First baby food. First feeding: what, when and how much? Eating and drinking in hot weather

Mother's milk has always been and is considered the most delicious and healthy food for a baby. If there is no milk, then the baby can be fed with special formulas. But children grow up and they need different food. The time has come to give the baby his first complementary feeding. But where to start?

From this article you will learn:

Previously, it was believed that it was necessary to start feeding a baby “adult food” almost from the second month, but modern science claims that early complementary feeding of a baby is very harmful to his health. Children who are on breastfeeding, you can start giving “adult” food from the age of six months, and “artificial” food from five and a half months.

The time of the baby's first complementary feeding is easy to determine according to the following characteristics:

• the child begins to show interest in what adults eat.
• His first teeth have already erupted.
• The child sits confidently and independently.
• The baby himself asks to give him what adults eat.

Only then can the baby try regular food for the first time. Doctors call this moment pedagogical complementary feeding, because the goal of such feeding is not to feed the child, but only to give him a taste of “adult” food and begin to teach him to eat with everyone at the table.

Where to start with baby's first complementary feeding? As educational complementary foods, you can give your baby a little buckwheat porridge in water, a little boiled potato, a piece of peeled pear or apple. Then the baby needs to be supplemented with milk.

Rules for first feeding

• The main thing is not to rush. Let the baby first eat just one teaspoon in the first half of the day. Then you can gradually increase the amount of new food.
• Constantly monitor the child's physical condition. If, after eating “adult” food, his stomach hurts, his skin turns red and a rash appears, immediately eliminate the new product and do not introduce anything new into the diet for three days.
• Remember that semi-finished products, sausages, fried, fatty, smoked, pickles, sweets, pastries and cakes are strictly prohibited. Some raw vegetables are also prohibited.

• Don't force your child to eat if he doesn't want to anymore.
• Allow your child to behave freely at the table. Don't expect that it won't get dirty on its own and won't stain the table. Let him learn to hold a spoon himself, even if he doesn’t know how to do it very well yet. The baby can touch food with his hands, smear it on the table, on his face and knees. Don't worry and let your child experiment. Gradually, you can teach your baby to use a fork.
• Water or tea can be given only after complementary foods have replaced one meal completely. Give liquids between meals or after meals.

It is advisable to feed the child from special plastic dishes using plastic cutlery with an easy-to-use curved handle. Place your baby next to you and let him copy your gestures at the dinner table.

Complementary feeding scheme depending on the child’s age

Today, most therapists recommend the following scheme for the first feeding of a baby:

• First feeding ( six months). Let the baby’s first menu consist of porridge and grated vegetables: zucchini, potatoes, that will do. cauliflower. And among porridges, doctors advise choosing rice and buckwheat. However, you must first grind it thoroughly in a coffee grinder. Food should be liquid and boiled in water. The optimal serving size is from 100 to 10 grams. Instead of salt, it is recommended to add a small amount of lemon juice to the baby’s first feeding, and cook the vegetables in a double boiler.
• IN seven months The baby can be fed with the same puree, but you can add soups with the addition of yolk and a small amount of vegetable oil (it is best to use olive oil).
• IN eight months You can include fruit in your child’s menu. You can puree pears, apples or peaches, or you can add them to porridge. But if the baby has already eaten seventy grams of vegetables, then no more than fifty grams of fruit can be given. The time has come for fermented milk products - kefir and cottage cheese. Carefully ensure that the products are fresh and do not contain preservatives. It is best to make cottage cheese and kefir yourself, using a special starter.
• On ninth month The time of meat comes in a child's life. You can feed him turkey, rabbit or beef puree. The meat must be boiled and pureed using a blender. Never cook soups with meat broth for your child. Start introducing meat gradually - first give half a teaspoon of meat puree along with vegetables, gradually increase to four teaspoons per day.
• IN ten months you need to start feeding your child fish. Start with low-fat varieties of sea fish (sea bass, cod, hake). As with meat, start with half a teaspoon, gradually increasing to the daily requirement of 50 grams. Meat should be in the diet constantly. From soups, you can already feed your baby lean borscht (if there is no allergy to carrots and beets), add yoghurts, cookies for children, pumpkin and berry puree.
• IN eleven months You can start adding fresh parsley and dill to soups, and you can add a little sour cream to borscht. The porridge menu can be varied - add barley, pearl barley, millet and oatmeal porridge to buckwheat and rice. You can give some bread spread with butter.
• When the child will turn one year old, you can add juice and milk to its menu. It is best to make the juice yourself and dilute it half with water. You can also add fermented baked milk and jelly.

Dangerous products: what can cause allergies in a baby?

In order to determine where to start feeding a baby for the first time, you need to figure out which foods can cause an allergic reaction.

This is especially true because we are now seeing an increase in allergic reactions in young children. Allergies may occur in a child for two reasons: intolerance to certain foods and premature introduction during complementary feeding.

The following allergens are dangerous for children:

• Gluten, which is found in rye, oats and wheat, is very poorly absorbed by the baby’s body. Because of this, the first feeding of a baby should start with cereals that do not contain gluten - buckwheat, rice and corn. You should wait another two to three months with the consumption of other types of cereals, as well as bread and cookies.
• Until one year of age, a child’s body cannot digest goat’s and cow’s milk. If you want to add a little milk to the porridge, then add breast milk or a special milk formula.
• It is very common to find allergies to egg white Therefore, only a small amount of egg yolk can be given to a child under one year old.

An allergic reaction can be caused by lamb, fish, honey, beans, some berries, vegetables and orange and red fruits.

Features of preparing food for complementary feeding of infants

A child's body is not an adult's body. The baby’s digestive tract cannot digest all the food “for adults”, so when preparing dishes for babies there are “laws”:

• The child can be fed only fresh food. Never cook for him “for future use”, do not reheat or offer your baby to finish what he did not finish the day before. Prepare only the amount of food that the baby can eat in one sitting. Throw away the rest mercilessly.
• All food for infants should be boiled or steamed. These cooking methods preserve the natural taste of food and all the vitamins, giving it a delicate texture. Never fry anything when cooking for a baby.
• Dishes for infants should not contain salt or sugar. Use this method of cooking to ensure that only the natural flavors of the food are used. You can add only a very small amount of vegetable oil to soup and puree. Only when the child turns one year old can you start adding a little iodized salt to his complementary foods. Drinks can be sweetened with honey if the baby is not allergic to it.
• All baby food should be homogenized, that is, pureed. At the time of the baby's first feeding, there are only one or two teeth in his mouth. By nine months, food can simply be mashed with a fork, and after a couple of months, cut into small pieces.

The main thing is to start. Many people adhere to this principle in life. But in the matter of complementary feeding, it is unlikely to be suitable, since you can “start” here several times.

It all depends on the child.

Therefore, the decisive principle will be: “start and observe.” We observe how he reacts, whether he likes the new food, how his body absorbs it.

And, of course, we remember that our good helpers are patience, calmness, consistency and attentiveness. So, how to give the first complementary foods to your baby?

• Until this age, the child’s digestive system is not yet ready to get acquainted with new foods; breast milk is enough for the baby;
• At about six months, the baby begins to show interest in adult food, and signs become noticeable that his body is ripe for new food.

Many people have doubts about an earlier expansion of the child’s diet and thoughts about how to give the first complementary foods at 4 months.

No way. This should not be done without significant reasons. Continue to feed your baby your milk (formula) for now and try to maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible. His health and psychological comfort depend on this.

Types of complementary foods

When it comes to complementary feeding, the important thing is which approach you will take.

1. Pedagogical complementary feeding is that the child is given in microdoses to try everything that adults eat;

• Usually this is a joint meal at one table;
• The main goal is to quickly teach the baby to eat independently and use adult appliances, with the help of monitoring the parents;
• In this case, there is no question of which complementary foods to give first. It is more appropriate to decide on a daily basis what to prepare for yourself so that it is not harmful to a small child.

Important! If you are a supporter of pedagogical complementary feeding, then before starting it you should pay attention to your menu and, perhaps, review it, because you will be setting your child a model of proper nutrition.

And as the volume of new products in his diet increases, take care of the variety and usefulness of dishes to ensure that your baby receives adequate nutrients for health and development.

1. Pediatric complementary feeding involves the sequential introduction of different foods into the diet.

• Their volume gradually increases every day, and the consistency becomes more solid over time: first, food is given in the form of liquid puree, then grated, mashed, and then in pieces;
• The first step is to get acquainted with hypoallergenic products and, as you get used to them, digestive system baby - with everyone else. See related article: WHO complementary feeding table >>>

The disadvantages of this approach are in large volumes, which are indicated on the jars baby food. Most often, what I encounter in my practice, as a consultant on complementary feeding and correcting the appetite of older children, is refusal of complementary feeding around 8-9 months.

Therefore, in the online course posted on the website, you will receive a scheme for introducing complementary foods, combining the most important points of these two approaches for mothers. Follow the link: The ABCs of complementary feeding: a system for the safe introduction of complementary feeding to infants >>>.

Using the information from the course, you will safely introduce complementary foods, protect your child from allergies, and at the same time, immediately teach your baby to be neat at the table and maintain a good appetite.

Products for first feeding

1. The most common option is when acquaintance with adult food begins with vegetables, most often with zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli (read the article on the topic: How to cook zucchini for the first feeding?>>>);

These products extremely rarely cause allergies, so they are offered to children first. Later, pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, etc. are introduced into the diet. Complementary feeding with vegetables begins when the child is gaining weight well.

1. What to give during the first feeding if the child is not gaining weight well? In this case, it is better to start with cereals;

1. Eggs, fruits, dairy products, meat, fish are introduced into the child’s diet between the ages of 7 and 11 months.

Volume of first feeding

How much complementary feeding to give your baby depends on the system you choose.

• In pedagogical complementary feeding, these are so-called microdoses (a little bit of everything);
• In pediatrics, a consistent increase in the amount of food that the child is introduced to is assumed.

You should always start with ½ teaspoon. Then, in the absence of a negative reaction to the product (if a rash, “red cheeks”, loose stools, constipation has not appeared) we begin to increase its volume.

Important! At any stage of complementary feeding, it is important to monitor the baby’s well-being and mood after introducing each new product into the diet.

If undesirable consequences are identified or the child refuses to eat an unfamiliar dish, then postpone complementary feeding with this product for two weeks, then try again.

The first feeding of a baby is an important stage in development. The nutritional needs of a newborn are fully satisfied through mother's milk or formula. But there comes a time when there is a need for additional nutritional components, vitamins and minerals. Timely introduction of solid food into the baby’s menu is a prerequisite for his full growth. Let's figure out how to properly introduce a child to new products.

In most families, the introduction of complementary foods causes a lot of controversy. The older generation insists that from the age of 3 months a child can be given natural juices. Indeed, during the USSR this very approach was practiced. But modern research has proven him wrong.

Norms

The World Health Organization (WHO) makes a clear recommendation: A breastfed baby should not be introduced to “adult” food before six months .

If a child eats formula, then he is allowed to be fed from 4.5-5 months. This is due to two features. Firstly, “artificially-trained” children receive fewer valuable substances than children on artificial diets. Secondly, their gastrointestinal tract matures a little earlier.

But you should focus not only on age. There are certain signs that a baby is physiologically ready for solid food, including:

1. knows how to sit independently;
2. confidently and turns it to the side;
3. is interested in food - looks at it, reaches for it;
4. does not push food out of the mouth with the tongue;
5. does not get enough milk or formula - more often asks for a breast or a bottle, sucks longer;
6. birth weight doubled.

Special situations

In some cases, the need to supplement the child’s menu with new food arises before 6 months. For example, he is found to be anemic, or is not gaining weight well. The decision to introduce complementary foods in such situations is made by the doctor. In any case, the lower limit is . If you have food allergies or gastrointestinal diseases, introduction to “adult” dishes can be delayed up to 7-8 months.

The scheme for introducing complementary foods for children with health problems differs from the standard one. It is developed individually taking into account the baby’s condition.

The harm of early complementary feeding

The ability to consume solid foods requires a certain degree of development of the child's digestive, nervous, immune and urinary systems. Until 4 months, none of them are ready to switch to a new diet. The first chewing movements appear only after this age. At the same time, kidney function improves.

The enzymes necessary for the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as the protective properties of the intestinal mucosa, mature by 6 months.

In the earlier period, the child’s gastrointestinal tract is not able to fully absorb food. Useful material from it do not fully enter the blood, and undigested residues create additional stress on the intestines. The consequences of premature introduction of complementary foods can be:

• gastrointestinal diseases;
• kidney pathologies and so on.

How to properly introduce complementary foods to a baby? It is advisable to obtain individual recommendations from a pediatrician who has been monitoring the child since birth. But there are general rules introducing the baby to new dishes.

Caution and gradualism

You can change the menu only during the period when the baby is healthy. Moving, changes in the family - these and other factors require postponing innovations for 10-14 days.

The volume of food is increased gradually. For the first time, the baby should be given 1 teaspoon of the dish for lunch. Every day the portion must be doubled until the age limit is reached.

Dishes must consist of 1 component. You cannot introduce more than 1 product in 7 days.

Then you can add another ingredient to that dish. For example, if a child ate zucchini puree for 1 week, it can be supplemented with cauliflower, starting with 1 small spoon and increasing the amount over the next 7 days. The total serving size remains the same.

Breast milk or formula remains the mainstay of nutrition. They are offered to the child after complementary feeding. Gradually, each new type of food will replace one feeding.

Safety and habit formation

Mom should keep a food diary, recording in it every day the name and volume of dishes, as well as the condition of the child. This will make it possible to track the provoking product in case of allergies (itching) or digestive disorders (loose stools, constipation, flatulence, abdominal pain).

If a negative reaction occurs, the dish should be removed from the menu and reintroduced after 1-1.5 months. It is likely that the baby’s body will accept it normally.

You can't force a baby to eat. If he does not eat the prescribed portion, then this is not necessary. If you categorically refuse a certain product, you should not be zealous. After some time, the baby's taste preferences may change.

The baby should be fed from a soft spoon in a sitting position. You can let him “use” cutlery on his own from 8-9 months.

Dishes Features

For complementary feeding, you can use high-quality canned food (without synthetic additives) or prepare it yourself. Adding sugar, salt, and spices is not recommended. The consistency of the dishes should be homogeneous and semi-liquid. By 10-11 months, food can be mashed with a fork and cut into small pieces so that the child learns to chew.

It is important to monitor the freshness of products. It must be prepared immediately before meals. You can store an opened jar in the refrigerator for no more than a few hours (information is indicated on the packaging). Food should be offered to the baby warm.

Meals by month

There are many tables and diagrams showing how to introduce complementary foods. Within 1 month, the baby is introduced to 1 type of food. The most common sequence is:

1. 6 months – vegetables;
2. 7 – porridge;
3. 8 – , ;
4. 9 – , ;
5. 10 – fruits;
6. 11-12 – fish.

If you are underweight, porridge can be introduced first, followed by vegetables. If you are prone to constipation and excess weight It’s better to start with plant foods. If a child has anemia, then meat dishes are added to the menu before 8 months. With children on artificial feeding A similar scheme is applied, but the deadlines are allowed to be shifted 1 month earlier.

6 months

The introduction of complementary foods to infants should begin with vegetables that are low allergenic - zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli. At 7 months you can gradually add carrots and potatoes soaked in water. Norms per day:

• 6-7 months – 30 g;
• 8 – 50 g;
• 9 – 60 g;
• 10 – 70 g;
• 11 – 90 g;
• 12 – 100 g.

Vegetables should be steamed or boiled in a small amount of water. Then they need to be crushed in a blender or rubbed several times through a sieve. To give the puree a creamy consistency, it needs to be supplemented with vegetable broth.

After the baby gets acquainted with different vegetables, it is worth preparing multi-component dishes. Carrots are given no more than 2-3 times a week. The amount of mashed potatoes should not exceed 50 g per day.

Feed babies raw vegetables up to 11-12 months are undesirable. They can cause bloating.

7 months

It is recommended that infants be given gluten-free cereals. This protein can cause celiac disease, a disease that causes damage to the intestinal lining and indigestion. Gluten-free cereals include rice and corn. Norms per day:

1. 7 months – 100 g;
2. 8-9 – 150 g;
3. 10 – 180 g;
4. 11-12 – 200 g.

Dishes should be cooked in water without sugar. Up to 12 months, a child’s diet should not contain cow’s or goat’s milk. You can add mother's milk or formula to cereals.

The easiest way is to use factory-made baby cereals. Just pour boiling water over them. Another option is to wash, dry and grind the cereal in a coffee grinder, and then cook it. Porridge is offered to the baby once a day.

At 7 months, dishes can be supplemented with vegetable oil starting with 1-2 drops. Up to 9 months, its norm is 3 g, from 10 months – 5-6 g.

8 months

At 8 months, the child can be gradually introduced to meat dishes, yolk and butter. The best options are veal, lamb and chicken. Norms per day:

• 8-9 months – 30 g;
• 10 – 50 g;
• 11 – 70 g;
• 12 – 80

The meat needs to be boiled and chopped in a blender with a small volume of broth. It should be given to the child along with vegetables. In addition, you can make meatballs from minced meat without additives.

At 8 months, it is worth introducing the yolk of a chicken or quail egg into the diet to provide the body with vitamin D. For the first time, it is enough to add a few grains to meat, vegetables or porridge. Gradually the amount increases to half a chicken or one quail yolk.

At the same stage, porridge can be supplemented with butter. First, a piece on the tip of a knife will suffice. The norm for babies up to one year is 4-5 years.

Yolk, vegetable oil or butter can potentially cause allergies. They are introduced according to general rules.

9 months

Fermented milk is added to the diet very carefully, as it can provoke a severe allergy (to milk protein). First, the child is introduced to cottage cheese, and then to kefir. Only products without sugar and fillers are suitable. You can prepare them yourself from milk and starter cultures or buy baby cottage cheese and kefir in the store.

Norms per day:

1. 9 months – 30-40 g of cottage cheese, 50 ml of kefir;
2. 10 – 50 g of cottage cheese, 100 ml of kefir;
3. 11 – 50 g of cottage cheese, 150 ml of kefir;
4. 12 – 80 g of cottage cheese, 200 ml of kefir.

It is best to offer fermented milk as an afternoon snack. After successful introduction cottage cheese and kefir, they can be combined with children's cookies (5-10 g per day). In addition, at 9 months the child should be given pieces of dried wheat bread (5-10 g per day).

10 months

Fruits are complementary foods that are best accepted by most children. Some pediatricians recommend starting with solid foods because they contain vitamins and fiber. But with this approach, there is a risk that after eating sweet fruits, the baby will categorically refuse cereals and vegetables.

Norms per day:

• 10 months – 90 ml;
• 11-12 – 100 ml.

First, you should offer puree from low-allergenic local fruits - green and yellow apples, pears. Then you can give plums, apricots, peaches, bananas, and cherries. It is better to postpone introduction to strawberries, kiwi and citrus fruits until 12 months.

11 months

Fish is a healthy but allergenic product. It can be added to the menu after 11-12 months. The norm for children under one year is 60 g per day.

The most suitable types of fish are cod, pike perch, pollock, hake, flounder, and sea bass. They should be steamed, boiled, or made into steam cutlets. It is most convenient to give your child fish 2 times a week, taking into account the daily norm.

Beverages

The baby needs to be fed. Quite clean at 6-7 months boiled water. Then you can offer weak herbal tea, and after introducing fruits - without sugar.

A child under one year old does not need juices. They contain many acids that irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa. Factory-made drinks contain sugar and synthetic additives that can cause allergies and obesity.

It is advisable to give your baby water from a cup. You can immediately use a sippy cup, and after 8-9 months - a regular small mug. The total daily amount of fluid that a 6-12 month old child needs is 130-150 ml/kg body weight.

Pedagogical complementary feeding

The scheme for introducing complementary foods described above is called pediatric. But there is another method - pedagogical. It is only suitable for breastfed babies.

The essence of pedagogical complementary feeding is that the baby eats the same food as the mother, but in very small quantities. After this he receives breast milk. Such complementary foods are introduced not to saturate the child, but to introduce him to “adult” food. The initial dose is a few grains, the maximum is 3 teaspoons.

Proponents of the technique claim that it allows children to instill proper eating behavior. He chooses his own food, developing his own taste. There is no need to force him to eat mashed purees and cereals. The child enjoys trying “adult” dishes, and the enzymes in mother’s milk help digest them.

The baby should not be given smoked, pickled, too fatty, fried or salty foods. Sausages, semi-finished products and sweets from the store are also prohibited.

Opponents of pediatric complementary feeding say that by receiving microdoses of foods, the baby will suffer from vitamin deficiency. In addition, he can easily choke on solid food.

The introduction of complementary foods allows the baby to gradually move from milk or formula to “adult” food. If acquaintance with new products goes without problems, by 12 months his menu consists of the main food groups - vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat, dairy products, fish. Thanks to this, the growing body is provided with all the necessary nutrients and microelements. It is important to introduce meals gradually (1 every 7-10 days) and closely monitor the baby. Rash, defecation problems, restless behavior due to abdominal pain are reasons to exclude the product from the diet. In such a situation, you should postpone meeting him for at least 1 month.

By 4–6 months, the baby’s need for additional energy, vitamins and minerals increases. Since breast milk or its artificial substitute do not fully satisfy the baby’s requirements at this age, it is necessary to provide the child with additional nutrition to increase the caloric content of the diet. The first courses of complementary feeding for a child are vegetable purees and cereals. In addition, they accustom the baby to accept denser foods and develop chewing. These complementary foods are designed to replace breastfeeding. Therefore they belong to replacement feeding.

When to start complementary feeding?

Why was the interval from 4 to 6 months taken for the introduction of the first complementary foods? This is due to the fact that before this age the child’s body is not physiologically prepared to accept new dense food. And it is undesirable to start later than six months; the child may have problems adapting to food with a denser consistency than milk. Therefore, according to most experts in the field of baby nutrition, first feeding should be administered between 4 and 6 months of life. However, it should be remembered that the timing of the introduction of complementary foods varies from person to person. When artificial feeding, you can start complementary feeding with 4 - 5 months , with breastfeeding - with 5 - 6 months .

When to start complementary feeding?

The choice, firstly, depends on the condition baby at the time of introducing new food. If child is underweight or has unstable stools, it is better to start with cereals. Conversely, if you are overweight and prone to constipation, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods with vegetable puree. If your baby is free of such troubles and is absolutely healthy, then the advice of pediatricians and nutritionists currently boils down to starting complementary feeding with vegetable puree.

Why? Many mothers may argue that introducing vegetable puree first is quite difficult. It is not easy for a child to go from the sweet taste of breast milk or substitute to a completely unsweetened vegetable. And here you should be patient. You should offer a new dish not just once, but at least 10–12 times, and only after the baby stubbornly refuses it, move on to another type of vegetable. After child parents, as a rule, switch to porridge, making a big mistake! There is a high probability that the baby will not want to eat vegetables at all after introducing sweet porridge. Another mistake mothers make is when they additionally sweeten industrially produced cereals.

It should be taken into account that child He is just getting used to new tastes, and his future eating habits depend on how correctly he is taught to eat in the family. As a result, the habit of sweet foods can lead to obesity and related diseases. So, let's introduce vegetables. It is better to start with products such as zucchini, all types of cabbage, potatoes, they are least likely to cause allergies. Later you can try carrots, beets and tomatoes. The modern children's industry offers a wide range various types puree. According to the degree of grinding they are divided into homogenized, which are offered to children from 4.5 months, pureed for children 6–9 months and coarsely ground(9–12 months). Canned vegetables for children are prepared with a small amount of salt, and some manufacturers leave the taste of vegetables natural without adding salt at all.

It should be remembered that when buying ready-made food, you should not add additional salt or vegetable oil. Foreign manufacturers, trying to improve the taste of their products, use legumes (beans, peas, etc.), tomatoes and tomato paste, onions, garlic, and spices (in particular, pepper) when making vegetable purees. In this case, they recommend introducing them from 5–6 months. This does not comply with the prescriptions of domestic pediatricians and nutritionists.

Such purees should not be given as complementary foods babies aged 4–6 months, since tomatoes, which are among the vegetables that especially often cause allergies in children, can be introduced into the diet no earlier than six months. Tomato paste containing salt is best administered with 6–7 months . Legumes, which contain a high level of plant fibers and special types of sugars that can cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa and increased gas formation no earlier 7–8 months . Onions and garlic containing essential oils irritating the mucous membranes of the stomach, intestines, kidneys - only with 8–9 months , spices - with 9 months and older .

Can be cooked vegetable complementary foods yourself, using both fresh and frozen vegetables. To do this, you need to boil them, then make a puree (in a blender or using a regular masher). Add some vegetable or melted butter(in a volume of no more than 3–4 grams). Oil another new product complementary foods, which children become familiar with from the moment vegetable puree or porridge is introduced. It is a source of nutrients, energy, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E). Vegetable oil allowed to enter with 4.5 months , creamy – not earlier 5–6 months .

We introduce porridge

Two weeks after the baby gets used to vegetable puree, you can begin introducing cereal complementary foods . Dry instant porridges are most convenient. To prepare them, you just need to mix the dry powder with warm boiled water and stir. The advantage of these products (as well as canned baby food) is their guaranteed chemical composition, safety and saturation with essential vitamins, calcium, iron and minerals. You can also use dry milk porridges that require cooking, flour for baby food, as well as regular cereal, pre-ground in a coffee grinder.

It is important to emphasize that as the first cereal complementary foods should be used gluten-free cereals - rice, also buckwheat and corn flour; Other cereals - rye, wheat, barley, oats - contain gluten. This is the main protein of cereals; in babies it can cause such unpleasant phenomena as pain and bloating. The principles of introducing porridges are the same as for other types complementary foods- start with one type of cereal, gradually, a week after introducing the first porridge, try another type, and even later - you can switch to porridge from a mixture of cereals.

Introducing a new product

• You need to start with one type of least allergenic product. Interval between introducing different dishes complementary foods must be at least 5–7 days. While your baby begins to try something new, you should carefully examine the skin every day for any rashes, and also monitor your stool. If rashes appear or the nature of stool changes (frequent and liquid), you must cancel the meal. complementary foods and consult a doctor.
• A new product cannot be introduced if child unwell or during preventive vaccinations, it is undesirable to start in hot weather.
• It is recommended to give the “new product” before breastfeeding- then hungry child will most likely have a positive attitude towards food. In addition, it is better to offer a new dish in the first half of the day in order to monitor the baby’s condition throughout the day.
• They give complementary foods baby only from a spoon, not through a pacifier.

You should not strive for excessive variety in the diet of your little one. baby, for starters, 2-3 types of vegetables, introduced progressively (one per week), are enough. It is necessary to adhere to certain schemes for introducing new foods into the baby’s diet.

Example of introducing cereals and vegetable purees

1st day – 1 teaspoon (5g) 2nd day – 2 tsp. (10g) 3rd day – 3 tsp. (15 g) 4th day – 4 tsp. (20 g) 5th day – 50 ml (50g) 6th day – 100 ml (100g) 7th day – 150 ml (150g).

An example of introducing vegetable and melted butter:

1st day – 1 drop 2nd day – 2 drops 3rd day – 5 drops 4th day – ¼ tsp. 5th day – ½ tsp. (3d) 6th day and beyond – 1 tsp. (5–6g).

Diet baby 4–6 months (volume of porridge and puree up to 150 ml, feeding frequency 5–6 times a day)

Discuss on our forum

An additional type of food of animal or plant origin. In composition, taste, and form of administration, it differs sharply from breast milk, promotes the development of the chewing apparatus, stimulates the enzyme systems of the gastrointestinal tract and prepares the baby for weaning.

Rules for introducing complementary foods:

Complementary foods are given only to healthy children

Complementary feeding is given before breastfeeding (as opposed to juices, which are given after feeding), starting from 5 g and gradually (over 2-4 weeks) increasing the volume of complementary feeding to 150 g. In the second half of the child’s life, complementary feeding should not exceed 180 g.

Complementary feeding dishes should be homogeneous in consistency and not cause difficulty in swallowing for the child. With age, you need to move on to thicker, then denser foods.

Complementary foods are given warm, with a spoon, with the child sitting. It is not advisable to give 2 solid or 2 liquid complementary foods at one feeding.

Do not give the same type of complementary food 2 times a day.

The basic rule of complementary feeding is the gradual and consistent introduction of new foods. The new kind complementary foods are introduced after complete adaptation to the previous one.

When introducing complementary foods, monitor the baby's stool; if it remains normal, then the next day the amount of complementary foods can be increased.

The introduction of complementary foods and new complementary foods cannot be combined with preventive vaccinations.

You should start introducing vegetable puree as complementary foods with one type of vegetable, gradually moving on to a mixture of them. Pay attention to the degree of their grinding. As the first vegetable complementary food, we can recommend pureed zucchini and potatoes, as they are the least allergic and do not cause increased gas formation.

When introducing porridges as complementary foods, use gluten-free cereals - rice, buckwheat and corn flour, so as not to induce the development of gluten enteropathy in children in the first months of life (do not start complementary feeding with semolina porridge).

Cottage cheese (at a dose of 3-5 g/kg body weight) and yolk (1/4-1/2 part) should be prescribed no earlier than 6 months of life, since early administration of foreign protein leads to allergization, damage to functionally immature kidneys, metabolic acidosis and dismetabolic nephropathy.

From 7-8 months, raw ripe fruits and meat in the form of minced meat (rabbit, turkey, beef, veal, lean pork) are introduced into the child’s diet - 3-5 g/kg body weight. At 9 months, meatballs are given in the same volume; by one year, steamed cutlets are given. It is recommended to use industrially produced canned meat for baby food, produced in glass containers. Canned meat can be divided into purely meat and meat-vegetable. Canned meat is produced with varying degrees of grinding: homogenized (from 8 months), puree (from 8-9 months) and coarsely ground (from 10-12 months). The last two types differ from homogenized canned food not only in the degree of grinding, but also in the presence of spices in them, as well as the possible replacement of water with meat broth. Most canned foods are fortified with iron.

Meat broths have been removed from complementary foods because they contain a lot of purine bases, which leads to damage to functionally immature kidneys.

Puree soups are prepared using vegetable broths. Food should be lightly salted: kidneys infant sodium salt is poorly removed from the body. In industrially produced purees, the sodium content should not exceed 150 mg/100 g in vegetables and 200 mg/100 g in mixtures of meat and vegetables.

From 8 months, kefir or other fermented milk mixture can be prescribed as complementary foods. Unreasonable widespread use of kefir as complementary foods in the first months of life can cause acid-base imbalance, acidosis in the child and create additional stress on the kidneys. It is not recommended to dilute cottage cheese with kefir, as this sharply increases the amount of protein consumed. Cottage cheese should be used with fruit or vegetable puree.

From 9 months, a child can be given lean fish instead of meat 1-2 times a week: cod, flounder, saury, pike perch. In the intervals between meals, your child can be offered fruit juices that do not contain sugar. Lightly salted varieties of cheese can be given to a child from one year of age (they are rich in proteins, calcium, vitamins A and B).

When to start complementary feeding?

By 4–6 months, the baby’s need for additional energy, vitamins and minerals increases, and breast milk or its artificial substitute do not meet the baby’s increased needs for vitamins, calories and microelements. In addition, complementary feeding accustoms the child to accept denser foods and develops chewing. At this age, it is necessary to introduce additional nutrition to the child. Before 4 months, the child’s body is not physiologically prepared to accept new dense foods. And it is undesirable to start later than six months, as problems may arise with adaptation to food with a denser consistency than milk. Therefore, according to most experts in the field of baby nutrition, the first complementary foods should be introduced between 4 and 6 months of life. With artificial feeding, you can start complementary feeding from 4.5 months, with breastfeeding - from 5–6 months. Remember that the timing of introducing complementary foods varies from person to person.

Insufficient energy and nutrient supply from breast milk alone can lead to growth retardation and malnutrition;
due to the inability of breast milk to meet the baby's needs, micronutrient deficiencies, especially iron and zinc, may develop;
The optimal development of motor skills, such as chewing, and the child's positive perception of new tastes and textures of food may not be ensured.

Therefore, complementary feeding should be introduced at the right time, at the appropriate stages of development.

There remains much disagreement about exactly when to start introducing complementary foods. And although everyone agrees that the optimal age is individual for each individual child, the question of whether to recommend introducing complementary foods at the age of “4 to 6 months” or “about 6 months” remains open. It should be clarified that "6 months" is defined as the end of the first six months of a baby's life when he or she reaches 26 weeks, not the beginning of the sixth month, i.e. 21–22 weeks. Likewise, "4 months" refers to the end, not the beginning, of the fourth month of life.

There is almost universal agreement that complementary feeding should not be introduced before 4 months of age and should be delayed until after 6 months of age. Several WHO and UNICEF publications use language recommending complementary feeding at “4–6 months” or “around 6 months.” But the scientific basis for recommending a period of 4–6 months does not have sufficient documentary evidence. In a published WHO/UNICEF report on complementary feeding in developing countries The authors recommended that full-term infants be exclusively breastfed until approximately 6 months of age.

When introducing complementary feeding before 6 months, factors such as body weight and intrauterine age at birth, clinical condition and general status must be taken into account. physical development and the child's nutritional status. A study in Honduras found that feeding high-quality complementary foods from 4 months of age to breastfed infants weighing between 1500 and 2500 g at birth did not provide any benefits for physical development. These results support the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for approximately 6 months, even for low birth weight infants.

What and how to give in the first complementary feeding?

The first courses of complementary feeding are vegetable purees or porridges. If the child is underweight or has unstable stools, it is better to start with cereals. Conversely, if you are overweight, normal weight or a tendency to constipation, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods with vegetable puree.

If your baby is free of such troubles and is absolutely healthy, then the advice of pediatricians and nutritionists currently boils down to starting complementary feeding with vegetable puree.

Complementary foods - vegetables.

Vegetable puree is rich in mineral salts (potassium, iron), organic acids, pectin substances and plant fibers that normalize stool. It is better to start with products such as zucchini, all types of cabbage, potatoes, they are least likely to cause allergies. Later you can try carrots, beets and tomatoes. The modern baby industry offers a wide range of different types of purees. According to the degree of grinding, they are divided into homogenized, which are offered to children from 4.5 months, puree for children 6–9 months, and coarsely crushed (9–12 months).

Canned vegetables for children are prepared with a small amount of salt, and some manufacturers leave the taste of vegetables natural without adding salt at all. There is no need to additionally salt them or add vegetable oil.

Puree of legumes, tomatoes, and spices should not be given as complementary food to babies aged 4–6 months, since tomatoes, which are among the vegetables that especially often cause allergies in children, can be introduced into the diet no earlier than six months. Tomato paste containing salt is best introduced from 6–7 months. Legumes, which contain a high level of plant fibers and special types of sugars that can cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa and increased gas formation no earlier than 7–8 months. Onions and garlic, containing essential oils that irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach, intestines, and kidneys - only from 8-9 months, spices - from 9 months and older, preferably after one and a half years.

How to feed a child?

You should offer a new dish not just once, but at least 10–12 times, and only after the baby stubbornly refuses it, move on to another type of vegetable. After your child does not accept one or another vegetable, do not immediately switch to porridge, try another, sweeter vegetable.

How to prepare baby food puree?

You can prepare vegetable complementary foods yourself using both fresh and frozen vegetables. To do this, you need to boil them, then make a puree (in a blender or using a regular masher). Add a little vegetable or melted butter (no more than 3-4 grams).

Butter is another new complementary feeding product that children become familiar with from the moment vegetable puree or porridge is introduced. It is a source of nutrients, energy, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E). Vegetable oil is allowed to be introduced from 4.5 months, butter - no earlier than 5-6 months.

Complementary foods - porridge

Two weeks after the baby gets used to vegetable puree, you can begin introducing cereal complementary foods. Dry instant porridges are the most convenient. To prepare them, you just need to mix the dry powder with warm boiled water and stir. The advantage of these products (as well as canned baby food) is their guaranteed chemical composition, safety and saturation with essential vitamins, calcium, iron and minerals. You can also use dry milk porridges that require cooking, flour for baby food, as well as regular cereal, pre-ground in a coffee grinder. It is important to emphasize that gluten-free cereals should be used as the first cereal complementary food - rice, also buckwheat and corn flour; Other cereals - rye, wheat, barley, oats - contain gluten. This is the main protein of cereals; in babies it can cause such unpleasant phenomena as pain and bloating. The principles of introducing porridges are the same as for other types of complementary foods - start with one type of cereal, gradually, a week after introducing the first porridge, try another type, and even later - you can switch to porridge from a mixture of cereals.
Do not sweeten commercially produced cereals
It should be borne in mind that the child is just getting used to new tastes, and his future eating habits depend on how healthy he is taught to eat in the family. As a result, the habit of sweet foods can lead to obesity and related diseases.

How to introduce a new complementary food product?

You need to start with one type of least allergenic product. The interval between the introduction of various complementary foods should be at least 5–7 days. While your baby begins to try something new, you should carefully examine the skin every day for any rashes, and also monitor your stool. If rashes appear or the nature of stool changes (frequent and liquid), you must stop feeding and consult a doctor.

A new product should not be introduced if the child is unwell or during preventive vaccinations; it is not advisable to start it in hot weather.

It is recommended to give the “new product” before breastfeeding - then a hungry baby will most likely react positively to the food. In addition, it is better to offer a new dish in the first half of the day in order to monitor the baby’s condition throughout the day.

Complementary feeding is given to the baby only from a spoon, and not through a pacifier.

Don't strive for too much variety in your diet small child, for starters, 2-3 types of vegetables, introduced progressively (one per week), are enough. It is necessary to adhere to certain schemes for introducing new foods into the baby’s diet.

Example of introducing cereals and vegetable purees:

Day 1 – 1 teaspoon (5g)

2nd day – 2 tsp. (10g)

3rd day – 3 tsp. (15 g)

4th day – 4 tsp. (20 g)

Day 5 – 50 ml (50g)

Day 6 – 100ml (100g)

Day 7 – 150 ml (150g).

An example of introducing vegetable and melted butter:

If a child eats industrially produced porridge, it already contains oil and should not be added additionally.

1st day – 1 drop

Day 2 – 2 drops

3rd day – 5 drops

4th day – ¼ tsp.

5th day – ½ tsp. (3g)

Nutrition for a 6 month old baby (volume of porridge and puree up to 150 ml, feeding frequency 5–6 times a day)

First feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml

Second feeding. Porridge
150 ml

Third feeding. Vegetable puree
150 ml

Fourth feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml

Fifth feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml

Sixth feeding. Formula or breast milk
160–200 ml

An approximate scheme for introducing complementary foods and dishes when breastfeeding children of the first year of life:

An approximate scheme for introducing complementary foods and dishes when artificially feeding children of the first year of life:

Keep in mind that the schemes are approximate and, if the child is fully breastfed and develops normally (this must be decided by a pediatrician), all dates for introducing complementary foods can be shifted by 2-3 months. The table shows what a child of his age can already eat.

Notes on introducing complementary foods:

• Whole milk is used to prepare complementary foods (vegetable puree and cereals).
• The amount of kefir depends on the volume of the adapted or “follow-up” formula received by the child.

Give fruit juices little by little, first diluting 1:1 with boiled water. Fruit puree is introduced only 2-3 weeks after the juice. It's better to start with apple juice and puree. We exclude berries for up to 6 months.

Recently, with natural feeding, the introduction of complementary foods has been recommended for good weight gain from 6 months of age, so the tables are approximate. Before introducing complementary foods, consult your pediatrician.

The tables were developed in accordance with guidelines No. 225 (1999) “Modern principles and methods of feeding children in the first year of life” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

The proposed recommendations for feeding children in the first year of life are based on the results of an analysis of modern world scientific literature and our own research. Their validity has also been confirmed by clinical experience in monitoring children in the first year of life.