Weaning meal plans for Kenyan mums

When mums begin weaning in Kenya, many start their babies off with porridge which is easy to prepare and often fed using a spoon. As they get better at consuming porridge, most mothers often wonder which foods to introduce next and at what intervals during the day.

In general, you should aim to have a meal plan that looks like the one below guided by our Solids Feeding Guide which incorporates major food groups that make up a nutritious meal. Remember to breastfeed or give formula as well as water at different intervals of the day to keep them hydrated.

An important point you may want to note about Porridge is that you should avoid mixing different types of flours for baby. Use porridge flour made from single-grain cereals like maize, wimbi (millet), sorghum (mtama) or oat porridge.

SAMPLE WEANING PLAN

Below is a list of the food groups to choose from when preparing meals depending on the age of your baby.

Proteins: Foods in this group include chicken, fish, eggs and liver that can be introduced from seven months onward. Ensure that they are well cooked and served in an appealing manner.

Vegetables: Green vegetables are very nutritious for babies that are being weaned. Some common types of vegetables that you can include in their food are spinach, cabbage, broccoli, sukumawiki, terere, carrots, tomatoes, peas and green grams.

Starch: Foods in this group should be boiled until soft and mixed with vegetables and milk. Common foods in this category are rice, soft ugali, potatoes, pumpkins, butternut, green bananas, sweet potatoes, and arrowroot.

Fruits: At first, it is advisable to begin giving pawpaw to help with digestion and gradually introduce bananas, mangos, watermelon, oranges and passion fruit among others.

Overall, new foods should be introduced after three-four days to allow you to monitor any allergic reactions.