Written in partnership with Sinchies
Now that I have a 7 month old and a preschooler, I am forever trying to figure out what meals to cook for each age group. I now have a better handle of feeding a baby and a toddler so I wanted to share my tips on how to feed kids according to their age and why Sinchies products have been super useful throughout the whole process.
0 – 4 months old
Feeding bub at this age is limited to either breastmilk or formula.
Using the Sinchies 200ml reusable pouch is perfect for storing breastmilk in and can be washed, sterilised and reused, saving you hundreds of dollars compared to buying the disposable breast milk bags. The 80ml Sinchies reusable pouch is great for carrying portions of formula, they’re less bulky than the standard formula containers around.
4 – 6 months old
Many GP’s and pediatricians suggest introducing solids at 4 months old. But really it depends on your child’s ability.
In this age group, the only solids babies should be eating is fruit or vegetables. No meat at this age.
Solids is not meant to replace bubs milk, so continue offering the breast or formula first and you can offer baby a spoonful or two of fruit or veggie.
It’s enough to just offer them solids once per day.
Food needs to be completely pureed.
Below are some great recipes for babies in this age group:
Because babies at this age don’t eat much, the 80mls Sinchies pouch is great to store puree’s either in the fridge or freezer. And Sinchies have a great screw on spoon which attaches to the pouches!
You can also puree some fruit and pour the individual fruits into ice cubes – once frozen store them in your Sinchies wrap bags so you can mix and go – I found the 140ml pouch great for this as the cubes fit easily into this size.
6 – 8 months old
At this age, babies require more iron in their diet, so this is when you start introducing meat in their diet.
Still offer breastmilk or formula first.
You can start offering solids 1 – 2 times per day.
Foods at this stage are either puree or finely mashed, the 150ml Sinchies top spout pouches are great for this. Some babies like the independence of feeding themselves and Sinchies have the perfect thing to stop the spills and your little one squeezing your healthy homemade goodness everywhere. They’re called Less Mess lids and are made of silicone so they’re nice and soft on gums and as the name states, they reduce the mess!
Below are some recipe ideas for babies in this age group:
9 – 12 months old
At 9 months, a morning or afternoon snack can be introduced.
At this age, you can introduce finger foods. I used to take some homemade snacks out in the Sinchies reusable snack bags. They’re perfect for freezing in portions too!
It’s up to bub whether you offer a milk feed before or after solid food.
At 12 months, your baby should be able to eat the same food as the rest of the family.
Foods can be cut up into bite size pieces or mashed.
Again, it’s up to your baby whether you offer milk before or after meals.
Below are some breakfast, snacks and dinner ideas:
Preschool Years
At around 3 years old, your little one will head to preschool which means packing lunchboxes. A lot of daycares have introduced a nude food day where all kids have to take foods with no packaging. The Sinchies Litter Free lunchbox kit is perfect for this and helps daycare centres tick the sustainability box.
One advice I can give is that variety is the key to getting the kids eating their lunchbox every day. Making food fun for fussy little ones by using sandwich cutters is great too or putting food onto picks.
Make sure you include plenty of fruit and veggies as preschools and schools these days heavily promote healthy eating. No more sending chips, chocolates and lollies to school. These days it’s all about healthy lunches and snacks to get the kids through the day.
Below are some great ideas to pack in lunchboxes:
Special Sinchies Offer
By now I am sure you are interested in using the Sinchies product (like we do) so we have a great offer for you. You can try 10 pouches from their range for just $10 + $3.50 shipping! All the pouches that are included is in the photo below. They include:
1 x 80ml Sinchies reusable pouch
1 x 140ml Sinchies reusable pouch
1 x 140ml Fun Print Sinchies reusable pouch
1 x 150ml Sinchies pouch (random design selected)
1 x 200ml Sinchies reusable pouch (random design selected)
1 x 500ml Sinchies reusable pouch
1 x 1 litre Sinchies pouch (the best filling tool)
1 x reusable sandwich bag
1 x reusable snack bag
1 x reusable wrap bag
So if you want to get your hands on this great offer, just head to https://www.sinchies.com.au/shop/sinchies-kits/savvy-sinchies-reusable-pouch-kit/
