Scheme for introducing complementary foods during breastfeeding. How to introduce the first complementary foods correctly Introduction of complementary foods from 6

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Intense physical and emotional development By the end of the first half of the year, the baby requires more vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, microelements than breast milk or formula can provide. The time has come to introduce your baby to new tastes and products. Feeding a 6 month old baby is a step in adult life, requiring a careful and responsible approach. How to properly introduce complementary foods from 6 months infant? The main principle in this matter is patience and caution.

Basic rules of introduction

In order for the new food in the diet to only benefit the baby, you need to know how to properly introduce complementary foods to infants at 6 months. Pediatricians' recommendations on this issue are quite simple, but the child's health depends on following these tips.

The main rule is that you can start feeding a 6-month-old baby only if he is completely healthy. Any, even minor, ailment of the baby, preparing it for vaccination, a few days after it, intestinal diseases and the recovery period are an absolute contraindication for this.

Children may not understand the taste of a new dish. Therefore, complementary feeding should be offered only when the baby is hungry. Give it before or, starting with a small amount (1 teaspoon), bringing the volume of food to the age norm over a few weeks.

In this case, you need to carefully monitor the baby’s reaction to the new nutritional component. Increased attention is paid to the baby's skin reactions and stool. If these indicators are normal, then after the baby’s adaptation to the first complementary feeding is completed, the next product can be introduced.

Consistency, attentiveness and lack of haste are the second rule for successful complementary feeding at six months.

Complementary feeding of a baby - infant and artificial - at 6 months may differ. A baby who is accustomed to formula adapts more easily to new food. Therefore, introducing “adult” food into an infant’s diet requires special attention and consultation with a pediatrician who will determine how to properly introduce complementary foods in each case.

For complementary feeding, products that are industrially manufactured specifically for baby food are suitable. But if desired, mother can cook the food herself. In this case, the main requirement is cleanliness of dishes, kitchen utensils and hands. Only freshly prepared food is suitable for feeding your baby. Any, even short-term storage of it leads to the loss of the product’s beneficial qualities and increases the likelihood of food poisoning.

The same dish does not need to be given to your child several times a day. The menu should be varied and balanced. A new product can be introduced into the diet only after complete adaptation to the previous one has taken place. As a rule, this period ranges from several weeks to a month.

When introducing new products, you need to monitor your stool and condition. skin. If they remain normal, then the portion is gradually increased.

What should complementary foods be at 6 months?

For most infants and some formula-fed babies, complementary feeding begins at 6 months. The main product at this age is still breast milk or an adapted formula. New food is added to the menu carefully and gradually replaces feeding with the usual milk.

The sequence of foods in complementary feeding for infants from 6 months is important. If introduced first, the baby may later refuse to eat unsweetened or dairy-free foods. Therefore, the introduction of complementary foods from 6 months with breastfeeding just like with artificial, it is best to start with cereals or vegetables.

What the first “adult” dish will be is decided by the pediatrician, who constantly monitors the child’s development and is guided by his individual characteristics and needs. For example, if a baby has a tendency to, then the doctor will recommend vegetable puree. If main problem the baby has a deficiency, regurgitation, then the first complementary food for him should be porridge.

Vegetables

Vegetable puree - best option a product with which the introduction of complementary foods can begin for a 6-month-old child. Vegetables would be appropriate in a children's menu, especially if the baby has digestive problems. Mashed potatoes for 6 months while breastfeeding should contain only one vegetable. Firstly, it will be easier for the baby’s digestive system to cope with the load. Secondly, if it occurs, then it will be easy for the mother to understand which product triggered it.

First, the diet is enriched with green or white vegetables. After the child gets used to them, you can introduce orange vegetables (carrots and pumpkin). Potatoes are offered to the baby later because they are difficult to digest.

At first, mashed potatoes from jars will be preferable. But if the mother is confident in the quality of the vegetables and their ecological purity, she can make puree for the baby herself. Vegetables are steamed or stewed in a small amount of water, then pureed in a blender.

Meat

This is a heavy product, so at 6 months it is added to the child’s diet only on the recommendation of a doctor. As a rule, this need is due to the presence of anemia in the baby. First of all, they offer turkey, rabbit, and chicken. You can try lamb, lean pork, horse meat.

At first, they offer only one type of meat for 5 days, half a teaspoon. The meat is chopped and added to puree or porridge. Gradually increase the portion. After a few months, you can offer your baby dishes made from minced meat - meatballs and cutlets, steamed meat soufflé. Meat broths are not offered to children under 12 months. They create an increased load on his fragile digestive system.

Porridge

They are introduced as the first complementary food product during breastfeeding if the baby is not gaining weight well. You can add them to the children's menu second after vegetables. The procedure for introducing porridge is similar to the rules for complementary feeding with vegetable puree. First, they offer a few spoons, gradually increasing the amount to the age norm.

You can cook them from cereals or buy special porridge in boxes. First of all, the baby’s diet includes porridges consisting of one type of grain. It could also be porridge. Since they do not contain gluten, allergic reactions to them do not occur.

Modern complementary feeding rules do not allow the introduction of baby food up to a year Such caution towards this product is explained by the high content of gluten, which, due to its immaturity, digestive system Infants may contribute to the development of allergic reactions. For the same reason, oatmeal and multi-grain porridge can be offered to the baby closer to 12 months.

The first porridges are cooked in water without adding sugar or salt. If the baby refuses dairy-free porridge, then the rules for complementary feeding at 6 months during breastfeeding allow adding a little mother’s milk to the finished product. For an artificial baby, you can dilute porridge with his usual adapted milk mixture.

Eggs

Several decades ago, domestic pediatricians recommended introducing chicken egg yolk into the diet of infants. Today, it is recommended to delay the start of complementary feeding with this product until 7-8 months. Chicken yolk can be replaced with quail, which is considered a less allergenic product. The first portion of hard-boiled yolk is a quarter. It can be diluted with formula or breast milk, added to vegetable puree or porridge.

Cottage cheese

It can be given to a child after six months. But it should be taken into account that although cottage cheese is healthy, it is difficult to digest and creates an increased load on the kidneys. Therefore, many pediatricians recommend introducing the baby to him later.

If the doctor recommends enriching the baby’s diet with cottage cheese, then the first acquaintance begins with half a teaspoon. If the product is well absorbed by the child, the portion is gradually increased, bringing it to 50 grams per year. It is given to the baby no more than several times a week, without exceeding the recommended dosages.

Previously, mothers prepared cottage cheese themselves or purchased it from a dairy kitchen. Today you can buy a finished product from your favorite manufacturer. If you take cottage cheese in jars, it is better to choose a product from a well-known manufacturer with a good reputation. You can buy cottage cheese only in places where the terms and conditions for its storage are observed.

If the curd does not cause an allergic reaction, then after a month you can mix it with fruit puree.

Menu

Diet of a six-month-old toddler eating adapted mixture, and the diet of infants of this age are different.

When breastfeeding

A baby who feeds exclusively on mother's milk and develops normally does not require any new foods for up to six months. Until this age, he does not need to be given any juices, fruits, or yolk, as was customary before. This is especially true for children prone to allergies.

Before introducing a new food to your child’s menu, you need to contact your pediatrician for recommendations on how to properly start complementary feeding at 6 months while breastfeeding. The doctor will help you choose the right first product that is most suitable for your baby. It can be pureed vegetables or fruits, porridge or juice.

If the baby’s acquaintance with the first products began at six months, then by the end of the sixth month the baby’s menu may be as follows:

• The recommended number of feedings per day is 5.
• At the first morning feeding, at about 6 am, breast milk is given.
• During the second morning feeding, at approximately 10 am, in addition to breast milk, you can give 30 grams of fruit puree.
• At the next daily feeding at this age, you can completely replace the milk with vegetable puree (150 g) with the addition of vegetable oil and 60 ml of fruit juice.
• In the evening feeding, breast milk is supplemented with 30 grams of fruit puree.
• At night, the baby is given breast milk.

This is an approximate diet for a child who began receiving complementary foods at 6 months.

If complementary foods were introduced a month earlier, the baby’s daily menu will be different. The first morning feeding includes only breast milk. The second feeding consists of a portion of porridge with the addition of butter and fruit puree. At the third feeding, vegetable puree with vegetable oil and yolk is given. You can offer fruit juice. In the evening, you can give your baby milk and a little cottage cheese or just milk. At the last feeding before bedtime, the baby is offered the breast.

If necessary, for example, when a child does not eat the recommended amount of “adult” food, he must be supplemented with breast milk. At six months of age, it still remains the baby's main food. Complementary feeding is not a vital necessity. We can say that at this stage the main purpose of its introduction is to familiarize the child with new tastes and develop certain skills.

If your baby is intolerant to protein cow's milk, then his daily diet needs to be adjusted, taking into account individual characteristics. The first feeding, as in previous options, consists of breast milk. Later, around 10 am, you can feed your baby dairy-free porridge with vegetable oil and fruit puree.

For lunch they offer vegetable puree with meat and fruit puree. At the next feeding, you can prepare a dish consisting of vegetables and cereals, for example, zucchini with rice or buckwheat. Before bedtime, the baby is offered breast milk. Each feeding of the baby should end with additional breast milk.

With artificial feeding

The nutrition of a six-month-old artificial baby will differ from the diet of a breastfed baby. Complementary foods are introduced about a month earlier to compensate for the lack of nutrients that occurs in the absence of breast milk.

This problem is especially acute in children who are allergic to milk protein. These babies, on the recommendation of a pediatrician, can eat meat from 5 months. If the mother prepares the meat herself, then for children with allergies it is necessary to boil it twice. They do not need to be given veal and beef. The composition of the protein in these products is similar to milk and can cause allergies. Therefore, preference is given to lean pork, rabbit, turkey and chicken.

It is recommended to feed a six-month-old baby who eats an adapted formula 5 times a day. The first feeding of a child, whose complementary feeding began at 4.5-5 months, includes 200 ml of an adapted milk, fermented milk or special hypoallergenic formula. By about 10 am, the baby can be fed porridge - one-ingredient and dairy-free, or with the addition of the usual milk formula (150 g) and 4 g of butter. The porridge is complemented with fruit puree. Lunch can consist of pureed vegetables and egg yolk. You can offer your baby fruit juice. For an afternoon snack, cottage cheese and cookies would be appropriate. The usual mixture will complement it. Before bedtime, the baby receives a mixture.

The baby's diet at 6 months, depending on his developmental characteristics, health status and pediatrician's recommendations, may include fruit juices, raw, boiled and baked fruits, vegetables, cereals, cottage cheese, egg yolk, vegetable oil (corn, olive or sunflower) and creamy.

When a certain dish is not to the baby’s taste, the mother should not despair. You can try offering it later, after a break. If at first the baby has no desire to try new food, there is no need to show displeasure, much less scold him. A child should not be forced to eat if there is no appetite. If a child has not become familiar with complementary foods by six months, this will not cause any harm to his health. It is much more important to maintain a good mood. The key to successful introduction of complementary foods and the baby’s excellent appetite subsequently is the mother’s patience and consistency of actions, calmness and love.

Useful video about introducing complementary foods

The child is growing and parents are faced with the question of how to introduce the first complementary foods to their breastfed child at the age of 6 months.

At six months, the best time to start introducing your child to adult foods.

Age-related features of introducing complementary foods at 6 months

There are two popular pediatric methods:

1. Developed under the guidance of WHO (World Health Organization). The introduction of complementary foods begins at 6 months;
2. Developed according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. It is very similar to the WHO method, only the timing differs: with breastfeeding, complementary feeding should begin at 6 months, with artificial feeding - from 4 months.

There is also a pedagogical method of complementary feeding. It gained popularity due to the fact that there is no need to prepare food separately. Feeding occurs in very small doses of food that the parents eat. In this method, it is important that the parents' food is healthy. If the parent's table consists mainly of fried, spicy, smoked dishes, such complementary feeding is strictly contraindicated.

Rules for introducing complementary foods

A child prone to constipation begins complementary feeding with purees (vegetables, fruits). If you have lost weight, porridge is introduced first. Children with normal and overweight should give preference to one-component puree.

It is necessary to start feeding your baby at 6 months with small doses. In the first days you should not give more than ½ teaspoon. Gradually the dose should be increased. In 2 weeks, the dose should reach 150 g, replacing one breastfeeding.

You should not constantly give different foods; first, you should bring one product to the recommended volume. During this time, the stomach will get used to it, then you can add a new product.

New food is given when the baby is hungry, after which you can supplement with breast milk.

Every time you introduce a new product, it is important to monitor how the child reacts. Any product can cause allergies or stomach upset.

Children with low body weight should start complementary feeding with cereals. To replace milk, you can add mother's milk or formula to the porridge. At first the porridge should be liquid, but you can gradually increase the consistency to a thicker consistency.

First, monocomponent purees (from one product) are introduced. You can mix them later, when your baby tries them all separately. During breastfeeding, porridge should be prepared in water, because milk protein causes intolerance. All dishes should be ground until smooth before feeding.

If the baby has a tendency to allergies, we first introduce dishes from green and white vegetables (zucchini, cabbage, green beans, potatoes).

Diet

As the baby grows, the routine also changes. The meal schedule for six-month-old children consists of 5 meals a day, with a 4-hour interval between feedings.

The scheme of the first complementary feeding consists of a gradual increase in portions and the consistent addition of new products. One month you need to get used to one type of food, the next month to another. It's worth starting with low-allergenic products. You should feed a new dish in the morning so that you can monitor your baby until the evening.

On note! The introduction of new foods should not completely replace breastfeeding, but only complement it.

What should not be given to infants?

Feeding a baby at 6 months should be approached with great caution, because... Many foods cause an allergic reaction and digestive system upset. It is forbidden to immediately feed multi-component purees. If an allergy occurs, it will be difficult to understand which product.

You can feed children only freshly prepared food; it is better not to feed food even after short-term storage. Lost during storage beneficial properties, an unprepared baby’s stomach can get food poisoning. Also, you should not give the same dish several times a day; the food should be varied.

• Cow and goat milk. It is forbidden to give for up to a year, because whole milk is poorly digested, which can result in problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
• Milk porridge. Milk negatively affects the baby's stomach. If the baby refuses dairy-free porridge, you can add mother’s milk or formula to it, depending on the child’s nutrition;
• Gluten porridge. Gluten provokes pathologies of the small intestine. Gluten-free porridges include rice, corn, and buckwheat porridge;
• Confectionery and sweets from the store. All kinds of buns at this age are too heavy food for a baby’s tummy. In addition to sugar, sweets contain a lot of fats and chemicals. Chocolate is made from cocoa, which is a very strong allergen. Chocolate also invigorates and causes overexcitation.
• Salt. It retains fluid in the body, which puts stress on the kidneys. It is necessary to exclude all salty dishes from the menu (cucumbers, fish, crackers, etc.) and you should not add salt to your child’s food;
• Sausages. Even expensive and high-quality sausage products contain harmful additives: dyes, preservatives, flavor enhancers;
• Fatty meat. This type of meat includes pork, lamb, duck and goose. This meat affects the liver and stomach;
• Allergenic fruits, berries, vegetables. These are red foods: strawberries, tomatoes, red peppers, red apples. Allergens also include citrus fruits and exotic fruits;
• Products that cause gas formation. Among them are all legumes, melon, cabbage, grapes;
• Seafood. Shrimp, squid, mussels. When consuming such products, there is a high probability of an allergic reaction;
• Mushrooms. They are considered heavy food and are poorly absorbed by the body. In addition, they absorb all kinds of poisons, chemicals, radiation and heavy metals;
• Marinades, sauces, spices. These include mayonnaise, ketchup, various sauces, which contain many dyes, flavoring additives, and flavor enhancers. Seasonings have an irritating effect on the intestines and provoke allergies;
• Carbonated drinks. They contain carbon dioxide, which corrodes the gastric mucosa. In addition, they contain a lot of chemicals, dyes, and sugar.

Possible problems when introducing complementary foods

When introducing new dishes, the baby’s body may react ambiguously. An unusual product can lead to the following consequences:

• Digestive disorder;
• Allergy;
• Diathesis.

• During the introduction of untested products, the child must be healthy;
• You cannot introduce unfamiliar food after vaccinations. After vaccination, you must wait 5-7 days;
• The baby should sit confidently. Feeding can only be done in a sitting position;
• An unfamiliar product is allowed to be given only once a day, no more than 1/2 teaspoon;
• A new product can be introduced only after adaptation to the previous one. It is advisable to maintain a one-week period;
• A baby on breastfeeding must be spoon-fed; on an artificial one, it is permissible to give food from a bottle;
• You need to feed until breastfeeding, juices should be given after.

Feeding menu for a 6 month old baby

As the baby's body grows, it requires additional nutrients.

The menu for a 6-month-old baby should be:

Vegetables: Cauliflower, zucchini, beets, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin. Vegetables need to be steamed and then whisked until smooth.
Fruit purees: Apple, banana, pear can be given at six months of age.
Soups without frying and with a minimum amount of salt, better without salt at all. The soup must be pureed in a blender until smooth.
Porridge. Buckwheat, rice, corn, and oatmeal are ideal for a six-month-old baby.

What can a 6 month old baby eat? artificial feeding? It is possible for artificially-fed children to start complementary feeding earlier; by six months, some dishes are already on their menu; cottage cheese, kefir, egg yolk and cookies are allowed to be added to them. They can also be given multi-component purees from those products that they have already tried.

Important! You shouldn't force someone to eat. If your baby doesn't like a product, don't insist. This product can be given again after some time.

Recipes for a 6 month old baby

At the age of six months, most babies already sit more confidently. The nutrition of a 6-month-old child on breastfeeding or on artificial feeding is not much different. You can cook according to the same recipes, adhering to the individual characteristics of the baby.

Cook or buy?

When the time for complementary feeding approaches, parents wonder what is better, buying or preparing it themselves.

Store-bought meals have several advantages:

• Quick and easy preparation;
• Convenient to transport;
• Safety. During production, the quality of products is carefully checked;
• Products are ready at the right time.

You can also cook it yourself, it makes it easier to stick to the required amount of ingredients. Cooking your own food is also much cheaper. Some of the benefits of making your own meals include nutritional value. Homemade food turns out to be richer and more expressive in taste.

Vegetable purees

For self-made For purees, you need to choose only fresh products. Store-bought vegetables should be soaked in water before cooking to remove nitrates. Soaking time is 1-2 hours, for potatoes up to 24 hours.

To prepare vegetable puree, you need to take the desired product, chop it finely, and cook until tender. Then, while warm, beat with a blender until smooth, add water or mixture if necessary. You can add a small amount of oil and salt.

Meat puree

The meat is carefully processed, veins, bones, and fat are removed, then boiled for 1.5 hours. Then it is crushed with a blender or meat grinder and finally ground through a sieve. To ensure that the meat is not dry, breast milk, formula, porridge or vegetable puree are added to it.

To prepare meat puree, you need to choose low-fat varieties, such as turkey, chicken, rabbit.

When boiling meat or preparing puree, do not season with spices or salt.

Fruit puree

To prepare fruit puree, you need to take products that do not cause gas formation and allergies. Prepares like a vegetable. You can add sugar or honey to the finished puree for taste.

Many fruits contain allergens; first you need to give a teaspoon of puree and observe the child’s reaction. If the body reacts normally, you can give it in larger quantities.

Porridge

When choosing cereals, you should pay attention to the fact that rice coats the stomach and strengthens the stool, buckwheat and oatmeal contain fiber and have a laxative effect, corn is neutral. Porridges can be alternated or mixed with each other. You can also add vegetables and fruits to them for taste.

At first, you need to cook liquid porridge at the rate of 1 tsp. crushed cereal per 100 ml of water. After a week you can cook it thicker, 2 tsp. cereal flour per 100 ml of water. Add butter and salt in moderation; it should taste under-salted.

Before pouring the cereal flour into the pan, it should be diluted in cold water and then poured into boiling water.

Soups

Rice soup

• 10 g rice,
• 150 ml milk,
• 200 ml water,
• 3 g butter,
• Sugar,
• Salt.

Cook the rice (so that it is well cooked and soft), rub it through a sieve, adding milk. Add a little sugar and salt and boil again. Stir oil into the finished soup.

Vegetable soup

• 20 g cabbage,
• 20 g potatoes,
• 10 g carrots,
• 100 ml water,
• 50 ml milk,
• 5 g butter,
• Salt.

The products must be thoroughly peeled and washed, then finely chopped. Place vegetables in a saucepan, add water, cook until tender. While the vegetables are hot, grind them through a sieve along with the broth, add hot boiled milk, butter, and salt. Mix everything and bring to a boil again.

Juices

Juices for complementary feeding can be prepared from fruits and vegetables. To prepare them, you need to rinse the vegetable or fruit well, then pour boiling water over it to sterilize. Next, grate on a fine grater, wrap in gauze and squeeze. If you have a juicer, you can pass the product through it and get juice.

Concentrated juices should not be given to young children. Before drinking, freshly squeezed juice must be diluted with cold boiled water in a 1:1 ratio.

Cottage cheese

To make cottage cheese you will need kefir. From 300 ml of kefir you will get 50 g of cottage cheese.

Kefir must be poured into a saucepan and heated over low heat until it curdles. When the whey separates, the mass should be cooled and poured into a colander lined with gauze. The whey will drain, leaving the curd in the colander. To obtain a more uniform consistency, it can be crushed.

Cottage cheese is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days. For very young children, it is better to prepare a fresh product every time.

Food in jars

Since your baby needs to be given only freshly prepared food, it is not always possible to cook before each feeding. In this case, store-bought food in jars comes to the rescue.

Before feeding your baby puree from a jar, it should be heated in a water bath. To do this, you need to transfer the desired portion into a separate container and place it in hot water for a few minutes. Can also be reheated in the microwave. After heating, you need to mix the contents, check the temperature and feed the baby. The unheated remainder can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day.

Reheated food should not be consumed.

Summary table of complementary feeding at 6 months

Complementary feeding of a 6-month-old child during breastfeeding should each time end with supplementation with breast milk.

Please note that the complete baby feeding scheme indicated in the table can only be used when the child adapts to a large number various products. You cannot start complementary feeding with such a scheme.

Complementary feeding is not the baby's main food, it is just an addition to milk feeding.

The purpose of introducing new dishes is not to feed the baby, its main task is to introduce the child’s stomach to adult food. Feeding your baby is another step into adulthood. It is worth approaching this step with all responsibility and care.

A child’s nutrition in the first year of life shapes the gastric microflora for life.

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For babies who are breastfed, the World Health Organization recommends starting complementary feeding at 6 months. By this age, the baby is ready to get acquainted with new food. For artificial babies, the recommended timing does not shift much. It is the WHO schedule that pediatricians recommend.

When can complementary foods be introduced?

You need to give complementary foods correctly. After all, the baby’s digestive system continues to develop; it needs time to adapt to unfamiliar food. The table will tell you which products are best to use for this. It is also suitable for bottle-fed children.

The child must be healthy. If at six months he caught a cold or is clearly worried about his teething, then it is worth postponing the introduction of vegetables and cereals for a while. The same applies to vaccinations: if they have been given, then you can experiment with food no earlier than a week later.

Following important rule: we introduce all types of new food one at a time. Then you will be able to understand what product you are allergic to if it occurs. It will have to be cancelled. Until the rash disappears, children should be fed only familiar foods. After a few months, it is allowed to repeat the administration.

A toddler is considered ready for complementary feeding if:

• he sits well in the high chair;
• shows interest in food, that is, reaches for parental dishes;
• able to turn away when he does not want to eat;
• he got teeth.

You should not focus on these signs individually. But there is no point in waiting for them all either. For example, teeth may well erupt by the age of one year. If the child is 6 months old and there are no contraindications, then in any case you should try giving him new food. Even if he eats incomplete portions for some time. The baby is getting older, and soon breast milk will not be able to provide him with all the necessary vitamins and minerals, it’s time to introduce something else.

But it happens that the baby actively refuses food, spits it out, and his gag reflex is triggered. This means that he is not yet ready for complementary feeding. He does not yet have reflexes responsible for swallowing and processing food. Then the schedule must be selected individually.

The baby may not try a new dish the first time. It may take several days. At the same time, you should not try to force feed him. It is worth offering regularly, but not insisting. In addition, sometimes a toddler simply does not like the taste of a certain porridge or vegetable. Then it is worth replacing the product with another. You need to interest the baby, warm up his food interest, then it will be easier to introduce something. To do this, it is recommended to organize meals for the whole family.

Parents need to pay attention that complementary feeding is primarily intended for acquaintance with different types food. Therefore, if after breakfast the child demands the breast, there is no need to refuse him. The main food for now should remain mother's milk, which contains most of the nutrients. There is no need to feel sorry if you have to throw away some of your carefully prepared food. Now is the time to form healthy attitude to food.

What foods are suitable for first feeding?

The most important question that worries many mothers is where to start feeding their baby. After all, you can find a lot of recommendations, and it’s easy to get confused in them. Grandmothers recall the introduction of apple juice into early age. Friends recommend kefir. Which table contains the most reliable information?

Science does not stand still. Research concerns both the child’s body and the effect of different products on it. So, it is now known that juice should not be given too early. It contains a lot of acids and sugar, so it can cause fermentation in the intestines. In addition, if the baby gets used to sweets, then he may begin to refuse healthier foods.

Do not introduce kefir either best solution. Digestion of animal proteins is difficult for children, since their digestive system has not yet fully matured. In addition, it contains alcohol, albeit in small quantities.

WHO recommendations today are clear: complementary feeding for healthy breastfed children should begin at 6 months with vegetables. But if the baby suffers from diarrhea or is gaining weight very poorly, then it is better to introduce porridge. But there are rules here too.

Introduction to Vegetables

To introduce your child to vegetables, you need to choose those that grow in your area. Their color should not be bright; green ones are best: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli. They are the ones that are least likely to cause allergies. Next, it is possible to introduce pumpkin, despite its brightness.

The scheme for introducing vegetables is quite simple. It's worth starting with zucchini. It is necessary to boil and finely chop it to a creamy consistency. At first, the volumes eaten are small. It is inconvenient to prepare such portions. Therefore, it makes sense to freeze some of it (even an ice tray is suitable for this) and take it out as needed. There is no need to use salt or any spices. Or you can purchase a ready-made product from a baby food manufacturer.

The first time the child should be given a very small amount - one teaspoon. Then supplement with breast milk. It is recommended to do this during breakfast to be able to monitor the reaction. If everything is in order, then the next day the portion is doubled. Every day the volume becomes larger, by the end of the week it should be about 170 g. When the baby begins to eat 100 g, add a few drops of vegetable oil, sunflower or olive.

On the eighth day, the introduction of a second vegetable, for example cauliflower, is allowed. This also needs to be done gradually. First, the child is given a teaspoon of one product. Then the zucchini puree is added to the full volume. Breastfeeding is still left for lunch. In the same way, we introduce a third vegetable, such as broccoli, into the menu. For breakfast, you need to prepare two types of puree: new and already familiar, from zucchini or cauliflower. They can be alternated. Throughout the week, the portion of broccoli increases.

Then you should introduce porridge. After the baby tries them, it’s time to introduce new vegetables: pumpkin, carrots, potatoes. It is allowed to cook puree soup from several already familiar ingredients.

Introduction to the diet of cereals and fruits

After your baby is familiar with three types of vegetables, you can start giving him porridge. They are fed for breakfast, and vegetables are shifted to lunchtime. The introduction of this product occurs in the same way as with vegetables. That is, on the first day you need to give one spoon, the next - double this amount. And so on until 170.

Gluten-free cereals are best suited for children under one year of age. These are buckwheat, rice and corn. They are less likely to cause a negative reaction. Rice is considered the most hypoallergenic. But rice has fixing properties, so it can cause constipation. The optimal solution is buckwheat. Then corn and rice porridge in any order. But semolina is not suitable as a first complementary food for a child; it is difficult to digest.

It’s easy to cook porridge from regular cereal and grind it thoroughly, or buy an instant version. No need to sweeten, add milk too.

After your baby has eaten an apple or other fruit, you need to give him water to drink. This will help reduce concentration fruit acids which have an aggressive effect on tooth enamel.

There is no strict rule when to start giving fruit. It is good to do this when the fourth vegetable is introduced, that is, two months after the introduction of complementary foods. But if the baby eats porridge very reluctantly, then it is worth making it tastier with the help of fruit. It's healthier than sweetening it with sugar. Green apples are best suited for first acquaintance. And if your little one often has constipation, then it makes sense to give preference to prune puree. It has a laxative effect.

When to give meat and fish?

From 8 months you can start introducing meat in the form of puree. If the child normally accepts food that is not entirely homogeneous, then it is worth making meatballs and kneading them. The first product is rabbit or turkey. They are not greasy, so they do not overload the gastrointestinal tract. Chicken is also suitable for children, but only homemade, not store-bought. This bird is often fed additives that cause allergies. You need to start giving it, like the rest of the food, little by little and gradually increase it to 50 g. Meat will make lunch more satisfying, so it is recommended to combine it with vegetables. There are porridge left for breakfast. But it’s better to wait with meat broth for up to a year.

Fish can be given from 10 months, but only if the child does not have a tendency to allergic reactions. Preference should be given to low-fat varieties.

Dairy products, bread and eggs

The introduction of dairy products for breastfed children should begin at 8-9 months. At the same time, whole cow's or goat's milk should be given or added to cereals after a year. To get acquainted with this group of products, it is better to choose kefir. It has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora and helps normalize digestion. The scheme remains the same: on the first day the little one should receive a teaspoon, after a week the volume can be about 50 ml.

Then add cottage cheese. It is good to choose a baby product whose fat content is no more than 11%. Up to a year optimal quantity- 50 g. Not all kids eat it well. It’s worth trying to make an airy consistency: beat with a blender with a small amount of kefir.

From 9 months, it is allowed to introduce bread and baby cookies into the baby’s complementary feeding. It can be mixed with cottage cheese or fruit puree. If you give it in its entirety, it is better to choose a special one that melts in your mouth. The baby is unlikely to choke on it, but you still need to keep an eye on him.

Eggs should be given at this age. In the first year of life - only the yolk, after 12 months add white. Start with one grain and work up to half the yolk. Quail eggs are good for children: they are not so allergenic and contain more vitamins.

Sometimes parents don’t like the standard scheme, and they choose so-called pedagogical complementary feeding. At the same time, the baby is allowed to try dishes from the common table. Of course, in the form of very tiny pieces. The nutrition of adults should be correct, without harmful foods. The child gets acquainted with a variety of foods, and gradually his food interest increases. Over time, he joins the common meal.

The complementary feeding table will help you figure out which foods are suitable for children from 6 months of age. There is no need to rush things and get upset if your child does not appreciate a dish. Gradually he will fall in love with vegetables and cereals. In the meantime, he is breastfed, and he gets enough nutrients. If everything is done correctly, the baby will grow healthy and develop fully.

As a rule, a baby is fed breast milk until six months of its life, and extra food he doesn't need it. Complementary feeding is introduced to a child at 6 months if he is bottle-fed. The reason for this is the lack of intake of useful substances into the body, necessary for full development.

But even with natural feeding, sooner or later the baby needs other food that will compensate for mother's milk and accustom the child to normal nutrition.

How do you know if your baby needs complementary feeding?

As a rule, mothers recognize that it is time to feed their child at the age of 6 months by several characteristic signs:

• The little one sits confidently;
• shows interest in unfamiliar food;
• The baby is cutting.

It is at this moment that complementary foods must be added to the diet of a 6-month-old baby. At the age of six months, a number of functional changes occur in a child’s body that allow it to become stronger. The digestive system develops, which allows it to digest not only healthy mother's milk, but also more serious food, for example, fruit puree or juices made specifically for this category of children.

The first teeth will also help the baby cope more easily with the transition to adult nutrition - now he will even be able to chew food a little, thereby developing chewing skills.

We gradually introduce complementary foods from 6 months

It is important to remember that introducing complementary foods even at six months of age is a serious process. Therefore, every mother needs to carefully monitor the reaction of the child and his body to unusual food.

Where to start feeding? For the first few days, complementary foods should be introduced in small portions - for example, a few drops of fruit juice or a little puree. If the baby’s reaction to such food is positive, you can increase the portions.

After a couple of weeks of positive dynamics, breastfeeding can be completely replaced with complementary foods. It must be taken into account that the average portion of complementary foods for six-month-old children is 150 grams. You also need to know that a child’s first complementary feeding should consist of only one type of food– for example, one specific juice or one puree. Ten days after the introduction of the first serious product, you can pay attention to other types of food, but their introduction must be careful, as it can immediately lead to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Basic rules for introducing complementary foods into the diet from 6 months

During the period of introducing additional food, the baby develops individual taste preferences, so it is important to pay attention to the baby’s reaction throughout the entire period of introducing new food. In order to properly introduce complementary foods to a child from 6 months, you must follow several basic rules:

• necessary strictly in the first half of the day. This way mom can monitor all reactions and prevent unpleasant consequences in case of their occurrence. During this period, it is important to pay attention to all the little things regarding changes in the behavior of the infant.
• At the first stage, complementary foods from 6 months are given to the baby in small portions. For example, for juice – a few drops, for soft puree – one teaspoon is enough. If the child reacts positively to nutrition, you can gradually increase the amount of food prescribed according to his age.
• New food should be offered to the little one only in those moments when he is in a good mood. Otherwise, he will begin to negatively perceive unfamiliar foods and will be capricious at the sight of a spoon.
• Porridge at 6 months of age is offered at the very beginning of feeding - the child should be hungry, so he will quickly realize that the new food is no less tasty and healthy than breast milk.
• Use food products that contain only one product in the baby's primary complementary feeding. For example, the juice should consist of only one fruit, and the puree should consist of only one vegetable.
• During periods of illness or before a regular vaccination, you will have to refuse additional feeding - here you need to wait for several days.
• For the first feeding of a 6-month-old child, specialized food is used. It has been brought to comfortable for the baby consistency and contains an abundance of substances beneficial to the body.

When introducing additional nutrition into a child’s diet in the first stages, it is necessary to combine it with breastfeeding or infant formula.

Approximate feeding table for introducing complementary foods at 6 months

• 6 am – breast milk or formula;
• 10 am – a small portion of complementary foods (juice, or);
• 2 pm – breastfeeding and a few spoons of fruit juice;
• 6 pm – a small portion of porridge, fruit puree;
• ten pm - breast milk or formula in a bottle.

It should be remembered that the schedule and menu of complementary feeding from 6 months are compiled solely based on the needs of the baby. If the baby needs to be urgently weaned from mother's milk, the amount of complementary feeding is increased.

Important! For the first few weeks, complementary feeding cannot fully compensate for breast milk, so you should not refuse breastfeeding for the entire period of accustoming the child to serious food.

At the entire stage of the child’s formation of new taste preferences, it is important to monitor the reaction of his body, and, if necessary, stop additional nutrition and consult a specialist for advice.

What should be the correct complementary foods at 6 months? There is some controversy regarding the timing of introducing additional nutrition for breastfed babies. Many experts are confident that before six months there is no need to introduce additional foods into the baby’s diet. Formula-fed babies can be given complementary foods as early as the fourth month of life.

Complementary feeding is any food product other than breast milk or formula. You can diversify the menu of a bottle-fed baby with vegetable purees, cereals, fruit juices and compotes, egg yolk and butter/vegetable oil. If a breastfed baby receives all the nutrients to ensure the functioning of the body from mother's milk, then a bottle-fed baby needs additional useful elements from other products from the fourth month of life.

In addition to saturating the body with minerals and vitamins, complementary feeding solves the very important problem of adapting the digestive system of children to adult food.

The benefit of complementary feeding also lies in strengthening the child’s chewing and swallowing skills, which appear precisely at this time. You need to not miss the right moment and help your child develop useful skills.

How to find out the time to introduce complementary foods, what are the rules and menu recipes for the baby? Where should you start introducing it, what consequences should you be wary of? All these questions worry young mothers, and various charts and diagrams are confusing. There is no need to worry. All babies develop individually; there is no single rule for introducing food products. If there is any doubt, the help of a local pediatrician is necessary. And the child himself tells the mother when new food can be given.

The right time

Your baby is six months old and is eating breast milk. Should I feed him cereal? The answer from specialists will be definite - a child at six months must be introduced to the menu with vegetable and fruit purees, juices and compotes. You should also introduce him to cereal crops.

How to understand that a breastfed baby is ready to receive complementary foods, and what is the correct rate?

Signs that a child is ready to receive additional nutrition include:

• interest in pieces of food on mother’s plate;
• when the child sits up on his own;
• ability to hold a spoon in your hand.

At three months, the body begins to prepare for the transition to adult nutrition and produces hydrochloric acid. At the same time, the intestines begin to transform, the walls of which become less permeable to liquid food. All these transformations occur at approximately the same time, but taking into account the individual structure of the baby’s body on artificial and mixed nutrition and genetic characteristics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommends introducing first complementary foods no later than 6 months of age.

What can a baby eat?

The scheme, table and schedule of children's nutrition depends on the type of milk feeding and the time of the start of the first complementary feeding. Babies on IV are familiar with fruits, cereals and vegetables from the fourth month.

Babies on mother's milk often didn't try anything else until they were six months old, because they were well fed with everything they needed. For them, additional nutrition is the beginning.

The rules for introducing new food products and recipes depend on the developmental characteristics of the baby’s body:

1. underweight babies need porridge;
2. If you are overweight, vegetable purees are beneficial.

Regardless of whether a child eats cereals and vegetables at 6 months, he should receive fruit juices and mixtures. Fruits are rich in nutrients, they are well absorbed by the body and do not cause problems with digestion.

The menu of a 6-month-old baby should include:

• green apple;
• plums;
• pears;
• banana.

You should not take red fruits so as not to provoke allergies. The menu of young children should not include citrus fruits and exotic fruits. The recipes for making puree are the same: grate the pulp without the skin on a grater.

Many nutritionists believe that vegetables should first be given to a six-month-old baby, and then fruits. This position is explained by the fact that the baby often does not eat vegetables of neutral taste after tasting sweet fruits. However, this is not always the case (due to the individual character of the child).

After tasting vegetable and fruit purees, you can begin introducing cereal crops. Porridge on a baby’s menu is an important food product that provides additional energy for movement and building body cells. The introduction of porridge to infants on artificial nutrition is especially indicated.

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Power plans

Recipes and the correct nutritional schedule when creating a menu for a 6-month-old baby are different for children with different degrees of readiness to accept new foods.

For bottle-fed infants who are familiar with fruits, cereals and vegetables, the table and nutrition plan looks like this:

During lunch, fruit juice is allowed.

For children on mother's milk who are just starting to get acquainted with new products, the nutritional scheme looks like this:

Important! The day should begin and end with the consumption of breast milk or formula. It is allowed to take liquid porridge.

Delicious dishes

Recipes for preparing porridges and fruit and vegetable dishes for children during their first feeding have a basic rule: the dish should resemble formula milk in appearance.

It is necessary to accustom yourself to a thicker consistency gradually.

Table for taking a new dish by day:

If the baby eats well and assimilates this type of product, you should continue to give this food in the second week. Then a new type of nutrition should be introduced (the intake table is the same). The appearance of an unfamiliar dish on the menu should not be unexpected; it is not recommended to combine two new dishes at the same time or within one day.

The recipes for making fruit juices for infants using mother's milk and artificial feeding are the same: a well-washed fruit should be peeled and grated on a baby grater. The dishes should be washed well and scalded with boiling water.

You should not give your baby undiluted juice. The first introduction of new juices should consist of a mixture of boiled water and fruit.