vitamins.

Found in meat, eggs and dairy, saturated fat still has a role to play, so no need to avoid it, but don’t overdo it.

Babies need lots of energy… they’re using 20% of their calories just developing their brain. And they can take up to 40% of their calories as fat (children and teenagers can take up to 35%.)

When it comes to sugar, remember: your baby (or you, for that matter) does NOT need any other sugar than that which occurs naturally in food. It can lead to so many health problems and you’ll be doing your baby a real favour by steering well clear for as long as possible.

Having said that, it’s just another thing to feel guilty about – most parents eventually cave in, so when you do, just try and keep it to the odd occasion (opt for cake or chocolate rather than sweets as they contain more useful nutrients).

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

What on earth is quinoa?

It’s natural and one of those ‘superfoods’ everyone goes on about. It was also the ‘sacred grain’ of the Incas, no less, and was their staple food until the Spanish came along and spoilt things. Nowadays, you might have seen it in health food shops or a Marks & Spencer salad.

Technically it’s a seed, not a grain. It’s nutritionally rich, with lots of protein (complete protein, unlike most other vegetable sources – so it’s more on a par with meat, beans, pulses, lentils) plus fibre, Vitamin E and B1, calcium, potassium, zinc, manganese and copper – in fact, most of the minerals needed by the human body. It’s also low in sugar. It’s a fab substitute for rice, and much better for you.

Why does water appear so high up in the list of ingredients in some Plum packs?

Glad you asked that! It’s because many of our ingredients – especially quinoa – absorb a huge amount of water (just like rice and pasta) as they soften during cooking.

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Stage One

Can I prevent a fussy eater?

You can try! Continually offering a wide variety of flavours gives you the best chance of encouraging a love of all foods – although some kids will always see sprouts as the work of the devil. If your baby has a strong dislike for a new food, give it a rest for now.

But keep trying every few weeks, as they may get used to it, and their tastes change as they get older. It’s normal for toddlers to test their boundaries and food is one of the few areas where they can impose their will. But if it boils down to a battle of wills, it might be worth giving up. Beetroot vomit is not an easy stain to remove.

What’s going on in there?

From 4 months old, your baby’s brain will be developing in many new and exciting ways.

You’ll notice a sense of humour developing; all kinds of noises and movement can raise a priceless chuckle – especially if you laugh back – and you’ll find you can have endless repetitive conversations in babytalk.

Their sense of touch will support their brain and the relationship between you as a parent.

Cuddling and stroking your baby’s head will amazingly release the hormones so important for brain development.

At this time you can also expect to see your baby demonstrate a range of motor skills – sitting up, reaching out for things and passing them from one hand to the other.

Want to add anything?

If opting for homemade, mix in a few drops of omega-rich oils to each meal, which are great for brain development, such as flax seed, olive oil or sunflower oil (too much can lead to runny poo, so keep a steady hand!). And remember, there’s absolutely no need to restrict fats for the under 2s, especially those health-giving ‘good fats’.

How do I know if I’m getting it right?

Ah, the cornerstone of being a mum.

Worrying. Those niggling doubts are probably there to stay, whatever we tell you, but if your baby is sleeping well, seems happy and energetic and is gaining weight in line with the little growth curve in their red book, worry not. You’re doing a fantastic job (and probably don’t get told often enough, quite frankly).

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Stage Two

Stage Two

Stage 2 (approx 7–10 months) With purée conquered, Stage 2 awaits. And now it’s time to get mashy with it. “Fork mash” texture – like in our Plum Stage 2 recipes – is perfect. It’s also time to consider nutritional content more carefully as – beyond 6 months – babies really start relying on their food to give them the good stuff they need.

What changes?

First; texture. We call this the ‘fork mash’ stage, so meals are a bit thicker, often with small yet not noticeable lumps.

Sounds delicious, huh? Babies are surprisingly good at chewing, thanks to the teeth lurking beneath their gums.

Though don’t be surprised if they suck off the slop and ping the lumps into your hair, or insert them into a handy receptacle, such as a nostril.

Secondly, ingredients. Your baby may begin to feel more confident so you can try other foods which may have been previously pushed away when your baby was back in Stage 1.

Why not try adding meat, fish, dairy and eggs? The chances are your baby has become more positive in taking on other foods. Scrambled egg is a great texture for babies to try; lumpy but soft. As is cottage cheese.

Fish is easy to flake with a fork.

Meat might need blending with veg, or shredding into manageable bits. From now on, you can also try introducing finger foods. Some fruit and veg can be grated and cheese sticks are good for chomping.

You can also experiment with pulses and grains.

Stirring soft lentils or whole, boiled quinoa grains into a veg purée base gives insta-lumps. And if you’ve Stage 2 simply means you’re introducing struggled to achieve the your baby to more complex textures, and perfectly smooth mash moving them on from smooth slop. It involves that Greg Wallace would new flavours, new funny faces and probably coo over, you can now a whole lot more spitting and food happily give up.

What does Stage 2 mean?

“Babies are surprisingly good at chewing”

flinging; but when they’re munching on a chicken leg, you’ll look back at Stage 2 with a wistful smile.

Our Super 6 foods for Stage 2 are: • Chicken • Fish (omega-rich salmon, mackerel and sardines, or any white fish) • Beef • Cheese • Olive oil (for cooking) • Eggs (hard-boiled or scrambled) Plum pots and pouches will give you a good idea of flavours to combine, so feel free to steal some ideas. They’re nutritionally balanced with the help of our dietitian to give exactly what babies need at this stage of development too.

So if you’re intention-rich but time-poor, you can balance it out with a clear conscience.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Why change now?

Every day is different As with everything from behaviour to sleep patterns, no two days are the same.

Just like us, babies have off days (some days you might wish they had off switches, but that’s another story). If your baby doesn’t want to eat, don’t force it, and don’t panic. Try offering Stage 1 purée, fromage frais or extra milk instead (but don’t make it an everyday default – some babies will always go for the easy option), and just keep a track of any patterns.

They might be coming down with something, or might have a tooth niggling.

They might just be worn out from too much partying at playgroup. Sounds like a good excuse for a long cuddle on the sofa.

With all that activity, they’ll require plenty of refuelling, so you might need to start including snacks between meals too. Just watching them go can be tiring enough, so have a snack on hand for yourself as well.

So what’s going on in there?

By the time a baby reaches 7 months they’ll be starting to show their personality.

They will be able to make conscious decisions on toys – which ones they like and dislike. Their motor skills will have advanced and now they’ll be able to coordinate hands and feet (sufficiently well to pick their nose, the little cherubs).

Most impressively, they might begin to start forming words in the mind. Expect to hear what sounds to you like an R2–D2 impression, but to your baby is up there with the Gettysburg Address.

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Your baby is no doubt cooing and babbling glorious nonsense to you at this stage. To be able to start speaking our wonderfully complex language, they need to develop key muscles in the mouth, and control their tongue more carefully. Chewing and swallowing will help these muscles develop (though please don’t blame us when they start talking with their mouths full).

The increase in muscle development and co-ordination, combined with the reduction in milk feeds, mean your baby needs extra energy and nutrients, including calcium, iron and fats.

What if my baby wants to join in?

Well, this one’s a double edged sword, to be fair. It is your ultimate goal, but it does make life messier. Give your baby a spoon to hold and, if you’re feeling brave, give them their own bowl with a small amount of food in it.

You can then control quantity, as you keep hold of their main meal, but they get to practice manoeuvring spoon from bowl to mouth. By the time it gets there, the food may well be on the curtains, but it’s a start!

Stage Two

Mum Quote...

“Don’t get stressed if you put a lovely meal in front of them and they just look at it, squash it and then throw it on the floor for the dog. They are learning.”

Sharon (Read our Plum Parents quotes on pages 46–49)

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Stage Three

Stage Three

Stage 3 (approx 10–12 months) At around 10 months, baby rice is receding into the depths of your memory, and even the stains are fading on the carpet. Now your baby is ready to move from soft lumps to chewier chunks – and to take matters into their own hands…

What does Stage 3 mean?

Stage 3 is a positive move away from baby food. Bear in mind that their nutritional needs are still different from yours, to support their dynamically changing little bods. We’re talking larger lumps, thicker consistencies – whole meals made from finger foods, with harder pieces and stronger flavours.

Variety is still the spice of life The thicker purées, mashed and grated meals from Stage 2 are all still good as a base, but start adding larger lumps.

You can also introduce things that are harder to chew, like Plum Four Grain Muesli. Slices or sticks of fruit and veg, such as apple, pear and cucumber are great for practice too.

Foods that help your baby practice pincer grip – like peas, sweetcorn and raisins – are also great to help development. It’s also an excellent way to keep them occupied for a while!

At each meal, combine food from each of the food groups, such as quinoa or potato, fruit and veg, meat or fish, dairy and pulses. If you haven’t already, start adjusting the timing of your baby’s mealtimes to fit in with family mealtimes, so you can all start to enjoy the social side of eating (even if some days seem less about enjoying and more about enduring).

Our Stage 3 super 7: • Red meat • Egg (well cooked) • Oily fish • Pulses and grains (such as quinoa, used in all Plum recipes) • Cereals (try Plum’s four grain porridges or muesli) • Green and orange vegetables • Dried fruits

“Your baby may well star t turning their button nose up at milk, which is perfectly normal, and you may now decide to drop some feeds or bottles altogether”

Mum Quote...

“Our funniest moment was Oliver tipping his yogurt into his hand and clapping.”

Sharon (Read our Plum Parents quotes on pages 46–49)

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

What’s on the menu now?

Meat / fish / vegetarian alternatives It takes a long time to eat a T-bone if you haven’t got any teeth, but growing bodies still need plenty of protein and iron. So try serving minced or chopped cooked meats like chicken or ham. If you can mix it with a little puréed veg or mashed potato, so much the better!

1 serving per day – or 2 per day if you’re serving veggie protein

Dairy

Starchy food Loads of energy needed at this stage, for rolling, crawling, standing, sitting, crying and just plain growing. So your baby’s going to need plenty of carbs to feed that little engine. Small pasta shapes always go down well, along with rice, couscous and small shaped breakfast cereals. You can also try chopping potatoes into shapes to hold the little dynamo’s curiosity for that bit longer – and bread or toast fingers can provide literally minutes of amusement. Some of it even makes it into the tummy!

3-4 servings per day

Fruit and veg If you’ve successfully sneaked veg into the diet, keep up the good work! Sticks of carrot, celery, peppers (good luck with that), cucumber etc are great to chew on. Raw is best – or if you have to, lightly cooked.

4-5 servings per day 36

If your little weaner’s over 12 months, it’s now okay to give cow’s milk. Yes, honestly, it’s fine.

In fact, it’s a valuable source of calcium for growing bones and teeth. So give your baby around a pint (500ml / 18oz / day). If you like, you can swap a third of it (200ml or 6oz) for a yogurt or 30g (1oz) cheese. The only thing to watch out for is milk is very easy to drink, so if babies have too much of it, they can get too full to eat anything else and this can slow down the weaning process.

Flavours As many different ones as you can get your baby to try, to develop as wide a range of tastebuds as possible – so make good use of herbs and spices.

Fruit juice Fruit juices help with the absorption of iron, but they can upset tiny tummies. The acid in them can also attack those brand new teeth. So the solution is – literally – a solution. If you dilute it 1 part juice to 10 parts water – and give at mealtimes, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Stage Three

Drinks

Back on our soapbox

Life’s so much easier if you don’t have to deal with bottles after the first 12 months. So start planning to cut down on them and increase cup drinking from this point. And at this stage, if you can get away with only giving milk from a bottle at bedtime, it’ll be easier still.

We promised to never be preachy, but please indulge us in a couple of points – they’re for your baby’s own good.

If you can, avoid non-spill cups with valves. They force your baby to learn an unnatural drinking action, which confuses the developing muscles in the mouth – and has been linked (possibly) to delayed speech. So it’s best to stick with a free-flow beaker with a spout. More spillage potential, but less oral confusion.

Drinks at meal times Water, milk or diluted fruit juice (remember, 1 part fruit juice to 10 parts water).

Drinks between meals Just water or milk. Acids and sugars from other drinks can cause dental problems if they’re not consumed with other food to neutralise them.

Finger food meal ideas Mains

1. Never leave a baby with a drink of milk or juice as the prolonged exposure of sugar / acid in their mouth can cause havoc with those brand-new pegs.

2. Never give baby tea – tannins slow down the absorption of iron – or coffee, carbonated drinks or squashes. Also avoid ‘diet’ drinks – a) your baby has no need to diet (duh!), and b) they’re so full of nasty additives you really don’t want a tiny digestive system to have to cope with.

• Crackers, grated cheese, celery and cucumber • Baked potato wedges, home-made fish fingers, peas and sweetcorn

• Buttered toast, carrot sticks and cheese chunks

• Mini sandwiches (tuna mayo, egg mayo, cream cheese and pineapple mashed etc )

• Cooked chicken strips, couscous (okay, fist food), mange touts and baby corn

• Homemade cheese scones, cherry tomatoes (halved)

• Pitta, houmous and pepper sticks • Rice, flaked fish, broccoli and cauliflower trees • Penne pasta with tomato and tuna sauce

• Homemade mini quiches (using a muffin tin) served with green beans and steamed carrots • Root vegetable oven chips (homemade) and Stage 2 savoury purée to dip

Puddings • Berries • Grapes (halved) • Cherries (stoned) • Raisins • Dried apricots • Yogurt covered raisins • Rice pudding • Home-made mini pancakes • Dried breakfast cereal • Flapjacks • Homemade fruit juice ice lollies (Plum fruit purée lollies – you can make these at home and freeze)

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Why change now?

Your baby could well be teething, so they’ll naturally be wanting to bite and chew more. Make the most of it – a stick of carrot makes a great alternative to a teething ring, or your hand or try a soothing yogurt or fromage frais. And, of course, chewing helps strengthen the muscles for speech, turning “mu mu” into “mummy, please may I have some more of your delicious spaghetti bolognaise.”

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Stage Three

“My do it!”

With its lumps and bumps, Stage 3 is all about your baby’s growing independence. They most definitely want to take charge and, we’re afraid, you can no longer fight it. Give up trying to wrestle the bowl out of your baby’s vice-like grip, just hand over the spoon, and run for cover.

When they want to take over, you know you have a baby who’s curious about food. And that’s a good thing. Honest. It also helps bring on their co-ordination skills in leaps and bounds.

As determination mounts, they often get frustrated with mums trying to help. So let your baby get on with it, and sneak in a few mouthfuls while they’re busy squashing mash into their hair or picking broccoli out of their ear.

Think Zen thoughts and try to rise above the mess – mess is good – trying to eliminate it can lead to problems with eating habits later in life! It will get easier, we promise. Around the time they leave for college…

How can I support these changes?

While your baby is going through these numerous neurological and cognitive changes, the one thing that helps the most is good nutrition. Vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbs are the building blocks for a fantastic little person. And because Plum is packed with heaps of energy, it’s a great first step to a big ol’ brain, a happy smile and a long healthy future. And what greater gift can you give your child than good health? (although they might think a pony comes a close second in years to come).

Well, Plum recipes are nutritionally crafted for each stage of development – with only the right balance of good, organic and wholesome nourishment needed to support all those many intricate and fascinating ways in which your baby is changing.

What’s happening in there?

Lots of cognitive and physical stuff. Your baby’s own personality is under construction, and they’ll start showing signs of their own little self. Social skills and hints of a sense of humour are emerging. Unfortunately, separation anxiety may make an appearance too, over you or a favourite toy or blanket, which is bound to send you into a panic several times a day for the next few years while you track said item down. They will also begin to understand that a behaviour can prompt a reaction. This can be great fun for them as they wait gleefully for you to retrieve their toy for the 65th time – but it requires maximum patience from you!

Your baby may be rolling over, crawling, sitting up, standing, cruising the furniture or even walking. The fine motor skills (picking up small things, like gravel and ladybirds, and coordinating hand to mouth) are well-developed too.

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Toddler

Toddler

Toddler (approx 12 months onwards) Your weaning mission is almost complete. We hope you’ve enjoyed it, but we’re almost certain you won’t be sad to see the back of it. No more purée up to the elbows, and cubes of frozen swede in your G&T by mistake.

What does Toddler mean?

You’re perhaps not quite ready for Pizza Express yet, but grown-up mealtimes are here and purée is consigned to memory. Anything goes now, and you can start giving your baby the same healthy, balanced meals you eat (within reason of course; extra hot chilli is not advisable, even as payback for a tantrum, and your toddler still needs to eat more fat than you do). Keep avoiding salt though – add yours separately if you feel the need.

A stash of Plum pots still comes in useful, so you can satisfy your undeniable urge for a takeaway or stodge, and still give your toddler a smugly wholesome meal.

What’s happening in there now?

The key physical and cognitive developments taking place during Stage 3 continue apace during Toddler years. You may be able to decipher some comprehensible words amongst the babble, and your little genius will cleverly make up his or her own words, such as ‘mup’ for ‘come up’ when they want to be carried.

If they haven’t already, they’ll also start walking soon, so you can expect them to generally get in your way more and give you regular palpitations by teetering at the top of the stairs whenever you forget to close the stair gate.

On the plus side, they’ll understand you more and start having comical little conversations with you. Bless.

How do I support these changes?

Keep on packing in good food, and try to hold off on all the things we consider treats for as long as possible.

Wouldn’t you be smugly content if your child grew up thinking a bowl of fresh strawberries was a treat, rather than a big slice of chocolate cake? How other mums would envy you and marvel at your weaning skills! In reality though, it’s a tough call and most parents eventually follow the herd, so if you do find yourself giving the odd taste of ice cream or chocolate buttons, don’t feel guilty – they’re absolutely okay occasionally as part of a balanced meal.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

What next?

Finger foods

Toddlers and beyond

Toddler really means you’ve weaned your baby… and survived! Congratulations!

Obviously you deserve a 2-week holiday in the Maldives with £1000 spending money to recuperate, but you might have to settle for an empty pack of Multigrain Rings, and a toddler who loves their food (almost as much as they love their mum).

Older babies love to feed themselves and, as long as they chew, you can give them chunks of pretty much anything. When they’re quiet and entertained, it’s tempting to use the time to maximum effect… making a phone call or doing some tidying… but keep a close eye and ear on them, just in case they literally bite off more than they can chew.

Let’s face it. Mums get weary.

Especially when you’ve gone back to work, or you’re expecting again or juggling life with more than one child. Show us a mum whose standards never slip, and we’ll show you a little fibber (or some kind of freakish supermum that other mums simultaneously envy and pity).

Keep up the good work, keep trying your baby on new foods, and don’t be too disheartened when you realise that weaning was the easy bit, and instilling good table manners is actually the hard bit!

Top-notch first finger foods: • Cooked or steamed vegetable pieces • Pieces of cold meat like chicken or ham • Mini sandwiches (have fun with shapes like triangles) • Sticks of cheese • Fingers of buttered (unsalted) toast • Scones or hot-crossed buns • Slices of soft fruit You could try Plum’s Multigrain Rings, Spelt & Apple or Spelt & Raspberry Munchy Fingers – with no added salt or sugar – they have been developed to keep them going between meals.

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As long as you keep your child to a diet that’s generally well balanced, varied and nutritious (remembering there’s really no shame in cutting corners if you need to), you can turn a blind eye to the slip-ups as your toddler keeps on growing. Keep referring back to this guide if you need a quick refresher, and enjoy the satisfaction of instilling a positive, longlasting relationship with food that takes your child through the eating-pizza-forbreakfast-student phase and into healthy adulthood.

Support nutrition with plenty of exercise and fresh air, lots of sleep, some firm behaviour boundaries, unlimited cuddles and lots of love, and you’ll have well and truly done your bit. All you have to do then, is hope they appreciate it!

Mum Quote...

“Yogurt and raspberry-blowing do not mix, as I learnt today!”

Sarah (Read our Plum Parents quotes on pages 46–49)

Toddler

Advice Our aim was to give you a balanced view of balanced weaning, but if you do feel you need more advice, please email Plum at yummyyummy@plum-baby.co.uk

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

What’s the Plum Start Foundation about?

It’s all about learning and building upon existing knowledge, searching for better ways to give babies the best start in life. The foundation has engaged some of the industry’s most experienced academics, such as:

Nicola Joseph, a nurse and frontline Health Visitor who advises on product development and food and health issues.

Sarah Almond, a Paediatric Dietitian and Children’s Nutritionist who assists at all levels of recipe development.

Dr Pauline Emmet, of Bristol University (specialist at the Centre for Child and Adolescent Health), who offers her guidance on complex issues involved in weaning.

The Foundation strives to build knowledge in key development areas such as nutrition, physical, cognitive, social and emotional, speech and language.

So when it comes to your baby’s future, Plum is already on the case.

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Analou Louw, a speech and language therapist who specialises in paediatric communication and feeding difficulties.

What’s the Plum Cookery School?

Our new Cookery School

the cookery

We came up with the Plum Cookery School as a way of revealing some of the secrets behind our flavour-filled recipes. We also wanted to support parents with sage weaning advice from two of the most experienced professionals in the business: celebrity chef Rachel Allen, and child food and weaning expert Beverley Glock.

For our first students, we hand-picked five lucky mums, who spent two days in Buckinghamshire with Rachel and Beverley, picking up heaps of info and tips galore. Then we turned them and their adorable babies into the stars of our four unique weaning videos – one for each stage of the weaning process – which are available to watch at www.youtube.com/plumbaby.

Because, while we couldn’t invite every weaning mum to take part in the school itself, the magic of the Internet means that all parents can now take advantage of our experts’ advice.

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

View from the In addition to the scientific view, we thought you might appreciate a few tips from real mums who’ve been there, done that and got the mango purée down the T-shirt.

So we asked a few Plum Parents for their own tips, and here’s what they came up with…

“Let them put the lumps into their own mouth to start, that way you overcome the gagging.

It also helps if you eat with them, exaggerate chewing motions so they know what to do.”

Elizabeth

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View from the sharp end

e sharp end

“We started early, at four months, and he loved his smooth purées – but when it came to adding texture, he gagged and projectile vomited! Very stressful and messy! I started baby-led weaning then and haven’t looked back!”

Joanna

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

“My daughter laughs if she successfully launches food from her spoon. As long as some goes in her mouth, it’s all good.”

Claire The funniest thing was the chicken casserole, babyled-weaning style – it was everywhere. Even the dog who sat underneath trying to catch it was covered! Baby was put straight in the sink.

Alex It will be messy, and there will be days where you both end up wearing more of the food than was actually eaten.

Spaghetti has a habit of coming out of nostrils when your little one sneezes – it happened to us, and it took me a while to work out what it was!

Alison

Babies don’t have big tummies, and will not starve themselves.

If you need to analyse the amounts your little one is eating, do it by week, not by day.

Sharon

If you have twins, have them face each other when they eat. They seem to enjoy watching each other eat, and sometimes will try new things more easily when they see the other one eating it.

Rebecca I used spices and herbs from the beginning... some ‘experts’ will say not to until they’re a year old, but if you keep all food bland to start with, it’s hard to get your kids to try new things when they’re older.

Sarah

If you see a sneeze coming, don’t feed ‘till it’s gone, or there will be food everywhere – and I mean everywhere – even on your glasses!

Natasha Don’t worry about the mess; invest in a Labrador, as they like to hoover anything up! Oh, and don’t beat yourself up if they refuse food you made, the pouches are great.

Caroline Sometimes the expensive highchairs aren’t the best. We were lent a really good high chair, but food got in every bit of it. Eventually we got an IKEA one, which is easy to wipe clean and take away with us.

Nicola Give them time to eat. My little boy takes his time picking things up, eating a bit, then trying something else until he’s cleared his tray (no need for bowls or plates). He loves feeding himself right from 6 months, and loves cheesy pasta.

Samantha

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View from the sharp end

I wish I had known what my baby was holding out for when he spent his first 2 weeks of weaning refusing to eat my lovingly prepared sweet potato, butternut squash, parsnip, carrot – and any other vegetable I could steam and mash. In desperation, I puréed our lamb curry dinner, and he ate a huge portion.

My top tip – go for flavour in their food from the outset, not just for perfect vegetable mush!

Sarah

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Plum Baby – The Weaning of Life™

Be a Plum Parent Looking after a baby can sometimes be a lonely business.

But you’re most definitely not alone! There are hundreds of Plum Parents waiting to answer your questions, allay your worries and share your experiences via our Facebook page (plumbaby) Twitter (@plum_baby) or our blog.

To tell us what you think, try our great recipes and become a Plum Mum (for which we will gratefully bestow free samples upon you), visit us at www.plum-baby.co.uk Hopefully, by the time you’ve read this guide you will feel more confident, reassured and clued up on the whole ethos of Plum and weaning. So go on, “give them a Plum start!”

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Based on A systematic review of published papers about complementary feeding.

Carried out by Victoria Cribb, MSc and Pauline Emmett, PhD. Also referenced: www.bda.uk.com/publications/statements/PositionStatementWeaning.pdf www.babycenter.com/0_chart-pregnancy-nutrients-you-need-to-help-your-baby-grow_4540.bc www.nhs.uk/planners/breastfeeding/pages/breastfeeding-and-weaning.aspx www.nhs.uk www.ods.od.nih.gov www.whfoods.com

Acknowledgements Acknowledgements made via Facebook.

Alex, Alison, Caroline, Elizabeth, Hannah, Joanna, Natasha, Nicola, Rachel, Rebecca, Samantha, Sarah, Sharon.

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The Plum Story, how it all started It all started back in 2006 when mum of three Susie Willis was running her very own cookery school, the Purple Plum.

When it came to weaning her third child Francesca (she was almost called Plum actually, but that’s another story) she took one look at the stodgy, flavourless foods available in the supermarket and thought, “Surely someone can do better than that!”

So she resolved to use her own cookery skills and knowledge of healthy eating to create a range of meals that would revolutionise the weaning of babies. As she said herself, “I wanted to create real food for babies that delivered taste, nutrition and goodness in every mouthful”.

Susie based her meals on super foods, like quinoa and blueberries, because they’re packed with all the super nutrients that little ones need to develop healthy minds, healthy bodies and adventurous tastes. And she devised recipes that would blow away the bland, over-processed foods clogging up the baby food aisles.

Following a successful visit to a major retailer (who didn’t need much convincing once they tasted the food), Plum was born.

Since then, Plum have made huge strides and set themselves apart from other big baby food manufacturers. And they’ve dedicated every waking minute to improving all aspects of a baby’s development through diet and celebrating motherhood as the single most important fantastic job in the world.

And perhaps more important, it gives you an intelligent alternative to home-made, so you needn’t feel guilty about not spending hours in the kitchen. You know that opening a Plum pouch means giving babies the perfect dietary balance for their age. It means laying the foundations for a lifetime healthy diet.

It means, in short, giving them a Plum start.

RRP £2.49