Menu for your Baby

You want your baby to get the nutrition they need to grow up strong and healthy!

Older infants menu (6 to 12 months)

At 6 months, breastfeeding is still your baby’s main food source, but it is time to begin adding solid foods.

We start with foods that contain iron and offer them a few times each day. Iron supports your baby’s growth and development. Iron-rich foods include meats such as beef, lamb, poultry, and fish. Meat alternatives include eggs (yolk), tofu, and legumes such as beans and lentils. Iron-fortified infant cereal is also a common first food utilized. Gradually we increase the number of times a day that we offer solid nutritious foods.

By the transition to cow milk (between 9 and 12 months old) we use organic homogenized cow milk (3.25% M.F.). It is recommend limiting cow milk intake to no more than 750 mL per day.

Between about 8 and 12 months, the older infant develops lateral movements of the tongue. These allow the older infant to move food to the teeth. This movement enables biting and chewing of chopped foods and a greater variety of finger foods.

It is important for parents and caregivers to progress quickly to foods with a lumpy texture. Delaying the introduction of lumpy textures beyond the age of nine months is associated with feeding difficulties in older children and a lower intake of nutritious foods such as vegetables and fruit.

It is important provide a variety of soft textures (such as lumpy, and tender-cooked and finely minced, pureed, mashed or ground) and finger foods from six months of age. Safe finger foods include: pieces of soft-cooked vegetables and fruits; soft, ripe fruit such as banana; finely minced, ground or mashed cooked meat, deboned fish, and poultry; grated cheese; and bread crusts or toasts. For safety reasons, there are some food shapes and textures that should not be offered to children younger than four years.

Children who have early experiences with eating nutritious foods are more likely to prefer and to consume those foods and to have an eating pattern that promotes healthy growth

Child Menu (12-24 months)

By 12 months, the child needs a variety of foods from the four food groups. We establish a schedule of regular meals and snacks for your child.

We offer higher-fat, nutritious foods, an important source of energy for your child, such as: organic homogenized cow milk (3.25% M.F.), cheese, eggs, avocado, nut butters, and some fish.

We don't use fruit juice and never offer sweetened beverages. If the child seems thirsty, we offer filtrated water.

All meat, eggs, poultry, and fish are always well cooked.

(Source: Health Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, and Dietitians of Canada)