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The Best First Foods for Babies 6 to 9 Months – Happiest Baby

By Happiest Baby Staff

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  • Best Baby Foods at 6 Months
  • Best Baby Foods at 7 Months
  • Best Baby Foods at 8 Months
  • Best Baby Foods at 9 Months

You've spent the first six months of your baby's life making sure that they are nourished with breastmilk or formula. As they grow and thrive, you might notice that your little sprout shows you some signs that they are ready to graduate from the bottle or breast to solid foods. If your baby can sit up and hold their head up, that's a great first sign! What's more, if they bring objects to their mouth and show an interest in what you are eating, your curious kiddo might be ready to start eating solid foods.

But what should you feed your baby? Here’s a list of perfect starter foods for your baby from ages 6 to 9 months.  

Best Baby Foods at 6 Months

At 6 months, babies may be starting to chew. Though this skill won’t be mastered just yet, they are typically ready to get messy with some mushy, pureed eats—helping them learn about flavor and texture. At this age, the goal is not to satiate your baby with full meals of solid foods but rather to get your child curious and excited about their culinary options. 

Because babies are growing so fast, their needs for iron are high to prevent iron-deficiency and support their overall health. Offer your little one iron rich foods like—infant cereal (read up on why you may want to skip rice cereal), well-cooked meat, poultry, mashed beans, and lentils. To keep your baby safe from choking, avoid adding solids like cereal to baby bottles.

Here are some great first foods for Baby to try:

  • Infant oat, grain, or barley cereals mixed with breastmilk or formula and spoon-fed to your baby
  • Sweet potato puree
  • Squash puree
  • Pea puree
  • Carrot puree
  • Mashed banana
  • Mashed avocado
  • Mashed or pureed beans
  • Mashed or pureed lentils
  • Pureed meats (beef, chicken, or turkey)
  • Soft, falling apart meats (salmon, beef, chicken, turkey)

Check out more of our favorite first food purees. Or, if purees aren’t your thing, read up on how to start baby-led weaning.

Best Baby Foods at 7 Months

By 7 months old, your baby will probably be eating more solids but not enough to replace breastmilk or formula as their primary source of food. The goal for this month is to keep introducing solid foods to your baby. What's fun is by 7 months, you can get more creative with mixing flavors and adding textures.

Here are a few nutritious and delicious food combos to try with your baby:

  • Peas pureed with breastmilk (or formula), sweet potatoes, or squash
  • Kale pureed with blueberry, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, pears, or bananas
  • Apples pureed with cauliflower, carrots, pears, prunes, or beets
  • Beef pureed with broccoli
  • Chicken pureed with carrots and potatoes
  • Chickpeas pureed with bananas, apples, or sweet potato
  • Sweet potatoes pureed with red bell pepper

Seven months is also the perfect age to start giving your baby a plate, bowl, and plastic utensils so they can begin to practice feeding themselves. If your baby is teething, you can place frozen chunks of fruit in a sieve feeder/mesh bag that allows them to gnaw on the fruit without choking. Learn more about helping your baby use a fork and spoon!

Best Baby Foods at 8 Months

By 8 months, your baby is likely eating more solids and relying a little less on milk as a primary meal (though it’s still where they get the bulk of their nutrition!). And they’re probably having lots of fun learning how to use their hands to feed themselves. Something else to consider: Babies should be exposed to potential allergen foods (like peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and fish) before their first birthdays to help prevent future food allergies. Starting at 6 months of age, peanut butter is safe to introduce as long as you are comfortable giving it to your baby.

In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans says that babies can begin having these foods when they start eating solids. But many families often feel more comfortable waiting to introduce these foods until around this age. Of course, consult with your little one’s pediatrician if you have concerns about potential allergen foods. 

Here are some foods to add to your repertoire:

  • Whole eggs, scrambled
  • Nut butter thinned out with water and mixed with cereal (nut butters are sticky and can cause choking)
  • Fully cooked fish, like salmon or tuna 
  • Full-fat yogurt

Here are some preparation ideas:

  • Well-cooked (think over-cooked until falling apart) pasta such as elbows or alphabet shapes 
  • Mashed meat with mashed or ground vegetables such as peas and potatoes or kale and squash
  • Rainbow on a plate: Using tiny pieces of soft, strained, pureed, and mashed food options, look for a variety of colors to offer. Some fun options could include banana, avocado, sweet potato, peas, blueberry, raspberry, cheese, and chicken. 

Best Baby Foods at 9 Months

Though there’s a greater variety of foods babies eat now, formula or breastmilk continues to be their primary source of nutrition until age 1. At 9 months old, babies get more comfortable with self-feeding and eating the foods their families enjoy. After all, eating solid foods is a sensory wonderland of texture, smells, and tastes. Not to mention all that fun making messes with those adorably curious fingers. 

As you begin to focus on meal planning for your baby, there are few things to keep in mind:

  • Babies need four to five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A serving size for a 9-month-old is less than a quarter cup.
  • "Eat the rainbow" is excellent advice because it gives your baby exposure to lots of different fruits, vegetables, grains, and starches. 

Here are a few menu ideas to help meal plan for your baby…

Breakfast Ideas for Babies

These morning meals pack a nutritional punch—and don’t forget to check out all of our favorite breakfast ideas for babies:

  • Soft fresh fruit cut up in small pieces (think: banana, raspberries, or blueberries)
  • Whole-grain waffles or pancakes
  • Unsweetened oatmeal made with breastmilk or formula combined with cut-up and cooked apples and pears or banana slices. (It is essential to steam the apples or pears to make them soft enough for your baby to mash with their gums.) 
  • Full-fat yogurt mixed with mashed or pureed berries such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries 
  • Soft scrambled eggs
  • Veggie frittata

Lunch Ideas for Babies

  • Spread hummus on soft crackers or bread
  • Grilled cheese sandwich with cooled tomato soup
  • Macaroni and cheese with cooked veggies like peas and carrots mixed in
  • Pizza bites with chopped bits of spinach in the sauce and melted shredded cheese
  • Quesadilla made with pureed spinach, squash, or beans

Snack Ideas for Babies

Babies this young won’t likely need to snack too much (remember, breastmilk or formula will provide the majority of your little one’s nutrition). Still, it’s not a bad idea to have snacks on hand for when your mini muncher needs something to eat that’s not quite a meal. A few baby snack ideas:

  • Apple and carrot slaw
  • Cheese slices
  • Full-fat plain yogurt
  • Hard-boiled egg
  • Avocado slices
  • Muffins made with fruits, veggies, and/or whole grains
  • Fruit and veggie pouches
  • Sugar-free, whole-grain cereal, like plain Cheerios

Dinner Ideas for Babies

To help your baby get and stay excited about eating solid foods, serve a version of whatever the family is having for dinner. Remember to steam or mash, grind or chop foods into appropriate softness and sizes to prevent choking. Some baby dinner ideas:

  • Pasta with softened vegetables
  • Well-cooked rice, soft veggies, and chicken
  • Baked sweet potato with butter or cheese
  • Beans or lentils served with rice and veggies
  • Flaky fish served with steamed zucchini

There are endless variations on what you can serve your baby for dinner. As long as your baby is safe and happy, try to encourage lots of food exploration! 

You must not feed any child under the age of 1 year honey, cow’s milk, juice, hard foods like candy, raw vegetables, popcorn, or sticky foods like peanut butter, as these each present choking hazards. 

Learn more about feeding your baby:

  • The Happiest Baby Feeding Guide
  • The Benefits of Homemade Baby Food
  • The Best Store-Bought Baby Food

***

REFERENCES

  • Unlocking Opportunities in Food Design for Infants, Children, and the Elderly: Understanding Milestones in Chewing and Swallowing Across the Lifespan for New Innovations. Journal of Texture Studies, August 2017
  • Complementary Feeding: A Position Paper by the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Committee on Nutrition, Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, January 2017
  • Infant Formula Feeding Practices Associated With Rapid Weight Gain: A Systematic Review, Maternal & Child Nutrition, July 2018
  • Solid Food Introduction and the Development of Food Allergies, Nutrients, November 2018 
  • US Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025

View more posts tagged, feeding

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Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

6-Month-Old Baby's Food Chart And Recipes

Know what food and diet will support your little one's growth and development.

Research-backed

MomJunction believes in providing reliable, research-backed information to you. As per our strong editorial policy requirements, we base our health articles on references (citations) taken from authority sites, international journals, and research studies. However, if you find any incongruencies, feel free to write to us.

Image: Shutterstock

A 6-month-baby food chart allows parents to understand how to introduce solid foods to children and what are the suitable options. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all babies start solid food once they turn six months. Before this age, breastmilk can provide complete nutrition to them.

So, when you start introducing food to babies, you should remember that they cannot eat a lot initially, and breastmilk will be their primary source of nutrition. Gradually, you may try to replace the feed with some solid food.

Refer to the post to understand various food options that may be introduced at six months, the precautions you should take while preparing the food, and some simple but interesting recipes.

Food Ideas For 6 Months Baby

The first foods offered to a baby are called stage 1 baby food. They are pureed and strained so that the little ones can gulp and digest them easily. They are low on allergy grade.

However, consult a pediatrician before introducing any new food to your little one.

Below are some of the best foods for a six-month-old baby:

1. Milk

Continue breast milk or formula for your baby as it is the main source of nutrition for babies until one year (1). Breastfeed every two to three hours or on demand. Alternatively, offer 24-37 ounces of formula milk every day.

Quick tip

Ensure that you feed your baby their first food only after they have breastfed or between nursing sessions. This practice will help your baby to continue breastfeeding as much as possible (2).

Related: 9 Easy Breast Milk Recipes For Babies And Tips For Cooking

2. Stage 1 fruits

Apples, avocados, apricots, bananas, mango, nectarines, peaches, papaya, pears, plums, prunes, chikoo, pumpkin and kiwi pulp make great first foods for a baby. Remember to include fruits in mashed or puree form only.

3. Stage 1 veggies

Babies can digest boiled and mashed vegetables such as beans (green), carrots, sweet potato, squash, green peas, potatoes, baby marrow, butternut, and pumpkin.

4. Water

Give boiled and cooled-to-room-temperature water to your baby at least thrice a day. Give water after the meal and not in between the feed as it may reduce the total food intake.

5. Cereals and pulses

Cereals and pulses such as rice, barley, oats, and lentils provide essential nutrients like proteins and minerals to the growing babies. Cook these items until they are soft and mash them.

Related: Rice Cereal In Bottle: Safety, When And How To Introduce It

6. Meat

You can add pureed and stewed poultry, and fish (less in mercury) to your baby’s diet. Ensure to remove bones while serving these foods.

Quick tip

Don’t give your baby processed meats such as hams, salami, or sausages, as they are low in nutritional value and high in salt content (1).

Confused what to give and when? Write down the baby’s feeding schedule and pin it up to make things easier for you.

Food Chart For Six-Month Baby

You may design your baby’s food chart on these lines:

Wake up time

      • Formula or breast milk. Continue breastfeeding for the rest of the day.

Breakfast (7:30 to 8am)

      • Fruit mash or vegetable mash

Lunch (11:30 to 12:30pm)

      • Cereals such as rice, barley or oats

Snacks (3:30 to 4pm)

      • Fruit or vegetable purees

Dinner (6 to 7pm)

      • Veggies, fruit mix or grains

Remember that you are preparing the chart for your reference only. You need not have to strictly stick to a schedule. Offer milk and solids in an order that is convenient to you and acceptable to your baby.

However, make food so tasty that your baby would not mind eating it at any time of the day.

Recipes For Six-Month Baby

Try these baby food recipes for your 6-month-old and let him taste the yummy and nutritious meals.

Breakfast/Snack Recipes

1. Apricot puree

Image: iStock

You will need:

  • 1 pound dried apricot
  • 2 cups pear, white grape juice or apple juice

How to:

  1. Boil the ingredients in a saucepan. Then cook in simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Transfer the contents into a blender and blend well.
  3. Add in more juice to get thinner consistency or add cereal to thicken it up.

Related: 7 Health Benefits Of Apricot (Khubani) For Babies And Recipes To Try

2. Apple sauce

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1 apple (peeled, cut into slices)
  • 2 cups water

How to:

  1. Boil the apple slices in a saucepan. The slices need to immerse in water.
  2. Once done, mash the apple slices. Add water to get the desired consistency.

3. Banana puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1 ripe banana (peeled and diced)

How to:

  1. Blend the banana in a food processor or mash in a bowl.
  2. Heat the mashed content for 25 seconds for added softness.
  3. Add milk or water to make it thinner or cereal to thicken it.

4. Mango delight

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1 ripe mango (peeled, de-seeded, chunked)

How to:

  1. Blend the mango chunks in a food processor.
  2. Add in breast milk or formula milk to achieve desired consistency.

Lunch Recipes

5. Rice cereal

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1/4 cup rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp formula or breast milk

How to:

  1. Wash the rice and cook it in a saucepan or pressure cooker.
  2. Mash the cooked rice and add formula or breast milk.

6. Barley apple porridge

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1/4 cup ground barley
  • 3.5 cup water
  • 2tbsp formula or breast milk
  • 1 cup peeled and cubed apple

How to:

  1. Boil water in a saucepan and add barley.
  2. Cook in simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add apple slices and cook on low heat for two minutes.
  4. Puree the contents using a hand blender.

Related: Barley For Babies – Everything You Need To Know

7. Oatmeal cereal

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1/3 cup water
  • ¼ cup ground oats
  • 2tbsp formula or breast milk
  • ½ banana sliced

How to:

  1. Take a saucepan, add water and bring it to boil. Add oats and cook in simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Once done, add bananas and mash well. Add formula or breast milk to get the desired consistency.

8. Baked apples

You will need:

  • 1 apple (peeled, cored)

How to:

  1. Spread butter on the cored apple and put it in a pan containing water.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the pan in it.
  3. Bake the apple for 30 minutes.
  4. After baking, mash the apples to desired consistency.

Dinner Recipes

9. Pumpkin puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1 medium sugar pumpkin (cut in half and De-seeded)

How to:

  1. Scoop out the seeds from the sugar pumpkin halves and drain the pumpkins with water in a baking pan.
  2. Bake for 40 minutes in the oven preheated to 400°F. Once the halves turn soft, scoop the squash meat and puree it in a food processor. Add water to achieve a smooth consistency.

10. Green beans puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1 cup fresh beans

How to:

  1. Transfer the beans into a pan and place it in a steamer basket.
  2. Steam until tender. Keep a check on the water level.
  3. Once done, puree the contents in a blender and bring it to a smooth consistency.

11. Carrots puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1 carrot (sweet, peeled, cut)

How to:

  1. Transfer the carrot slices into a steamer pan containing water. Steam until the carrots turn tender.
  2. Place the contents into a blender and puree them. Add water if needed.

12. Vegetable combo

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

  • 1/8 cup fresh beans
  • 1/8 cup peas
  • ¼ cup summer and zucchini squash
  • 1/8 cup chopped carrots

How to:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a pan and add enough water.
  2. Cook until tender and puree the contents in a blender.
  3. Add water to get the desired consistency.

With such interesting recipes, it is likely that your baby would love her new diet. But you cannot feed her beyond small quantities just because she has developed a liking for it.

How Much Should A Six-month-old Eat?

Start with servings of 5-10ml or one-two teaspoons and increase the amount gradually. The baby may eat just half a spoon initially. Do not force-feed them.

Also, moving to solids is not easy as you need to be careful not to choke the baby or hurt their tummy with heavy foods. Take enough care not to harm the baby when you are feeding solids.

Heat food to lukewarm. Avoid heating it in the microwave as it creates pockets of heat that can burn the baby’s mouth. Instead, keep the food bowl in a bigger bowl of boiling water to heat it.

Related: Cow Milk For Babies: Right Age, Benefits And Side Effects

Caution While Preparing Stage 1 Baby Food

  1. Do not give cow milk to babies under one year. Also avoid honey, since it may contain spores that cause botulism.
  2. Never give slices of fruit or other finger foods to six-month-old because it could choke them.
  3. Refrain from store-bought baby foods as they are usually extremely sweet, acquainting the baby to a taste for sweet foods instead of healthy natural foods.
  4. Introduce one fruit at a time and check for any allergic reactions. Follow a four-day-wait rule in between two new foods.
  5. Feed your baby in a calm and pleasant environment.
  6. Prepare baby food in steel or glass containers. Say no to plastic containers, even if they are food-grade.
  7. Offer water in a sterile glass or steel cup, but not in a sipper or feeding bottle.
  8. Avoid biscuits as they contain refined flour, preservatives, and added sugar.
  9. Wash your hands before feeding your little one.

Quick tip

When buying cereal for babies, choose single-ingredient iron-fortified infant cereal, such as rice, barley, or oats. Don’t offer adult cereal to your baby, as it has lower iron content (1).

Most babies can begin eating solid foods from six months of age. For example, you may include rice, apple, oatmeal, meat, fish, and sweet potato in easy-to-swallow puree and mash forms in your six-month baby food. Initially, serve the baby one to teaspoons of baby food and watch the signs of food intolerance and allergies. Once the baby adjusts to the taste and digestibility of these single-ingredient foods, you can feed them multiple ingredients dishes, such as a vegetable combo.

References:

  1. Feeding Your Baby: 6 months to 1 year
    https://www.gov.mb.ca/healthychild/healthybaby/hb_solidfoods.pdf
  2. Feeding your baby: 6–12 months.
    https://www.unicef.org/parenting/food-nutrition/feeding-your-baby-6-12-months

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Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with over eight years of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children. Then she worked as a nutrition faculty and clinical nutrition coach in different. ..
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Dr Hanneke Heyns manages her private practice as a pediatrician in Cape Town. With around 15 years of experience, she treats children of all ages, right from birth to adolescence, covering their health, growth and development, and behavior. Dr Heyns believes in attending to children through a holistic approach, encompassing their mind, body, and family unit, and simultaneously building a...
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diet for a 6-month-old baby with breast and artificial feeding, an approximate menu for a week in the table, a diet for a day

Published: 02/10/2021

Reading time: 4 min.

Number of reads: 197336

Author of the article: Ponomareva Yulia Vladimirovna

Pediatrician, candidate of medical sciences, allergist-immunologist

Changes in a child in the first year of life are very rapid, and each month is not like another. The 6-month milestone is very important, it is largely evaluative and transitional. By this age, most babies have doubled their birth weight, are about 15 cm tall, and some babies have already erupted their teeth. The age of 6 months is also transitional in terms of nutrition. Breast milk or an adapted formula is still the basis of the diet, but with the beginning of the second half of life, all children, without exception, should begin to receive complementary foods. Despite the general graph of growth and weight gain and indicators of psychomotor development, the status and diet of children at 6 months can be very different. nine0003

Content: Hide

  1. The first feeding of 6 months
  2. The start of complementary foods at 4-5 months
  3. The second half of the life
  4. for a week for a child at 6 months

The first feeding of

If the baby is healthy and breastfed, and his mother eats a full and varied diet, exclusive breastfeeding is possible until this age. Cereal complementary foods in this case are preferable to start. This is due to the high energy and nutritional value of cereals, the ability to significantly enrich the baby's diet with a delayed start of the introduction of complementary foods. nine0003


However, the rate of expansion of the child's diet in this situation will be accelerated. Before the 8th month of life, it is necessary to introduce all basic food groups into the baby’s menu, since in the second half of the year the need for additional intake of nutrients and micronutrients is very high. Another reason explaining the importance of the rapid introduction of complementary foods is the formation of immunity of the immune cells of the intestine to ordinary food. If a child is introduced to these foods at the age of 4-8 months, the risk of developing food allergies has been proven to be reduced. nine0003

Complementary feeding starts at 4-5 months

In today's life, the nutrition of a nursing mother, unfortunately, is not always complete. Therefore, for most breastfed babies, complementary foods already need to be introduced from 5 months in order to prevent deficient conditions.

If a child is bottle-fed, then by the 4th month of life, the baby will not have enough adapted formula alone, and in this group of children, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods usually shifts a month earlier than in breast-fed babies. Accordingly, by 6 months, children will have vegetable puree and gluten-free porridge (buckwheat, corn and rice) in their diet. In the first half of life, monocomponent meals are used (that is, from one type of grain and vegetables), prepared on the basis of water, breast milk or an adapted mixture. nine0003

Fruit puree and juice can be another possible complementary food for children under 6 months of age without allergy symptoms. In a child with a risk of developing or manifesting allergies, the timing of the introduction of fruit complementary foods is shifted to the 8th month.


Second six months of life

Children over 6 months of age can supplement their diet with cereals containing gluten. First of all, these are oatmeal and wheat porridge, and then multi-cereal dishes with the addition of other cereals (millet, barley, rye). If the child does not have any manifestations of allergies, milk porridge can be included in the menu at this age. Bebi Premium industrial baby food products include specially prepared milk that is safe to use in healthy babies in the first year of life. nine0003

From the age of 6 months, the baby's diet is expanded with such important products as meat and cottage cheese. These products are a source of high-quality protein, fats, and are also rich in minerals such as iron, calcium, and phosphorus. Pediatricians and nutritionists recommend introducing meat and cottage cheese as part of combined dishes based on a fruit and vegetable and / or grain component in a ratio of 1 (cottage cheese / meat): 4–5 (fruits / vegetables / cereals).

To enrich the diet with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the second half of the year, the menu includes vegetable oil in the amount of 3–5 grams per day, which can be added to the complementary food dish. The volume of each feeding is approximately 150-170 ml, and the child can already stand up to 3.5 hours between meals. nine0003

In the table below, we offer a menu of 6 months for a week for a child who started receiving complementary foods at the age of 4-5 months, and by the time the second half of life begins, dairy-free gluten-free cereals, vegetable and fruit purees have already been introduced into his diet.

1st day

0065 50
Seeing
Lunch (12.30) vegetable soup with beef, olive oil 100/30/3
compot of drocked 9006, 9006 9
Afternoon snack (16.00) Plum puree with cottage cheese 60/40
Breast milk/formula 60 062
food reception menu ml/g
Early morning breast milk/mixture 150
Milki & Bashas Breakfast (09 cherry Bebi Premium» 100
0065 Breast milk/mixture 150
children's soluble cookies "BEBIKI" Classic
GRUSHERS with rice and Claus GRUSHIOUS WITH RISE and CRETURE 30
Bebi Premium Kids Instant Herbal Tea 50
Bedtime 065 Breast milk/formula 150

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Diet for a 4-6 month old baby

Your baby is already 4 months old. He has noticeably grown up, become more active, is interested in objects that fall into his field of vision, carefully examines and reaches for them. The emotional reactions of the child have become much richer: he joyfully smiles at all the people whom he often sees more and more often, makes various sounds. nine0003

You are still breastfeeding or have had to switch to formula or formula feeding. The child is actively growing, and only with breast milk or infant formula, he can no longer always get all the necessary nutrients. And that means it's time to think about complementary foods.

The optimal time to start its introduction is between 4 and 6 months, regardless of whether the baby is receiving breast milk or formula. This is the time when children respond best to new foods. Up to 4 months, the child is not yet ready to perceive and digest any other food. And with the late introduction of complementary foods - after 6 months, children already have significant deficiencies of individual nutrients and, first of all, micronutrients (minerals, vitamins, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc.). In addition, toddlers at this age often refuse new foods, they have delayed development of chewing skills for thick foods, and inadequate eating habits are formed. It is important to know that, no matter how strange it may seem at first glance, with a delayed appointment of complementary foods, allergic reactions more often occur on them. nine0003

When is it advisable to introduce complementary foods as early as 4 months, and when can you wait until 5.5 or even 6 months? To resolve this issue, be sure to consult a pediatrician.

As a rule, at an earlier age (4 - 4.5 months), complementary foods are introduced to children at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia, as well as children with insufficient weight gain and with functional digestive disorders.

The optimal time to start complementary foods for a healthy baby is between 5 and 5.5 months of age. nine0003

The World Health Organization recommends that breastfed babies should be introduced to complementary foods from 6 months of age. From the point of view of domestic pediatricians, which is based on extensive practical experience and scientific research, this is possible only in cases where the child was born on time, without malnutrition (since in these cases the mineral reserves are very small), he is healthy, grows well and develops. In addition, the mother should also be healthy, eat well and use either specialized enriched foods for pregnant and lactating women, or vitamin and mineral complexes in courses. Such restrictions are associated with the depletion of iron stores even in a completely healthy child by 5-5.5 months of age and a significant increase in the risk of anemia in the absence of complementary foods rich or fortified with iron. There are other deficits as well. nine0003

The first complementary food can be vegetable puree or porridge, fruit puree is better to give the baby later - after tasty sweet fruits, children usually eat vegetable puree and cereals worse, often refuse them altogether.

Where is the best place to start? In cases where the child has a tendency to constipation or he puts on weight too quickly, preference should be given to vegetables. With a high probability of developing anemia, unstable stools and small weight gains - from baby cereals enriched with micronutrients. And if you started introducing complementary foods with cereals, then the second product will be vegetables and vice versa. nine0003

If the first complementary food is introduced at 6 months, it must be baby porridge enriched with iron and other minerals and vitamins, the intake of which with breast milk is no longer enough.

Another important complementary food product is mashed meat. It contains iron, which is easily absorbed. And adding meat to vegetables improves the absorption of iron from them. It is advisable to introduce meat puree to a child at the age of 6 months. Only the daily use of children's enriched porridge and meat puree can satisfy the needs of babies in iron, zinc and other micronutrients. nine0003

But it is better to introduce juices later, when the child already receives the main complementary foods - vegetables, cereals, meat and fruits. After all, complementary foods are needed so that the baby receives all the substances necessary for growth and development, and there are very few in their juices, including vitamins and minerals.

Juices should not be given between feedings, but after the child has eaten porridge or vegetables with meat puree, as well as for an afternoon snack. The habit of drinking juice between meals leads to frequent snacking in the future, a love of sweets is instilled, children have more tooth decay and an increased risk of obesity. nine0003

With the start of the introduction of complementary foods, the child is gradually transferred to a 5-time feeding regimen.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods:

  • preference should be given to baby products of industrial production, they are made from environmentally friendly raw materials, have a guaranteed composition and degree of grinding
  • Complementary foods should be offered to the baby by spoon at the start of feeding, before breastfeeding (formula feeding)
  • the volume of the product increases gradually, starting with ½ - 1 spoon, and in 7 - 10 days we bring it to the age norm, subsequent products within the same group (cereals from other cereals or new vegetables)
  • can be entered faster, in 5 - 7 days
  • start introduction with monocomponent products
  • it is undesirable to give a new product in the afternoon, it is important to follow how the child reacts to it
  • new products are not introduced in the event of acute illnesses, and before and immediately after prophylactic vaccination (should be abstained for several days)

When introducing a new type of complementary food, first try one product, gradually increasing its amount, and then gradually "dilute" this product with a new one. For example, vegetable complementary foods can be started with a teaspoon of zucchini puree. During the week, give the baby only this product, gradually increasing its volume. After a week, add a teaspoon of mashed broccoli or cauliflower to the zucchini puree and continue to increase the total volume every day. Vegetable puree from three types of vegetables will be optimal. The portion should correspond to the age norm. Over time, you can replace the introduced vegetables with others faster. nine0003

After the introduction of one vegetable (bringing its volume to the required amount), you can proceed to the intake of porridge, and diversify the vegetable diet later.

If the child did not like the dish, for example, broccoli, do not give up and continue to offer this vegetable in a small amount - 1-2 spoons daily, you can not even once, but 2-3 times before meals, and after 7 - 10, and sometimes 15 days, the baby will get used to the new taste. This diversifies the diet, will help to form the right taste habits in the baby. nine0003

Spoon-feeding should be done with patience and care. Forced feeding is unacceptable!

In the diet of healthy children, porridge is usually introduced after vegetables (with the exception of healthy breastfed children, when complementary foods are introduced from 6 months). It is better to start with dairy-free gluten-free cereals - buckwheat, corn, rice. At the same time, it is important to use porridge for baby food of industrial production, which contains a complex of vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is already ready for use, you just need to dilute it with breast milk or the mixture that the baby receives. nine0003

Children suffering from food allergies are introduced complementary foods at 5-5.5 months. The rules for the introduction of products are the same as for healthy children, in all cases it is introduced slowly and begins with hypoallergenic products. Be sure to take into account individual tolerance. The difference is only in the correction of the diet, taking into account the identified allergens. From meat products, preference should first be given to mashed turkey and rabbit.

Diets for different age periods

Explain how you can make a diet, it is better to use a few examples that will help you navigate in compiling a menu specifically for your child.

From 5 months, the volume of one feeding is on average 200 ml.

Option 1.

If your baby started receiving complementary foods from 4-5 months, then at 6 months his diet should look like this:

Breast milk or VHI* 200 ml
II feeding
10 hours 		Dairy-free porridge**
Supplementation with breast milk or VHI* 		150 g
50 ml
III feeding
14 hours 		Vegetable puree
Meat puree Vegetable oil
Supplemental breast milk or VHI* 		150 g
5 - 30 g
1 tsp
30 ml
IV feeding
18 hours 		Fruit puree
Breast milk or VHI* 		60 g
140 ml
V feeding
22 hours 		Breast milk or VHI* 200 ml

* - infant formula
** - diluted with breast milk or VHI

Option 2.

I feeding
6 hours Breast milk or VHI* 200 ml II feeding
10 hours Dairy-free porridge**
Fruit puree 150 g
20 g III feeding
14 hours Vegetable puree
Meat puree Vegetable oil
Fruit juice 150 g
5 - 30 g
1 tsp
60 ml IV feeding
18 hours Fruit puree
Breast milk or VHI* 40 g
140 ml V feeding
22 hours Breast milk or VHI* 200 ml

* - infant formula
** - diluted with breast milk or VHI

Option 3.

:

nine1095 Breast milk
I feeding
6 hours 		Breast milk
II feeding
10 hours 		Dairy-free porridge**
Breast milk supplement 		100 g
III feeding
14 hours 		Vegetable puree
Meat puree Vegetable oil
Breast milk supplement 		100 g
5 - 30 g
1 tsp
IV feeding
18 hours 		Breast milk
V feeding
22 hours

** - diluted with breast milk

Up to 7 months, increase the volume of porridge and vegetable puree to 150 g and introduce fruit puree.

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