Weaning - Stage Two

Starting Exchange Foods

The next step will be to add in protein into your baby's food. This is done in the form of protein exchanges. The term protein exchange is used to define 1g of protein which contains 50mg of phenylalanine. Currently your baby's protein exchanges are being provided by their infant formula or breastmilk. When we start to introduce 1 exchange from food we will have to decrease your baby's intake of infant formula or breastmilk by 1 exchange.

Calculating Exchanges

How to calculate a 1g protein exchange from a food label:

100 divided by total protein in 100g of product = 1 protein exchange (amount of food in grams)

Example

Nutritional label per 100g of vegetable baby jar

Energy - 50kcals
Protein - 2.4g
Carbohydrate - 9.4g
Fat - 0.3g

Look at the protein content per 100g (found on the nutrition information label)
e.g 2.4g per 100g

Divide this protein figure into 100 and this will give you the amount of food for a 1g protein exchange e.g
100 / 2.4 = 41.6

Round up or down to the nearest 1g = 42g

So 42g of this vegetable baby jar = 1 exchange

It is important to calculate foods such as baby rice from the protein per 100g of dry product. The weighed exchange amount can then be made up with PKU Ananix Infant or water.

Example

Nutritional label per 100g of dry baby rice

Energy - 378kcals
Protein - 7.4g
Carbohydrate - 85g
Fat - 0.9g

Look at the protein content per 100g (found on the nutrition information label)
e.g 7.4g per 100g

Divide this protein figure into 100 and this will give you the amount of food for a 1g protein exchange e.g
100 / 7.4 = 13.5

Round up or down to the nearest 1g = 14g

So 14g of this baby rice = 1 protein exchange

Scales

It is advised using digital scales to weigh exchanges of food accurately. When buying scales look for ones that can weigh in 1g increments and that are light weight and portable. They can be purchased from catalogue stores, chemists, large department stores and supermarkets. Try and find one that can measure 0.1g and up for more accuracy.