Which vegetables for Baby at 5 months?
Along with fruit, vegetables are generally the first foods given to Baby (even if, let's remember, weaning at 5 months doesn't require starting with any particular food group). But for now, it's smooth purées (no lumps) only!
In terms of variety, choosing isn't too tricky: your 5-month-old baby can have almost any vegetable: courgette, broccoli, portion, white of leek, beetroot, aubergine, pumpkin, butternut squash…
To keep things simple, start with the mildest and easiest-to-digest vegetables (courgette, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrot). Because it's no secret that some vegetables are easier to digest than others — broccoli and its cabbage cousins, for example, can sometimes cause a bit of tummy trouble in babies (as can salsify or the green part of leeks). But that's not always the case, so feel free to test and see! Some varieties can also be quite strong in flavour (hello, artichoke), but again, it all depends on the baby and their parents' eating habits.
Each new ingredient is given ALONE without mixing it with other ingredients, so that Baby can discover and get used to this new flavour. And once Baby has accepted it, you can very quickly start mixing vegetables together, or adding chicken, Alaska pollock and other proteins, as well as starchy foods.
How to prepare vegetables at 5 months?
- Golden rule number one: always give your 5-month-old vegetables that are well cooked and well blended into a smooth purée. On days when you're short on time, go for Popote baby vegetables, available from 4 months.
- Golden rule number two: at the start, give each new vegetable ALONE, without mixing it with other ingredients, so that your child can discover and get used to this new flavour. And once Baby has accepted it, you can very quickly mix it with other vegetables, or add chicken, Alaska pollock and other proteins, or starchy foods if your child has a big appetite.
How much vegetables at 5 months?
At 5 months, if Baby has already started weaning the previous month, you can offer them (depending on their mood and appetite) up to around 120 g of vegetable purée per day. Split it however you prefer (just at lunchtime, for example, or at lunch and dinner if you feel Baby is asking for more). But never force your child to finish their bowl. If your child barely tastes the vegetables, take it gently with a few teaspoons to start.
And follow up with a breastfeed or a bottle of stage 1 formula (before or after the purée), milk first! As a reminder, the WHO recommends breastfeeding until at least 6 months, but as we often say at Popote, there are 1001 ways to be a parent.
Fruits for Baby at 5 months
Fruits are very often a hit with little ones thanks to their sweet taste. So let's make the most of it and introduce them to these nutritious foods a little more each day.
Which fruits to give Baby at 5 months?
At 5 months, you can try each fruit one by one to check Baby's digestive tolerance and get them used to new flavours. Start with simple tastes: apricot, banana, apple, pear, peach, nectarine. But some babies also enjoy more acidic fruits, like clementine, or even kiwi.
The golden rule: all fruits must be well cooked and blended before being given to Baby (except banana, which you can prepare raw when it's very ripe) to achieve a completely smooth texture that's easy to eat. And don't forget that your baby has only known milk up until now, so let's take it nice and slowly.
The Popote note: red fruits can also be introduced from 5 months; some may cause a mild histamine reaction (hello strawberry) but that's perfectly normal and fine.
How much fruit at 5 months?
Depending on Baby's appetite (and preferences), you can offer around 120 g of fruit prepared as a compote each day. If you're just starting weaning at 5 months, a few teaspoons is plenty to begin with (just like with vegetables, start with single-ingredient compotes). Once Baby has got used to the taste, you can mix their compote with fromage blanc, or jazz it up with a pinch of cinnamon. Yum yum! And don't forget to grab our baby fruit compotes for days out and about!
What about tree nuts at 5 months?
As mentioned above, allergenic foods should be introduced to babies from an early age to help prevent intolerances developing later on. If it hasn't been done already, introduce your child to almonds, peanuts and cashews, or hazelnuts (hello the Dalipo intro kit) — always in powder form (mixed into a purée, compote or dairy) or as a nut butter. Always unsalted, and in very small quantities (half a teaspoon at most).
Which starchy foods for Baby at 5 months?
At 5 months, starchy foods matter too: they give Baby the energy needed to meet their nutritional requirements (even if, at this age, they're not yet essential). They'll also help thicken vegetable purées, and can be very handy if Baby is still hungry at night or after meals.
When it comes to starchy foods for baby, you already have plenty of choice, including products containing gluten:
- potato
- rice
- pasta
- wheat semolina
- Bulgur
- polenta
- sweet potato
- Pulses
Whatever the starchy food, always prepare it as a very smooth purée at this age.
How much starchy food at 5 months?
Start with around 40 g per day mixed into the vegetable purée; to avoid the hassle of weighing, keep in mind the ratio of 2/3 vegetables to 1/3 starchy food (up to half and half for smaller appetites).
Proteins for Baby at 5 months
Baby will be able to taste their first proteins in the form of "solid" foods right from the very start of weaning. But be careful: certain types of meat and fish should still be avoided at 5 months.
Meats Baby can eat at 5 months
- White meats (chicken, turkey). It is recommended to start with white meat, as it is easier to digest. Going forward, continue to favour it over red meat.
- Red meats (beef, pork), to be served occasionally.
Fish Baby can eat at 5 months
- White fish (hake, cod, sole, whiting, dab, pollack…), to introduce to your baby first.
- Oily fish such as salmon, sardine, trout and mackerel. Give Baby fish twice a week, alternating between oily and white fish.
- Seafood.
Whatever the type of meat or fish, always cook it through thoroughly, and mince it very finely to achieve a smooth texture that blends easily into the purée. And on busy days, discover our delicious baby meat purées!
How much protein at 5 months?
During weaning at 5 months, give very small amounts of protein: no more than 5 g per day, which is 1 teaspoon of blended meat or fish, or mashed hard-boiled egg (Baby can eat eggs, but always in the form of a well-cooked hard-boiled egg).
Which proteins should be avoided at 5 months?
- Processed meats (far too much salt), except plain cooked ham without rind or fat, which you can give to Baby occasionally (always blended very smooth)
- Offal
- Breaded fish (though you can happily give frozen fish)
- Fish at risk of methylmercury contamination (as listed by the French National Food Safety Agency): monkfish, tuna, skate, halibut, sea bream, bonito, shark, swordfish, marlin, lamprey, as well as freshwater fish (eel, carp, catfish, bream, barbel…).
What about fats at 5 months?
Don't forget the fat! It's important for brain development, among other things. When Baby is 5 months old, give them a teaspoon of oil per day, or a small knob of butter from time to time. Add the oil raw directly to Baby's meal. The fat provided by oil or butter complements that already found in milk, whether formula or breast milk.
Dairy products at 5 months: which ones and how much?
When your baby is 5 months old, you can gradually introduce certain dairy products: fromage blanc, plain petits-suisses and plain yoghurt (preferring those made with formula or whole milk). Start with a teaspoon to get them used to these new tastes. But don't replace a bottle or breastfeed with a dairy product at this stage: it would be missing too many nutrients not yet provided by solid food.
The Popote note: at 5 months, milk alone meets all of Baby's needs. Whether your child drinks breast milk or formula, they should have around 800 to 950 ml of milk per day (spread across morning, midday, afternoon snack and evening). To find out the right amount of milk to give in a bottle according to age, click here!
