LowproteinLIVING

Stage 3 - Growing Up Fast
(around 9-12 months)

At this stage your baby will be ready to move onto chopped up food and the range of finger foods taken can progress onto harder textures which will further develop chewing skills.

• You should be aiming for 3 mashed or chopped meals per day with suitable snacks in between.

• Eventually meals and snacks will include the prescribed number of exchanges, which are divided through the day.

• Free foods and manufactured low protein foods will add energy and variety to the diet.

• Your baby will also be taking their prescribed phenylalanine free formula at regular intervals throughout the day, preferably from a beaker.

Count me in!

It is important for babies to learn that meal times are a fun and enjoyable time to spend with all the family. Make sure to include your baby at mealtimes with the whole family where possible, so that they do not feel left out. Also try to encourage babies to start feeding themselves. A supportive high chair with a tray will allow your baby to sit at the table at family mealtimes. However, do try not to give your baby food from anyone else’s plate.

Suitable Foods

Suitable Stage 3 Free Foods*

• Small sandwiches (Using low protein bread and suitable fillings) • Pizza slices (Using low protein pizza bases and suitable toppings)
• Raw pepper slices (red, green, yellow & orange) • Segments of mandarins/clementines
• Small low protein pasta shapes • Low protein wafer biscuits
• Low protein breadsticks • Low protein rusks
• Raw carrot sticks • Raw apple slices
• Cucumber sticks • Seedless grapes
• Tomato wedges • Raw pear slices

Thinking Ahead

A phenylalanine free protein substitute suitable for infants such as XP Analog or XP Analog LCP provides all the amino acids needed for healthy growth and development up until the age of 1 year. After this time a more concentrated phenylalanine free protein substitute is needed which is designed to meet the needs of children rather than babies.

Transition directly onto a new protein substitute can be difficult, as your baby will have become very used to the infant protein substitute, and the taste of the new protein substitute may be stronger and unfamiliar. So, to ease the change from one protein substitute to another, a more concentrated protein substitute is often introduced gradually before the age of 1 year, to give your baby time to get used it.

The concentrated protein substitute may be introduced mixed with a little water and offered as a paste from a spoon, or it may be given as a drink.

Your dietitian will tell you when it is the right time to introduce a more concentrated protein substitute, which one is most suitable for your baby, and how to go about doing it.

*Refer to the NSPKU booklet or your dietitian for details of suitable manufactured foods.