About 5 Months

By now your baby should be taking (or soon will be) three small solid meals a day and is ready for a slightly more adventurous diet. She may now eat a wider variety of fruit and vegetables with the addition of poultry and fish. Food should still be puréed until smooth, but can be slightly thicker than before. New foods should be introduced at breakfast or lunchtime and it's a good idea to serve them for two consecutive days so that your baby becomes familiar with them and if there is a reaction to a food you will know what caused it.

Make the last meal of the day high in carbohydrates: baby rice and mashed banana are ideal choices as they're easily digested and release energy slowly and so should help prevent your baby waking through hunger in the night!

When you reach the end of two weeks, simply start at the beginning again and repeat the meals for another two weeks.

Foods to avoid at five months

Citrus fruits.
Cows' milk.
Eggs.
Foods containing gluten, found in wheat, including bread and some cereals.
Honey, as this may contain botulism bacteria.
Nuts, including peanut butter and sesame seeds.
Red meat and shellfish.
Salty and spicy foods.

Red lentils with vegetables
(F) makes 4 baby portions

15 g/1/2 oz/1 tbsp red lentils
1 small carrot
100 g/4 oz cauliflower
100 g/4 oz potato
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup formula or breast milk

Rinse the lentils thoroughly, discarding any black bits. Trim and peel the vegetables and cut into 2.5 cm/1 in dice.
Put the lentils and vegetables in a small, heavy-based saucepan with the milk. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are very tender. Check towards the end of the cooking time and top up with a little more milk or boiling water if needed.
Purée or sieve (strain) the lentils and vegetables until smooth. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Tip
The purée will thicken as it cools, so you may need to stir in a little more milk or cooled boiled water before serving.

Autumn vegetable trio
(F) makes 4 baby portions

1 small carrot
100 g/4 oz potato
100 g/4 oz swede (rutabaga)
150 ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup formula or breast milk

Trim and peel the carrot, potato and swede and cut into 2.5 cm/1 in dice. Put the vegetables in a small, heavy-based saucepan and add the milk.
Bring the milk to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
Purée or sieve (strain) the vegetables and milk until smooth. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Tip
Thin the purée with a little extra milk or cooled boiled water if your baby prefers a softer mixture.

Chicken casserole
(F) makes 4 baby portions

1 small carrot
100 g/4 oz potato
50 g/2 oz chicken breast, skinned and boned
150 ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup vegetable stock or formula or breast milk

Trim and peel the carrot and potato and cut into cubes. Cut the chicken into thin strips and put in a small saucepan with the vegetables. Pour in the stock or milk.
Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken and vegetables are cooked.
Purée the mixture until smooth. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Cod and courgette savoury
Cooking fish in foil seals in all the juices and flavour. This is a great way to serve fish and, if cooking for the rest of the family, use cod cutlets and simply add a slice of lemon and a sprig or two of dill, parsley or thyme to their portions.
(F) makes 4 baby portions

1 small courgette (zucchini)
75 g/3 oz cod fillet, skinned
45 ml/3 tbsp vegetable stock
2.5 ml/1/2 tsp butter or margarine

Trim the courgette and cut it into thin slices. Put the fish on a piece of foil, scatter over the courgette, then spoon over the stock. Top with the butter or margarine.
Bring the edges of the foil together and fold over to seal and make a parcel. Place on a baking (cookie) sheet.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4/fan oven 160ºC for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked and the courgette is tender.
Flake the fish with a fork, removing any bones, then purée with the courgette and juices until smooth. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Tip
Add a little more stock or formula or breast milk, if necessary, to make the purée the desired consistency.

Sweet potato and spinach
(F) makes 4 baby portions

100 g/4 oz sweet potato
150 ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup formula or breast milk
100 g/4 oz fresh baby spinach leaves

Peel and rinse the sweet potato and cut into even-sized pieces. Put in a small saucepan with the milk. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, thoroughly wash the spinach leaves. Remove the excess water in a salad spinner or by patting dry with kitchen paper (paper towels). Remove the stalks.
Put the spinach on top of the sweet potato in the pan, cover and cook for a further 8-10 minutes or until the potato and spinach are both very tender.
Mash the mixture together until smooth, then press through a sieve (strainer). Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Turkey with peas and sweetcorn
(F) makes 4 baby portions

100 g/4 oz potato
50 g/2 oz turkey breast, skinned and boned
150 ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup formula or breast milk
25 g/1 oz frozen peas
25 g/1 oz frozen or canned sweetcorn (corn) in water

Peel and rinse the potato and cut into even-sized pieces. Cut the turkey into thin strips. Put the potato and turkey in a small saucepan with the milk.
Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the peas and sweetcorn and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the turkey and vegetables are cooked.
Purée the mixture until smooth. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Cream of pumpkin
(F) makes 4 baby portions

100 g/4 oz pumpkin
10 ml/2 tsp baby rice
120 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup warm formula or breast milk

Thickly peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into dice. Put in a steamer or in a sieve (strainer) over a pan of boiling water and cover with a lid.
Steam the pumpkin for about 8 minutes or until very tender. Purée in a blender or press through a fine sieve.
Mix the baby rice with the milk until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool, if necessary.
Cool the remainder, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Creamed rice with apple
makes 2 baby portions

1/2 sweet eating (dessert) apple
15 ml/1 tbsp flaked rice
100 ml/31/2 fl oz/scant 1/2 cup formula or breast milk

Quarter, core and peel the apple. Slice thinly and put in a small saucepan with the rice and milk.
Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer very gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple and rice are cooked.
Purée the mixture until smooth. Spoon half into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Tip
For Creamed Rice with Pear, replace the apple with pear.

Banana and kiwi fruit
makes 1 baby portion

1/4 ripe banana
1/4 ripe kiwi fruit

Remove the peel from the banana and kiwi fruit. Mash the banana with a fork until smooth, then push through a fine sieve (strainer).
Mash the kiwi fruit and push through the sieve to remove the black pips.
Mix the two purées together and serve straight away.

Apple and raspberry purée
(F) makes 4 baby portions

1 eating (dessert) apple
15 ml/1 tbsp apple juice or water
25 g/1 oz fresh or frozen raspberries

Quarter, core, peel and thinly slice the apple. Put in a small saucepan with the apple juice or water.
Cover and cook over a very low heat for 5 minutes. Add the raspberries and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is very soft.
Press the mixture through a sieve (strainer) or purée in a blender. If you have used a blender, rub the purée through a sieve to remove the berry pips. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Apricot smoothie
Mixing a more strongly flavoured fruit, such as apricot, with baby rice makes it more palatable when introducing a new taste.
makes 2 baby portions

1 ripe apricot
5 ml/1 tsp water
10 ml/2 tsp baby rice
20 ml/4 tsp formula or breast milk

Halve the apricot, discard the stone (pit), then chop the flesh roughly. Put in a small saucepan with the water. Cover and simmer gently for 8 minutes or until the fruit is soft.
Sieve (strain) the fruit to remove the skin. Blend the baby rice with the milk, then stir in the fruit purée. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining mixture, cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Tip
If fresh apricots aren't in season, use 2 canned apricot halves in natural juice rather than in syrup. They will need cooking for only 2-3 minutes at step 1.

Cream of plum and pear
(F) makes 4 baby portions

1 ripe plum
1/2 ripe pear
10 ml/2 tsp apple juice or water
1/2 low-sugar rusk
30 ml/2 tbsp formula or breast milk

Peel the plum (see method for Vanilla Peach Purée if the skin is difficult to remove). Cut in half and remove the stone (pit). Quarter, core and peel the pear. Roughly chop the fruit and put in a small saucepan with the apple juice or water.
Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes until very soft, stirring occasionally. Sieve (strain) or purée the fruit until smooth.
Meanwhile, crumble the rusk into a bowl and sprinkle over the milk. Leave to soften for a few minutes, then mix until smooth. Stir in the fruit purée.
Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining mixture, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Blushing fruit salad
(F) makes 4 baby portions

1/2 ripe pear
10 ml/2 tsp apple juice or water
1/4 charentais melon
25 g/1 oz fresh or frozen raspberries

Quarter, core and peel the pear. Cut into thin slices. Put in a small saucepan with the apple juice or water and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, scoop the seeds out of the melon, cut off the skin and dice the flesh. Add to the pan with the raspberries and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the fruit is soft.
Press the mixture though a sieve (strainer) or purée in a blender and then sieve (strain) to remove the berry pips.
Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Vanilla peach purée
(F) makes 4 baby portions

1 ripe peach or nectarine
2.5 cm/1 in piece of vanilla pod
15 ml/1 tbsp peach or apple juice or water

Peel the peach or nectarine. If this is difficult, put in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Remove after 1 minute and rinse under cold water. The skin should come away easily.
Halve the fruit, remove the stone (pit), then chop the flesh and put in a small saucepan with the vanilla pod and juice or water. Cover the pan and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the fruit is tender. Remove the vanilla pod.
Sieve (strain) or purée the fruit until smooth. Spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly, if necessary, before serving.
Cool the remaining purée, divide into portions and freeze, or cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Tip
Don't throw away the piece of vanilla pod after using. Rinse under cold running water, leave to dry, then store in an airtight container. It can be re-used several times. If you prefer, the peach purée can be made without the vanilla.

Home-made vegetable stock
Throughout this and subsequent chapters, you'll find recipes that call for vegetable stock. Don't use commercial stock (bouillon) cubes, granules or powder until your baby is at least nine months old and then only in small amounts, as they contain large quantities of salt. Adding salt puts a strain on the baby's kidneys and encourages a taste for salt, rather than the natural flavour of food, to develop. If you haven't got time to make stock, water may be used in the recipes instead.
(F) makes 600 ml/1 pint/21/2 cups

1 onion, peeled
2 celery sticks
2 carrots, peeled
900 ml/11/2 pints/33/4 cups water
2 bay leaves
A few fresh parsley or thyme sprigs

Roughly chop the onion, celery and carrots. Put in a saucepan with the water and herbs.
Slowly bring to the boil and skim the surface. Part-cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes. Leave to cool.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve (strainer), discarding the vegetables and herbs. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tip
You'll need different amounts of stock for the recipes, so freeze some 15 ml/1 tbsp portions in sterilised ice cube trays and some 150 ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup portions in suitable containers.