BNF welcomes PHE guidance on weaning and flags industry’s role in reducing sugar content in children’s foods

24 Feb 2020 --- Public Health England (PHE) has launched updated guidance on weaning – introducing infants to a solid foods diet – as part of its Start4Life campaign. The move has been welcomed by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), which also flagged the industry’s role in reducing added sugars in foods intended for children. “There should be more products available with a lower total sugar content and more products made with less sweet vegetables,” Bridget Benelam, Nutrition Communications Manager for BNF tells NutritionInsight. 

Weaning is a major concern for most parents who may not be sure when and how solid foods should be introduced to a baby’s diet. The new PHE guidance offers an outlook on the process using a step-by-step guide.

“The BNF welcomes the government’s Start4Life initiative that seeks to boost parents’ confidence in introducing solid foods to their baby, which we know is a common concern for many parents. While at this age babies still require the nutrients provided by breast or formula milk, complementary feeding is important for providing babies with additional nutrients they need to grow, as well as for introducing tastes to get them used to a variety of healthy foods,” notes Benelam.

A nutritious Start4Life
The consensus among health bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and PHE, is that most infants should not start solid foods until they are around six months old. By this point, their bodies are better able to cope with solid foods and they are more able to feed themselves. They are also better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing. Despite the official guidance, three-quarters of parents introduce solid foods by the time their baby is five months old, according to a UK Infant Feeding Survey. In addition, a PHE study involving 1,000 mothers of young children found that common myths persist about the signs a baby is ready for their first solid foods. This prompted PHE to officially launch the Start4Life campaign last year. 

Previous research flagged that offering vegetables when introducing solid foods can help babies learn to accept vegetables in their daily nutrition. The new guidance, released last Friday, includes a video explaining the basics of weaning and a step-by-step guide to make the process easy and enjoyable for babies. In line with the advice from Start4Life, the BNF suggests that starting from six months, parents can introduce a wide range of vegetables and fruit which can be pureed, mashed or offered as soft finger foods. It’s “especially important” to offer vegetables that are less sweet, such as courgette, green beans and broccoli, the organization states.

Previous research has flagged that offering vegetables when starting to introduce solid foods can help your baby learn to accept vegetables and may steer children towards healthier eating patterns in the longer term. Parents can also offer small amounts of protein foods (such as meat, fish, lentils and eggs), starchy foods (such as porridge and rice) and dairy products (such as unsweetened yogurt) at this stage. 

Similar to walking and talking, babies need time and opportunity to learn about eating food, says the BNF. This includes developing chewing skills as well as becoming familiar with the flavors of different family foods. The aim of complementary feeding is to gradually introduce the baby to a wide range of new tastes and textures, so that by the age of one year they are enjoying a varied and healthy diet.

“In the beginning, just a small amount of solid food can be offered once a day. Do not add salt, sugar, or other sweet ingredients like honey or syrups to food for babies,” Benelam advises. 

“It is crucial to introduce foods such as milk, eggs or nuts (ground or as butters, not whole) that can cause allergies one at a time so that you can spot any allergic reactions. As complementary feeding continues, you can increase the variety of foods included from the main food groups; vegetables and fruit, starchy foods like rice or porridge, protein foods like beans, fish, eggs or meat and dairy foods,” she adds.

In ready made foods marketed for young children, less sweet vegetables are often combined with fruit or with sweeter vegetables such as carrot or sweet potato, flags Benelam. “This is less helpful in getting children used to a variety of tastes and where industry should come in to formulate with less sugars and more nutritious components,” she concludes.

Last month, the Grain Foods Foundation highlighted research that found that grain consumption was generally associated with higher nutrient intake, better diet quality scores and broader food group intake. The US-based organization hopes to inform the development of the first-ever Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025) to include specific recommendations for infants and toddlers with its new study.

By Kristiana Lalou