Diet for 6 month old baby Features of the diet of a six-month-old child on artificial feeding. Nutrition for a healthy baby

In the infantile period, the baby grows very rapidly, because of this, significant changes occur in its physical and mental development. At 6 months, the child needs an updated daily routine compared to the previous period in order to correctly fulfill the new requirements for raising a baby and take into account his growing needs.

What changes occur in the mode of a 6-month-old baby?

The main differences from the previous period are the reduction in sleep time to 14 hours and the increase in the period of wakefulness, the transition to a new diet.

A child at 6 months already needs much less sleep, so parents should pay attention to the development of the physiological and psycho-emotional skills of the child

The table below shows the distribution of regime processes, indicates how long they should take, however, parents can vary this routine in accordance with the characteristics of their baby, his state of health, nutrition, and the general mode of life of the family.

What should be considered in order to properly organize the life of the crumbs?

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• Since the time of wakefulness increases and decreases Time to sleep, it is necessary to correctly organize its periods: night and day. At night, the child sleeps 9-10 hours, the rest of the time is devoted to daytime sleep, which is organized 3 times a day for about 1.5 hours. Despite individual characteristics, the total time must be observed so that the child rests and gains strength for classes and games. One of the periods of daytime sleep must be spent in the fresh air.
• Due to changes in physical condition, motor skills, the emergence of new needs (communication, objective activity) increased time for the period of wakefulness(up to two hours). There is an opportunity for teaching the baby new skills in crawling, communication, manipulation with objects.
• Hygiene procedures(washing, changing a diaper), which are carried out during feeding and other routine processes of the baby, also take quite a lot of time in care. Therefore, they should be given due attention to educate the crumbs in the skills of cleanliness and tidiness.

Bathing the baby and other hygiene procedures still take a lot of time, so they definitely need to take a place in the daily routine

Features of catering and walking

• Particular attention is paid to the process of feeding, as teeth appear and the child's diet changes significantly, complementary foods are introduced. Pediatricians say that the amount of food for daily feeding of a six-month-old baby should consist of 600 mg breast milk and 200-250 g complementary foods. With mixed feeding, the baby receives food 4-5 times every four hours with a break for the night. There are different opinions about complementary foods, breastfeeding, all questions can be answered by a specialist, taking into account the individual characteristics and health of the baby.
• Walks should also occupy a certain place in the regime, since they serve as an excellent way to communicate with the child, acquire new knowledge, consolidate skills and abilities. Ideally, you need to walk with your baby 2 times two hours, which does not always work out for mom, as there are still family matters. The way out can be in organizing a full-fledged walk once a day, and then you can organize a dream with an open window.

Approximate distribution of regime processes during the day

Considering the developmental features of a child at 6 months old, it is possible to create a daily routine recommended by pediatricians that is acceptable for the baby and the whole family (we recommend reading:). It must necessarily take into account all the necessary procedures and regime processes. We will find out, among other things, how many times a day the little one should eat:

Morning routines: getting up, exercising, changing a diaper, washing, feeding,	6.00 ‒ 7.00
Communication, training sessions, games	7.00 ‒ 8.30
Walk and sleep in the air or sleep with an open window	8.30 ‒ 10.00
Hygiene procedures after walking and sleeping, feeding	10.00 ‒ 10.30
Educational activities, entertainment, communication	10.30 ‒ 12.30
Hygiene procedures before bedtime, daytime sleep	12.30 ‒ 14.30
Dinner preparation, lunch	14.30 ‒ 15.00
Entertainment, communication, games	15.00 ‒ 16.30
Sleep preparation, naps	16.30 ‒ 18.00
Hygiene procedures after sleep, preparation for meals, dinner	18.00 ‒ 18.30
Play activities while awake	18.30 ‒ 20.30
Preparation for bathing, water procedures	20.30 ‒ 21.00
Night sleep	21.30 - 6.00
Complementary feeding	22.00/1.00/2.00

Mom can vary the proposed daily routine, based on the needs of the child. In addition, the daily routine may have deviations, taking into account weather conditions, time of year, visits to the clinic and other events related to family life.

An important condition is that even if a grandmother or a nanny will replace the mother at certain moments, it is imperative to require them to maintain a daily routine, since the child develops the necessary habits, and their abrupt change can cause undesirable consequences.

Features of the implementation of regime processes with a child of 6 months

For a more flexible implementation of the regime, it will be more useful not to unconditionally follow all the recommendations, but to make the necessary adjustments. In order to create comfortable living conditions for the baby and herself, each mother needs to know the features of conducting regime processes, taking into account changes in the behavior of the baby - for example, up to 6 months he slept and was awake for two hours, and now he wants to study and play for 2.5 hours. Mom is used to the fact that the baby sleeps for two or even more hours, she can do household chores at this time, and he already plays more time, sleeps less.

A six-month-old baby has already matured to sleep for about 7 hours at night without waking up. Formula-fed babies have a particularly long night's sleep - they eat porridge for dinner, which allows them to sleep 9 hours without a break for night feeding, which is very convenient for parents who also have the opportunity to sleep. The daily routine of a child during breastfeeding should not differ in any way, therefore it is important to be attentive to the introduction of complementary foods for 6-month-old babies (we recommend reading:).

Feeding a baby porridge at night can be a great option for those kids who bother their mothers with frequent nighttime wakefulness.

New requirements for nutrition and sleep at 6 months

• Feeding arrangements are also changing as complementary foods are introduced. When introducing it, it is necessary to exclude new foods when feeding before a night's sleep - experts recommend introducing new dishes into the child's diet only when he is alert, cheerful, that is, well rested.
• The ideal time for such complementary foods is feeding after the first day of awakening. Mom has the opportunity to observe how the baby took the new food. However, we must not forget that the diet of a 6-month-old baby involves a combination of breastfeeding or formula with complementary foods.
• After consulting with a pediatrician, you can start complementary foods with porridge, then a good night's sleep will be ensured for the baby in the same way as for an artificial child.
• Daily laying of the crumbs is carried out in three doses and has its own peculiarity. If earlier the baby slept for 2 hours, played for 2 hours, now the sleep periods are 1.5 hours, and the wakefulness period has increased to 2.5 hours, therefore, in order to adjust the regime processes, the mother should carefully observe the baby and determine the most comfortable sleep periods for him and wakefulness, in order to rest herself too.

Organizing the life of a 6-month-old baby, it would be useful to refer to the recommendations of the famous pediatrician Komarovsky, who speaks of the rule of three "H": work up! Buy up! Feed! Only to do all this is important, taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby.

At the same time, he advises, when drawing up a regimen, to take into account the individual characteristics of the baby and the conditions for the joint actions of the mother and child that developed in the previous period. More detailed recommendations can be found by watching the video lessons of a doctor or other specialists.

A child who has celebrated the first six months of life can already receive complementary foods. Moreover, some formula-fed babies have already tried several types of vegetables and cereals by this age. How to properly feed a child at this age, what should parents remember? We have collected in our material the recommendations of specialists on the introduction of complementary foods to children at 6 months of age who are breastfed and formula-fed. In addition, they separately described the rules for feeding babies in need of corrective nutrition.

At the age of 6 months, the baby will not have enough breast milk alone and will need other, more adult foods.

We introduce complementary foods according to the rules

According to pediatricians, complementary foods should be introduced to children for breastfeeding starting from the 24th week, that is, at the 7th month, not earlier. Otherwise, there is a risk of problems with the tummy, since the gastrointestinal tract of the crumbs is not yet ready to receive food other than mother's milk.

However, there are general rules for introducing complementary foods for each baby:

• A new meal should be given before the baby receives the usual portion of milk. It is best if the mother feeds the baby with a spoon. It is important to ensure that the food is warm, because the child is used to such food.
• You should start feeding the crumbs with a minimum portion - from half a teaspoon or even less. The next day, slightly increase the dose and bring it back to normal in a week or two. The next type of product can be introduced in a shorter period of time - in 5-7 days. During this time, it is necessary to monitor the reaction of the child - to control the stool, allergic manifestations. At the slightest suspicion of an allergy, you should immediately stop giving a new food.
• Do not mix several types of products in one serving. First, the child should receive mashed potatoes from one type of vegetable or cereal.

The introduction of any new type of food should begin with one product.

• It is always better to introduce complementary foods in the morning. This will make it possible to better control the reaction of the body to a new product.
• Any new product should be introduced when the baby is healthy.
• The first cereals should be cooked on gluten-free cereals - buckwheat, rice, cornmeal. You should not add milk to the porridge, you can dilute it with a mixture that the baby is used to.
• It is better to choose hypoallergenic vegetables - broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower.
• If the child is underweight, it is best to start feeding him porridge. Vegetables are the optimal food for those children who suffer from constipation.

Differences in complementary foods for children on breastfeeding and IV

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Breastfed children are ready for complementary foods at 6 months, and babies on artificial or mixed - already at 4. In this regard, by six months the diet of these children has significant differences.

However, today some pediatricians have a different point of view. Dr. Komarovsky believes that the timing of the introduction of complementary foods should not depend on the type of feeding. In his opinion, in those days when baby food was slightly diluted cow's milk, pediatricians tried to introduce other products into the child's menu as early as possible in order to provide him with the necessary amount of useful substances.

Dr. Komarovsky argues that modern infant formula is almost identical in composition to human milk, which negates the need for early complementary foods.

Modern formulas are almost identical in composition to breast milk.

Diet when introducing complementary foods for the first time

It is better not to offer bread to babies before 7 months

Not all products can be offered for testing to a six-month-old baby. Allergens, hard-to-digest foods, and much more are excluded. Do not give crumbs crackers, cookies and dryers until he is 7 months old. In order not to make a mistake in choosing new dishes, study the information provided in the feeding schemes.

It is important to follow a simple rule - to introduce one new product per week. As soon as the baby adapts to it, it is allowed to add the next one. According to pediatricians, the optimal complementary feeding regimen is 2-4 new foods per month.

weekly feeding charts

In the first table, the nutrition plan of a formula-fed child who began to receive complementary foods from 4 months. It is believed that by this age he has already tried cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, zucchini. In addition, the baby is already familiar with rice, buckwheat, corn porridge, apple. During this period, it is time to introduce meat - in our example, it is a rabbit.

Day	After sleep	Breakfast	Dinner	Dinner	For the night
Monday		rabbit puree* with rice	zucchini puree, apple puree	GM/S	GM/S
Tuesday		rabbit with cornmeal
Wednesday		rabbit with buckwheat	broccoli, applesauce
Thursday		rabbit with rice	pumpkin, applesauce
Friday		rabbit with cornmeal	zucchini, applesauce
Saturday		rabbit with buckwheat	cauliflower, apple puree
Sunday		rabbit with rice	broccoli, applesauce

*On the first day, the mass of puree is 3 g. The amount is doubled daily until the maximum dosage is reached - 50 g.

The second table contains an approximate menu for a 6-month-old formula-fed child who has been receiving complementary foods for four weeks, i.e. from 5 months - we get acquainted with a new cereal - in our example, this is rice, because buckwheat was introduced earlier. By analogy, another cereal can be offered.

Day	After sleep	Breakfast	Dinner	Dinner	For the night
Monday	breast milk (GM) or formula (C)	buckwheat	zucchini puree	GM/S	GM/S
Tuesday		rice* and buckwheat	cauliflower puree
Wednesday		rice and buckwheat	broccoli puree
Thursday		rice and buckwheat	zucchini puree
Friday		rice and buckwheat	cauliflower puree
Saturday		rice and buckwheat	broccoli puree
Sunday		rice	zucchini puree

*On the first day, the volume of rice is 3 grams. Every day, the amount is doubled until the maximum dosage is reached - 170 gr., while the proportion of the previous porridge (buckwheat) decreases proportionally.

Buckwheat porridge is great as a complementary food for a six-month-old baby for breakfast

The third table shows an example of the diet of a breastfed baby who is just now ready for the first complementary food. Let's make a menu by week 28, that is, when the child has tried 4 different products. In this example, complementary foods began with vegetables, they have all been tried and are now offered to the baby for lunch, and for breakfast we get acquainted with the first porridge - buckwheat.

Day	After sleep	Breakfast	Dinner	Dinner	For the night
Monday	breast milk (GM) or formula (C)	buckwheat* + supplement GM/S	zucchini puree	GM/S	GM/S
Tuesday		buckwheat + supplement GM/S	cauliflower puree
Wednesday		buckwheat + supplement GM/S	broccoli puree
Thursday		buckwheat + supplement GM/S	zucchini puree
Friday		buckwheat + supplement GM/S	cauliflower puree
Saturday		buckwheat + supplement GM/S	broccoli puree
Sunday		buckwheat	zucchini puree

*On the first day, the volume of buckwheat is 3 grams. The amount is doubled daily until the maximum dosage of 170 g is reached, while the proportion of supplementary feeding with formula / breast milk is proportionally reduced.

Recipes for babies

We have prepared several recipes for the proper preparation of dishes for a child from six months. Check if you know the basic ways to process food for crumbs. Our recipes contain general recommendations for preparing vegetable purees, cereals, soups and meats. It is important not to forget that you are cooking the baby, and not to use a lot of salt - it is better to do without it altogether. Instead, it is allowed to flavor the dishes with oil - and the baby will be happy to eat what is offered.

Vegetables

You should start your acquaintance with products with delicious vegetables - cabbage, squash, zucchini

Wash, peel and rinse vegetables before cooking. Then they are cut into pieces and steamed for as long as needed until soft. After that, the mass is rubbed through a sieve, or crushed in a blender. The resulting puree can be slightly diluted with vegetable broth, or with a mixture that the baby is used to. It is not recommended to salt the puree, you can only add a couple of drops of vegetable oil.

Kashi

Porridges are ideal for feeding a baby at 6 months. At home, they are prepared in two ways, and you can choose the one that seems more convenient:

• Porridge in a coffee grinder. For this method, you need to take a well-washed cereal and dry it to get rid of moisture. Then grind in a coffee grinder to a powder state. Pour this powder into boiling water, stirring with a spoon. The porridge will turn out to be homogeneous and tender in texture, and it will take quite a bit of time to cook it. To simplify the process, you can grind the cereal in advance and use it as needed.

Porridge for a six-month-old child should be of a homogeneous consistency, without lumps

• The second method involves a long boil. Rinse the groats, add water and cook for about an hour. Then cool, grind - a strainer or blender will help. Add a little water or baby formula to the mass and bring to a boil.

Meat puree

Meat may be present in the crumbs menu if its complementary foods began at 4 months. Otherwise, the meat sample should be postponed until 8-9 months. For starters, you should use rabbit meat, turkey or chicken fillet, and beef are also suitable. Cooking meat for children up to a year is easy. You need to cut it into pieces, pour water and cook until fully cooked. After that, cool, pass through a meat grinder twice. Some people like to grind in a blender. Dilute with vegetable broth or water, bring to a boil. Then pour in a couple of drops of vegetable oil.

Soups

Pediatricians do not recommend giving soup to a 6-month-old baby unless he is an artificial and he has not started complementary foods at 4 months. What soups are allowed to cook crumbs? If you decide to cook soup for a baby, it is worth remembering that you need to cook food on vegetable broth or water. Also, for a 6 month old baby, the soup should contain only a couple of ingredients and a little oil. A little later, you can try adding cereals to the soup - first rice, buckwheat, then barley and corn.

Creamy cauliflower and zucchini soup is a great option for lunch

1. A puree soup based on cauliflower and zucchini is quite suitable as a first acquaintance with such dishes. For him, you need to take zucchini and cauliflower in equal parts (50-60 g each), pour a glass of water and cook until tender. After that, wipe the ingredients, add the broth in which they were cooked, bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and add half a teaspoon of butter.
2. Rice soup with broccoli (or cauliflower) and zucchini is the next step for feeding babies. To prepare it, you first need to boil 1 tablespoon of rice. Separately, boil 150 g of cauliflower and 50 g of zucchini, drain the vegetable broth into a separate bowl. Wipe rice and vegetables, dilute with broth, put on fire, bring to a boil. Add butter or vegetable oil.

Alternative opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

According to WHO, in the diet of a six-month-old baby, in addition to milk and formula, only cereals and vegetables can be present. It all depends on the characteristics of a particular baby - his weight, health status. However, the famous pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky has a different opinion - he believes that it is best to start with kefir.

The fact is that kefir is a close relative of milk and the baby’s digestive system will best cope with this product. Kefir contains lactic acid bacteria and fungi that positively affect the functioning of the intestines. In addition, this drink does not burden the liver, contributing to high-quality digestion.

Kefir for babies is very useful

Kefir should be offered to the baby to drink in the morning, once a day, carefully monitoring the body's reaction to a new product. First, you can offer the baby 2 teaspoons of kefir, increasing the portion day by day. Over time, kefir should replace one of the daily meals. The volume of the drink should be approximately 150 ml.

Time flies quickly, and now your beloved baby is already six months old. Every month it develops and changes more and more. Changes also apply to the diet. And this is natural - at about the age of six months, the crumbs begin to introduce complementary foods, from which the need for breast milk or formula decreases. The child becomes more active, expends more energy, and therefore his diet is undergoing changes. And so that young mothers do not have any difficulties, we will talk in detail about the diet of a 6-month-old baby.

Diet plan for a 6 month old baby

Six months is the age when the baby begins the transition period before the adult diet, when the daily diet consists of breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. At this time, the baby, as a rule, needs, starting with vegetable or fruit purees, dairy-free cereals (depending on the individual characteristics of the little one). As you know, a new dish is given to a child in small doses - ¼-1/2 teaspoon. Gradually, its volume should be increased to the size of a full breakfast or lunch, that is, 150 g. Later, other meals are replaced with complementary foods. It is better to give complementary foods before breastfeeding, when the baby is hungry. And only then satisfy his desire to suck on his mother's favorite "sissy".

Thus, the feeding regimen at 6 months may look like this:

• 6.00 first feeding: breast milk;
• 10:00 second feeding: fruit puree, breast milk supplement;
• 14:00 third feeding: porridge or vegetable puree;
• 18:00 fourth feeding: breast milk and fruit puree (about 30 g);
• 22:00 fifth feeding: breast milk.

Approximately, this is how the food regimen of a six-month-old child should look like. Of course, your baby's feeding time may not be the suggested one. However, it is important that a time interval of 3.5-4 hours is observed between meals, so that in this way the baby is gradually accustomed to the adult regimen. In addition, it is ideal that the baby, after breastfeeding in the evening, sleeps without waking up until early morning. However, many babies require breasts late at night, you should not refuse your baby.

The diet of a six-month-old bottle-fed baby

As you know, babies are a little earlier - from 4 or 5 months on the recommendation of a pediatrician, since there are not enough nutrients and useful substances in it. By the age of six months, children are already familiar with various vegetable and fruit purees, juices, milk and dairy-free cereals, egg yolk, vegetable and butter, cookies and cottage cheese. That is why in the mode of feeding a child for 6 months on artificial feeding, the diet is more diverse than that of a baby:

As you can see, gradually dairy dishes will be replaced by fruit, vegetable and meat dishes. When feeding artificial children, it is recommended to observe four hours between meals. Do not give any snacks so that the baby feels hungry and eats the offered food with appetite. Some children at this age require formula at night. If your child wakes up, do not refuse your favorite crumbs in the bottles of the mixture.

Feeding an artificial baby should be given special attention. After all, no matter how high-quality the adapted mixture is. According to its composition, it can never replace mother's breast milk. That's why after six months of life, it is worth changing the mixture to one that corresponds to age. It will contain useful substances and trace elements that will prepare the gastrointestinal tract of the crumbs for the intake of "adult food".

You also need to start introducing the child to new tastes and products, they should completely replace the milk mixture over time.

1. We comply with the regime. Diet for a child is extremely important. It teaches the baby to order and makes life much easier for parents. A healthy baby at the age of 6 months should eat at least 5 times a day. Corrections can only be made by a pediatrician who has a baby.
2. What is useful.
   • The bottle for milk formula should be age-appropriate, its volume will increase, the nipple and the shape of the bottle should be ergonomic.
   • Before the introduction of complementary foods, the child needs to buy a set of children's dishes, it should be unbreakable plates for first and second courses, a spoon with a rounded edge and a non-spill drinker, it is he who will teach the baby to drink from a cup and not pour himself. These things are sold in pharmacies and children's stores.

     Reference! Preference should be given to well-known manufacturers who use only environmentally friendly materials.

   • A bib apron will also come in handy, it will greatly facilitate the life of parents, and the mother will not need to change the baby's clothes after each meal.
3. Consistency of the offered food. There are no problems with the milk mixture - it is enough to dilute it according to the instructions. The consistency of the first complementary foods should completely exclude solid fractions. The child may choke on them.

   An ideal sample is vegetable, meat and fruit purees sold in jars. Moms who decide to cook the first meal for the baby on their own should get a blender. In seconds, it will turn pieces of food into soft puree for crumbs.

How much should a baby eat per day?

It is extremely reckless to reproach an artificial child on demand. Feeding with an adapted formula requires a regimen and proportions. A normally developing and weight-gaining baby at the age of six months should absorb about a liter of food per day. This is the total amount of mixtures, complementary foods, juice, tea and water.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky believes that only natural mother's milk is a universal food for a child. However, if breastfeeding is not possible, it is best to choose a quality adapted formula. It is best to feed your baby with mixtures or your own milk until the age of one.

Complementary foods, according to a well-known pediatrician, are best introduced no earlier than the baby is 6 months old. It's up to parents to make the transition from baby food to adult food as safe as possible. That's why introduce your baby to new foods carefully so as not to cause allergic reactions.

Attention! Allergens (bright fruits, dried fruits, exotic foods) should be avoided. Soft vegetables, dairy products and cereals can be an ideal option.

In addition to age, there are also other signs that indicate that the baby is ready for complementary foods:

• the child has doubled its weight since birth;
• the baby sits independently and holds his head;
• the child's tongue should not make reflex pushing movements;
• the baby should be interested in the newly proposed food.

The best place to start is with one teaspoon of a new food. and gradually increase the dose.

After the child was 9-10 months old, one meal should already have been replaced with an adult meal. He should try vegetable purees, cereals, fruits and meat. If the baby has not yet shown interest in food, you should not worry. This means that the time to switch to an adult table has not yet come.

What should a 6 month old baby eat?

New foods should already be introduced into the diet of infants on IV at the age of six months. To acquaint the baby with unusual food should be little by little, so as not to harm. That is why the menu for the child should be carefully planned and not contain harmful products.

What and how to feed?

As a first feeding, you can offer your baby:

• vegetables (broccoli, zucchini);
• porridge (you can buy a special mono-component porridge that matches your age);
• dairy and sour-milk products (if there is a special dairy kitchen near the house, you can offer children's yogurt as the first complementary food).

What products can also be introduced?

After the acquaintance with new tastes has gone well, mom can begin to combine already familiar products. So, for example, offer oatmeal with an apple or try combining buckwheat with broccoli.

After the baby is 7-8 months old, you can start introducing bright foods such as carrots and pumpkins. The main thing is to be careful.

Important! One of the main rules of complementary feeding is caution. Any new product should be offered separately from others, no more than one teaspoon and carefully observe the reactions of the child. If there are no negative effects, you can increase the dose of the intended product.

Weekly menu table

Before compiling a menu for a six-month-old baby, it is worth deciding which product we use as complementary foods. In these tables, we will look at mashed broccoli.

Complementary foods should not be introduced during the first and last feeding. New foods should be introduced before formula. First, give a new dish, and then, supplement with baby food.

	1st meal 7.00	2nd meal 10.30	3rd meal 14.00	4th meal 17.30	5th meal 21.00
Monday	mixture		mixture	mixture	mixture
Tuesday	mixture	1 teaspoon broccoli + mix	1 teaspoon broccoli + mix	mixture	mixture
Wednesday	sit		1 teaspoon broccoli + mix	mixture	mixture
Thursday	mixture	2 teaspoons broccoli + mix	1 teaspoon broccoli + mix	mixture	mixture
Friday	mixture	2 teaspoons broccoli + mix	1 teaspoon broccoli + mix	mixture	mixture
Saturday	mixture	3 teaspoons broccoli + mix	2 teaspoons broccoli + mix	mixture	mixture
Sunday	mixture	4 teaspoons broccoli + mix	2 teaspoons broccoli + mix	mixture	mixture

The introduction of a new product into the child's diet should last a week. This is enough time to accustom the body to a new food. After a week, at the third meal, you can offer something new, such as porridge.

What to do in the absence of appetite?

One of the main conditions for the introduction of complementary foods is the ability of the baby to refuse the proposed treat. Therefore, if the baby does not show interest in new dishes, it means that the time to switch to adult food has not yet come. The body is a very delicate mechanism, for each it develops and works according to an individual scheme. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with postponing attempts to get acquainted with new tastes for a week, and if necessary, a month.

The baby is growing, and every month his body's need for nutrients increases. What should be the proper nutrition of a child at 6 months?

Food types. What to choose?

Currently, two methods of introducing complementary foods are popular:

Pediatric

It is of two types:

• Designed in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO (World Health Organization). Today it is the most popular and most rational in terms of child physiology. Recommended from 6 months.
• Developed taking into account the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. It is similar to the method that the WHO proposes, however, the dates are shifted here: from 6 months it is introduced to babies who are breastfed, and to artificial ones - already from 4 months.

Pedagogical complementary food

It is popular due to its ease: there is no need to cook specifically for the child, since the baby receives food from the adult menu in microdoses. However, this method can only take place with natural feeding. It should also be borne in mind that the parent's table should consist exclusively of healthy food. If mom and dad eat only fried potatoes, like spicy and salty dishes such as canned cucumbers and smoked fish, pedagogical complementary foods are impossible.

Maria, mother of 9-month-old Alina: “I heard a lot about how good pedagogical complementary foods are, so I decided to feed them myself. She gave meat and potatoes the size of a match head. But the breast milk was too thin, and the baby did not gain weight at all in a month! Such complementary foods did not suit us, we had to catch up with our peers on cereals.

It should be borne in mind that the ideal formula for the introduction of complementary foods has not yet been identified. However, according to WHO, pediatric complementary foods are considered the most rational: it takes into account physiological factors to a greater extent.

Complementary foods are not a substitute for breastfeeding, but an addition to it. His goal is not to “feed”, but to gradually introduce the baby’s gastrointestinal tract to the food that he will have to eat in the future.

How to feed correctly?

6 months is the period when the child is already 24 weeks old. Some mothers mistakenly believe that the beginning of the sixth month is the time to introduce complementary foods. But in fact, by this date, the baby is still only 20 weeks old, and this is too early to switch to adult food.

What you need to know:

• You need to feed with a spoon before giving milk (breast or artificial). Food must be warm.
• Starting complementary foods, the first days should be introduced no more than half a spoonful of a new product, gradually, over 10 days, increasing the volume to the required rate. The subsequent introduction of other products can be reduced to 5-7 days. This interval between doses is necessary in order to be able to control the reaction of the child's body to a new product. You need to monitor not only skin rashes, but also the baby's stool.
• Monocomponent products should be introduced into the child's diet first.
• It is better to give the product for the first time before lunch. It is not so much the diet that is important here, but the child's reaction to new food. Do not give the same new type of complementary foods twice a day.
• If the baby is sick or vaccinations are coming, then the day of the introduction of complementary foods should be postponed. The same rule applies to every product introduced for the first time.

You need to start introducing complementary foods with vegetable purees or cereals. From vegetables, zucchini, cabbage and potatoes are best suited as the least allergenic foods. And it is better to introduce fruit puree later, because after tasting sweets, children can then refuse vegetables and cereals.

If the baby has a tendency to constipation, irregular stools, and weight is more than normal, then vegetable puree should be preferred. You can choose from both jar-packed and home-cooked meals.

In the event that the crumbs are diagnosed with a lack of weight, the likelihood of developing anemia, then cereals should be the first complementary foods. If the baby is prone to allergies, it is better to start with dairy-free and gluten-free cereals (rice, buckwheat, corn).

Irina, Serezha's mother, 1.5 years old: “Seryozha was born prematurely, he gained weight poorly, albeit on breast milk. From 5 months they began to introduce cereals, as advised by the pediatrician. But there were problems with the stool: constipation. I had to switch to vegetables, and cereals were postponed until 9 months.

Meat is an important part of a child's diet and should be introduced about 8-9 weeks after vegetables. With a standard complementary feeding schedule from 6 months, meat can be introduced into the diet at 8-8.5 months. If the baby receives complementary foods from 4 months, then you can give meat to try by the middle of the 6th month. Start with rabbit and turkey.

Soups can be introduced into the child's diet only after he has become acquainted with the individual ingredients of this dish. It is best if they contain only vegetables, and if meat is present, then you should choose a dietary one: rabbit, turkey. Fish in the child's menu should be included only after a year: the risk of allergies is too great.

Table - scheme for the introduction of complementary foods for a child up to a year

Name of products and dishes	Age (months)
	4	5	6	7	8	9	9-12
Fruit juice, ml.	5-30	40-50	50-60	60	70	80	90-100
Fruit purees, ml (minimum 2 weeks after juice)	5-30	40-50	50-60	60	70	80	90-100
Curd, g			10-30	40	40	40	50
Egg yolk, pcs.				0,25	0,5	0,5	0,5
Vegetable puree, g		5-100	150	150	170	180	200
Kashi, g			50-100	150	150	180	200
Meat purees, g					5-30	50	60-70
Kefir and other fermented milk products, ml.						100	200
Fish puree, g							30-60
Bread (wheat), g				3-5	5	5	10-15
Cookies, crackers, g				3-5	5	5	10-15
Vegetable oil, g		1-3	3	3	5	5	6
Butter, g			1-4	4	4	5	6

Type of primary feeding and complementary foods

Depending on what type of feeding the baby is on, the pattern of introducing complementary foods may vary slightly.

For artificial children, pediatricians recommend using partially free feeding. With this method, certain hours are added to the daily routine for feeding the crumbs. The nutrition of a 6-month-old breastfed baby differs from the menu of artificial babies in that complementary foods are introduced later. There is no need to start it with cereal cereals if the mother eats fully, and the child does not lag behind in terms of physical indicators.

Today, however, not all pediatricians share this view: “This misconception about the earlier introduction of complementary foods to artificial children dates back to the old days, when formulas consisted of diluted cow's milk,” says Dr. Komarovsky. - Today, the composition of milk mixtures is as close as possible to breast milk. Therefore, the type of main feeding of the child does not really matter for the start of complementary feeding.”

With the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods, the children's daily routine changes: meals become 5 meals a day.

If the child stubbornly refuses to accept a new dish, do not immediately move on to another product. You can offer him this product up to ten more times. After all, it is very important to form the taste habits of the baby now. In the future, this will greatly facilitate his stay in a kindergarten or school: there, as a rule, the menu includes “tasteless”, but healthy products.

Table of the feeding regimen and the menu of the child at 6 months: menu (approximate)

The table contains an approximate feeding scheme, calculated on the fact that the daily nutrition of a 6-month-old baby on artificial feeding includes complementary foods introduced from 4 months:

Feeding time	Products	Food volume
feeding 1st (morning, 6:00)	milk mixture180 - 200 ml	180-200 ml
2nd feeding (morning, 10:00)	rice or buckwheat porridge (milk) fruit puree (industrial or home-made)	120-150 g, 60 g
3rd feeding (morning, 14:00)	vegetable puree grated egg yolk with milk (egg is given a maximum of 3 times a week!) juice (preferably homemade fruit or vegetable)	about 150 g 1/4 about 30 ml
4th feeding (morning, 18:00)	milk formula cottage cheese for children (maximum 3 times a week) biscuits (can be dissolved in milk)	150 ml 40 g 3 g
5th feeding (morning, 22:00)	mixture (milk or sour milk)	up to 200 ml

If the child is fed with mother's milk, then in the morning the second feeding includes porridge without milk, and the third - puree (vegetable or fruit) plus supplementary feeding with milk; the rest of the meals are breast milk.

The nutrition of a child at 6 months on mixed feeding is close to the diet of an infant, only daily intakes of mother's milk are replaced, if necessary, with milk formulas.

Recipes for a six-month-old baby

Self-preparation of food for the baby gives parents confidence that he receives quality food. Good helpers in this matter will be a double boiler, slow cooker and blender.

It is important to remember that the child must be familiar with each component of the dish if it consists of several ingredients.

This applies even to such “simple” products as milk, olive oil, etc.

Vegetables:

1. Cauliflower in a slow cooker

Washed cabbage (100 grams) put on the multicooker grate. Steam for 15 minutes. Next, grind the product with a blender, cool.

2.pumpkin puree

Pumpkin pulp (the volume depends on how much the baby eats) cut into cubes and place on the steamer grate. Cook in the "steam" mode for 20 minutes, chop with a blender.

3.carrot puree

Peel the carrots, cut into slices and place in a double boiler for 20 minutes (you can simply boil in a saucepan), cook until the fibers are completely softened. Next, chop the carrots with a blender.

4.Carrot puree with milk

One large carrot; milk - 4 tbsp. spoons; a few drops of oil (the best option is olive oil).

Grind boiled carrots in a blender, add hot milk. Boil for a couple of minutes over low heat, add oil.

5.Mashed potatoes

Soak peeled potatoes in water to remove starch (12-24 hours). Rub the boiled potatoes through a sieve, pour in the milk to the desired consistency, boil for a couple of minutes.

6.Assorted vegetables (zucchini, carrots, potatoes)

100 g zucchini pulp, half a medium carrot, 1 potato, 1 teaspoon olive oil, half a glass of water.

Peeled vegetables cut into cubes and put in a double boiler bowl. Cook 20 minutes. Transfer them to a blender bowl, add boiled water and oil, chop.

Fruits:

1.Applesauce

An apple (sour-sweet and sour, green) is scalded with boiling water and the peel is removed. Cut into pieces, remove the seeds. Grate or grind in a blender. Puree should be prepared immediately before eating, otherwise it will darken.

2.Stewed apple puree

Grate the washed and peeled apple and, adding a couple of tablespoons of water, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

3.Apple-carrot puree

Peel apple and carrot (one at a time), grind in a blender. Add a spoonful of water and boil for a minute or two.

4.Prunes puree

Pour boiling water over prunes and leave under a closed lid for three to four hours. Rub the steamed prunes through a fine-grained sieve, add a spoonful of water in which it was infused, and boil for a minute.

5.Dried apricot puree

Rinse a good clean dried apricots, soak in boiling water for several hours. Boil in the same water for 7-10 minutes. Drain the water, and rub the dried fruits through a fine-mesh sieve or grind with a blender.

Kashi

1.Dairy-free rice porridge

Grind rice in a coffee grinder. Pour rice flour into boiled water (3 tablespoons per glass of water). Stirring constantly, cook for 10 minutes.

2.Corn porridge (dairy-free)

Corn grits - 3 tablespoons; glass of water.

Pour the cereal into boiling water and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the fire to a minimum and cook until the cereal is completely softened (up to 30 minutes). Grind the finished porridge to a puree consistency in a blender, pour into an enameled bowl and let it boil.

3.Milk porridge (from buckwheat, rice or oatmeal)

Rinse the cereal until clear water and place in a saucepan, filling with water 2 fingers above the cereal. Cook on low heat until done. Grind the porridge through a fine-mesh sieve or chop in a blender. Pour hot milk to the desired consistency and boil for a few minutes, you can add a little butter.

Meat

1.Carrot and meat puree

100 g of turkey (rabbit, chicken); 1 carrot, 80 g milk.

Meat cut into cubes and boil until tender. Boil the carrots separately. Grind the products with a blender, transfer to a saucepan, pour in the milk. Bring to a boil over low heat, cool.

2.Meat with rice

Boil meat and rice (in water) separately. Twist the meat in a meat grinder, mix with rice and puree the mixture with a blender. Put the mixture in a saucepan, pour milk and bring to a boil, cool.

Soups

1.Fruit and vegetable soup (in a slow cooker)

2 apples, 1 carrot, water - one and a half glasses.

Cut carrot into slices, apple into slices. Put in a slow cooker, pour water. On the "stew" mode, cook for about 30 minutes. Grind the cooled soup with a blender.

2.Pumpkin puree soup

A small piece of pumpkin (about 100 g), carrots (1 pc.), Quail egg yolk, milk 150 ml, salt (a small pinch), butter (a piece of 1 by 1 cm).

Cut the pumpkin and carrot into pieces and boil until fully cooked. Grind with a blender, pour in milk, add butter. Boil.

Juices

1.Apple

Peel a juicy apple, rub it on a medium grater (it is better to use a plastic one to prevent oxidation). Squeeze through gauze. Can be diluted with boiled water.

2.Pumpkin juice with apple

Cut the pumpkin pulp into slices, an apple without peel and seeds into slices. Make juice in a juicer. You can grate and squeeze through gauze (more time-consuming process).

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