Making foods adequate for young children

Children 6 months of age and older can eat all types of foods. Foods just need to be modified based on the child’s age. Modify foods for your child based on his age.

• Mashing: Use a fork to mash soft fruits, beans, and sweet potatoes into a texture that is easy for baby to swallow.

• Pounding: Use a mortar and pestle to pound omena into a fine powder to add to foods.

• Shredding: Use your clean hands to pull apart meats into small pieces. Make sure the shredded pieces are not too long.

• Grating: Use a grater on vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and boiled eggs to make small enough pieces for baby to eat safely.

• Mincing: Cut vegetables into very small pieces (smaller than your little finger’s nail) so baby can eat them without choking.

• Grinding: You can nuts to your child’s diet by grinding them using a rolling pin or mortar and pestle.

• Slicing and Dicing: Slicing is cutting vegetables into long, thin pieces and dicing is cutting them into small pieces (but not as small as mincing).

• Finger Foods: Once your child is old enough to hold his own food, cut foods into small pieces he can hold on his own. The pieces should be smaller than what he can fit in the palm of his hand.

• Whole Foods: Once your child is 1 year old, she is ready for whole foods like a peeled banana.

Mashing beans, sweet potatoes, and fruits

Pounding omena to add to porridge

Grinding nuts very fine to add to porridge

Grating root vegetables, boiled egg

Mincing vegetables

Shredding beef, fish, poultry

Slicing/Dicing vegetables

Finger Foods

Whole Foods