Recipes for Children With Food Allergies

Now you’re thinking about adding solid foods to your child’s diet. The first thing to do is bring your healthcare team into the discussions. They’re the experts. And they’re already familiar with your baby. That said, here are some guidelines :

• Wait until your baby is at least four months old, but ideally closer to six months, before starting solids. Advice varies, so rely on your healthcare team to help you make this decision. They can also help you decide which foods to start first.
• Add one new, individual food at a time and offer it daily for a few days. Ask the healthcare team how many days to wait between new foods, and call them if you see possible reactions. As your baby’s “menu” grows, offer foods in blends.
• Neocate® Nutra is another good option for introducing solids to a baby’s diet. It’s a hypoallergenic solid for children six months and older. The texture when mixed with water is similar to pudding or infant cereal. It can be eaten by itself, mixed with other foods, like applesauce, and frozen to a consistency of ice cream or an ice pop!
• Give your baby time to adjust to each new change.
• Add new textures in stages. Start with thin and smooth, move on to lumps and chunks, then finger foods.

Our hints and tips for mealtimes

• Add one new, individual food at a time and offer it daily for a few days.
• Using a spoon will help your baby learn to eat from a spoon.
• Expect a smaller appetite from your baby as their growth rate slows at around 12 months. No need to force them to eat when they are no longer hungry.
• Offer a wide variety of foods early on to create good eating habits later.