Often parents, as well as grandparents, try to pamper their baby with “something tasty.” Unfortunately, healthy foods do not always act as treats. Meanwhile, food preferences, which largely determine human health, are formed in childhood. How can you help your child avoid addiction to unhealthy foods and instill in him a taste for healthy foods?
Let's talk about proper nutrition child after one year. In addition to the fact that food intake replenishes the energy expenditure of a child aged 1-3 years, covers his need for nutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates), vitamins and minerals, it also performs an educational function, instills in the child good manners and develops his aesthetic taste . Important from the very beginning early age teach your baby to eat properly, because it is during this period that taste preferences. If time is lost, it will be difficult to change anything in the baby’s preferences. In other words, if a child is not taught to eat fish or vegetables at this age, in the future he may not like these products, or if the baby gets used to the high content of salt and sugar in food from childhood, then this will form his further incorrect taste preferences.
Of course, it is best not to introduce your child to unhealthy foods in the first place. It is from us, parents, that the baby learns what over-salted or overly sweet dishes are. Breast milk has a slightly sweet taste, most infant formulas are bland or tasteless, and first complementary foods also have the natural taste of the products themselves. What do many mothers and grandmothers do? They add salt or sugar to food “for taste,” believing that this way the baby will eat it more willingly. This should not be done: from the point of view of a healthy diet, food does not need additional added sugar or salt.
It is advisable to start revising your family diet towards a healthy diet even before the baby is born or immediately after his birth. If you haven't done this yet, it's time to start at least a year ago, because the baby learns to eat by looking at how and what you eat. Go to healthy eating not that difficult. Yes, at first, food with a small amount of salt and spices will seem tasteless. But a couple of weeks will pass, or even less, and the receptors of the tongue will become more sensitive to the natural taste of products and it will turn out that it is very bright and unique.
What should be excluded or limited?
Sweets. Sugar and all products in which it is included: confectionery, ice cream, sweetened juices are not recommended at all for children under 3 years of age. This also applies to chocolate. In addition to the fact that chocolate contains a very large amount of sugar, it also contains too much cocoa and various additives, which very often cause allergies in children.
As an alternative, you can offer your baby marshmallows, fruit marmalade and marshmallows: they do not contain sugar, and fructose (fruit sugar found in fruits and vegetables) gives them a sweet taste, which is beneficial for the body.
In principle, herbal tea with sugar or jam can sometimes be given to a child as a treat, but in combination with other foods, sweets are strictly contraindicated. When eaten with starches or proteins, sugar causes putrefactive fermentation and discomfort in the baby's belly. Honey in moderate quantities does not cause such reactions, therefore, if there is no allergy, 1-2 teaspoons of honey can be added to tea, porridge or when preparing dessert.
Berry preparations with sugar are much less harmful than just sugar. The fact is that during storage, the enzymes of berries and fruits convert some of the sugar into fructose; moreover, such mixtures contain many vitamins. But still, preserves, jams and other “live” sugar-based products are products that need to be eaten little by little: no more than 3-5 teaspoons or 7-10 berries from the jam in the form of a delicacy and not every day.
Salt. Ideally in baby food Almost no salt is used. The salt limit for children 1-3 years old is up to 3 g per day - this is about half a teaspoon, and for the taste of an adult, children's products should be under-salted. Excess salt causes fluid retention in the body, which leads to increased stress on the child’s kidneys and blood vessels. Usually, when preparing a child’s food, they do not add salt to it; the salt contained in the food itself is sufficient.
Crispy potatoes, salty crackers, some cheeses (which have a salty taste) and other over-salted foods are excluded from the baby's menu.
Mushrooms. Foods such as mushrooms are not allowed in the diet of a child under three years of age: they are very difficult to digest in the intestines. In addition, mushrooms, like a sponge, absorb huge amounts of heavy metals, toxic and radioactive substances. This may cause stomach upset or poisoning in the child.
Seasonings. To improve the taste of food, you can use seasonings (from the age of one - parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, and from 1.5-2 years - garlic, onion, sorrel). It’s better if you prepare these seasonings yourself: dill, cilantro, basil and parsley can be dried or frozen, green onions You can grow it in the window almost all year round or buy fresh; fresh garlic should be added finely chopped to ready-made dishes.
Store-bought spices, and especially their mixtures, are not used in baby food. The fact is that such sets of spices often contain, in addition to herbs, salt and flavor enhancers, such as monosodium glutamate. This substance is involved in the transmission of impulses in the central nervous system, has a pronounced stimulating effect and is used in psychiatry as a medicine. Foods containing a lot of glutamate are both physically and mentally addictive. This flavor enhancer is the cause of diseases of the digestive system, such as gastritis or stomach ulcers, and in experiments it has been proven Negative influence on the brain and retina. Children who often eat foods containing monosodium glutamate complain of headaches, rapid heartbeat, muscle weakness, and fever; Monosodium glutamate also changes the hormonal status in the body. And it is found not only in spices, but also in fast food products, sausages and smoked meats. A large amount of this food additive, as well as dyes and salt, is found in chips, crackers and various snacks. In addition, they contain a large number of so-called empty calories, which cause a false feeling of fullness and obesity, discourage appetite, and do not bring any benefit to the body. The method of their preparation - namely frying in boiling oil, which is used repeatedly - leads to the formation of a large amount of carcinogenic substances in the product. The same applies to other dishes that are prepared using a similar technology, for example, French fries, the consumption of which by a child is generally unacceptable.
Vinegar, pepper, tomato sauces, mustard, marinades and other hot or sour seasonings are designed to “improve” the taste of dishes. They cope with the task perfectly, but at the same time they strongly irritate the digestive and excretory organs, interfere with their normal functioning and contribute to the development of many diseases, therefore these seasonings are unacceptable in the diet of young children. It is also unacceptable for a child to consume mayonnaise: it is a high-calorie product, consisting of more than 65% fat. It contains high amounts of sodium and cholesterol.
Roast. Anything fried for a child under 3 years of age is prohibited, because this type of processing produces toxic and carcinogenic substances (from the Latin cancer - “cancer” and genus - “causing” - chemical substances, the effect of which on the body under certain conditions causes cancer and other tumors), especially when fat from the frying pan is used several times. Many toxic compounds are also produced when vegetable oils are heated. Ruddy crusts, so appetizing and tasty, are extremely difficult to digest and contribute to the development of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach), colitis (inflammation of the colon), ulcers, liver and kidney diseases. In addition, fried foods contain an excess of fat.
How do you prepare baby food?
Food for the baby over a year old prepared in several ways:
1) boil; this applies to the preparation of vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, cereals and cereal side dishes. After cooking, depending on the age of the child, the food is chopped into more or less large pieces and kneaded with a fork;
2) steamed (vegetables, meat or fish cutlets, omelettes). For these purposes, modern steamers are very convenient, as they preserve most vitamins;
3) bake in the oven, in a sleeve, foil. All kinds of casseroles, fish, meat and vegetables are prepared in this way;
4) for children over 2 years old, lightly frying foods in vegetable oil and then stewing is allowed. In this way you can cook fish, meat goulash, cutlets and meatballs.
Margarine. The diet of a child under 3 years old should not contain margarine, artificial fats, lard and foods prepared with them. Margarine is a mixture of animal and vegetable fats that have been subjected to hydrogenation - the saturation of fatty acid molecules with hydrogen atoms. Mutated fatty acid molecules, the proportion of which in margarine reaches 40%, increase cholesterol levels in the blood, disrupt the normal functioning of cell membranes, contribute to the development of vascular diseases, and negatively affect the formation of sexual function. Lard is a refractory fat; its digestion requires the release of a large amount of digestive enzymes from the pancreas and liver, which leads to their overstrain and breakdown. And this can manifest itself as diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain.
Sausages. Processed meat products, which include all sausages (both boiled and smoked), as well as smoked, dried or dried fish, ham, smoked brisket, are also unacceptable in baby food. Smoked meats contain a lot of irritating substances and salt; they “hit” the digestive and excretory organs quite noticeably. In addition, these products contain a large number of dyes, flavors, food additives and the previously mentioned carcinogens.
Canned food. Canned meat and fish (if these are not specialized children's products, but ordinary “adult” canned food from the nearest store) are saturated with salt, pepper, vinegar and various preservatives. They should not be present in children's diets. The same applies to homemade preparations, which usually add a lot of spices, salt, vinegar or aspirin, which have an extremely negative effect on the functioning of the baby’s stomach and intestines.
Baking and confectionery. It is worth limiting (but not completely eliminating) foods such as buns, buns, pies, and regular cookies from the child’s diet. They contain a large amount of calories, sugar and, if consumed systematically, can lead to excess weight. You can give your baby a bun (about 50 g) or a pie for an afternoon snack, but not at every meal. And it is best to give special cookies - for children. Unlike an adult, it does not crumble, but melts in the mouth, so the child will not choke on crumbs. Children's cookies are produced without the use of dyes, preservatives, flavors and other artificial additives. You can also give your baby biscuits or biscuits.
Porridge with additives. Separately, I would like to dwell on baby cereals with additives: they usually contain a fairly large amount of sugar, and many of the additives (for example, some fruits or chocolate) are themselves allergenic products that are not welcome in baby food. The best thing is to add pieces of fresh fruit or a small amount of berries to regular porridge: it will turn out both tasty and healthy.
Beverages
The optimal drink for a child is regular clean drinking water without gas. From the age of 2, you can give your child a small amount of table still water: the label should say that the water is low-mineralized or potable (in no case medicinal). Freshly squeezed juices are of undoubted benefit in the nutrition of a child under 3 years of age. However, it should be remembered that for children in the first three years of life, it is recommended to dilute freshly squeezed juice with water in a ratio of 1:1 to 1:3, because concentrated juice contains a large amount of organic acids that can irritate the child’s delicate digestive system.
Compotes of fresh or dried fruits, various fruit drinks, infusions and herbal teas are very useful. The latter also perform a therapeutic function - they help normalize sleep, stimulate appetite, help with colds or reduce nervous excitability.
What should a child not drink? All modern sweet sodas are made from water, concentrate and are saturated with carbon dioxide. Already from this composition it is clear that the benefits for small child there is none in them. Such drinks contain too much sugar, sometimes more than 5 teaspoons per glass. This amount of sugar cannot but affect the functioning of the pancreas and endocrine system. In addition, it can cause tooth decay if such water is consumed regularly. In addition, such drinks do not quench thirst - when consumed, thirst only intensifies, which leads to fluid retention and swelling.
Many manufacturers add sugar substitutes to drinks instead of sugar: such products contain fewer calories and are sold under the “light” logo. Alas, they are also quite dangerous for the child’s body. Xylitol and sorbitol, which are sweeteners, can provoke urolithiasis. Saccharin and cyclomate are carcinogens that contribute to the development of cancer. Aspartame can cause allergies and has a negative effect on the retina of the eye, which can lead to decreased vision.
The concentrates from which drinks are prepared are citric or phosphoric acids; they form the basis for the taste of carbonated water and serve as preservatives. These acids irritate the mucous membrane, cause microdamage in the mouth, esophagus and stomach, and have a bad effect on tooth enamel (especially citric acid). But orthophosphoric acid is more dangerous, since when regularly ingested, it helps wash out calcium from the bones, which many children already lack. A lack of calcium leads to such a serious disease as osteoporosis - brittle bones with minimal stress.
The addition of caffeine, which is used as a tonic, does not add any benefit to carbonated drinks. The use of such soda leads to overstimulation of the nervous system, which is completely contraindicated for children.
And finally, carbon dioxide, which is contained in carbonated water, is not harmful in itself, but causes belching, bloating, increased gas formation and is not allowed for children of the first years of life.
Basic rules for choosing products for a child
1. Choose products labeled “For infants” or products specifically for infant nutrition.
2. Read the labels carefully, pay attention to the color and consistency of the products: if any of the components of the product causes you doubt, it is better to refuse the purchase.
3. Products for children should not contain food additives, preservatives, stabilizers and other “chemicals”.
4. Products should contain a minimum of salt or sugar, or better yet, none at all.
5. Pay attention to the shelf life: natural products cannot have a long shelf life, especially for dairy products. If the shelf life of such products exceeds several days (usually 3-5), it is better to discard such products.
6. Be sure to try all products yourself before giving them to children: the product may be too sweet or flavored.
How to reduce the risk?
If your baby is treated to chocolates, soda, or anything else listed above, do not focus the child’s attention on this product. Just offer an alternative: marshmallows or marmalade instead of chocolate, fruit juice instead of soda. If your baby really wants bubbles in the drink, use a trick: dilute the juice mineral water- there will be bubbles and benefits. It is also necessary that there are no prohibited products in your home and that the child does not see them, then the desire to try something harmful will be minimized.
Feel free to instruct your relatives on how and what to feed your baby in your absence, write to them full list foods that should not be given to your baby. In order not to provoke your child again, try not to visit fast food cafes, especially where he can see other children appetizingly chewing French fries or some other forbidden dishes.
Many parents complain that their baby is reluctant to eat foods from a healthy menu. There are also small tricks here: let the child prepare himself, for example, salad or porridge. Let him, to the best of his ability, take an active part in preparing food - it’s so interesting, then he will eat it with great appetite. You should never force your baby to eat. It is better to eat a little, but with appetite, than a full portion with tears.
Always serve the dish beautifully and with imagination: ordinary porridge can be turned into a sea if you make boats from children’s cookies and islands from a piece of apple in it. Every sunken ship is put in your mouth with a spoon. Use your imagination and let your child help you. When the whole family gathers at the table, let the child have his own position - he will help set the table, then over time, eating will turn into a kind of ritual and will contribute to the formation of correct eating habits and a sense of taste.
A one-year-old baby is already familiar with many products from the adult table. He knows the taste of meat and fish. He was gradually accustomed to soups and cereals, fermented milk products. However, for some children, breast milk. During feeding, the baby not only enjoys tasty and familiar food, but also communicates with his mother, feels her love, and calms down. There is no need to deprive him of this useful product. Breast-feeding can last up to 2.5-3 years, when the child is completely transferred to adult nutrition.
Content:
Principles of nutrition for a one-year-old baby
Food should be varied and healthy. The diet includes all the components necessary for development. When preparing baby food, the physiological characteristics of the development of the digestive system are taken into account. In addition, the baby cannot yet chew food; up to 1.5-2 years it is given in crushed form. Soups and stewed vegetables are turned into puree, meat is ground. Porridges can be given thicker than before.
To feed your baby, it is recommended to use dishes made of special food-grade plastic. The advantage of such cookware is the low thermal conductivity of the material. The child will not get burned, since the dishes do not heat up, and the food remains warm for a long time. If a baby accidentally drops a plate on the floor, it will not break, and when it falls, he will not be afraid of a loud sound.
It is advisable to follow a feeding regimen: feed 4-5 times a day at approximately the same time. Then your appetite will be better, and the digestive system will be prepared to process food. If the feeding regimen is not followed, the child will not develop a food reflex that promotes the production of gastric juice and enzymes for processing food. Having gotten used to the diet, the baby will be less capricious when eating. He will develop a need to eat simple and necessary dishes. Between feedings, it is not recommended to feed him cookies, rolls, or sweet fruits.
Breast milk is best given after the baby has eaten solid food. It is advisable to breastfeed him in the morning or before bedtime. In the intervals between meals, it is not recommended to give your baby juices or sweet tea, so as not to interrupt the appetite. Food is prepared with a minimum amount of sugar. Babies easily get used to sweets, then it is more difficult to feed them simple dishes necessary for normal digestion.
Up to 3 years, it is better not to salt dishes and not to use spices in them. You can add a little onion and garlic to your food. All new products are introduced little by little, preferably in the first half of the day, as the baby may become allergic to them or experience intestinal upset.
Video: How long to breastfeed your baby
What foods to include in your diet
At 1 year of age, the following foods can already be included in a child’s diet:
- chicken and lean beef;
- eggs;
- low-fat fish (hake or pollock);
- vegetables and fruits, boiled and raw;
- whole milk;
- cottage cheese and fermented milk products. It is recommended to include only special children's dairy products (kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese) in your baby's diet, since their quality is controlled more carefully than that of products for adults.
It is impossible to give whole milk to babies under 1 year of age, since the digestive system is not developed enough to process it. whole milk. After one year, the child should receive up to 0.5 liters of pasteurized milk, which contains essential for teeth growth and development. skeletal system calcium. The fat content of milk is 3.2-4%, since such milk contains amino acids necessary for the development of the brain and nerve tissues.
Things to remember: Cow's milk, eggs, honey, citrus fruits, and fresh strawberries often cause an allergic reaction. At first, they are given to children only in minimal doses and in such an order that if an allergy occurs, it is possible to understand which product caused it.
Some children have congenital intolerance to milk due to a lack of lactic enzyme in the body. In this case, only special milk that does not contain lactose is introduced into the diet.
At one year of age, a necessary dish for children is porridge rich in microelements. First, they give instant porridges that do not contain lumps, and then gradually switch to regular ones, cooked from cereals. It is useful to give oatmeal, buckwheat, and rice porridge. Semolina porridge contains vegetable protein gluten, which is poorly absorbed by unformed digestive system small child. Therefore, it is not recommended to give it before 3 years of age.
Video: How to teach your child to eat properly
Menu for a 1 year old baby
A sample menu should look like this:
1st meal: milk porridge (150 g) with the addition of 5 g butter, 1/2 yolk, fruit puree (50 g);
2nd: stewed vegetables in vegetable oil (150 g), 2 steamed meat cutlets (fish 2 times a week), bread, fruit juice;
3rd: cottage cheese (30 g), fruit puree with cookies (70 g), yogurt;
4th: boiled vegetables or porridge without milk in vegetable oil (150 g), pureed meat (50 g), compote;
5th: yogurt or kefir (1 glass).
Advice: In order for a child to eat with appetite, he should not be forced to eat against his will. You can't entertain while eating. Meals should not be stretched out for a long time; they should last approximately 15-30 minutes. If a healthy baby refuses to eat, you need to postpone feeding until he is hungry. The child will gradually get used to the diet.
How much should a 1 year old baby eat?
For normal development a child who is 1 year old needs (per 1 kg of body weight) 4 g of protein and fat and 16 g of carbohydrates per day. Moreover, most of the proteins and fats (70%) should be of animal origin. It is necessary to give lean meat, as well as liver and other offal.
Butter is added to dishes (approximately 12 g per day). Fresh oil without heat treatment is introduced into the diet very carefully, otherwise intestinal upset may occur in the child. The total calorie content of food per day is 1200-1300 kcal with a total volume of food eaten 1000-1200 ml (including water and drinks).
What foods should not be given to children?
When accustoming a child to adult food, it is necessary to remember that from the diet it is necessary to exclude fatty foods, fried foods, sausages (they contain preservatives and other additives that are toxic to the baby), smoked foods, and mushrooms.
Fruits must be peeled and given in puree form to prevent the baby from choking.
By the age of two, babies have up to 20 baby teeth, which allows them to chew food well. At the same time, the production of digestive juices increases and food is easier to digest, which is why it is so important to teach the child to eat properly in a timely manner. To do this, it is necessary to replace liquid and semi-liquid foods with denser ones: gradually introduce boiled porridges, vegetable and cereal casseroles, and stewed vegetables.
If a baby at this age is not taught to eat dense foods that require chewing, then in the future he will be reluctant to accept or even refuse such necessary dishes as pieces of meat, fruits, and vegetables. A child aged 1.5 to 3 years should have four meals a day nutrition– breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Moreover, at lunch he should receive approximately 40–50% of the total nutritional value of the diet, and the remaining 50–60% is distributed for breakfast, afternoon snack and dinner. The energy value of products per day is 1400–1500 kcal.
A child needs to receive 50–60 grams of protein per day, 70–75% of which should be of animal origin; fats – 50–60 grams, including about 10 grams of vegetable origin; carbohydrates – 220 grams. As at the very beginning of the second year of life, a child aged 1.5–3 years needs to consume a sufficient amount of fermented milk products up to 550–600 grams (this number also includes the amount that is used for preparing various dishes). Fresh cottage cheese, different kinds curd products and cheesecakes for children, mild varieties of cheese, sour cream and cream for dressing soups and salads should be present in the child’s diet.
Children of this age require on average 25–50 g of cottage cheese per day (fat content 5–11%), 5–10 g of cream or sour cream (10–20%), 5 g of cheese, 500–550 ml of milk and kefir (3.2 -4%). Cottage cheese, sour cream, cream, cheese can be used after 1-2 days in larger quantities, for example, for making dumplings, cheesecakes, casseroles. Milk and fermented milk drinks should be included in the diet daily.
With age, the amount of meat in a child’s diet gradually increases - from 100 g at 1.5 years to 120 g by 3 years. Usually they use beef, veal, lean pork, rabbit, lamb, and horse meat. Offal products are useful in baby food (they are rich in protein and fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin A, have a more delicate structure than meat, and therefore are more easily and quickly digested in the gastrointestinal tract) - liver, tongue, heart. Meat can be prepared in the form of steamed, oven cutlets, stews, or fried minced meat.
From sausages, not often and in limited quantities, to expand the taste perception, you can give your baby milk sausages and some types of boiled sausage (diet, milk, doctor's). Egg, which is one of the main suppliers of protein, should be given, on average, 1/2 a day, or 1 egg every other day and only hard-boiled or in the form of an omelet, and also used for making casseroles and cutlets.
If there are no medical contraindications, the child’s menu should include dishes from sea and river fish, with the exception of fatty and delicacy varieties (sturgeon, salmon, salmon, halibut) up to 30–40 g/day. Children can be offered boiled or fried fish, freed from bones, fish cutlets, and meatballs. Smoked and canned fish (with the exception of specialized canned food for children), as well as caviar, which is a very fatty and highly allergenic product, are not recommended.
Due to the fact that fruits and vegetables contain a large amount of ballast substances, including dietary fiber, sufficient consumption of them in the daily diet can serve as a preventive measure for constipation. An important property of vegetables and fruits is their ability to enhance the secretion of digestive juices, which increase appetite. Children from 1.5 to 3 years old are recommended to consume potatoes daily in quantities of up to 100–120 g/day. (including for preparing first courses). If for some reason potatoes are not used in the diet, then they can be replaced in the same amount with other vegetables. And also 150–200 g of various vegetables for making soups, salads, and side dishes. Especially useful: carrots, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, beets, tomatoes.
In contrast, in the food of a child over 1.5 years old, it is necessary to constantly include garden greens: parsley, spinach, lettuce, green onions, garlic in small quantities for dressing soups, salads and main courses. At this age, the vegetable diet is expanded due to the introduction of radishes, radishes, turnips and legumes such as peas, beans, and beans. Vegetable purees replaced with finely chopped salads, stewed and boiled vegetables, cut into small pieces.
Fruits are an obligatory component of a child’s daily diet – 100–200 g/day. and berries 10–20 g/day. Kids enjoy eating apples, pears, plums, bananas, and cherries (the seeds must be removed from them first). Considering high probability appearance allergic reaction citrus and exotic fruits, their introduction into the diet should be extremely careful.
Among the berries, black currants, gooseberries, lingonberries, cranberries, chokeberries, and sea buckthorn are especially useful. Some fruits and berries have a fixing effect because they contain tannins. These include blueberries, pears, and black currants. This is important to consider if child suffers from constipation. Kiwi has a pronounced laxative effect, but also other fruits and berries eaten in large quantities, can have the same effect. Various fruits, berries and vegetable juices are useful for children of all ages, but if clarified juices are recommended for children under one year old, then after 1.5 years you can offer the baby juices with pulp up to 100–150 ml per day after meals.
Any new product that you are going to include in your child’s menu should be given in small quantities (1-2 teaspoons) in the first half of the day in order to be able to monitor the body’s reaction to the tolerance of the “new product”. If signs of an allergy appear, use of this product should be discontinued.
Various cereals are used in the diet of children over one and a half years old. Oatmeal and buckwheat, rich in mineral salts and vitamins, and complete protein, are especially useful. It is useful to include cereals such as barley, millet, and pearl barley in your diet. Children of this age can already eat noodles, vermicelli in the form of side dishes or milk soups, but they should not get carried away with these products, as they are rich in carbohydrates. On average, children over 1.5 years old should be given no more than 15–20 g of cereal and 50 g of pasta per day.
Sugar is also included in children's diets. It improves the taste of dishes, but its excess is harmful to the child’s health, as it reduces appetite, can affect metabolism and lead to excessive weight gain. A child aged 1.5 to 3 years can consume up to 30–40 g of sugar per day. This amount includes easily digestible carbohydrates - glucose contained in juices, drinks, and sweets.
Foods containing carbohydrates - bread, pasta, potatoes, cereals, in the quantities recommended above, will not provide the child with the amount of energy required for his age. Physiological features The gastrointestinal tract and enzyme systems of the child’s body do not allow increasing the volume of a single meal, which means that calorie content can only be replenished with easily digestible carbohydrates. Their use in the diet healthy child necessary, since glucose is an energy substrate for brain, liver, and kidney cells. But everything should be within reasonable limits. Sweets that you can pamper your child with are marshmallows, marmalade, fruit caramel, jam, marshmallows. Chocolate and chocolate candies should not be offered to the baby, as they increase the excitability of the nervous system and can cause allergic reactions.
Approximate one-day menu for children from 1.5–3 years
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The baby is growing up, and it’s time to start expanding his menu and letting him try something new. And you always want to feed him something tasty and healthy. Usually pediatricians tell everything about nutrition, but sometimes even they have different opinions.
Therefore, the site for mothers will tell you what kind of child’s behavior in matters of nutrition corresponds to each age, and what you can try to give depending on the age of the baby.
There are two opinions regarding the introduction of complementary foods. Some advise starting at 6 months, others – earlier. This usually depends on what type of feeding the baby is on. Moreover, sometimes the child’s behavior indicates readiness for complementary feeding. For example, he starts looking at your plate like a hungry wolf cub :)
Now let’s try to figure out what’s what and what foods can be given to the child.
3 – 4 months
Sometimes you can give water with a few drops of lemon. The fact is that lemon juice helps calcium to be absorbed. Don't panic about citric acid. 2-3 drops per 200 ml will be enough. This is especially true for children who are bottle-fed.
Some doctors allow you to give homemade apple juice. To do this, grate the apple and squeeze through cheesecloth. Start giving with 1 tsp. and gradually increase the amount.
4 – 6 months
At this time, the child’s readiness for complementary feeding is indicated by his skills and behavior:
- The child holds his head up by himself.
- Sits in a highchair.
- Makes chewing movements with jaws.
- Shows interest in food.
- Can push food out of mouth with tongue.
- Presence of teeth.
- The baby remains hungry after breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
During this period, you can try giving porridge rich in iron. For example, rice. But since it usually has a fixing effect, it’s good if it contains prunes or apples. Try to diversify your baby's menu with oatmeal or buckwheat. Start giving any food new to your child with 1 tsp. Don't be upset if he refuses this food at first. Try giving the porridge again a little later. If you have already started juicing, then continue it and don't forget about water.
6 – 8 months
Continue feeding the porridge, gradually adding fruits and vegetables. At this age you can give: bananas, pears, peaches and apples.
As for vegetables, well-cooked carrots, mashed potatoes, and some doctors even allow avocados. After all, they contain fatty acids that the baby needs for brain development.
Don't forget to add it to the puree? egg yolk and vegetable oil - olive oil is better, but not Extra Virgin, as it has a slightly bitter taste, and this is not to the taste of children.
Continue giving water and juice. You can try making compotes. You can add a little sugar when the fruit has a sour taste. The rules for introducing complementary foods are still the same.
8 – 10 months
At this age, babies can already sit up on their own. They hold objects well and put everything in their mouth. Typically, a set of baby teeth appears in the mouth. Continue giving breast milk or special formula. You can give children kefir, cottage cheese and drinking yogurt. Try giving them (with which they usually scratch their gums), some manufacturers produce special cookies. This is a great option for an afternoon snack.
At this age, you can offer your child other types of cereals - wheat, corn, or a mixture of several grains. Vegetables and fruits are the same as in the previous period. You can try giving seasonal fruits, such as strawberries. Just be very careful, as this product can cause allergies. Offer your child plums, prunes, blueberries, lingonberries, and blackberries.
8-10 months is a great time to introduce your baby to finger food. For example, try giving your child a piece of banana or well-cooked pasta in the form of spirals, cookies or crackers.
The baby grows up and needs more and more protein to build muscles. Therefore, during this period it is time to give meat. It is better to start with dietary options - chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef.
Add eggs and beans to this.
Doctors have different opinions about fish. Some people advise starting to give it during this period, others believe that you need to wait up to a year. Start with low-fat varieties: hake, pike perch, pollock, haddock, sawfish, fish of the salmon family. If the child refuses, try offering it to him again after a while. By the way, now you can start cooking vegetable soups and add some meat there.
Don't forget to give water and juice.
Only one type of new food can be offered at a time. Do not hurry. Sooner or later, the little gourmet's menu will become quite wide.
10 – 12 months
More teeth means harder food. Now food can not only be kneaded, but also cut into strips and cubes. So, formula or breast milk, cottage cheese, kefir, drinking yogurt for children. Porridge, fruits, vegetables, meat, beans, finger foods. Compound dishes: for example meat, potatoes, peas, carrots. Some experts suggest trying giving your child tofu. Your little one should like it and cottage cheese casserole.
As for cow's milk, it should not be given to children under one year of age.
- Vegetable puree and meat must first be given separately. And only closer to 11 months, composite meals.
- When giving a new product, do not forget to look at the child's reaction. And if there are any changes in your condition, write the product down on the list of what you should not give and consult your doctor.
- Introduce any complementary food into daytime to reduce the burden on the child’s body.
One famous doctor said that the norm for a child is when he feels good. Even if you gave some product earlier than the doctor told you about it, and the child feels fine, then everything is fine and there is no need to worry.
For the growing body of a 3-5 year old child age group A balanced intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is necessary. Of the required norm - 65 g of protein, approximately 2/3 should be of animal origin. This is achieved by eating easily digestible meat (veal, beef, chicken) and dairy products. Child preschool age needs a daily norm of about half a liter of milk and other dairy products (kefir, cottage cheese). In addition to proteins, dairy products will include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other essential microelements in a child’s diet.
A growing body should receive plant proteins from various cereals, legumes and fresh vegetables. At this age, the child enjoys crumbly porridge as a side dish for meat or fish, as well as as an independent dish. You need to add butter to porridges in small quantities. The total required amount of fat for a child from 3 to 5 years old should not exceed 65 g, of which at least 15% is of vegetable origin. Excessively fatty foods at this age are poorly digested, especially if consumed at night.
Carbohydrates help digest fats and proteins; their requirement for this age is 270 g. When creating a menu for your baby, keep in mind that carbohydrates are found not only in fruits, but also in vegetables and cereals. Products such as chocolate and cocoa are not harmful in the absence of allergies, but you should avoid their excessive consumption. Derivatives of cocoa beans have a stimulating effect on the nervous system, and if your child belongs to this category, it is better to completely exclude them from the diet.
For good digestion, a child at this age must be taught salads made from fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Boiled and fried plant foods should also be in the diet. For example, pancakes, vegetable stew, stuffed peppers, baked pumpkin, etc. Plant fiber ensures normal intestinal motility and the prevention of constipation.
When preparing food for a child, you can use seasonings to improve the taste, but you also need to take into account preferences. Not all children like garlic, ginger or pepper. To diversify the children's menu, you can sometimes give your child canned meat or fish, pickles and smoked foods. But you shouldn't get carried away with them.
At this age, four meals a day is considered optimal, because... food is digested in the stomach in about 4 hours. The total daily amount of food ranges from 1500 g for a 3 year old to 1800 g for a 5 year old. This is an average and some children may need more or less food. However, you should not overfeed your child; excess food can lead to digestive problems and excess weight.
The more varied the child’s menu, the more useful substances he will get. And of course, when serving a dish you should pay attention beautiful design. For example, a combination of bright vegetables as a side dish for meat, porridge with pieces of fruit, or a smiley face of jam on a casserole - these “touches” in serving will help feed even a picky little one with healthy food.
