Breastfeeding is widely promoted, it has many benefits, it is good for the baby, it helps to solve digestive problems and postpone acquaintance with solid foods for a long time. At artificial feeding Complementary foods are introduced earlier, but the baby's digestive system is not always ready to accept adult food, so you should act carefully, in accordance with the rules of complementary foods.
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Age to start weaning
Modern adapted formulas are ideal for a child, but cannot fully meet the needs of a growing, developing organism, as breast milk does. Its composition changes as the baby develops, it is individual for each nursing woman. It is for this reason that with artificial feeding complementary foods are introduced a little earlier.
In fact, even the opinions of pediatricians differ. According to the modern World Health Organization, early feeding from 3 months is dangerous for a child's health day. The necessary enzymes for the digestion of solid foods begin to be produced at 4 months. Consequently, familiarity with a new food is delayed until the age of 4.5-5 months.
Attention! Solid food is not something hard, dry, and chewy. This term refers to all children's products, except breast milk and adapted mixture. The transition to normal food (cereals, mashed potatoes, even kefir) is the introduction of solid food.
Signs of a child's readiness
Despite the deadlines, each child needs an individual approach. One baby will be ready for solid food at 4 months, the second at 5-6 may not understand what they want from him. This does not speak of a developmental lag, there is no negative key here, there is no need to concentrate on this moment. It is better to carefully monitor the baby so as not to miss the right moment to start complementary feeding with artificial feeding.
Signs of readiness:
- The child sits with the help of parents. At 5 months, you can put a pillow so that the baby is in a reclining state. It is impossible to give food in a horizontal position. It is not necessary to crush and dilute complementary foods to give it from a bottle, this is wrong. Food should only be offered from a spoon.
- There is an interest in food. The kid reaches for the food of his parents, tries to grab it, bring it to his mouth. He actively reacts to cutlery, drooling.
- The expulsion reflex, which protects the newborn baby from being hit, has disappeared. foreign objects in the first months of life.
- The daily amount of the adapted mixture reached 800-1000 ml.
- The baby's weight has doubled since birth. If the baby was born premature, then 2.5 times.
When breastfeeding, an indirect sign of the readiness of the child is the eruption of the first teeth. But for children on artificial nutrition, it is irrelevant, since for most babies this happens closer to 6 months.
Video: Dr. Komarovsky about complementary foods
General principles for the introduction of new products
The first complementary feeding with artificial feeding should not coincide with other changes in the child's life: teething, diseases, vaccinations. Otherwise, acquaintance with a new product can turn into a lot of trouble. You need to choose the most convenient time.
Basic Rules:
- Complementary foods are given in the morning before one of the main meals.
- Regardless of the type of product, the first serving should not exceed 0.5 tsp. If during the day no negative reactions appeared, then the amount can be increased by 2 times.
- At least 7-10 days should be allowed for each type of product. Only after that they begin to get acquainted with other food.
- Do not mix several unfamiliar products at the same time. But you can add a new ingredient to a dish that has already come up to the child, he uses it with pleasure.
- Up to 8 months, all products should have a homogeneous consistency, since swallowing and chewing reflexes are not yet sufficiently developed.
It is important to pay Special attention cleanliness of dishes. It is advisable to use a separate pan, get a children's plate, spoon. If the dish is prepared independently, choose high-quality vegetables, fruits, meat. After cooking, food must be cooled. The optimum temperature is 36-37°C, that is, it corresponds to body temperature.
Advice! To determine the temperature of a dish, it is not necessary to purchase a food thermometer. It is enough to drop a small amount of puree on the inside of the wrist, everything will immediately become clear.
Possible problems and solutions
There is a lot of information about artificial feeding, the transition to adult food, but it does not always help to avoid problems that arise not only in young people, but also in experienced parents. Some things cannot be influenced. The main thing is not to panic. If trouble has happened, you need to pull yourself together, calm down, help the child.
Common problems:
- The child refuses the product. Not always a new taste and an unusual texture are accepted with enthusiasm. After 1-2 days, complementary foods are offered again. Sometimes up to 10 attempts.
- The child pushes out the spoon with his tongue. Most likely, he is not yet ready for the first feeding. It is worth waiting a few days or weeks until the reflex disappears.
- Allergy. It can manifest itself in different ways: rash, itching, redness of the cheeks, buttocks, groin areas, abdominal pain. It is necessary to stop the introduction of complementary foods, use an antihistamine, consult a doctor.
- Chair disorder. This problem may indicate unavailability digestive system, as well as indicate intolerance to the product. Postpone the first complementary foods for another 1-2 weeks, then look at the situation and the well-being of the child.
You can not increase portions of complementary foods, even if the child is not averse to eating more. After the prescribed norm, the baby is supplemented with a mixture. If you immediately offer a lot of new food, the body will not be able to process the product, the risk of developing allergies will increase several times.
How to introduce main products
All complementary foods can be conditionally divided into basic and additional. The first group includes mashed potatoes, which will completely replace the meal, that is, served in full portions. Additional foods include eggs, butter, spices, herbs, baked goods, and crackers. They are offered to the child to improve the taste of the dish, diversify the menu, enrich the dish with valuable substances, but only after the introduction of the main food.
Product introduction table
Vegetables
For the first feeding, hypoallergenic, light types of vegetables with a low starch content are selected: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin. Later, carrots, soaked potatoes are added. All products are perfectly combined together in a vegetable puree. But it is necessary to offer a duet or trio only after an individual acquaintance with each species.
Fruits
From 5 months, complementary foods are introduced apples, pears, prunes. Next, apricots, peaches, bananas, kiwi are added. By 7-8 months, you can add berries with a low degree of allergenicity. Fruit purees are popular with children, as they have a pleasant taste, sweetness. They will solve the problem with the chair. For example, a pear will help to cope with diarrhea, and prunes will relieve constipation.
Meat, poultry
For complementary foods, lean meats are used: beef, rabbit, turkey, horse meat. Chicken should be introduced with caution, as it is an allergenic product. Meat can be combined with vegetables familiar to the child. Do not inject egg yolk at the same time, so as not to complicate the work of the stomach.
Fish
For feeding, low-fat varieties of river and sea fish are used: pollock, hake, cod, perch. Closer to the year, you can add seafood to the diet. Puree is prepared from them, which is combined with familiar vegetables. Any fish has a high degree allergenicity, when a problem is identified, the product is postponed for up to a year, sometimes up to 2 years.
Cottage cheese, kefir
Fermented milk products will help normalize and improve bowel function, but it is important to consider expiration dates. Curd is easy to poison. There is also the possibility of buying a low-quality product. It is for this reason that you need to choose a manufacturer baby food. Many parents prefer to cook cottage cheese on their own.
Kashi
You should start complementary foods with cereals that do not contain gluten: buckwheat, rice, corn. You can add other grains later. Porridge for a child is prepared in milk or diluted with a suitable mixture. With excess body weight, the introduction of cereals is delayed for 1-2 months.
Purchased and homemade food: pros and cons
You can argue about store-bought and homemade food ad infinitum. In fact, everything is very simple: both ready-made and self-cooked baby food have a place in the child's diet. It all depends on the season, the availability of quality products, the taste of the baby. For example, you don’t need to deprive your child of healthy cauliflower or rabbit meat if you can’t cook them, but it’s easy to buy mashed potatoes in the store. But if the first feeding came at the end of summer and autumn, when high-quality vegetables are available, then it is better to cook the dishes yourself.
Pros of store-bought baby food:
- Convenience. Especially at the very beginning of the transition from artificial feeding to solid food. At this time, the baby eats only a few spoons, sometimes refuses, and time is spent on cooking and food.
- Diversity. Regardless of the season, you can buy absolutely any baby food, including rare meats, off-season vegetables.
- Consistency. The puree is prepared according to age features. For the first feeding from 4 months, these are tender masses, gradually manufacturers increase the density, lumps, small grains are added.
- Quality. Not so long ago, natural products were valued more. Now the situation has changed. Much attention is paid to the production of baby food, strict control is maintained.
- Taste. In ready-made food, it is the same or similar to each other. In homemade dishes, it is different, depending on the initial raw materials, the amount of spices, and the cooking time.
The downside is the cost. The price of one jar is often equal to a whole kilogram of vegetables or 0.3-0.5 kg of meat, also a big difference between cereals and ready-made cereals. In order to save money, you can gradually switch to normal food. The only thing that does not need to be changed is children's dairy products. It is really difficult to find high-quality cottage cheese or mass-produced kefir in a store; children's brands win in this.
General principles for preparing baby puree
Since the child does not receive vital substances with artificial feeding, it is necessary to make his diet as diverse as possible. At home, you can cook any first complementary foods, if there are quality products. Puree is prepared from vegetables, meat, fish, fruits. For grinding, a blender or strainer is used.
General principles puree preparation:
- The product must be washed, cleaned, it is desirable to soak the meat and fish. Cut into pieces, put in a bowl.
- Pour in water so that it barely covers the product, put on the stove.
- After boiling, the broth from fish, meat is drained, replaced with clean boiling water. Vegetables are cooked in the same water without replacement.
- As soon as the product is cooked, it will become soft, drain the excess liquid into a bowl, chop the pieces.
- For children on artificial nutrition, an adapted mixture, milk, is added to vegetable purees. Fruit, meat dishes are diluted with a previously removed broth, bringing to the desired consistency.
It is advisable to eat homemade food immediately after preparation. You can put part of the dish in a sterile container, close, store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Advice! It is convenient to use glass baby food jars to store puree. They are perfectly washed, sterilized, tightly closed, have a small volume.
General principles for choosing ready-made food for complementary foods
On the packages of baby food, not only the characteristics of the product are indicated, but also the age range. For complementary foods, you need to choose the appropriate purees and cereals. It is important to study the composition, which should be from one main product. It is allowed to add salt, butter, milk is added to ready-made cereals.
What to look for:
- Best before date. Canned meat, fish should be as fresh as possible, as well as dairy products.
- Production date. You should not choose applesauce released in March or January. It is better to give preference to summer, autumn products, when the fruits are fresh, full of vitamins.
- Packaging integrity. If the lid on the jar is swollen, the box is torn, the dry porridge mix wakes up, this product cannot be used for complementary foods and for baby food in general.
As for the cost, the quality of the product is not always associated with it. The price is formed from many factors: transportation, packaging, storage, brand awareness, advertising. Often, baby food from local producers is in no way inferior to expensive analogues.
Video: Dr. Komarovsky about food from jars
When to introduce complementary foods
Complementary foods for a child: when to introduce complementary foods, complementary foods by months, complementary feeding scheme How well a child will eat in the first year of life depends on his health and attitude to food in the future. So bring up a real connoisseur of healthy food!
The most delicious and healthy food for a child during the first six months of life is considered to be mother's milk. If, for some reason, the mother cannot breastfeed the child, then he should receive a high-quality adapted formula. But there comes a time when a growing body needs other food.
You will recognize that it is time to introduce complementary foods according to several basic criteria: interest in adult food, the ability to sit confidently, the appearance of the first teeth. So, it's time to think about how to introduce complementary foods to the child.
First food
Previously, doctors advised mothers to include drops of juice in the children's menu literally from the age of two weeks. Now, nutritionists are increasingly talking about the dangers of early introduction of complementary foods to a child, moreover, they support their words with irrefutable evidence.
When it comes to babies who are breastfed, the World Health Organization recommends starting their acquaintance with new products no earlier than six months.
And an artificial child must be fed from five and a half months. However, this does not mean that you should seat the little one at the table on a well-defined day. Wait for the moment when he asks you for what you eat.
Most likely, the baby will do this out of pure curiosity. But the result of the research will pleasantly surprise him! Give your baby a slice of a peeled apple or pear. You can also offer from your plate half a teaspoon of boiled potatoes, buckwheat porridge on the water.
Pediatricians call this method pedagogical complementary foods. It differs from the usual one in that its task is not so much to feed the baby as to introduce him to adult food and the rules of behavior at the table.
Everything has its time
Do not rush to transfer the child to a common table. While not everything that adults eat suits him. Despite the fact that the baby's digestive system is already quite developed, he still cannot eat fried, salty, smoked, fatty foods. Semi-finished products, sausages, sausages, some raw vegetables, sweets, cakes are also prohibited.
Important rule
Let your child decide when to finish the meal. Do not force him to finish eating, do not force feed - and then you will not have problems with food.
We introduce complementary foods
To start, offer your little gourmet half a teaspoon of the new dish before the main meal. It is advisable to do this in the morning. Then immediately supplement your baby with breast milk or formula. The next day, you can give a whole spoonful. The main thing is to monitor the general condition of the child.
Redness, skin rashes, and abdominal pain are warning signs. Eliminate this product from the diet immediately and refuse to introduce anything new for at least three days. Did the meet and greet go well? Gradually increase the portion. And a week later, feel free to introduce another product.
From the moment you completely replace one meal with complementary foods, start giving your baby water or tea. Offer a drink after meals and between meals. As for the artificial baby, he has long been familiar with water. In this case, be guided by his desires.
Literally immediately after the introduction of a new product, you will notice changes in the child's stool, he will have bad breath. Don't worry: everything is fine. It's just one of the stages of physiological development.
Behavior rules
Do not expect your child to obediently sit at the table and carefully wield a spoon. Even if you put a bib on him, he will still get dirty. And, no doubt, he will touch the food with his hands, smear it on the table or on his knees. Experiments are also ahead with a spoon: the baby will probably want to clamp it in his teeth, knock on the plate.
Naturally, the child will not immediately begin to use the spoon on his own. But the sooner you give it to your baby, the sooner he will learn it. At the same time, feed him with another spoon. The most convenient and safe plastic cutlery. You - with a flat handle, the baby - with a curved one.
A little later, offer the child a fork. Believe me, it's never too early to start mastering it. But provided that the devices are used correctly by adults themselves.
Rules for feeding a child
Complementary foods for a child: when to introduce complementary foods, complementary foods by months, complementary feeding scheme When collecting information about feeding a child, you probably noticed that there are no unambiguous opinions and recommendations. Pediatricians and nutritionists advise starting to introduce complementary foods at four months, then at six. The indicated ages on jars of baby food generally confuse mothers.
However, all this should not confuse you. Firstly, in some countries where mashed potatoes and cereals are produced, there are other norms for the introduction of products. Secondly, they are designed for artificial children, who are supposed to be introduced to new foods earlier than babies. To date, most experts adhere to the following complementary feeding scheme.
Complementary feeding scheme
Complementary foods for 6 months It is better to start with porridge or vegetable puree. Grind corn, rice or buckwheat in a coffee grinder and boil it in water (let the consistency be liquid) or use similar commercially produced cereals.
As for vegetables, boiled zucchini, cauliflower or potatoes are suitable for the first time. Grind them with a blender and offer the baby. A serving of 100-150g will be optimal.
Complementary foods for a 7-month-old baby You can cook a little gourmet mashed potatoes from several vegetables already familiar to him, cook soup by adding vegetable oil and egg yolk (¼ teaspoon no more than twice a week).
Complementary foods for an 8 month old baby it's time to find out what dessert is. Fruit puree from apple, pear, peach are ideal for the baby. mix them with porridge or offer them as an independent dish. But keep in mind: if before that the baby ate 70 g of vegetables, then let's give no more than 50 g of fruit.
In addition, it's time to try kefir (full serving - 100 ml) and cottage cheese (50 g per day). Cook them yourself using sourdough - you will do well. But special meals are also suitable. Just do not forget that beneficial bacteria live from 5 to 14 days. If the packaging says that the product can be stored longer, then there are no probiotic cultures.
Complementary foods for a 9-month-old baby Start eating meat. Beef, rabbit, turkey - it's healthy and tasty! Boil the meat, and then chop it in a meat grinder or with a blender. Baby food is fine too. For the first time, give half a teaspoon of meat along with vegetables. Gradually increase the amount to 3-4 teaspoons per day.
Just do not cook soups with meat broth for your baby - a small stomach cannot digest this complex dish.
Complementary foods for a 10-month-old baby Meat should be constantly on the baby's menu now. At the same time, nutritionists advise to arrange one “fasting” day, replacing meat with fish. Choose low-fat varieties (hake, cod, sea bass). At the same time, do not forget that the first portion of the new product is half a teaspoon, the full one is 50g.
At this age, you can already offer the baby borscht. Just first check his reaction to bright vegetables - beets and carrots. Try also pumpkin, berry puree, yogurt, baby biscuits.
Complementary foods for an 11-month-old baby Soups are perfectly complemented by fresh herbs (it is better if you start growing dill and parsley on the window, so as not to doubt their environmental friendliness). Borsch will taste better with sour cream. Bread with butter will also appeal to the little gourmet. Feel free to cook semolina, barley, barley, oatmeal and millet porridge for him - they will certainly please him.
Complementary foods for a 12-month-old baby The baby's menu has already expanded quite a bit by this time. He probably has a favorite food too. For example, an apple with celery or steam meatballs. Now it would be good to introduce juice (cook it yourself and at first dilute it with water 1: 1) and milk (designed specifically for children).
cooking lessons
Complementary foods for a child: when to introduce complementary foods, complementary foods by months, complementary feeding scheme Of course, you care about the health of your baby, strive to feed him only healthy and freshly prepared foods. However, the concept proper nutrition» in relation to the child has a number of features. For children's dishes there are laws.
Boiled or steamed Vegetables from a double boiler or cooked in a small amount of water have a rich taste, and their texture is more tender. In addition, with this processing, vitamins are better preserved. In no case do not fry anything, even dressing for soup or borscht.
Without salt and sugar All products contain some of these natural ingredients, so teach your baby to the natural taste. But what you can safely add to soup or mashed potatoes is a little bit of vegetable oil. And only closer to the year, start slightly salting the dishes using iodized salt.
As for drinks, sweeten sour compotes and jelly with natural grape sugar or honey - provided that the little one is not allergic to it.
Wiped Usually, at the time of the introduction of complementary foods, only one or two teeth erupt in a child, that is, he cannot chew on his own. Therefore, food must be mashed to a state of puree (homogenized). A little later, at 8-9 months, it will be enough to knead it with a fork. And by the year - cut the food into small pieces.
The freshest Try to prepare food for the baby for one meal only. Never offer your child something that he did not finish last time. And even more so, do not cook from the evening to tomorrow.
To drink or not?
Nutritionists advise not to drink during meals - only after it, preferably after 10-15 minutes. So do not put on the table everything that you want to offer your baby. It's better to do it one by one. Purchase convenient dishes for tea, compote and water. You should not pour the drink into a bottle with a nipple, immediately teach your baby to drink from a cup. Choose a model with a convenient spout and a blocker: if the baby knocks over the cup, the liquid will not spill. For older children, models with a straw are suitable.
food allergens
Nutritionists note: cases of allergic reactions in young children have become more frequent. There are several causes of the disease, including incorrect or untimely introduction of complementary foods and intolerance to any food by the child.
Gluten Wheat, oats and rye contain gluten protein, which is poorly absorbed by the child's body up to 5-6 months. First of all, introduce gluten-free cereals: corn, buckwheat, rice. Wait a little with other cereals, as, however, with bread and cookies. Offer them to your baby only after 8-9 months.
Cow's milk Until the age of one, the enzymatic systems of the child are not ready to digest this product. If you want to pamper your baby with milk porridge, dilute it with breast milk or formula.
Eggs Allergy to protein is quite common. Therefore, up to a year, give the child only the yolk (in a small amount).
In addition to these products, fish, honey, beans, lamb, vegetables, berries and fruits of red and orange colors can cause rashes on the cheeks. Be careful with them, never offer your baby several new foods at the same time and keep a food diary, especially if the allergy still manifests itself. Write down the dish, how it was prepared, and the baby's reaction. This information will help you easily identify the culprit for the appearance of red spots on the skin of a child!
An additional type of food of animal or vegetable origin. In composition, taste, form of administration, it differs sharply from breast milk, promotes the development of the chewing apparatus, stimulates the enzyme systems of the gastrointestinal tract and prepares the child for weaning.
Rules for the introduction of complementary foods:
Complementary foods are introduced only healthy child
Complementary foods are given before breastfeeding (in contrast to juices that are given after feeding), starting with 5 g and gradually (over 2-4 weeks) bringing the volume of complementary foods to 150 g. In the second half of the child's life, complementary foods should not exceed 180 g.
Complementary foods should be homogeneous in consistency and not cause the child to have difficulty swallowing. With age, you need to move on to thicker, then denser food.
Complementary foods are given in a warm form, with a spoon, in the position of the child sitting. It is not advisable to give 2 dense or 2 liquid complementary foods in one feeding.
Do not give the same type of complementary foods 2 times a day.
The basic rule of complementary foods is the gradual and consistent introduction of new products. The new kind complementary foods are introduced after full adaptation to the previous one.
When introducing complementary foods, watch the baby's stool; if it remains normal, then the next day the amount of complementary foods can be increased.
It is impossible to combine the introduction of complementary foods and new complementary foods with preventive vaccinations.
It is necessary to start the introduction of vegetable puree as a complementary food with one type of vegetable, gradually moving to a mixture of them. Pay attention to the degree of their grinding. As the first vegetable supplement, we can recommend mashed zucchini, potatoes, as the least allergic and do not cause increased gas formation.
When introducing cereals as complementary foods, use gluten-free cereals - rice, buckwheat and corn flour, so as not to induce the development of gluten enteropathy in children in the first months of life (do not start complementary foods with semolina).
Cottage cheese (at a dose of 3-5 g/kg of body weight) and yolk (1/4-1/2 part) should be prescribed no earlier than 6 months of life, since the early introduction of a foreign protein leads to allergization, damage to functionally immature kidneys, metabolic acidosis and dysmetabolic nephropathy.
From 7-8 months, raw ripe fruits and meat in the form of minced meat (from rabbit, turkey, beef, veal, lean pork) are introduced into the child's diet - 3-5 g / kg of body weight. At 9 months, meatballs are given in the same volume, by the year - steam cutlets. It is recommended to use canned meat for baby food of industrial production, produced in glassware. Canned meat can be divided into purely meat and meat-vegetable. Canned meat is produced with different degrees of grinding: homogenized (from 8 months), puree (from 8-9 months) and coarsely ground (from 10-12 months). The last two types differ from homogenized canned food not only in the degree of grinding, but also in the presence of spices in them, as well as the possible replacement of water with meat broth. Most canned food is fortified with iron.
Meat broths are withdrawn from complementary foods, as they contain a lot of purine bases, which leads to damage to functionally immature kidneys.
Puree soups are prepared on vegetable broths. Food should be lightly salted: kidneys baby poorly remove sodium salt from the body. In industrially produced puree, the sodium content should not exceed 150 mg/100 g in vegetables and 200 mg/100 g in mixtures of meat and vegetables.
From 8 months, kefir or another fermented milk mixture can be prescribed as complementary foods. The unreasonable widespread use of kefir as complementary foods in the first months of life can cause a child to have an acid-base imbalance, acidosis and create an additional burden on the kidneys. It is not recommended to dilute cottage cheese with kefir, as this dramatically increases the amount of protein consumed. Cottage cheese should be used with fruit or vegetable puree.
From 9 months, a child can be given low-fat varieties of fish 1-2 times a week instead of meat: cod, flounder, saury, pike perch. In the intervals between meals, the child can be offered fruit juices that do not contain sugar. Lightly salted cheeses can be given to a child from one year old (they are rich in proteins, calcium, vitamins A and B).
When to start feeding?
By 4-6 months, the baby's need for additional energy, vitamins and minerals increases, and breast milk or its artificial substitute does not meet the baby's increased needs for vitamins, calories and trace elements. In addition, complementary foods accustom the child to the perception of more dense food, develops chewing. at this age, it is necessary to introduce the child to additional nutrition. Before 4 months, the child's body is not physiologically prepared for the perception of new dense food. And later than six months it is undesirable to start, as there may be problems with adapting to food of a denser consistency than milk. Therefore, according to most experts in the field of baby nutrition, the first complementary foods should be introduced in the period from 4 to 6 months of life. With artificial feeding, you can start complementary foods from 4.5 months, with breastfeeding - from 5-6 months. Remember that the timing of the introduction of complementary foods is individual.
Insufficient supply of energy and nutrients from breast milk alone can lead to stunted growth and malnutrition;
due to the inability of breast milk to meet the needs of the child, micronutrient deficiencies, especially iron and zinc, may develop;
Optimal development of motor skills, such as chewing, and the child's positive perception of the new taste and texture of food may not be ensured.
Therefore, it is necessary to introduce complementary foods at the right time, at the appropriate stages of development.
Much controversy remains over exactly when to start introducing complementary foods. And although everyone agrees that optimal age varies from child to child, whether to recommend introducing complementary foods at “4 to 6 months” or “at about 6 months” remains an open question. It should be clarified that "6 months" is defined as the end of the first six months of a child's life when he is 26 weeks old, and not the beginning of the sixth month, i.e. 21–22 weeks. Similarly, "4 months" refers to the end, not the beginning, of the fourth month of life.
There is near universal agreement that complementary foods should not be started before 4 months of age and should not be delayed beyond 6 months of age. Several WHO and UNICEF publications use language recommending complementary foods at "4-6 months" or "at about 6 months". But the scientific substantiation of the recommendation for a period of 4–6 months does not have sufficient documentary evidence. In a published WHO/UNICEF report on complementary feeding in developing countries, the authors recommended that full-term infants be exclusively breastfed until about 6 months of age.
When introducing complementary foods before 6 months of age, consideration should be given to factors such as body weight and fetal age at birth, clinical condition and general status. physical development and nutritional status of the child. A study in Honduras found that feeding breastfed infants with birth weights between 1500 and 2500 g high-quality complementary foods from 4 months of age did not provide any benefits for physical development. These results support the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for about 6 months, even for small babies.
What and how to give in the first complementary foods?
The first dishes of complementary foods are vegetable purees or cereals. If the child is underweight or has an unstable stool, it is best to start with cereals. Conversely, when overweight, normal weight or a tendency to constipation, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods with vegetable puree.
If your baby is devoid of such troubles and is absolutely healthy, then the advice of pediatricians and nutritionists is currently reduced to starting complementary foods with vegetable puree.
Food - vegetables.
Vegetable puree is rich in mineral salts (potassium, iron), organic acids, pectins and plant fibers that normalize stool. It is better to start with foods such as zucchini, all types of cabbage, potatoes, they are the least likely to cause allergies. Later, you can try carrots, beets and tomatoes. The modern children's industry offers a wide range of different types of purees. According to the degree of grinding, they are divided into homogenized, which are offered to children from 4.5 months, puree for children 6–9 months and coarsely ground (9–12 months).
Canned vegetables for children are prepared with a small amount salt, and some manufacturers leave the taste of vegetables natural, without adding salt at all. No need to additionally salt them and add vegetable oil.
Puree from legumes, tomatoes, with spices should not be given as complementary foods to babies aged 4-6 months, since tomatoes, which are among the vegetables that cause allergies in children, can be introduced into the diet no earlier than six months. tomato paste containing salt is best introduced from 6-7 months. Legumes, which contain a high level of plant fibers and special types of sugars that can cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa and increased gas formation no earlier than 7–8 months. Onion and garlic containing essential oils, irritating the mucous membrane of the stomach, intestines, kidneys - only from 8-9 months, while spices - from 9 months and older, better after a year and a half.
How to feed a child?
You should offer a new dish not once, but at least 10-12 times, and only after the baby stubbornly refuses it, move on to another type of vegetable. After the child has not accepted this or that vegetable, do not immediately switch to cereals, try another, sweeter vegetable.
How to prepare mashed potatoes?
Can cook vegetable food on your own, using both fresh and frozen vegetables. To do this, they must be boiled, then mashed (in a blender or using a regular crush). Add a little vegetable or melted butter (in a volume of no more than 3-4 grams).
Butter is another new complementary food that children have been introduced to since the introduction of vegetable puree or porridge. It is a source of nutrients, energy, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E). Vegetable oil is allowed to be introduced from 4.5 months, butter - not earlier than 5-6 months.
Complementary foods - porridge
Two weeks after the baby gets used to the vegetable puree, you can begin the introduction of cereal complementary foods. Dry instant cereals are the most convenient. To prepare them, you only need to mix the dry powder with warm boiled water and mix. The advantage of these products (as well as canned baby food) is their guaranteed chemical composition, safety and saturation with essential vitamins, calcium, iron and minerals. You can also use dry milk porridges that require cooking, flour for baby food, as well as ordinary cereals, previously ground in a coffee grinder. It is important to emphasize that gluten-free cereals - rice, also buckwheat and corn flour should be used as the first cereal; other cereals - rye, wheat, barley, oats - contain gluten. This is the main protein of cereals, in babies it can cause such unpleasant phenomena as pain and bloating. The principles of introducing cereals are the same as for other types of complementary foods - start with one type of cereal, gradually, a week after the introduction of the first cereal, try another type, even later - you can switch to cereal from a mixture of cereals.
Do not sweeten commercially produced cereals
It should be borne in mind that the child is only getting used to new tastes, and his future eating habits depend on how well he is taught to eat in the family. As a consequence, the habit of sugary foods can lead to obesity and related diseases.
How to introduce a new complementary food?
You need to start with one type of the least allergenic product. The interval between the introduction of various complementary foods should be at least 5-7 days. While the baby begins to try something new, you should carefully examine the skin daily for the appearance of any rash, and also monitor the stool. If rashes appear or the nature of the stool changes (frequent and liquid), it is necessary to cancel the complementary food dish and consult a doctor.
A new product should not be introduced if the child is unwell or during preventive vaccinations, it is undesirable to start in hot weather.
It is recommended to give a "novelty" before breastfeeding - then a hungry child is likely to react positively to food. In addition, it is better to offer a new dish in the morning in order to monitor the baby's condition throughout the day.
Complementary foods are given to the baby only with a spoon, and not through the nipple.
Don't aim for too much variety in your diet. small child, for starters, 2-3 types of vegetables introduced progressively (one per week) are enough. It is necessary to adhere to certain schemes for introducing new foods into the baby's diet.
An example of the introduction of cereals and vegetable purees:
Day 1 - 1 teaspoon (5g)
2nd day - 2 tsp (10g)
3rd day - 3 tsp (15 g)
4th day - 4 tsp (20 g)
5th day - 50 ml (50g)
6th day - 100ml (100g)
7th day - 150 ml (150g).
An example of the introduction of vegetable and melted butter:
if a child eats cereals of industrial production, they already have oil and should not be added additionally.
1st day -1 drop
2nd day - 2 drops
3rd day - 5 drops
4th day - ¼ tsp
5th day - ½ tsp. (3g)
Nutrition for a 6-month-old child (volume of porridge and puree up to 150 ml, feeding frequency 5-6 times a day)
First feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml
Second feeding. Porridge
150 ml
Third feeding. vegetable puree
150 ml
Fourth feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml
Fifth feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml
Sixth feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml
An approximate scheme for the introduction of complementary foods and dishes for natural feeding of children in the first year of life:
| Child's age, months | Note | |||||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9-12 | ||
| Fruit juices, ml | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90-100 | from 3 months |
| Fruit puree, g | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90-100 | from 3.5 months |
| Curd, g | 10-30 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | from 5 months | ||
| Yolk, piece | 0,25 | 0,5 | 0,5 | 0,5 | from 6 months | |||
| Vegetable puree, g | 10-100 | 150 | 150 | 170 | 180 | 200 | from 4.5-5.5 months | |
| Milk porridge, g | 50-100 | 150 | 150 | 180 | 200 | from 5.5-6.5 months | ||
| Meat puree, g | 5-30 | 50 | 60-70 | from 7 months | ||||
| Fish puree, g | 5-30 | 30-60 | from 8 months | |||||
| 200 | 200 | 400-500 | from 7.5-8 months | |||||
| 5 | 5 | 10 | from 7 months | |||||
| Crackers, cookies, g | 3-5 | 5 | 5 | 10-15 | from 6 months | |||
| 1-3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | from 4.5-5 months | ||
| Butter | 1-4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | from 5 months | ||
| Whole milk | 100 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | from 4 months | |
An approximate scheme for the introduction of foods and complementary foods for artificial feeding of children in the first year of life:
| Name of products and dishes of complementary foods | Child's age, months | |||||||||
| 0-1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9-12 | |
| Adapted milk formula or "follow-up" milk formulas, ml | 700-800 | 800-900 | 800-900 | 800-900 | 700 | 400 | 300-400 | 350 | 200-400 | 200-400 |
| Fruit juices, ml | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 80-100 | |||
| Fruit puree, g | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 80-100 | |||
| Curd, g | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40-50 | |||||
| Yolk, piece | 0,25 | 0,5 | 0,5 | 0,5 | ||||||
| Vegetable puree, g | 10-100 | 150 | 150 | 170 | 180 | 180-200 | ||||
| Milk porridge, g | 50-100 | 150 | 170 | 180 | 180-200 | |||||
| Meat puree, g | 5-30 | 50 | 50 | 60-70 | ||||||
| Fish puree, g | 5-30 | 30-60 | ||||||||
| Kefir and others dairy products or "following" mixtures, ml | 200 | 200-400 | 200-400 | |||||||
| Bread (wheat, highest quality), G | 5 | 5 | 10 | |||||||
| Crackers, cookies, g | 3-5 | 5 | 5 | 10-15 | ||||||
| Vegetable oil (sunflower, corn) | 1-3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Butter | 1-4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Whole milk | 100 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | ||||
Keep in mind that the schemes are approximate and if the child is fully breastfed and develops normally (this should be decided by the pediatrician), all the timing of the introduction of complementary foods can be shifted by 2-3 months. The table indicates that a child of his age can already eat.
Notes on the introduction of complementary foods:
- Whole milk is used to prepare complementary foods (vegetable puree and cereals).
- The amount of yogurt depends on the amount of adapted or "following" mixture received by the child.
Fruit juices are given little by little, first diluted 1: 1 with boiled water. Fruit puree is introduced only 2-3 weeks after the juice. It is better to start with apple juice and puree. Berries are excluded up to 6 months.
Last time at breastfeeding The introduction of complementary foods is recommended with a good weight gain from 6 months of age, so the tables are approximate. Check with your pediatrician before introducing complementary foods.
The tables were developed in accordance with guidelines No. 225 (1999) " Modern principles and methods of feeding children in the first year of life" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.
The proposed recommendations for feeding children in the first year of life are based on the results of the analysis of the modern world scientific literature and own research. Their legitimacy is also confirmed by the clinical experience of observing children in the first year of life.
The excitement of the first months of a child's life, characteristic of all young parents, subsided. Mom decided on the necessary for breastfeeding diet or picked up a mixture suitable for the baby. But the baby is growing and even supporters of a long breastfeeding by the age of six months, the child thinks about complementary foods. Parents of artificers begin to worry about this issue much earlier, since even the most perfect blend is not able to fully meet the needs of infants in vitamins and minerals. The first feeding of a baby causes a lot of questions and doubts among inexperienced parents. Grandmothers, acquaintances, mothers with experience and pediatricians often advise different things, and the well-being of the baby depends on when and how correctly complementary foods are introduced.
When can complementary foods be introduced
Soviet pediatricians adhered to strict rules for feeding babies, so the opinion of our grandmothers, who know exactly what months complementary foods are introduced, is often based on the same universal recommendations for all. Modern doctors believe that the readiness of the baby to assimilate adult food is formed individually, so it is necessary to start introducing complementary foods, focusing on the signs of the baby's readiness for this process.
Factors that indicate that the baby is ready for the introduction of complementary foods are:
- Doubled weight
- The ability of the baby to hold the object in the fist and pull it into the mouth
- Ability to sit and reach for a spoon while leaning forward, or lean back (turn head away) to reject offered food
- Interest in the food your parents eat
- The ability of the baby to drink water from a spoon without pushing the spoon out of the mouth and without spilling water on the chin
You need to start introducing complementary foods only when the baby can no longer get enough breast milk (the mother gives both breasts in one feeding, but the baby clearly wants more). For an artificial animal, an indicator of the need to introduce complementary foods is the need to eat more than a liter of the mixture per day.
Since the stomach of an infant up to 6 months is not able to normally digest any food other than mother's milk, the World Health Organization recommends starting the introduction of "adult" food into the diet of an infant after six months if the baby is fed breast milk. And on the recommendation of a pediatrician after 4 months, if the child is fed a mixture.
Many advise introducing complementary foods after the appearance of the first tooth, focusing on the fact that, on average, teeth erupt at the age of 5-6 months. But there are babies in whom the first teeth appear by 11 months. By this time, these children are eating vegetable and fruit purees, grated soups and even crackers. Other babies have teeth as early as 4 months. Therefore, the appearance of the first tooth cannot serve as a signal that it is time to start giving the baby complementary foods.
In order not to harm the baby, the introduction of complementary foods requires compliance with certain rules.
Rules for the introduction of complementary foods
Even if you are tired of breastfeeding, and the child is actively pulling his hands to adult food, do not rush to give the baby the dish that he reaches for. The basic rule is to start introducing new food gradually, with half a teaspoon.
Keep in mind - the baby can push the food back with his tongue, as children are very conservative and wary of food of an unfamiliar texture and taste.
After the child has tried a new food, he should be supplemented with breast milk or formula, and then carefully observe the baby's reaction to complementary foods. Attention should be paid to:
- Chair. Increased flatulence, constipation or intestinal upset signal that it is too early to give the dish that you offered the child. Changes in the color of stools should not be scared
- Skin condition. Any rash is a contraindication to administering this product at this time
- Sleep and behavior
If during the day you did not notice any changes, the dose of the new product can be gradually increased slightly (up to a teaspoon), and then in two weeks the amount of this product should be brought up to the age norm. Maximum amount for one feeding - from 180 to 200 gr.
To introduce complementary foods correctly, it is also necessary:
- Give new food only to an absolutely healthy child (since the baby is weakened after vaccination, it is not recommended to introduce complementary foods during this period)
- Do not insist if the baby refuses food, but try to offer him this dish the next day. A new product is offered about 10 - 15 times - it is during this period that new taste sensations develop
- Introduce only one new product, and proceed to the next only when the first complementary foods have already become habitual for the baby (that is, the introduction of products should be phased). The interval between the introduction of new foods into the diet is on average from 10 days to 2 weeks.
- It is better to introduce the baby to a new product during the first feeding - this way you can control the child’s reaction to food, and if the baby has colic, help him in daytime easier for you
- Give the crumbs dishes that are homogeneous in consistency and initially as close as possible in density to milk or a mixture. It is necessary to switch to thick food gradually, as the baby must get used to swallowing it, and then learn how to chew. By 10 months you can offer meals with small pieces of food
- Give food only freshly prepared and warm. Jars with ready-made puree must be heated. At first, you will have to eat up the puree yourself, since the shelf life of an open jar is limited.
- For complementary foods, it is important to use only low-allergenic foods that grow in the area where you live. For children of those regions where oranges and bananas grow, these products are quite acceptable in the form of mashed potatoes and juices, and for children of those countries where bananas are exotic fruits, it is better to start complementary foods with an apple
- You need to give complementary foods only from a spoon, even if you offer the baby juice
The introduction of complementary foods needs an individual approach even when a certain scheme for the introduction of new products is observed, since different children have their own individual reactions to the same products.
Watch a short video about the first feeding of the baby, but do not forget to read the article to the end, because we have a lot interesting information for you.
What foods, at what age and in what order should be introduced into the diet of the baby
If thirty years ago there was a single rigid scheme for the introduction of complementary foods, then the opinions of modern experts on how to properly introduce complementary foods and what product to start with differ.
The introduction of complementary foods can be started according to the traditional scheme, or you can use the pedagogical methodology.
The traditional scheme suggests introducing new foods in a certain order and at certain times, however, the order in which certain foods are introduced into the baby's diet is recommended to be different.
The introduction of complementary foods according to the pedagogical scheme requires much more time, but the pedagogical scheme assumes a complete absence of violence against the will of the baby - the child is offered small (pinch) doses of foods that parents are currently eating. Thus, the child gets acquainted with new tastes and chooses suitable ones for himself. The amount of the product you like is gradually brought to 3 teaspoons, but the baby is still saturated with mother's milk or formula, so the mother must eat right.
Usually, mothers prefer to introduce complementary foods according to the traditional scheme, but initially they are often not sure that they have chosen the correct sequence of foods for complementary foods.
Previously, children's doctors recommended starting complementary foods with juices (carrot in the first place), and at the age of 4-5 months, the crumbs were offered baked apple puree.
Modern pediatricians do not advise starting complementary foods with juices. For babies who are gaining weight well, a one-component vegetable puree is offered. As a first food, you can use mashed zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli. In some babies, zucchini provokes colic, so if this product is poorly tolerated, it is better for babies to give cauliflower.
Starting complementary foods with sweet foods such as fruit puree and juices, you run the risk of a child categorically refusing to eat vegetable purees, which will seem less tasty to him.
The table below clearly shows which foods are allergenic and which are not. We advise you to familiarize yourself with it and take into account its data in order to reduce the risk of allergic reactions in infants during the introduction of the first complementary foods.
When it is necessary to introduce the first complementary foods with artificial feeding - parents begin to ask this question almost from the birth of the baby. Formula-fed babies generally grow just as well as breast-fed babies. As a rule, they are also healthy, vigorous and develop at a normal pace, like babies, because manufacturers of modern formulas for feeding try to give the child everything that is contained in women's breast milk, while maintaining its nutritional value, as well as the balance of proteins and fats. and carbohydrates.
Of course, there are some components in breast milk that cannot be reproduced in mixtures, despite all the efforts of scientists and the possibilities of the current level of production. First of all, these are immunomodulators (substances that activate the work immune system and protecting the baby's body from diseases during the entire period of breastfeeding), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and other essential polyunsaturated fatty acids necessary for the successful intellectual development of the baby, as well as some other components. But all these substances are specific ingredients that are found only in women's breast milk and nowhere else, and not a single complementary food can replace them.
Why is food needed?
Therefore, the introduction of complementary foods during artificial feeding should not set itself the task of compensating for something that was not received by the artificial baby, it is necessary to obtain new vitamins and microelements that the baby’s body begins to need as it grows up, to increase the number of calories needed by the rapidly growing body, and for the gradual acquaintance of the child with "adult" food. The reasons for the introduction of complementary foods are exactly the same as in the case of infants: the child grows up, moves to new stages of development, his needs change, and parents try to satisfy them in time.All children, both those who are artificially fed and those who are natural, have exactly the same structure of the digestive system, and our organisms of the “old assembly”, regardless of the success of the food industry: hundreds of years ago, when mixtures did not exist in principle, children were exactly the same the same as now, and in the traditions of almost all peoples of the world, the introduction of the first complementary foods is timed to coincide with the appearance of the first milk teeth and mastering the ability to sit. Together with the beginning of the manifestation of interest in your “adult food”, these are the three main markers of readiness to receive new types of food, and on average this age is estimated by modern experts as 5-6 months: for children on artificial feeding, a little earlier, for babies on breastfeeding - from half a year.
When to start feeding a baby: why not from 3 months?
In the middle of the last century, during the heyday of the era of artificial feeding, pediatricians around the world recommended that mothers introduce the first complementary foods from 3 or even 2 months old, and they advised starting with apple juice, designed to compensate for the lack of iron in mixtures. But at the present time, both the age of the start of complementary foods and its type are recognized by competent pediatricians as premature: at 3 months (and even earlier) the baby’s stomach is not ready to process anything other than breast milk or its substitutes, and even more so - acids: they are irritating and lead to gastroenterological problems later. Therefore, if we start early complementary foods, then definitely not with apple juice, as has been recommended for decades.Unfortunately, even now pediatricians who do not seek to engage in their own professional growth and get acquainted with the latest research in their field continue to insist on the excessively early introduction of complementary foods for artificial babies (they recommend complementary foods at 3 months with artificial feeding). Although artificial feeding has changed since this postulate was invented, and formulas have undergone significant changes, greatly improving their composition, moreover, the consequences of introducing complementary foods for crumbs at such an early age have been studied and described. But until now, doctors in clinics and “specialists” on the Internet advise introducing the first complementary foods with artificial feeding as early as possible - sites are full of such recommendations, and mothers follow them trustingly (especially since grandmothers support them - after all, they themselves raised their children according to "old" schemes).
Also, many people like to refer to the "WHO recommendations", although if you still read them carefully, you can be sure that they are not categorical and have rather blurred age boundaries due to sociocultural differences in different countries and ethnic groups.
We will not mislead parents, and we will offer them the most correct option for introducing the first complementary foods with IV - you can use our rules and scheme, and evaluate how they work for yourself.
The introduction of complementary foods with artificial feeding: basic rules
- The first complementary foods with artificial feeding are offered to a baby who is completely healthy, cheerful and good mood. For a child who has recently been ill or has been vaccinated, it is better to wait a week with complementary foods.
- The time of the first spoon is before the start of the next feeding: we give a portion of complementary foods, and then wash it down with a mixture. Complementary foods are always given in the morning to track the reaction to it during the day and not overload the baby's stomach at night.
- The dosage of complementary foods begins with micro-doses: for the first 1-2 days, half a teaspoon, then, if there are no allergic manifestations and the child likes the food offered, increase its amount to 1-2 tablespoons during the week, and then - according to the situation, depending on appetite and taste preferences baby.
- The consistency of the first complementary foods is liquid, then in the form of a puree, and only after 10 months you can start offering the baby to chew pieces of food if he already has at least a few teeth. Do not try to grind everything on the blender for too long - the child will get used to this consistency and will object to the slightest "lumps" in food. At 6-7 months, start with baby cookies or apple slices that can be chewed, and then it will be easier for the baby to get used to later with pieces of vegetables in the puree soup.
- At the beginning of the introduction, complementary foods necessarily undergo heat treatment and are given to the baby in boiled, stewed or baked form. The temperature of the food should be comfortably warm - about 36-37 degrees.
- Keep a diary to use it to determine what and when caused an allergy or indigestion. Write down in it what, at what time and in what quantity the baby tried, and then it will be easier for you to navigate in case of problems. And in order to understand what he likes and dislikes, note the emotional reaction to different types complementary foods.
- Complementary foods at the “beginning of the journey” are always mono-products: you can mix pumpkin, apple or carrot puree only when you are convinced that none of the components causes allergies in the child. When all the products have already been checked, you can mix them together, preparing mixed vegetable or fruit purees, as well as introducing meat, egg yolk or fish into vegetable mixtures.
- Do not offer a new dish until you are convinced of the complete safety of the previous one, making an interval of at least 5-7 days.
- If an allergy occurs, immediately remove this product from the menu and seek help from a pediatrician. You can return to it no earlier than in a couple of months, if everything repeats, exclude it from the diet until the child grows up.
- Do not forget to offer the baby to drink (first boiled water, then compote or juice) when complementary foods have already started.
- Never force feed your baby! No matter how useful the product is in your opinion, it is completely wrong to shove his child against his will. Firstly, the baby is a living person, not a stuffed pepper, and secondly, you don’t like all dishes yourself, so your child has the right to give preference to something and refuse something.
The scheme of the first feeding with artificial feeding
Now let's talk about the sequence of appearance of certain products in the baby's diet. We will talk about this in more detail in the material “Child's Menu with Artificial Feeding”, but for now we bring to your attention a scheme for introducing complementary foods for up to a year.- We offer products for the artificial baby in the following sequence: vegetable puree› fruit puree and juice › cereals › kefir › cottage cheese › butter and vegetable › yolk › bread and cookies › meat puree › fish puree.
- Complementary foods for healthy, normally gaining weight babies begin with vegetable dishes, and not with fruit ones: after tasting a delicious apple or a sweet banana, a child is unlikely to accept zucchini or pumpkin with enthusiasm.
- If the child has a lack of body weight, start introducing complementary foods with cereals: they are nutritious and will solve your problem faster than vegetables. Pay attention to the calorie content of dishes and offer them first when your menu is already quite extensive. Also, do not forget about the inadmissibility of force-feeding. otherwise, problems with food will accompany your baby for many more years.
- If the baby is well-fed, wait a while with cereals, or give them not too much, choosing those that saturate the child as much as possible useful substances, and not calories (that is, buckwheat and rice, not traditional semolina). When offering cookies and bread, do it to a minimum, do not overdo it, even if the baby is "really asking."
- If the baby has digestive problems, the best option for the first feeding will be baby kefir, and only then the rest of the products. All new dishes, let's be especially careful.
- The input of vegetables basically goes like this: first they offer zucchini, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, and only then carrots, beets (in the absence of allergies), green peas and potatoes. But it is better not to give white cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes and cucumbers for up to a year.
- The sequence of acquaintance with fruits can be as follows: apples, pears, peaches, apricots, bananas. Plums give in the main case of constipation, but citrus fruits and exotic fruits are not recommended for children under one year old at all.
- We introduce cereals in this order: first gluten-free - buckwheat, rice, corn grits, and after 8 months you can introduce gluten cereals - oatmeal, millet, barley. well and semolina- the most useless in terms of saturation with vitamins and trace elements, but "overloaded" with calories. In the first months, cereals for cereals can be ground in a coffee grinder.
- Protein foods in the baby’s diet appear in the following sequence: kefir, meat of dietary varieties (rabbit, chicken, turkey, veal), cottage cheese, hard cheese, low-fat fish, best of all sea (hake, cod, flounder), egg protein (it is better to start with quail, chicken protein is not recommended for up to a year, but the yolk can be tasted as part of other dishes from 8 months.)
The first complementary foods with artificial feeding: the choice of products
What products to prefer and in what sequence to offer them to the child if he has artificial feeding? Let's figure it out!- It is advisable to choose products not only according to the season, but also local ones: after all, everything that needs to be transported to distant lands or grown out of time retains its presentation only thanks to special treatment with chemicals that are by no means intended for baby food. Therefore, even while waiting for the baby, it is better to take care of preparing berries and finely chopped vegetables in the freezer - preferably grown in safe conditions.
- Fruits can be given not only in the form of puree, but also as part of compotes - they are much healthier than any purchased juices. You can also use dried fruits for compotes - it's tasty and healthy. When preparing fruit or vegetable juice, in the first months make it without pulp and dilute it with a little water.
- Cow's milk is contraindicated for babies under one year old (do not rush to give goat's and sheep's milk, too). It causes severe digestive disorders and allergic reactions, besides, in our time, mixtures are produced that are maximally adapted to natural human milk, and it is risky and imprudent to offer the baby the milk of animals whose cubs have completely different characteristics and needs. If you want to dilute complementary foods, it is better to add milk mixture to porridge or mashed potatoes, but in no case cow's milk, especially the so-called "long-term storage". Man in general is the only creature in nature who offers his children the milk of representatives of another species, and this is by no means his best decision.
- Meat and fish intended for baby foods should not be “store-frozen” (for the same reasons: they contain too many ingredients that are dangerous to health). If your child has a tendency to allergic reactions, it is not recommended to give fish up to a year at all.
- Soups for babies up to a year old are prepared in vegetable broths, meat soups are still too heavy for the kidneys.
- When cooking for babies up to a year, neither salt, nor sugar, nor spices are used! It may seem to you personally that it is not tasty, but this is only because you are used to something else, while the child is quite capable of feeling the natural taste of products.
- If you buy ready-made meals, make sure that they are age-appropriate and not expired. Try not to abuse purchased jars: this is a great option on the road, on vacation or at a party, but for everyday eating it is better to choose dishes prepared by oneself.
Complementary feeding table for artificial feeding
To make it easier for you to navigate all this variety of information, we have prepared for you a table in which artificial feeding and complementary foods are coordinated, and the sequence of introducing certain products into your child’s diet is systematized and clear: complementary foods for months with artificial feeding are in front of you.| Dishes | 5-6 months | 6-7 months | 7-8 months | 9-10 months | 11-12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vegetable puree | 5-100 g | 100-150 g | 160-170 g | 170-180 g | 190-200 g |
| Fruit puree | 5-50 g | 50-60 g | 60-70 g | 80-90 g | 90-100 g |
| Fruit juice or compote | 5-50 g | 50-60 g | 60-70 g | 80-90 g | 90-100\150 g |
| Porridge | - | 50-100 g | 150 g | 180 g | 200 g |
| Kefir | - | 10-30 g | 50-100 g | 100-150 g | 200-300 g |
| Cottage cheese | - | 10-30 g | 40 g | 40 g | 50 g |
| Butter | - | 1-3 g | 4 g | 5 g | 6 g |
| Vegetable oil | - | 1-3 ml | 4 ml | 5 ml | 6 ml |
| Yolk | - | - | 1\4 | 1\2 | 1\2-1 |
| Baby biscuits | - | - | 3-5 g | 10 g | 15 g |
| wheat bread | - | - | 3-5 g | 10 g | 15 g |
| Meat puree | - | - | 10-30 g | 50 g | 60-70 g |
| Fish puree | - | - | - | 10-30 g | 30-60 g |
Dosing products is not at all difficult: 5 g is a little less than a teaspoon, 10 g is 2 teaspoons, and so on.
Well, good luck with your start! Carefully observe the baby, sensitively react to the signals of his body, feed him with love - and he will be a healthy, cheerful and well-developed baby.
