Feeding fish to your baby
Try to encourage your baby to develop a taste for fish as early as possible, as it's a fantastic source of nutrients for your growing baby.
One idea is to make a delicious purée of poached cod or plaice mixed with cooked carrots, grated cheese and a little orange juice.
Oily fish (salmon, trout, fresh tuna and sardines) is particularly important for the development of your baby's brain and vision.
Ideally, two portions of fish should be included in your baby's diet each week, one of which should be the oily variety.
Our brain is made up of 60% fat, and eating the right kind of fats can help make us smarter. Including the omega-3 variety in a child's diet has been shown to improve the performance of those with dyslexia or an attention deficit disorder.
It can be difficult to find jars of purée containing fish, so it's important to make fish meals for your baby yourself. But remember to check carefully for bones before serving.
If overcooked, fish is tough and tasteless. It's cooked to perfection when it just flakes with a fork but is still firm.
For my tasty fish recipes for your baby, head to the baby recipes section.
About Annabel Karmel - Children's cookery expert
Author of 14 bestselling nutrition books, you'll find Annabel's healthy recipes in every issue of Practical Parenting magazine.
