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FFNZ logo 186Researcher profiles:

What are New Zealand babies eating?

BabyEating.EDOR.186First Foods NZ is an observational cross-sectional study that follows 625 babies aged 7-9 months from the Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin area. The objective of the study is to explore what babies are eating once they move from an exclusively milk diet to solid food. The research team, including researchers from Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington, will measure the babies' nutrient intake (particularly iron levels), and assess the impact of various feeding methods.

As part of this early nutrition study, the Young Foods NZ project looks at what, and how, we feed tamariki under 4 years of age. This will give important information to policy makers so that they can give better advice to New Zealand whānau and communities.

What is the best way to introduce solids?

Squeezable baby food pouches with plastic spouts are described as a mess-free and easy food alternative for babies 'on-the-go', and have gained increasing popularity in New Zealand.  However, despite their apparent widespread use, there has been virtually no published research done either in New Zealand or internationally on the possible impacts of these pouches on babies' diets or health. The First Foods NZ study assesses the impact of baby food pouches on babies' growth and dental health.

As part of the study, the research team also assesses the nutrition, health and safety impacts of another method of feeding that's growing in popularity in New Zealand: baby-led weaning. This technique involves giving babies finger foods to feed themselves from about six months on instead of parents spoon-feeding them pureed food and slowly progressing to more textured food.

How will this information be used?

The outcomes of the First Foods NZ study are expected to provide evidence to help the Ministry of Health to update their advice to Plunket and other Well-Child providers on whether, and how, parents should use these relatively new methods of baby feeding.

Publications

Casale, M., Beck, K. L., Conlon, C. A., Te Morenga, L. A., Heath, A.-L. M., Taylor, R. W., Haszard, J. J., Daniels, L., McLean, N. H., Cox, A. M., Jones, E. A., Katiforis, I., Brown, K. J., Rowan, M., Bruckner, B. R., Jupiterwala, R., & von Hurst, P. R. (2026). Complementary feeding practices of Māori, Pacific, and other infants in Aotearoa New Zealand. Dietetics, 5(1), Article 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/dietetics5010018

Cox A, Heath A-LM, Haszard JJ, Te Morenga L, Beck KL, Conlon CA, Daniels L, Katiforis I, Rowan M, McLean NH, Bruckner BR, & Taylor RW. (2025). Video-measured fullness cues in baby-led weaned and traditionally spoon-fed infants and subsequent intake. Appetite, 217, 108358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108358

Katiforis I, Smith C, Haszard JJ, Styles S, Leong C, Taylor RW, Conlon CA, Beck KL, von Hurst PR, Te Morenga L, Daniels L, Brown KJ, Rowan M, Casale M, McLean NH, Cox A, Jones EA, Bruckner B, Jupiterwala R, Wei A, & Heath A-LM. (2025). Household food insecurity and novel complementary feeding methods in New Zealand families. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 21(1), e13715. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13715

Katiforis I, Smith C, Haszard JJ, Styles SE, Leong C, Fleming EA, Taylor RW, Conlon CA, Beck KL, von Hurst PR, Te Morenga LA, Daniels L, Rowan M, Casale M, McLean NH, Cox AM, Jones EA, Brown KJ, Bruckner BR, Jupiterwala R, Wei A, & Heath A-LM. (2025). Household food insecurity, nutrient intakes and BMI in New Zealand infants. Public Health Nutrition, 28, e192. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980025101377

Cox AM, Taylor RW, Haszard JJ, Beck KL, von Hurst PR, Conlon CA, Te Morenga LA, Daniels L, McArthur J, Paul R, McLean NH, Jones EA, Katiforis I, Brown KJ, Gash MC, Rowan M, Fleming EA, Jupiterwala R, Bruckner BR, & Heath A-LM. (2024). Baby food pouches and baby-led weaning: Associations with energy intake, eating behaviour and infant weight status. Appetite, 192, 107121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107121

Haszard JJ, Heath A-LM, Taylor RW, Bruckner B, Katiforis I, McLean NH, Cox A, Brown KJ, Casale M, Jupiterwala R, Diana A, Beck KL, Conlon CA, von Hurst PR, & Daniels L. (2024). Equations to estimate human milk intake in infants aged 7 to 10 months: Prediction models from a cross-sectional study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 120(1), 102–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.04.009

Haszard JJ, Heath A-LM, Katiforis I, Fleming EA, & Taylor RW. (2024). Contribution of baby food pouches and other commercial infant foods to the diets of infants: A cross-sectional study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 119(5), 1238–1247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.02.030

McLean NH, Haszard JJ, Daniels L, Taylor RW, Wheeler BJ, Conlon CA, Beck KL, von Hurst PR, Te Morenga LA, McArthur J, Paul R, Katiforis I, Brown KJ, Gash MC, Rowan MM, Casale M, Cox AM, Jones EA, Jupiterwala RM, Bruckner B, Fleming EA, & Heath A-LM. (2024). Baby food pouches, baby-led weaning, and iron status in New Zealand infants: An observational study. Nutrients, 16(10), 1494. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101494

Medemblik JM, Conlon CA, Haszard JJ, Heath A-LM, Taylor RW, von Hurst P, Beck KL, Te Morenga L, & Daniels L. (2024). Parent-reported offering of allergen foods to infants during complementary feeding: An observational study of New Zealand infants. Appetite, 203, 107709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107709

McLean, N. H., Bruckner, B. R., Heath, A.-L. M., Haszard, J. J., Daniels, L., Conlon, C. A., von Hurst, P. R., Beck, K. L., Te Morenga, L. A., Firestone, R., McArthur, J., Paul, R., Cox, A. M., Jones, E. A., Katiforis, I., Brown, K. J., Casale, M., Jupiterwala, R. M., Rowan, M. M., Wei, A., Fangupo, L. J., Healey, M., Pulu, V., Neha, T., & Taylor, R. W. (2024). Frequent use of baby food pouches in infants and young children and associations with energy intake and BMI: An observational study. Nutrients, 16(18), Article 3165. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183165

Brown KJ, Beck KL, von Hurst PR, Heath A-LM, Taylor RW, Haszard JJ, Daniels L, Te Morenga L, McArthur J, Paul R, Jones EA, Katiforis I, Rowan M, Casale M, McLean NH, Cox AM, Fleming EA, Bruckner B, Jupiterwala R, Wei A, & Conlon CA. (2023). Adherence to infant feeding guidelines in the First Foods New Zealand study. Nutrients, 15(21), 4650. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15214650

Rowan, M., Mirosa, M., Heath, A.-L. M., Katiforis, I., Taylor, R. W., & Skeaff, S. A. (2022). A qualitative study of parental perceptions of baby food pouches: A netnographic analysis. Nutrients, 14(15), Article 3248. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14153248

Taylor RW, Conlon CA, Beck KL, von Hurst PR, Te Morenga LA, Daniels L, Haszard JJ, Meldrum AM, McLean NH, Cox AM, Tukuafu L, Casale M, Brown KJ, Jones EA, Katiforis I, Rowan M, McArthur J, Fleming EA, Wheeler BJ, Houghton LA, Diana A, & Heath A-LM. (2021). Nutritional implications of baby-led weaning and baby food pouches as novel methods of infant feeding: Protocol for an observational study. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(4), e29048. https://doi.org/10.2196/29048

Katiforis, I., Fleming, E. A., Haszard, J. J., Hape-Cramond, T., Taylor, R. W., & Heath, A.-L. M. (2021). Energy, sugars, iron, and vitamin B12 content of commercial infant food pouches and other commercial infant foods on the New Zealand market. Nutrients, 13(2), Article 657. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020657

Fu, X., Conlon, C. A., Haszard, J. J., Beck, K. L., von Hurst, P. R., Taylor, R. W., & Heath, A.-L. M. (2018). Food fussiness and early feeding characteristics of infants following Baby-Led Weaning and traditional spoon-feeding in New Zealand: An internet survey. Appetite, 130, 110–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.07.033

In The Media

The First Foods NZ Study was funded through a 2019
Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) project grant.

Health research saves lives | Health Research Council of New ...

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