Baked Beans - when can I give them:?

[Tillysmummy]

Hi all

Just wanted to know when I can start giving dd baked beans. Was a bit worried because of the salt content. I know that Heinz do baked beans and bacon but I wanted to make her something myself with baked beans and wondered if it's ok now. She's 7 months. I am also hankering for some exciting new recipes for fish. I have made fish pie, fish with sweet potato and orange (she likes this) but wanted some other suggestions. I make a lot of pasta with her so guess I could put some fish in this ? Also any other recipes that have been a big hit I would be interested in. Thx.

You could try pasta with cheese sauce (cooked, full fat cows milk is OK after 6 mths I was told).

Might be better to hold off beans 'til around 1yr, then get the reduced sugar/salt ones. You could try beans with mashed potato, cheese, & other beans such as chickpeas. I would ask HV about bacon - not sure but probably too salty for now.

I've regularly fed my 11mth old tinned tuna & salmon from about 6-7 months, although I emptied fish into a strainer & washed under the tap to get rid of salt (advised by HV).

Up to now, I must admit it's been difficult thinking of lots of different things to feed him. Now he's nearly 1, it's much easier. I just hope he carries on eating it!

I dont know the reason at the moment but I have read somewhere its better to wait till at least the 1 yr mark. I do agree with Bears on that issue. My son 19 mos gets so much gas from beans more then normal it seems. I have to go real easy on them. He does love them though.

I am about to give my 8 month daughter mashed up baked beans as I beleive that a tiny amount of salt won't harm her now. I won't give her the reduced sugar salt ones as I think that the artificial sweeteners are worse for her.

However whole earth do baked neans that are low salt and also organic, you can get them from helath food shops or some supermarkets usually in the organic/special diet section.

Tillysmummy, have to admit that I'm not a "by the book" sort of mum when it comes to food guidelines (or anything else) but all 3 are fit, healthy and allergy free...I hate fish/seafood but DH loves it and the kids do too, homemade calamares have gone down a treat from around 9m (finger food)and Thai-style fish things have been good. Otherwise things like baked trout that's been marinated and DS2's (no doubt verboten) favourite sweet and sour prawns from the take-away.

When my dd went for her 8 mth check with the HV I said I was a little slow on introducing meat to her diet and my HV suggested chopping wafer thin ham into baked beans as a good source of iron. In fact their is a book published by the NHS called Birth to Five which she gave me when dd was born which says - baked beans and toast from 6 months (reduced salt & sugar).

My dd has had reduced salt /sugar beans since 6 months as she wouldn't eat anything that had protein in it. She LOVES them and they are a good way of sliding in less liked but healthy foods (ie spinach)as you can mix them in without baby noticing. I was a bit worried about the sweetners tho' - anyone have any info on them?

Where do you find a reduce salt/sugar brand ?
A medium size tin (225g) of baked beans has 2 1/2 tsp of sugar : in my book that's a lot for a very small child.

pupuce, Tesco and Sainsburys do own brands of reduced salt & sugar beans (and they're both really nice IMO), and Heinz do one that is labelled as Weight Watchers (I think).