A vegetarian diet can be healthy for babies. Suitable foods for protein and iron include beans, pulses and grains, and smooth ground nuts if there is no history of allergy, plus dairy products.

You will need to cook pulses thoroughly as they could be hard to digest otherwise. Pass the cooked items through a sieve to make sure any outer skin is removed. The easiest beans and pulses to use are split peas or red lentils which do not need soaking and cook quickly. Soya products like tofu are fine for babies.

Contact the Vegetarian Society for more information.