The first, non-liquid meal should be made from vegetables. It will then replace the breast or bottled meal at lunchtime. As carrots are mild and very well tolerated, it is recommendable to begin with a warm carrot meal. Additionally, the sweetness of the carrots will facilitate the so far unfamiliar contact with solid food. During the first two weeks, begin with feeding spoons full of mashed carrots.

We recommend adding two tea-spoons full of sunflower oil to about 190-200 g of the carrot jar or the freshly made food. Begin with few spoons and continuously increase the amount up to the amount of a whole jar (about 190 g).

A little tip: The baby will prefer to eat from a plastic spoon which is less cold than a metal spoon.

... for the following vegetable gruels

If the carrot gruel is well tolerated during the first two weeks, the carrot-only gruel should be replaced by a carrot-potato gruel. Another two weeks later it is recommendable to add a little meat (about 20 g) to the carrot-potato-gruel during two or three days of the week. Meat contains important nutrients and stimulates the absorption of essential iron. Recommended is fatless veal, beef or turkey. You can also use vegetable-meat jars from organic farming.

From the 6th month onwards you can feed other nutrient-rich vegetables or other vegetable jars than carrots, e.g. parsnips, cauliflower or turnip cabbage. You can create a complete and full-value lunchtime meal by adding Holle Cereal Baby Food to the vegetable meals. Simply stir 2 table-spoons of Holle Gruel (any variety) and 2 tea-spoons of sunflower oil into the warm vegetables - done.

... for milk-cereal after the 4th/5th month onwards

Now, the breast- or bottled meal in the afternoon/evening is replaced by a milk cereal. This milk cereal is made with the Holle porridge and fresh whole milk by adding fruit juice which is rich of vitamin C. If you do not want to use fresh milk, the milk cereal can be made with Holle Organic Infant Follow-on Formula 2 or 3 without any problems. You can find according recipes on all the Holle porridge packages.

... for milk-free fruit porridge after the 5th/6th month

Now, milk-free fruit porridge can be introduced as another porridge meal. It will replace the afternoon breast or bottled meal and moves the milk cereal to the evening meal. For the meal you should first use simple or local fruits as apples, pears, bananas or peaches. We recommend using exotic fruits or multiple fruit mixes only after a certain time after introducing fruit porridge. The meals are prepared together with the Holle porridges. Simply stir the porridge into pre-heated water, add mashed fruits or jars - done. You can find more detailed recipes on all Holle porridge packages.

... for junior meals from the 8th month onwards

Approximately from the 8th month onwards, the baby is able to eat food with little pieces in it. The vegetable gruel with cereal can be mashed less now and the fruit gruel may contain bigger fruit pieces. This changed food consistency will stimulate the baby to chew. The organic junior meal in a jar is also suitable for this purpose. From the 12th month onwards the transition to the general family meals can be made - of course with caution in respect to spices and sweeteners.