Tips to ensure your baby's diet gives them best possible start

IRELAND has one of the fastest growing rates of obesity. The National Taskforce on Obesity says 40% of Irish adults are overweight and 18% of those are obese. Our children are following suit. With Nourish Children Week (Apr 15 to 19) just behind us, experts say children should be fed properly from the moment they eat solids.

Consultant dietician Annemarie Bennett has worked with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on the development of infant feeding guidelines. She says many children’s diets are unsuitable for their growing bodies.

“Together with the nutrient stores built up in the baby during pregnancy, breast milk meets the baby’s dietary needs for the first six months of life, so, according to INDI and the FSAI, the latest guidelines recommend that infants start spoon- feeding close to six-months old,” she says.