By Suzanna Pillay

WHAT can babies eat or not eat? Well, it depends mostly on the baby and whether he's got food allergies.

The problem is, babies can't tell you what they can or cannot eat, so it's up to parents to develop a feeding system where they introduce new solid foods to a baby slowly and monitor his reaction. This will help determine, then eliminate, the likely allergy-causing foods from the baby's diet.

"When introducing new solid foods to a baby, follow a four-day wait rule and serve each new food separately. This will let you see how your baby reacts to each food, and it's especially important if your family has a history of food allergies," says dietician Ng Ai Kah.

"Although fish can be introduced into a baby's diet when he's a year old, it's best not to introduce seafood until he's at least about two." Ng suggests some sample combinations of meals:

• If your baby is aged between four and six months old, introduce cereals and grains, vegetables and fruit. Sample menu: A trio of plain porridge, mashed potato and green peas, pureed and served separately.
• If your baby is aged between seven and eight months old, start to introduce protein into his diet such as tofu chicken. Sample menu: Pureed chicken, green peas, mashed potato and plain oats.
• At nine to 10 months old, the baby is stronger, so add more variety into his diet. Include more protein such as egg yolk, and more fibrous vegetables such as spinach and carrot. The texture of the food can be coarser, that is minced instead of pureed.
• At 11 to 12 months old, the baby can start having more fibre such as minced broccoli and cauliflower. Also start to serve one-dish meals by mixing two ingredients together such as chicken with porridge or fish with porridge.

For more detailed examples of combining different foods for babies, Adam Gaffey, executive chef of Prince Court Medical Centre, has some recipes for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner.

Breakfast: Papaya, Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

77g papaya

80g banana

44g strawberry

40ml water

40ml orange juice

Method:

1. Chop all fruit into pieces. Place onto a pan and add juice and water.

2. Bring to boil, then cool. Using a hand blender, blend till smooth.

Nutrition per 50g: 26.1 calories, 6.3g carbohydrate, 0.7g fibre, 0.4g protein and 0.1g fat

Lunch: Fruity Chicken with Baked Potato with Two Cheeses, Minted Courgette and Mango Banana Fool

Ingredients for Fruity Chicken:

450g diced chicken breast

120g diced white onion

10 garlic cloves, minced

400ml tomato puree

200ml water

Pinch of cinnamon

100g apricot

chopped 75g dried sultana

10ml extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Heat oil and fry garlic and onion.

2. Add chicken and cook for a minute. Then add all the other ingredients.

3. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Cool a little, then serve. This dish freezes well.

Nutrition per 50g: 52.5 calories, 5.6g carbohydrate, 0.7g fibre, 5.9g protein and 0.9g fat

Ingredients for Baked Potato with Two Cheeses:

210g russet potato

30g ricotta cheese

30g cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Place potato in oven and cook for about one hour or until potato is soft.

3. Cool potato, cut in half, scoop out flesh and mix in the two cheeses. Put the mix back into the potato shell.

Nutrition per 50g: 65.8 calories, 7.5g carbohydrate, 0.5g fibre, 3.1g protein and 2.8g fat

Ingredients for Minted Courgette:

150g courgette/zucchini

Few mint leaves

50ml water

20g butter

unsalted 50g long bean, trimmed

Method:

1. Dice courgette and long bean.

2. Place all ingredients in a pan and steam for five minutes.

3. Add mint and blend till fine.

Nutrition per 50g: 50.3 calories, 1.2g carbohydrate, 0.7g fibre, 1g protein and 4.6g fat

Ingredients for Mango Banana Fool:

200ml fresh milk

Pinch of vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

20g fine sugar

15g corn flour

165g mango, diced

100g banana

100g full-fat yoghurt

46g strawberry

Method:

1. Place banana and diced mango in a dish and blend until smooth (puree).

2. Bring milk to boil with vanilla.

3. In a bowl, whisk egg yolk, sugar and corn flour until smooth.

4. Pour milk over the eggs and whisk well. Then transfer the custard mix to the milk, and on low heat, mix for 10 minutes until it is thick.

5. Remove custard and let it cool. 6. Stir in yoghurt and puree to give a rippled effect.

Nutrition per 50g: 40.9 calories, 7.2g carbohydrate, 0.4g fibre, 1.6g protein and 0.8g fat

Snack: Cheese Straws

Ingredients:

375g puff pastry

120g cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Roll out pastry, sprinkle cheese over pastry and cut into strips.

2. Twist into straw-like shape.

3. Bake in oven at 180C for eight to 10 minutes.

4. Cool, then store into airtight container.

Nutrition per 28g: 132.1 calories, 9g carbohydrate, 0.4g fibre, 3.7g protein and 9.3g fat

Note: Best served to older babies who have begun to chew.

Dinner: Tomato Risotto, Carrot and Apple Compote

Ingredients for Tomato Risotto:

25g unsalted butter

80g shallot, peeled and finely chopped

175g risotto rice (Aborio)

300g cherry tomato, blended

500ml vegetable stock

2 fresh basil leaves

35g parmesan cheese

Method:

1. In a hot pan, add butter and shallot. Then add rice and cook for one minute.

2. Add tomato and vegetable stock and bring to boil.

3. Add half the basil, then cover and place in oven for 20 minutes at 180C. Stir occasionally.

4. Add cheese and more basil. Cool a little before serving.

Nutrition per 50g: 31.4 calories, 3.5g carbohydrate, 0.3g fibre, 1g protein and 1.6g fat

Ingredients for Carrot and Apple Compote:

80g green apple, seedless, peeled and grated

80g carrot, peeled and grated

50ml water

Method:

1. Place ingredients in a pan and simmer for seven minutes.

2. Puree with a hand blender.

Nutrition per 50g: 25.4 calories, 6.1g carbohydrate, 1.3g fibre, 0.3g protein and 0.1g fat