Introducing your baby to solid foods

What to avoid
It's best to avoid introducing meat into your baby's diet until he has been accepting fruit and vegetable purees happily for a few weeks. Then you can start to include lean meat and poultry in your purees, as well as cooked rice, lentils and more green vegetables.

There are certain foods which a young baby's digestive system cannot tolerate, or which can trigger allergies*. These should be avoided for the first six months - especially if there is a family history of allergies. They include:

• cow's milk or milk products (cheese, yogurt, fromage frais)
• fish and shellfish
• soya beans
• eggs
• citrus fruit (including fruit juice)
• honey (avoid until your baby is a year old)

*If you do have allergies in the family, you should also avoid giving your child peanuts or sesame seeds (and products which contain them) until he is at least three years old. Check for any reactions when you first introduce these foods to your child.