Vegetables and fruits can be introduced once iron-rich foods have been introduced.  Vegetables and fruits have vitamins, minerals and fibre, and add new tastes and textures for your baby.

• For information and tips on including more vegetables and fruits in family meals, visit the Vegetables and Fruit website.

Vegetables

• You do not need to puree vegetables. You can offer your baby mashed cooked vegetables, and small pieces of soft or cooked vegetables as finger foods. See the section Food Choking Hazards for information on how to prepare vegetables to reduce the risk of choking.
• Offer a variety of vegetables such as:
  • broccoli
  • brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • green or yellow beans
  • parsnip
  • peas
  • squash
  • sweet potato
  • turnip
• Use plain fresh or frozen vegetables. Wash fresh vegetables before you prepare them.
• You can use canned vegetables, but they may contain more sodium (salt) than fresh or frozen. If you use them, rinse them before you mash them.  This helps wash away some of the sodium.  Use “no salt added” or “less sodium” canned vegetables when available.
• You can take your baby’s serving from the vegetables you have prepared for the family.
  • These vegetables will be best for your baby if you prepare them without adding salt (sodium). They should also be prepared without seasonings, sauces or condiments that have sodium in them, such as dry soup mix, taco mix, garlic salt, soya sauce, and ketchup.  Check the list of ingredients on the labels of these types of products, to see if they contain sodium or salt.
  • It’s okay to give your baby vegetables made with herbs and spices. If using a herb or spice mixture, be sure it doesn’t contain salt (sodium).
• Cook fresh or frozen vegetables until just tender, not mushy.
• Baking, steaming or microwaving keeps the most nutrients. If you boil vegetables, use as little water as possible.

Caution:  Do not serve your baby raw or undercooked sprouts such as alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean, as they may contain harmful bacteria.

Fruits                                                                        

• You do not need to puree fruits. You can offer your baby soft mashed fruits, and small pieces of soft fruits as finger foods.  See the section Food Choking Hazards for information on how to prepare fruits to reduce the risk of choking.
• Offer a variety such as:
  • apples
  • apricots
  • bananas
  • pears
  • grapes
  • kiwis
  • mangoes
  • oranges
  • peaches
  • strawberries
  • blueberries

• Use fresh ripe fruits (including berries), unsweetened frozen fruits, or canned fruits packed in juice, not in syrup. If canned fruits are packed in water, be aware that some manufacturers add artificial sweetener which the baby does not need (read the ingredients list on the label).
• Wash fresh fruits before you give them to your baby or cook them.
• When using a fresh hard fruit, such as an apple, wash it and remove the skin, pit and large seeds before cooking. Cook hard fruit until just tender, before chopping or mashing it.
• Offer fruits with little or no added sugar. Let your baby learn to enjoy the taste of fruits without added sugar or other sweeteners.

What about juice?

Do not give your baby juice.  Babies over six months get all the fluid they need from breastmilk and water.

• • Even 100% fruit juice does not have the fibre that fruit does, and is a source of sugar that your baby does not need.
  • Juice can fill your baby up and keep them from drinking enough breastmilk and eating enough other foods.
  • Too much fruit juice may lead to diarrhea.