Make your own baby food

The vegetarian baby
If you are a vegan, offer a variety of foods following Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Substitute tofu or well-cooked vegetables for meat. The daily diet of your older infant should include:
• Soy formula or milk
• Iron-enriched cereal
• Whole-wheat bread
• Cooked pureed vegetables
• Tofu or tahini (sesame seed paste)
• Fruit

Vitamin and mineral supplements
Vitamin D The vegan's baby needs vitamin D and B 12 supplements in the dosage recommended by your doctor until at least the child's second birthday. A breast-fed baby should continue with 400 IU of vitamin D daily until she's drinking 200 mL, (7 oz.) of formula daily, or until she is between nine and twelve months and drinking 500 mL (2 cups) of milk. Both formula and pasteurized milk have vitamin D added. If your family lives in the Far North and your baby is breast-fed, increase your baby's dosage to 800 IU daily during the winter months. Formula-fed babies in the Far North need 400 IU of vitamin D daily during the winter months.

Iron If you choose not to breast-feed, the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends you use iron-fortified formula from birth. With formulas or cereals that are iron-fortified, your baby does not need an iron supplement. If you do breast-feed and your baby is not eating iron-fortified cereal or other foods that contribute iron by six months, he is at risk of developing an iron deficiency. If your baby is inactive, pale, irritable, not hungry but overweight or unusually thin, talk with your family physician to determine the cause and whether your baby needs an iron supplement.

Multivitamins You may be tempted to give your baby a multivitamin to be sure he's receiving all the vitamins he needs, but consult your doctor first. Babies can easily overdose on vitamins. Too much vitamin D can slow your baby's growth and cause malformed bones. Too much vitamin A can cause confusion, liver problems, and vomiting. If a multivitamin is necessary, the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association recommends vitamin drops for children under age three because young children cannot properly chew tablets.

Fluoride Fluoridated water can reduce children's cavities by 40 to 60 per cent. If your community has fluoridated water, your baby does not need a fluoride supplement. Bottled water usually doesn't contain significant amounts of fluoride. Most home water-filter systems do not affect the fluoride, but the reverse-osmosis filter does remove fluoride.

If you're unsure whether your tap water is fluoridated, contact your municipal office to find out your community's fluoride level. The level of fluoride will be identified in parts per million (ppm).