Serve up a baby's breakfast

Food writer and mum Fran Warde has the lowdown on introducing your baby to the most important meal of the day.

The first thing your baby will want every morning is milk, but after this it's on to breakfast. I believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it will set your child up with a good eating pattern for the rest of the day.

After sleeping all night and not having eaten a proper meal since the previous evening, babies are usually hungry first thing in the morning and will readily accept a good breakfast. When old enough (around seven months) always try and start off with cereal, toast or egg and finish with a piece of fruit. Fruit is very nutritious and full of vitamins, try to start the day with a piece of fruit at the end of breakfast and hopefully this will be a healthy staple that they will keep with them for life.

6 months
Pureed pear, apple, kiwi or banana or try mixing any other favoured fruits. The favourite in our household is half a banana pureed with half an avocado, it goes down eagerly and with lots of giggles. I make my own baby rices with either powdered or flaked rice cooked with water or baby milk and then add pureed fruits. You can buy flavoured baby rice, but do try making them as it is great to know exactly what you are feeding your child.

7/8 months
Ready Brek, Weetabix or porridge with milk and pureed or chopped fruit, Marmite soldiers, toast, croissant, scrambled egg, fresh fruit such as grapes, apple, kiwi, melon, strawberries, orange, pear, banana, mango, pawpaw or whatever fruit your baby likes.

12 months
Ready Brek, Weetabix, porridge, Puffed Wheat, Shredded Wheat with milk, eggs (boiled, fried, scrambled etc.), bacon, sausage, toast, croissant, fruit.

Do not give your baby sugar-coated cereals as this sweetness will only give them a sweet tooth and cause long-term problems with their teeth. Sugar does not even need to be added to unsweetened cereals – it's all just a case of what you are used to, so don’t introduce it and they will be quite happy with unsweetened cereal and fresh milk.

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