Table of timely introduction of complementary foods to infants. How to start first breastfeeding

(more detailed information on each complementary feeding scheme will be published on the website as the material is prepared).

Purpose of complementary foods

Despite the undoubted advantages of breastfeeding, as the child grows, it is necessary to introduce other foods and dishes into his diet, denoted by the term "complementary foods". Complementary foods include all products except women's milk and infant formula. The expansion of the child's diet with other food products (except for milk and mixtures) is due to the need for additional introduction of substances (calcium, iron, vitamins, carbohydrates, fiber, etc.), the intake of which only with women's milk or infant formula becomes insufficient. In addition, the timely introduction of complementary foods contributes to the development of the digestive system, chewing apparatus and stimulation of intestinal motor activity.

Basic feeding rules

When introducing complementary foods, you should strictly adhere to the following rules:

Types of complementary foods

Complementary foods are food products introduced into the diet of a child of the first year of life as a supplement to human milk or its substitutes, made on the basis of products of animal and / or vegetable origin in accordance with its age-related physiological characteristics, including:

Complementary foods on grain and grain-milk basis- food products made from flour of various cereals in the form of dry milk and dairy-free cereals, instant biscuits and pasta;
fruit-based complementary foods- food products made on the basis of fruits, vegetables, berries in the form of canned juices, nectars and purees;
meat-based complementary foods- food products made on the basis of beef, pork, lamb, horse meat (for children with intolerance to beef proteins), rabbit, poultry meat;
milk-based complementary foods- liquid, pasty and dry food products made on the basis of cow's milk and milk of other farm animals. Fermented milk products for baby food (kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.);
fish based food products- food products made on the basis of ocean, marine and freshwater fish.

Complementary feeding regimens

To date, there is no single scheme for the introduction of complementary foods. When choosing products for the first complementary foods, it is necessary, first of all, to take into account the state of health of the child (the presence of food allergies, digestive disorders (constipation or diarrhea), lack of weight and other factors), and not to associate the period of introduction of complementary foods with his calendar age - the child is already 4 or 5 months old , and that is why it is necessary to introduce complementary foods.

When deciding on the start of complementary foods, the mother first of all needs to consult with the pediatrician - what type of complementary foods is most suitable for her child. And we will try to provide information from which product it is possible to introduce the first complementary foods.

Below are the existing schemes for the introduction of the first complementary foods:

complementary foods start with vegetable puree. As a first complementary food, vegetable puree is the best option, including for children born prematurely, suffering from constipation, anemia, rickets, with normal or overweight;
complementary foods start with cereals. This type of complementary food is suitable for a child who is not gaining weight well and this is due to a lack of nutrition, as well as a tendency to unstable stools (which can be enhanced by the introduction of vegetable puree into the diet). For such children, porridge is first introduced as a complementary food, and only then - vegetable puree;
complementary foods according to Dr. Komarovsky. This is another pediatrician-designed complementary feeding regimen that has its own take on the introduction of the first complementary food. Komarovsky suggests introducing kefir and then cottage cheese to a child at the age of 6 months as the first complementary foods. By the way, domestic pediatricians and gastroenterologists do not share this point of view and believe that kefir can be introduced into the child's diet no earlier than 8 months of age;
complementary foods with juices and fruit purees according to the current complementary feeding scheme given in Guidelines 99/225 , approved Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in 1999

The timing of the introduction of complementary foods

According to WHO recommendations, children, especially those who are exclusively breastfed, are advised to continue it. up to 6 months and therefore introduce complementary foods from this age. But this is possible only in relation to healthy children born with normal body weight (without malnutrition or intrauterine growth retardation), with full nutrition of the mother using specialized enriched foods or complex vitamin and mineral preparations.

According to the current Guidelines 99/225 "Modern principles and methods of feeding children in the first year of life" the age at which we begin the introduction of complementary foods - 3 months. However, the conducted scientific research and the accumulated experience of pediatricians allow the latter to make some adjustments to these instructions. So, the minimum age of a child at which the introduction of the first complementary foods is possible is the age of 4 months. Before this period, the child is not yet ready to digest food other than breast milk or infant formula. At the same time, late complementary feeding (after 6 months) can cause a pronounced deficiency of vitamins and microelements, growth retardation, and a delay in the formation of chewing skills and swallowing of thick food. Therefore, it is advisable to introduce the first complementary foods to children at the age of 4-6 months.

Many moms (as well as pediatricians, by the way) are captivated by the old recommendations - to start complementary foods with juices.
To date, the opinions of leading experts on the introduction of complementary foods are the opposite - you need to be very careful with juices and try not to introduce them into the child's diet until he has begun to consume adult food in sufficient quantities, including meat, cereals, fish, etc. (in this case, the juice is a stimulant for the enzymatic activity of the baby).

What are the disadvantages of early introduction of juice:

1. Juices are an allergenic product. In light of the increasing allergic reactions, this must be taken into account.
2. Juices - the product is heavy and poorly digested. It irritates the immature gastrointestinal tract of the child. Even for adults, it is recommended to dilute the juice in a ratio of 1: 1, and if a person has problems with the gastrointestinal tract, it is completely excluded from the diet.
3. The likelihood of problems with the pancreas, kidneys.
4. The sugar content in the juice - such a small child does not need it at all
5. Juice gives a strong load on the gastrointestinal tract, as a result of which, after a certain period, the child has consequences - gastritis, pancreatitis and other diseases.

Breast milk contains all the necessary vitamins for the child. If we talk about iron deficiency anemia (which is most often the basis for the introduction of juices) - the bioavailability of iron in mother's milk is very high (50-75% compared with the mixture, where it reaches only 20%).

It is best to start the introduction of complementary foods with vegetables.

If the child is not gaining weight well, you can make a retreat and start with cereals. What exactly to choose? Vegetables.
I do not advise you to start complementary foods with fruit.

They themselves have a sweetish aftertaste and already form a child's addiction to sweets.
Vegetables are much more suitable for introducing a new product.

The first vegetables in the diet are zucchini, cauliflower, carrots.

Later, potatoes are introduced (at first, try to soak for about an hour in water).

If the child has loose stools, it is better to introduce zucchini later.

We start the introduction of complementary foods with 1 teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume (2.4 and so on).

It is not necessary to bring the volume to a certain amount.
This is the mistake of many mothers, which leads to overfeeding the child and the subsequent refusal to eat. As soon as the child has turned away from the spoon, remove the food and offer the breast.

Complementary foods are best given in the morning and always offered to drink milk.

At first, monocomponent purees will be in the baby's diet.
Once a week, you can add a new product to the puree. There is no need to salt the cooked dish. It is advisable to keep a food diary and write down what and when you entered, how much the child was given, what was the reaction. If the baby reacted with a rash, loose stools or constipation, exclude the product from the diet for at least a month. But remember that the stool can change, most often there are small pieces of food eaten, this is normal.

I advise you to cook your own food.
Before you buy a jar of baby food, check the expiration date.
I was always embarrassed that mashed potatoes that do not contain preservatives and other additives can be stored for 2 years.
Lately I've been seeing that jar food often gives an allergic reaction.

If you buy vegetables yourself, be careful in choosing. Vegetables receiving enhanced feeding most often look very beautiful, glossy. Give preference to vegetables "from the grandmother's garden."
You can also stock up for the winter.

Keeps well in the freezer- varieties of cabbage, sweet peppers, from fruits - raspberries, cherries, currants. Potatoes and carrots are perfectly preserved in the winter on the balcony. Experiment!

Best for cooking vegetables double boiler.
Vegetables cook quickly and vitamins are stored in greater quantities. Give your child a freshly prepared meal.

Mash The best way is with a hand blender. Closer to the year (10-11 months), start mashing the puree with a fork so that the child learns to chew on his own.

A month after the introduction of vegetables, you can please your baby porridge.

Rice, corn or buckwheat porridge is best for the first course. For a breastfed baby, dairy-free porridge is more suitable. If you buy cereals that do not require cooking, make sure they do not contain gluten. Do not introduce gluten-containing cereals (wheat, oatmeal, multi-grain) into the baby's diet before 8-9 months.
The principle of introducing porridge is the same - start with 1 teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume.

You can also cook porridge yourself. For this, the cereal is washed, dried and ground in a coffee grinder.

Observe the interval between the introduction of subsequent complementary foods - at least 1 month.

After porridge, you can start introducing fruit.(not brightly colored at the beginning), biscuits (not rich for children), meat (it is better to start with turkey, then introduce veal, chicken, beef, it is better to refrain from pork) fish (sea), etc., observing the time interval.

It is advisable to flavor complementary foods with oil (not from the first days of the introduction of complementary foods!) - preferably creamy (porridge) and olive (vegetables). Olive oil is best for the first feeding. Start injecting it with 2 drops. If the baby has constipation, you can add olive oil to both vegetables and porridge (observing the volume so as not to achieve the opposite effect). On average, 1 teaspoon of olive oil is added to the dish.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods

Such food is called pedagogical, because the main goal of complementary foods is not to feed the child, but to introduce him to new food, teach him to chew, teach him to get food not only from his mother's breast.
At about six months of age, babies begin to show interest in the contents of their mother's plate, and try to try it, it is this behavior that is called active food interest and indicates the baby's readiness to get acquainted with new food.

The nutritional interest of the baby is not associated with the feeling of hunger that arises in him, but with the desire to imitate his mother. He wants to do the same as she does, take some pieces from the plate and put them in his mouth.

What are introduction principles complementary foods with breastfeeding, if the mother wants to follow the biological line of behavior of the child?

They begin the acquaintance of the baby with the introduction of microdoses (microprobes) of products, namely acquaintance, without the goal of feeding the child with some portion.
A microdose for soft food is about as much as a mother can fit between the pads of her thumb and forefinger, if she squeezes them, or on the tip of a teaspoon. For liquid products - one sip, poured into a small cup on the bottom.

1. The child can "at one sitting" try what the mother eats and what he is interested in in the amount of up to three microdoses.

2. Only hard pieces are given to the baby’s hand, from which he himself will not eat much (hard apples, carrots, stalk, drying, etc.)

3. Microprobes are given within 3-4 weeks. During this time, the baby can already get acquainted with many products used in his family and learn to drink from a cup.

4. Complementary foods never replace breastfeeding! The baby can be introduced to new foods before, after and during breastfeeding. Often children wash down microprobes with mother's milk.

5. Gradually increase the amount of food, allowing the child to eat more.

6. Mom needs to keep the child's interest in food, to keep the desire to try. From six months to one and a half years, the child should get acquainted with all the products that are eaten in his family. To keep the desire to try, the mother should limit the child's food interest until 8-11 months: if the child has eaten 3-4 teaspoons of one product and asks for more, he should be given something else.

7. From the outside, the introduction of complementary foods should look something like this: the baby begs for pieces, and his mother dresses him, sometimes. In such a situation, the child is always happy to get acquainted with new food and does not overeat.

8. The child must learn to work with cutlery. Until 8-11 months, these are spoons (there should be a lot of them, because they fall all the time), the child has his own plate when he starts eating separately, usually after 8-11 months. Until this age, the baby can eat while sitting in his mother's arms and from her plate.

9. If the child is tired of eating, has lost interest, it is necessary to take him away from the table.

What to do with pieces of food, if the baby's food is not mashed, he can choke?

Food for the baby does not need to be crushed, but you need to start with small pieces-microdoses. If a child is given something from which he can potentially bite off a large piece, the child sits on his mother's lap and mother watches him, and as soon as a large piece is bitten off, the mother hooks her finger and takes it out of her mouth. The child actively learns and gradually learns to chew with his, as yet, toothless jaws, and then with toothy ones.

What if the baby spits out even very small pieces, or tries to burp them instead of swallowing?

Many children behave exactly this way: for a week or two they spit out all the pieces and periodically “choke”, then they begin to spit out the pieces “in one”, they swallow half, then, finally, they begin to swallow all the pieces. Mom needs to be patient and not insist. At the same time, the child must watch other people eat without spitting out the pieces.

Does the baby need extra fluids in connection with the start of the introduction of complementary foods?

The baby continues to receive the main fluid from breast milk. The child usually begins to be interested in water and drinking after a year.
Usually the baby is interested in the contents of his mother's cup and tries it, if you pour a little drink into the cup, on the bottom.

If the baby is almost 5 months old, he is very interested in any food, looks everyone in the mouth and demands to try, is it possible now to introduce pedagogical complementary foods to him?

The kid is a developed and inquisitive child. He really wants to do with food the same as his mother.
But we must remember that the gastrointestinal tract of a child, not yet full 5 months, is not yet very ready to get acquainted with other foods.

Enzyme systems are just beginning to mature. The situation in the intestines is now stable, it is quite dangerous to interfere in it ahead of time.
The task of the mother is to protect this stability from premature interventions.

Food interest in a baby of this age should be limited, in other words, take him out of the kitchen and not eat in his presence.
If you don’t really like such advice, you can do something, but only at your own peril and risk. We have already met with a situation where a mother, even knowing how to properly introduce complementary foods, is impatient and as a result of which the child received a breakdown in the digestive system, which had to be fought for a long time later.
It is not recommended to introduce complementary foods before the baby is six months old.

Why can babies who eat baby food at 7-8 months eat 100-200 g of mashed potatoes or cereals, but children who start with pedagogical complementary foods do not do this?

A child of the second half of life eats little because he does not want to eat yet.
He only imitates his mother in her actions. He eats milk. Perhaps there is a genetic mechanism in the human cub that does not allow him to eat much at this age.

A couple of thousand years ago, a child would probably have had big problems in the digestive system if he had been fed 100 g of game meat brought by his father from a hunt.
Another thing is that then it would never have occurred to anyone to do this with a child. Even our great-grandmothers, 100 years ago, who cooked food for a family of 5-10 people on a stove or wood-burning stove, did not even think (and it was not possible), on the one hand, to feed the child with something specially prepared separately from everyone, but with on the other hand, and it was not in my mind to give the baby more common porridge or soup, so that he could eat ...

Baby food is made in such a way that a child can eat a lot of it. And any baby can be fed with them, but is it necessary?
There are children who for the time being eat this “baby food” a lot and with pleasure, however, most of them have to be entertained during the feeding process so that their mouths open.

Many people have to entertain in the process of eating for quite a long time, some - until adolescence. Often there is a situation when a child who ate with pleasure and a lot, up to a year or a little over a year, becoming older, begins to refuse food and turns into a small child, which is simply torture for parents to feed. These kids are not interested in food at all. There are, of course, children who relatively “safely” bypass the stage of baby food.

"Safely" is put in quotation marks, because. now the long-term consequences of introducing large amounts of baby food to a child when he is not quite ready biologically for such a load are just beginning to be studied, the results will not be soon ...

Breastfeeding consultant Ekaterina Denisova

The question of how to properly introduce complementary foods remains the most discussed and controversial in domestic pediatrics. The norms in force in the Russian Federation differ in many respects from generally accepted international ones. The recommendations of doctors of the "Soviet hardening" do not stand up to criticism. What should be the right complementary foods so as not to harm the health of the baby?

There are many myths about the benefits of products for babies in the first year of life. For example, that as early as a month, children need an additional source of iron in the form of apple juice. That fruit purees should not be perceived as a complete complementary food, they serve as “complementary foods”, so you can give them in advance, as early as three months. That at the age of four months it is necessary to include vegetable puree in the amount of up to one hundred grams in the child's diet, and at the age of five months - milk porridge.

Such a scheme, how to properly start complementary foods, operates on the basis of the methodological recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, approved in 1999. However, it has been completely refuted by international studies, the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the International Dairy League.

Causes of controversy

The basic rule of modern international pediatrics says: a child should receive only breast milk or an adapted formula for up to six months. The experts of "La Leche League" somewhat soften this wording, recommending a period for the start of complementary foods by the middle of the first year of a child's life.

The reasons for the contradictions between international norms and the national program for feeding children in the first year of life lie in the peculiarities of the social development of society. “Until the early nineties, the concept of breastfeeding was almost completely lost in Russia,” comments pediatrician Alena Paretskaya. - Often, mothers went to work, leaving three and six-month-old babies in the nursery. Their feeding was organized on the basis of cow's milk, kefir, semolina.

This diet is extremely poor and fundamentally does not meet the needs of the child's body. Somehow, complementary foods allowed him to “smooth out”. From the first month, apple juice was recommended for babies, then fruit purees. In early complementary foods at four months, both eggs and cottage cheese were already present.

The introduction of a whole range of foods before the age of six months served as an opportunity to solve the most important problem - to balance the diet, which lacked breast milk. It was clearly normalized by grams to avoid overfeeding. And in the guidelines for Russian pediatricians, this scheme has been preserved, although it does not meet international standards of medicine today.

In modern conditions, the rules for the introduction of complementary foods in Russia should be revised. Thanks to WHO recommendations, methodological courses for pediatricians and medical workers, the attitude to the issue is changing, but not progressively enough.

Basic principles

Breast milk provides the full range of needs of the baby's body until the age of six months. This conclusion was made by foreign pediatricians on the basis of a number of studies. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that breastfeeding eliminates the need to introduce early complementary foods. Children simply do not need additional food.

Artificial nutrition also does not require diet correction. “Modern adapted mixtures include a sufficient volume nutrients, minerals, vitamins. Therefore, there is no need to introduce complementary foods at an earlier date,” says doctor Alena Paretskaya.

Thus, the main principle of the introduction of complementary foods in babies on breast, artificial, mixed feeding is their achievement of six months of age. The use of "adult" foods earlier is dangerous by disrupting the digestive system, which is not yet ripe for the digestion of other foods. And the lack of a child of all the nutrients he needs.

International experts also note the following important points.

Complementary foods do not replace the main food of the baby. Up to a year, breast milk, a mixture, remains such. Breastfeeding, according to WHO recommendations, is important to continue further, up to two years, since breast milk contains valuable components for the maturation of the child's brain, his nervous system, and the formation of immunity.
Feeding is introductory. The established food norms in grams for breastfed children receiving a quality adapted formula are nothing more than a general recommendation, an upper limit. More food than indicated in the norms should not be given in order to avoid overfeeding. Food does not fulfill the function of saturation; breast milk and formula that are more valuable and nutritious for the baby should cope with it up to a year. She introduces new tastes, stimulates the jaw apparatus, socializes the child and teaches him to eat properly.
Product introduction does not accept violence. The main question of how to properly introduce complementary foods to a child is the lack of pressure from the parents. Food should be of interest to the baby. In an effort to feed him "by all means", the mother forms a stable model of behavior at the table, in which the child refuses to eat.
Entertaining and entertaining are two different things.. Feeding with persuasion, under cartoons, with other entertainment has nothing to do with the concept of complementary foods. The kid should show interest in food himself, and this is only possible if he is regularly at a common table with adults. Copying the behavior of adults is a more reliable way to form the right attitude towards food in a child than persuasion and entertainment.
Look at the baby, not the deadlines. The age of six months is the lower limit of the norm, but it can be adjusted depending on the state of health of the child, the level of his development.

The baby is ready for feeding when he shows interest in food. His ejection reflex has faded, and foods thicker than milk and formula do not cause him to vomit. Eating new foods does not cause digestive disorders. The child himself sits and can hold a spoon.

Feeding technique

It often happens that a child is interested in both the objects on the table and the contents of the adult's plates. And even tries to grab something from them and put it in her mouth. But even microdoses of new foods cause problems. If constipation occurs during the introduction of complementary foods, then the child's body is not ready to digest it. Stop loading him with new food, continue to breastfeed or formula feed as usual. And after a few weeks, try offering complementary foods again.

There are also directly opposite reactions: the child categorically refuses to eat anything other than milk or formula. In this situation, it is necessary for the mother to calm down and stop listening to the instructions of her friends or grandmothers.

If the child is healthy, alert, active, but does not want to eat complementary foods, do not insist. His body receives everything it needs from the main source of nutrition. Involve him in family meals, give him a chair, a spoon, a plate, and wait without worry for the baby to show that he is ready to try something new.

Follow the following tactics on how to introduce complementary foods.

Make sure the baby is healthy. Wait with new food, if the crumbs are teething, there are signs of SARS, fever, the vaccine has been given. The reason to postpone complementary foods is the relocation of the family, the death of loved ones, and other factors of emotional upheaval. You can change the diet only if the child is stable both emotionally and physically.
Start with the bare minimum. In the technique of pedagogical complementary foods, it is recommended to start with a microdose of the product, that is, an amount from a match head. Pediatric complementary foods allow you to start with half a teaspoon. It is better to offer unfamiliar foods in the morning in order to be able to monitor the condition of the baby during the day.
Watch baby. An allergy to complementary foods does not appear within a few hours. The reaction occurs a day after the allergen is consumed, and the first "dose" never causes a pronounced rash, peeling on the skin and other symptoms. They appear after the second consumption of the product, so you can find out if the child is allergic to something only on the third day after consuming the new food. Constipation in a child after the introduction of complementary foods may occur during the first day, as well as diarrhea. If you observe these reactions, experiments with the diet must be stopped.
Gradually increase volume. If the baby liked the new product, double it daily to the age norm. You do not have the task of necessarily feeding your child this amount of product per day. This norm is the maximum threshold, beyond which it is impossible to go.
One product per week. With good tolerance within a week, you can introduce the product into the child's diet. Next week, try to start introducing a new product in the same way. A new product can be mixed with a familiar one.

Take your time! The value of breast milk is incomparably higher for your baby than cereals or vegetables. Do not try to displace even one feeding with them. The components of the "adult" table should complement the diet from a nutritional, energy point of view. But it is to complement, not replace!

At the age of one year, a breastfed child should receive 75% of the nutrition in the form of breast milk. In mixed-fed babies, the mixture is gradually removed from the diet. Complementary foods replace it, but mother's milk remains in the existing volume and is offered on demand. Artificial babies are transferred to the traditional family table after a year.

Product sequence

What should be the sequence of introduction of complementary foods? For a long time in our country, the first component was fruits and juices. Western pediatricians do not share this opinion. Fruit acids, which are part of juices, aggressively affect the child's digestive tract. In addition, they include a large amount of sugar. Therefore, juices are recommended not to be used at all in the nutrition of babies up to a year and older.

Vegetables - from six months

The product of the first complementary foods for healthy children on any form of nutrition. Use vegetables from your region: neutral zucchini, cabbage, potatoes. A little later, you can introduce the child to carrots, peas, and other legumes. By the year, onions and tomatoes may appear in his diet.

All vegetables are washed, peeled and boiled in a small amount of water. Puree first, then mash with a fork.

Age, months	Volume, g
6	150
7	170
8	180
9-12	200

After the introduction of one vegetable, you can fill the puree with vegetable oil in the amount of an incomplete teaspoon.

Fruit - from seven months

Traditionally, an apple is introduced first, then prunes, apricots, bananas, pears, and any other fruits in your region. The baby is offered them in the form of mashed potatoes. Usually, children take delicious fruit purees from jars well. This product helps intestinal motility, so the stool after the introduction of complementary foods in artificial animals is getting better.

Age, months	Volume, g
7	70
8	80
9-12	90-100

Cooked homemade fruit purees should be peeled and pitted.

Kashi - from seven months

Porridge can also be a product of the first complementary foods, but for babies with a lag in weight. If the baby meets the age norms, a hearty cereal porridge is introduced after vegetables and fruits.

Use buckwheat, rice, and corn as gluten-free products with low risk allergic reaction. At eight months and older, oatmeal, wheat, millet, semolina are introduced. Prepared on water, without the use of milk, from finely ground cereals in a coffee grinder. Consistency is age appropriate. At the beginning of feeding, the volume of water is 1:4, closer to a year the density of the product is increased, prepared in a ratio of 1:2.

When buying ready-made cereals, they choose dairy-free products for the first complementary foods. It is convenient to use them: just pour the required amount of water and mix.

Age, months	Volume, g
7	150
8	180
9-12	200

Closer to the year, you can start cooking milk porridge or milk diluted with water 1: 1.

Yolk - from eight months

Useful, but very ambiguous product. In the scheme, how to properly introduce complementary foods for the months of the Soviet period is mentioned as early as four months of age. Modern pediatricians recommend introducing it after eight months, carefully observing the reaction of the child.

Age, months	Part
8	1/4
9	1/2
10-12	1/2

The yolk is added to porridge or vegetable puree. It is not allowed to mix it with meat complementary foods in one feeding, if it is present in the diet.

Meat - from eight, nine months

Use little allergenic meats: lamb, turkey, lean pork. There is a higher risk of an allergic reaction to our most popular types of meat: veal and chicken, but this does not mean that they cannot be eaten. In infants, whose mothers often eat these types of meat, a negative reaction occurs less frequently.

The meat is ground in a meat grinder, it can be boiled twice. The new variety is introduced carefully, observing the reaction for five days. Add to vegetable puree.

Age, months	Volume, g
8	30
9	50
10-12	60-70

Meat broth is not used in feeding children of the first year of life.

Fish - from ten, eleven months

You can try to introduce fish two months after meeting with meat. Use varieties of low-fat, marine fish. Red is allergenic, therefore hake, pollock, horse mackerel and other varieties of fish with an inexpressive smell, slightly dry structure are more preferable.

Age, months	Volume, g
10	30
11	50
12	60

The fish is boiled, cleaned of bones. Served with a vegetable side dish. At this age, the baby already chews food well, so you don’t need to grind it specially, just leave it in small pieces.

Cottage cheese, kefir - from ten, twelve months

Dairy products may appear on the children's menu closer to the age of one. They contain a foreign protein, for the breakdown of which the baby's body learns to produce enzymes only after ten months.

Age, months	Volume, g
10	30
11	40
12	50

For children receiving breast milk or formula, the relevance of dairy products in the diet is not so high. It is more important for artificial people to include cottage cheese in the menu for up to a year so that the body has time to adapt to this product before the mixture is excluded from the diet.

From ten months, the baby can be offered a cracker or dryer as a snack. Juices include in the menu after a year, but their value is exaggerated. Compotes are more useful for children home cooking.

Breastfeeding consultants advise mothers to keep a food diary in which they indicate what food was introduced and how much the baby ate. This is true for babies prone to allergies, as it will allow you to accurately identify dangerous foods.

The questions of when to start, how to choose, how to prepare complementary foods for babies are incredibly important. Not only the feeling of satiety of the crumbs at the moment depends on them. This quality is secondary, especially since before the one-year-old period, children do not associate food from the “plate” with a food source at all.

More importantly, teach the baby to eat on his own, instill in him respect for food, an understanding that food is pleasure, joy, the ability to behave like adults. The absence of violence from the mother, perseverance and demands to be sure to eat everything “to the last drop” is the right tactic that will help with this.

The topic of the introduction of complementary foods is a field for all sorts of conjectures and myths. What are they trying to feed the little ones! For example, it is argued that fruits in the form of purees and juices are not the first complementary foods at all, but only its predecessor, and that they are quite suitable for babies at 3 months old. There is an opinion that at 4 months the baby should already eat vegetable puree in the amount of 100 grams, and by 5 months - master porridge in milk.

Some people, from a lack of awareness, try to offer vegetable puree to children as early as 1-3 months.

Such a feeding technique existed before, it was approved by the Ministry of Health and the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences back in 1999, but a lot of time has passed since then and science has refuted all these provisions. Today, the introduction of complementary foods is carried out according to the recommendations of the WHO and the International Dairy League.

The question of the first complementary foods is very burning, so today we will dwell on all the exciting moments in detail. Let's talk about the timing of the start of complementary foods, signs of readiness of the body and other important facts.

Early feeding

A breastfed baby does not need any additional nutrients until the age of 6 months. This has been proven in a number of scientific studies by European pediatricians. Scientists at the American Academy of Pediatrics are convinced that the presence of breastfeeding does not require early introduction of complementary foods. Babies get everything they need from their mother's milk. The meaning of introducing early complementary foods to newborns is determined only by a number of weighty indications. Until the age of 4 months, the child’s gastrointestinal tract does not yet have the necessary enzymes that could digest food (for more details, see the article:). Sometimes these enzymes appear only by 6 months, and sometimes only by one and a half years.

What is the danger of feeding too early? It is important for all caring parents to know that the earlier the first complementary foods are introduced, the greater the likelihood of digestive difficulties in the future and the higher the risk of allergic reactions.

Early feeding can cause severe allergies in a child

This is due to the fact that the intestines of babies are in an immature state, in the process of development. The food introduced as complementary foods cannot be normally absorbed by the newborn due to a lack of enzymes, which means that the baby is not saturated. The World Health Organization has conducted a number of studies, during which it was found that early and premature start of complementary foods increases the risk of getting pneumonia and multiple otitis by several times. This is due to the fact that the overall resistance of the body is lower.

Children who received only mother's milk up to six months, compared with peers who had already received their first complementary foods by this age, mastered crawling and walking much earlier. When should you start introducing complementary foods to your baby? Based on all the data obtained, pediatricians in most countries, including Russia, came to the conclusion that the most appropriate time for the introduction of complementary foods is from 6 months.

Basic principles

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

How to introduce complementary foods correctly? At what age can a child be fed? The main condition for the start of complementary foods is that the child is six months old, regardless of the type of feeding. Breastfed, formula-fed or formula-fed infants should receive complementary foods based on the following important factors:

The main food is milk or a mixture. Be sure to keep breastfeeding or formula feeding as a priority for up to a year. WHO experts are convinced that breastfeeding is justified up to two years of age and beyond. Such conclusions are based on studies of the composition of breast milk, which, with the growth of the crumbs, adapts to the changing needs of the child's body. It contains useful substances for the proper formation of the brain, nervous and immune systems.

If possible, breastfeeding should be continued for at least a year.

Complementary foods are introduced for familiarization. In no case should the volumes indicated in the norms be exceeded, otherwise there is a danger of overfeeding the child. The first feeding of the baby is not intended to saturate; for this, breast milk or an adapted formula is preserved, which have a great nutritional value. Adult food allows you to introduce the crumbs to a variety of tastes, helps to teach the proper functioning of the jaws, ensures the socialization of the baby and teaches proper food intake.
No violence when introducing new products. The introduction of complementary foods should be based on the desire and interest of the child in food.
Do not use recreational methods when feeding. Fairy tales, jokes, and even more so cartoons are absolutely inappropriate at the table. The child should be interested in the new process, and this can be achieved by regularly placing the baby at the common parental table.
Pay attention not to the deadlines, but to the child. Starting from six months, you can start the first initial feeding, but if the child is not yet ready, there is no need to rush and artificially adjust it to the indicated norms. Focus on the level of his health and development.

Signs of readiness to introduce complementary foods

External indicators of the baby's readiness for new food:

ability to sit independently;
the appearance of several teeth;

The appearance of the first teeth - a signal of readiness to chew food

the food ejection reflex disappears: the food that enters the baby's mouth is no longer pushed back by the tongue;
weight gain two times relative to data at birth (for premature babies, this figure should triple);
the baby may turn away if he does not like the food;
the number of attachments to the breast increases, and when fed with a mixture, the baby is still hungry;
the time of interest in the contents of mom and dad's plates begins.

Types of complementary foods

Pedagogical. When a baby begins to show interest in adult food, this does not mean that he is not saturated with what is available. He is attracted to the pleasure that parents experience while eating, and he wants to experience something similar. The principle of pedagogical complementary foods is to feed the baby with microdoses of all the dishes that adults eat. The dose is equal to the volume of a match head.
Pediatric. Traditional type of complementary foods according to WHO recommendations. New food is offered in small doses of ½ teaspoon.

In pediatric complementary foods, little by little, different types of food are offered to the baby.

Feeding technique

How to introduce complementary foods to a baby? Feeding rules are as follows:

The child must be healthy. teething, colds, viral infections, the presence of temperature, the time of preparation for vaccinations or immediately after vaccinations - all of these factors indicate the impossibility of starting trials of food novelties.
Initial doses are minimal - from ½ teaspoon. "Adult" food is offered before formula or breast milk. The portion size is gradually increased.
Attention to the well-being of the child. A possible allergy is not a matter of two hours, it can manifest itself much later. Follow the child for two days after the introduction of a new product. Most often, after the first feeding, a negative reaction of the baby's body is a rare occurrence. The most likely occurrence of a rash or peeling after repeated use. As a rule, it is possible to notice something wrong only by the third attempt to try the introduced product. Reactions such as constipation or diarrhea can manifest themselves within the first day. Any ailments in the baby require the immediate cancellation of the novelty.
The volume increases gradually. Do not set yourself the goal of feeding the baby with the amount indicated in the norms - this is the upper limit. It is impossible to give more than this, but less - please.
No more than one new product per week. In the first week, the child has an increase in the volume of new food, in the second - getting used to it, and only from the third week is it allowed to introduce another new food.
It is strictly forbidden to offer two new products at once.
Lack of interest in the product or unwillingness to eat it requires some pause. Try again after a few days.

Only mono-component purees can be used to test new products.

Product sequence

In what order should new foods be included in a child's diet? For many years, fruits in the form of purees and juices have been the best products. Experts in the field of pediatrics in European countries consider this approach to be extremely wrong. The acids contained in fruits have an extremely negative effect on digestive system baby. In addition, there is a lot of sugar in fruits, so they are generally not recommended for introduction into children's diets under the age of one.

Starting from the age of six months, the child begins to experience a lack of a number of minerals, including zinc and iron. To make up for this deficiency in a baby, complementary foods are recommended to start either with cereal cereals or with vegetables that contain easily digestible forms of these microelements.

In the presence of poor digestion, combined with loose stools, it is better to start with cereals, and with a fixed stool - with vegetable purees.

The second part of feeding will be either vegetables or porridge, and the third part will be meat puree, after which we will introduce everything else into complementary foods. The second complementary foods are offered to the baby at the same time as the previous one. Below we will talk about the timing of the introduction of complementary foods.

Meat puree is introduced into the diet only after vegetables and cereals

Vegetables - from 6 months

Children on any type of feeding in a healthy state receive vegetable puree as the first product. We first introduce vegetables that grow in the region of residence into complementary foods: zucchini, potatoes, cabbage. Next, babies are fed with carrots and legumes (we recommend reading:). Closer to the year, introduce your baby to tomatoes and onions.

All vegetables are pre-washed in running water without the use of soap, then peeled and seeds are removed. Prepared vegetables for the first feeding of the baby are cut into small pieces. Before cooking, it is recommended to soak the potatoes in cold water so that they lose all the starch. You can cook your own meals in several ways:

For a couple. This method of cooking is considered the most useful.
In the oven. Chopped vegetables are laid out in the form, almost half filled with boiling water. Cover the top with foil and let cook until done.
In a saucepan. Pour water into the container, wait for it to boil, put the vegetables and cook until cooked under the lid.

All vegetables are prepared in different ways: zucchini - 5 minutes, pumpkin and cauliflower - 10 minutes, carrots and potatoes - 25 minutes. According to the recipe, boiled vegetables should be ground with a blender or rubbed through a sieve, then adding a little broth to make the consistency uniform. Having crushed everything with a crush, it will not be possible to get rid of hard-to-chew fibers, so it will be difficult for a child to eat such mashed potatoes. You can add milk or a mixture to the puree for flavor. Avoid sugar and salt. Start adding vegetable oil to your baby's meals 1.5 months after the start of the introduction of complementary foods. Remember that this product is also new, so be careful when entering it.

Kashi - from 7 months

When the baby is gaining weight poorly, porridge can be offered first. For children whose indicators correspond to the norms, cereal cereals should be given after the development of vegetables and fruits by the crumbs.

First, gluten-free cereals are introduced: rice, buckwheat, corn, because the risk of allergies when eating them is minimal. For children older than 8 months, it is allowed to cook millet, oatmeal, semolina. The cereal is pre-ground in a coffee grinder, and then boiled in water without adding milk. At first, the consistency of porridge is more liquid, corresponding to the proportion of 4 servings of water per 1 serving of cereals, and closer to the year, the porridge is made thicker, reducing the amount of water to 2 parts.

First of all, gluten-free cereals are introduced into the diet.

When purchasing ready-made cereals for children, make a choice in favor of dairy-free products. Such cereals are very convenient for cooking: the contents are poured with a small amount of water and mixed for uniformity. Treat a one-year-old baby with cereals in milk, prepared in a 1: 1 ratio with water.

Is it possible to cook porridge for the introduction of complementary foods on my own? You are able to do everything yourself, only before cooking the cereal should be processed:

cereals are washed in water;
dried in the air or in the oven;
grind dried beans in a coffee grinder.

Ground flour should be stored in a jar with a closed lid. The recipe for this is:

Pour 100 ml of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Put a teaspoon of porridge in a small container, pour 2-3 tablespoons of cool water, mix thoroughly.
Pour diluted porridge into boiled water, mix and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. When cooking, porridge should be constantly stirred. By pouring ground porridge into boiling water, you can end up with lumpy porridge.
After this time, the fire must be turned off and let it brew for about 15 minutes. During this time, the grains will swell, and after cooling, the porridge should be served at the table. You can dilute the porridge with breast milk or a mixture. Do not add salt, sugar, butter, or cow's milk to the first cereals.

The first cereals should not contain salt or sugar

Fruit - from 7 months

The introduction of complementary foods on the menu continues with fruit. Usually fruit purees are tried by children in the following sequence: apple, prunes, apricot, banana, pear (we recommend reading:). You can supplement them with any fruit that grows in your area. Crumbs with great appetite eat canned purees. They help to improve the functioning of the intestines, so the problems with digestion that existed before immediately disappear. When preparing fruit puree at home, remember that it is better to pre-peel all products from the skin and seeds.

Meat - 8-9 months

Meat purees are offered from low-allergenic meats: turkey, lamb, pork of lean parts. Those varieties that are now the most common have a higher allergic index: chicken, veal. You can still eat them, but keep in mind that children whose mothers regularly ate the specified meat, the risk of negative consequences will be much lower.

Fresh meat should be passed through a meat grinder twice, and then boiled. Meat, like any new product, is introduced in small doses. Carefully observe the reaction of the child's body to the novelty. Meat broths are not prepared for children under one year old.

Yolk - from 8 months

The attitude to this useful product is complex and ambiguous. In Soviet times, it was recommended for introduction as early as 4 months, but now the timing of the introduction of complementary foods from the yolk has moved closer to 9 months. When testing, be sure to monitor how the child's body reacts to a new product. You can enter it by adding it to cereals or vegetables. It is undesirable to make meat purees with yolk.

Cottage cheese, kefir - from 9-10 months

How many months should a baby be to be ready for cottage cheese and kefir (more in the article:)? Approaching the age of 1 year, mothers begin the introduction of dairy products. The protein of cow's milk is foreign to the child's body and the enzyme required for its breakdown appears in the intestine only after 10 months of age. Babies who receive either mother's milk or an adapted formula do not have much need for dairy products. For children on an artificial type of feeding, the introduction of cottage cheese into the diet even before the year is more justified, because their body must have time to readjust to the processing of this food before the mother removes the usual mixture from the diet.

It is better to introduce dairy products on the menu by the year

Fish - from 10-11 months

A couple of months after the development of meat dishes, fish should be introduced into the menu. For proper feeding, lean sea fish is ideal. Red varieties of fish are considered more allergenic, so pollock, hake, horse mackerel and the like should be preferred, which have a slight specific smell and a drier structure.

Boiled fish should be cleaned of bones. It is usually served with vegetables. As a rule, a grown-up baby has already acquired a part of teeth and chews small pieces quite well on his own. It is in this form that it is recommended to serve fish.

What can not be given up to a year?

Juices. Often compassionate grandmothers recommend giving them to their granddaughters and grandchildren, but do not rush to do this. When can I introduce complementary foods to a child in the form of juices? It is advisable to either not give juice at all, or give it after a year. They do not carry any benefit, but they can seriously irritate the mucous surface of the stomach and intestines.
Fresh vegetables. They contribute to the appearance of bloating and are more difficult to digest compared to boiled options.
Cookies and any sweets.
Overseas fruits from tropical countries.
Cow and goat milk.

If you are reading this article, it means that not so long ago an addition took place in your family, and a long-awaited and beloved baby was born. You, of course, have already decided how you will educate and develop your child, how to feed, breastfeed or formula, what kind of regimen and favorite activities he will have, and this article will tell you how to properly introduce complementary foods to a baby, where, how and when to start , and will help the mother quickly and accurately diversify the diet of her child and introduce healthy foods containing various vitamins and microelements into it.

What is complementary food? This is the food that babies begin to receive at a certain stage of their development in addition to mother's milk or formula.

The beginning of the introduction of the first complementary foods for infants on natural and artificial nutrition is slightly different in terms of timing. If children receiving mother's milk can remain without adult food for a longer time, then artificial children can be introduced additional nutrition as early as 4.5 months, because not a single milk formula contains the necessary microelements in sufficient volume.

When is it time for complementary foods?

The period in which it is necessary to introduce complementary foods depends on several parameters, including:

Doubled since birth, baby's weight
The baby has the ability to hold objects in the handles, and the need to try everything on the tooth
He shows interest in the spoon, may reach for it or lean away from it
Interested in food adults eat
Can drink liquid from a spoon
Knows how to sit, leaning on the back of a chair or the hand of an adult, holds and turns his head well
Does not push out food that has entered the mouth with the tongue
During the last 14 days, the baby did not get sick, and did not tolerate preventive vaccinations

A very important point at the beginning of the introduction of additional food for breastfed children is the lack of milk in the mother. That is, if you feed the baby from both breasts at one meal, and at the same time he remains hungry. For formula-fed babies, the time to start complementary foods is the moment they start eating more than one liter of formula per day.

The World Health Organization advises starting complementary foods no earlier than six months of age. The digestive system of the baby by this period is already maturing and becomes able to accept and process food that is more solid than milk. But on the recommendation of a pediatrician who will tell you how to quickly and correctly introduce complementary foods, this moment may come a little earlier, especially if the baby eats formula milk.

So, we came to the conclusion that it is not recommended to start acquaintance with "adult" food before the age of six months. But now the due date has come, and the mother has a number of specific questions. How to properly introduce complementary foods to a child? How many grams of puree or porridge should be given? With what product is it better to start introducing "adult" food?

The rules for feeding infants are simple and safe, the main thing is to follow the schemes and principles of introduction, and then both you and your child will receive only positive emotions from the new food.

The most important principle that must be observed in the correct introduction of complementary foods is small doses of solid food. That is, it is necessary to start giving the baby complementary foods from half a teaspoon, increasing portions over and over again.

Pediatricians and international consultants note several rules that must be followed during the introduction of complementary foods.

Carefully observe the change in the baby's stool. If he began to be tormented by increased gas formation, intestinal upset, or, conversely, constipation, it is too early to introduce this product. Changes in the color of the excrement should not be frightened, this is just a reaction to a new food.
Rashes on the skin should also serve as a signal for the temporary cancellation of the product.
Observe the behavior of the crumbs during the day, and his sleep at night.
Assess how the baby will gain weight after the introduction of a new food

If on the first day after the baby has tried a new food, his condition and behavior have not changed, the portions can be increased to a whole teaspoon, and over the next 14 days, bring the amount of this product to the norm set by age.

Starting the introduction of any complementary foods, it is very important to understand that it is not able to replace full meals, but is only aimed at familiarizing the crumbs with the variety of tastes of "adult" food, and as a source of additional trace elements and vitamins.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods

And a few more views from doctors and experts:

Do not start the introduction of complementary foods during the period of illness and for two weeks after its end
Do not add new foods to the children's diet during a heat wave
Do not force-feed a child if the first spoonful of new food did not please him
Do not introduce several products at once, approach this in stages, and start introducing a new one only after the baby is used to the previous one
Give complementary foods in the morning, preferably at the very first meal. This procedure will help to control the condition of the crumbs and help him in case of a negative reaction.
New dishes should be completely homogeneous, solid pieces are not allowed in them, and their consistency should be close to milk or mixture in density.
Food should be freshly cooked and warm, ready-made canned purees must be warmed up.
Do not use mashed exotic fruits and vegetables for the first feeding
For complementary foods, it is best to use a special silicone baby spoon, a large assortment of which can be found in a pharmacy or a store with specialty goods.
It is best to give complementary foods in the morning feeding, and after the "adult" food, be sure to offer the baby breast milk or formula

Where to start the first feeding

Many mothers and grandmothers mistakenly believe that the best product for the first. This is a huge misconception, because having become accustomed to the sweet taste of juice, the child will definitely not want to enjoy vegetable dishes. In addition, fruit acids have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract of the crumbs.

So, the first on the menu of the baby should be local, familiar to your region, vegetables, white or green, turned into one-component purees.

An approximate table for introducing vegetables into a child's diet:

5-6 months - cauliflower, zucchini
6-7 months - pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, broccoli
8 months - green peas
9 months - beets
1 year - cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, onions.

As you master one-component vegetable dishes, you can offer crumbs mashed potatoes from several components.

After a child gets used to vegetables, porridge becomes the next best product to introduce into the diet. Fruit purees and juices are introduced after vegetables and become a kind of dessert for a child. Juices are best diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1 part juice to 2 parts water.

For children whose weight is behind the norm, doctors recommend porridge as a dietary supplement. In order to avoid allergic reactions, the first cereals to be introduced into the diet should be: rice, buckwheat and corn. If the child is prone to constipation, rice will have to be canceled. By the age of eight months, millet, oatmeal, semolina and wheat groats can be introduced. If you prefer ready-made cereals from well-known manufacturers, then you need to choose dairy-free and gluten-free products. Their introduction should also be carried out gradually, starting with a few spoons and gradually increasing portions to the required weight. You can cook them yourself, pre-grinding the cereal, or you can purchase a finished product adapted specifically for kids. To prepare the finished porridge, you need to use warm boiled water, breast milk or the usual milk mixture.

If your child does not have a tendency to allergies, at the age of 8 months it is time to start introducing chicken yolk. It can be given alone, or added to mashed potatoes and cereals. In the first days after adding this product to the diet, you need to carefully monitor the reaction of the crumbs.

By 9 months, you can add such a treat as cookies to the children's menu. It is better to choose a special one made directly for children, since various vitamins and trace elements are added to it, and it quickly dissolves in the liquid. It can be consumed dry or soaked in milk.

After 8-9 months, meat products should be present in the baby's menu. For the first feeding, it is necessary to take those types of meat that do not cause allergies. These are pork, lamb and turkey. If you introduce chicken or veal into your diet, you need to carefully monitor the reaction of the crumbs, since these varieties are the most allergenic. At the same time, the child should get acquainted with the liver, but it is worth considering that not everyone will like such a specific product. You should not give meat broth to a nursing baby, as this is a rather heavy food for small stomachs.

Closer to the year, at the age of 10-11 months, fish can be introduced into the diet. But do not forget that fish is a rather allergenic product, so it must be introduced with caution and in small portions, carefully observing the reaction of the child's body. Preference should be given to varieties of sea, low-fat and white fish.

By 10-12 months, cottage cheese and sour-milk products are added to the menu. The injection scheme is no different from other products, it starts with one teaspoon and is brought to the amount corresponding to age within 7-10 days.

All products are divided into three categories according to the degree of allergenicity, and this must also be taken into account when compiling the baby menu:

Low - zucchini, cauliflower, apples, plums, pumpkin, pears, rice, pork and turkey
Medium - Broccoli, potatoes, green peas, peach, bananas, chicken and lamb
High - cow's milk, eggs, fish, nuts, soy, wheat, honey, citrus, chocolate, strawberries, tomatoes

The amount of complementary foods by month

Table of volumes of the finished vegetable dish according to age:

6 months - 150 g
7 months - 170 g
8 months - 180 g
9-12 months - 200 g

After the child's body adapts to a one-component puree, it can be prepared with the addition of vegetable oil.

Table of volumes of the finished fruit dish according to age:

7 months - 70 g
8 months - 80 g
9-12 months - 90-100 g

Table of volumes of ready-made cereals:

7 months - 150 g
8 months - 180 g
9-12 months - 200 g

The volume of chicken yolk in the child's diet by month:

7 months - ¼ part
8 months - ½ part
9-12 months - ½ part

The volume of meat products in the child's diet by months:

8 months - 30 g
9 months - 50 g
10-12 months - 60-70 g

The volume of fish products in the diet by month:

10 months - 30 g
11 months - 50 g
12 months - 60 g

The volume of cottage cheese in baby food by month:

10 months - 30 g
11 months - 40 g
12 months -50 g

The main mistakes when introducing complementary foods

Many parents who begin to feed their son or daughter with vegetables face rejection of such food, and instead of them I begin to offer him cereals. This is not recommended, because after sweet and tasty cereals, there is a high probability of a complete rejection of fresh and non-salted vegetables. Therefore, if the child has refused this or that vegetable puree, it is necessary to offer him a replacement in the form of another vegetable, which, perhaps, will be to the taste of the baby.
In no case do not add sugar to ready-made cereals for baby food, there is enough of it. It is absolutely not worth accustoming a baby to sweet foods, this can have a negative impact on his taste preferences in the future, and cause excess weight and other diseases.
Do not add salt to ready-made vegetable and meat purees, it is present in sufficient quantities.

The introduction of complementary foods without consequences for the child's body

With the early introduction of complementary foods in the fragile body of the baby, various changes can occur. One of the main negative factors that accompany the addition of more solid foods to the diet is constipation, in order to avoid them, you must follow some rules:

Don't give complementary foods too early
Control dietary fiber, protein and fat content
Control the intake of water in the body of crumbs
If a child has constipation, first of all it is necessary to determine whether this deviation is the result of a food allergy.

For any negative symptoms that appear during the period of complementary feeding, an urgent consultation of a pediatrician is necessary.

How to prepare food for meals

Do not add salt and sugar to the food you prepare for your baby. It is best to accustom him to a natural taste. It is best to start salting and sweetening after one year of age.
Vegetable, fruit and meat products need to be crushed in a blender, because at the age of 6-7 months the baby is not yet able to chew food and, as a rule, has only 2-4 teeth. Upon reaching the age of ten months, food can not be ground, but kneaded with a fork, and by the age of one, it is enough to crumble it into small pieces.
Vegetables and meat are best steamed, this method of cooking allows you to save the maximum amount of nutrients in the products.
Puree for your crumbs must be prepared at one time, so that he receives only the freshest products every time.

How does the amount of complementary foods change by day

1 day - 1 teaspoon
2 days - 2 teaspoons
3 days - 3 teaspoons
4 days - 4 teaspoons
5 days - 50 g
6 days - 100 g
7 days - 150 g

Over time, you need to put vegetable or butter in cereals and mashed potatoes of your own production. You need to start with 1 drop, gradually bringing the amount to a whole teaspoon.

Sample menu for the day for a six-month-old child

First meal - breast milk or formula in the amount of 150 - 200 ml

The second meal - dairy-free porridge or milk 150 ml

The third meal - vegetable puree 150 ml

Fourth, fifth and sixth feeding - breast milk or formula in the amount of 150 - 200 ml

Of course, the introduction of adult food into the diet of an infant requires some preparation, reading special literature and consulting a pediatrician. Everything will go smoothly if the baby is healthy, his mother has received the necessary knowledge, and the basic nutrition of the baby is organized correctly.

Another important point in the organization of proper feeding is to encourage the desire of the crumbs to eat on their own, of course, at the age of up to a year this is associated with certain inconveniences, but in no case should it be stopped by parents. Otherwise, the baby may refuse to eat on its own in the near future.