Nutrition is one of the key elements to fuel your baby’s growth and development. Children need specific amounts of specific nutrients at every stage of growth. Some nutrient dense foods to include in your baby’s diet are:

Protein rich foods – Seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, unsalted nuts and seeds

Fruit – Fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruit are more nutritious than fruit juice. Look out for added sugars in juices and canned fruit. Half a serving of dried fruit is equivalent to a full serving of fruit. Excess consumption of dried fruit would mean extra calories.

Vegetables – Include a range of vegetables in your baby’s diet including fresh, canned, frozen or dried vegetables. Make sure you include a rainbow of vegetables including red, orange, purple, green, yellow vegetables every week. While picking canned or frozen vegetables, make sure they are low in sodium.

Cereals – Opt for foods with whole grains such as brown rice, popcorn, quinoa, oatmeal whole wheat bread. It is recommended to limit consumption of refined cereals.

Dairy – Fat-free and low-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt

Typically, an age-wise baby food chart would be

Age 2-3 Baby diet chart girls and boys

Age 4-8 Healthy diet plan for kids – girls and boys

Age 9-13 Healthy diet for children – girls and boys

Age 14-18 Diet plans for teens