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Cereal feeding for babies


When Can My Baby Start Eating Solid Foods? (for Parents)

A friend just started giving her 3-month-old applesauce and rice cereal. My son is just 2 weeks younger than hers, and I am wondering if I should be introducing solids soon too. When should I start?
– Taylor

Doctors recommend waiting until a baby is about 6 months old to start solid foods. Starting before 4 months is not recommended.

At about 6 months, babies need the added nutrition — such as iron and zinc — that solid foods provide. It’s also the right time to introduce your infant to new tastes and textures. 

Some babies may be ready for solids sooner than 6 months, but don't start until your baby is at least 4 months old.

How do you know it’s the right time to start solid foods? Here are some signs that babies are ready:

  • They have good head and neck control and sit up in a high chair.
  • They're interested in foods. For example, they may watch others eat, reach for food, and open their mouths when food approaches.
  • They don’t push food out of their mouths, which is a natural tongue reflex that disappears when they’re between 4–6 months old.
  • They weigh twice their birth weight, or close to it.

Talk to your doctor about the right time to start solid foods.

How Should I Start Solids?

When the time is right, you can start with a single-grain, iron-fortified baby cereal. Start with 1 or 2 tablespoons of cereal mixed with breast milk, formula, or water. Feed your baby with a small baby spoon. Don’t add cereal or other food to a baby's bottle because it can lead to too much weight gain. Let your baby practice eating from a spoon and learn to stop when full.

When your baby gets the hang of eating the first food, introduce others, such as puréed meat, fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, or yogurt. Try one food at a time and wait a few days before trying something else new to make sure your baby doesn't have an allergic reaction.

Foods that are more likely to cause allergies can be among the foods you introduce to your baby. These include peanuts, eggs, cow’s milk, seafood, nuts, wheat, and soy. Waiting to start these foods does not prevent food allergies. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about food allergies, especially if any close family members have allergies, food allergies, or allergy-related conditions, like eczema or asthma.

Infants with severe eczema or egg allergies are more likely to have allergies to peanuts. Talk to your doctor about how and when to introduce these foods to your child.

When starting your baby on solids, avoid:

  • foods with added sugars and no-calorie sweeteners
  • high-sodium foods
  • honey, until after the first birthday. It can cause botulism in babies.
  • unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese 
  • regular cow's milk or soy drinks before 12 months instead of breast milk or formula. It’s OK to offer pasteurized yogurt and cheese.
  • foods that may cause choking, such as hot dogs, raw carrots, grapes, popcorn, and nuts

Also, do not give fruit juices to infants younger than 12 months old.

Over the next few months, introduce a variety of foods from all the food groups. If your baby doesn't seem to like something, don’t give up. It can take 8 to 10 tries or more before babies learn to like new foods.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: February 2021

Feeding Your 4- to 7-Month-Old (for Parents)

Most babies this age are ready to try solid foods. Experts recommend starting solid foods when a baby is about 6 months old, depending on the baby's readiness and nutritional needs.

Be sure to check with your doctor before giving any solid foods.

Is My Baby Ready to Eat Solid Foods?

How can you tell if your baby is ready for solids? Here are a few hints:

  • Does your baby swallow food or push it out of their mouth? Babies have a natural tongue-thrust reflex that pushes food back out. Wait until this reflex disappears (typically when babies are 4–6 months old). 
  • Can your baby support their own head? To eat solid food, an infant needs good head and neck control and should be able to sit up.
  • Is your baby interested in food? Babies who stare, reach and grab, and open their mouths for food are ready to try solid foods.

If your doctor gives the go-ahead but your baby seems frustrated or uninterested in solid foods, try waiting a few days before trying again. Breast milk and formula will still meet nutritional needs as your baby learns to eat solid foods. But after 6 months, babies need the added nutrition — like iron and zinc — that solid foods provide.

Do not add cereal or other food to your baby's bottle because it can lead to too much weight gain.

Watch for signs that your child is hungry or full. Respond to these cues and let your child stop when full. A child who is full may suck with less enthusiasm, stop, or turn away from the breast or the bottle. With solid foods, they may turn away, refuse to open their mouth, or spit the food out.

How Should I Start Feeding My Baby Solid Foods?

When your baby is ready and the doctor says it’s OK to try solid foods, pick a time of day when your baby is not tired or cranky. You want your baby to be a little hungry, but not so hungry that they’re upset. So you might want to give your baby a little breast milk or formula first.

Have your baby sit supported in your lap or in a high chair with a safety strap.

Most babies' first food is iron-fortified infant single-grain cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. Place the spoon near your baby's lips, and let the baby smell and taste it. Don't be surprised if this first spoonful is rejected. Wait a minute and try again. Most food offered to your baby at this age will end up on the baby's chin, bib, or high-chair tray. Again, this is just an introduction.

When your little one gets the hang of eating cereal off a spoon, it may be time to try single-ingredient puréed meat, vegetables, or fruit. The order in which you give them doesn't matter, but go slow. Offer foods that are high in iron and zinc — such as meat, poultry, eggs, and beans — especially if your baby is breastfeeding. Try one food at a time and wait several days before trying something else new. This will let you identify any foods that your baby may be allergic to.

Which Foods Should I Avoid?

Foods that are more likely to cause allergies can be among the foods you introduce to your baby. These include peanuts, eggs, cow’s milk, seafood, nuts, wheat, and soy. Waiting to start these foods does not prevent food allergies. Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about food allergies, especially if any close family members have allergies, food allergies, or allergy-related conditions, like eczema or asthma.

Infants with severe eczema or egg allergies are more likely to have allergies to peanuts. Talk to your doctor about how and when to introduce these foods to your child. 

Possible signs of food allergy or allergic reactions include:

  • rash
  • bloating or an increase in gassiness
  • diarrhea
  • vomiting

Get medical care right away if your baby has a more severe allergic reaction, like hives, drooling, wheezing, or trouble breathing.

If your child has any type of reaction to a food, don't offer that food again until you talk with your doctor.

Babies shouldn't have:

  • foods with added sugars and no-calorie sweeteners
  • high-sodium foods
  • honey, until after the first birthday. It can cause botulism in babies.
  • unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese 
  • regular cow's milk or soy beverages before 12 months instead of breast milk or formula. It’s OK to offer pasteurized yogurt and cheese.
  • foods that may cause choking, such as hot dogs, raw carrots, grapes, popcorn, and nuts

Tips for Feeding Your Baby Solid Foods

With the hectic pace of family life, most parents try commercially prepared baby foods at first. They come in small, convenient containers, and manufacturers must meet strict safety and nutrition guidelines.

If you prepare your own baby foods at home, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Follow the rules for food safety, including washing your hands well and often.
  • To preserve the nutrients in your baby's food, cook it in ways that keep the most vitamins and minerals. Try steaming or baking fruits and vegetables instead of boiling, which washes away the nutrients.
  • Freeze portions that you aren't going to use right away.
  • Whether you buy the baby food or make it yourself, texture and consistency are important. At first, babies should have finely puréed single-ingredient foods. (Just applesauce, for example, not apples and pears mixed together.)
  • After your baby is eating individual foods, it's OK to offer a puréed mix of two foods. As babies get older, they will learn to eat a greater variety of tastes and textures. 
  • If you use prepared baby food in jars, spoon some of the food into a bowl to feed your baby. Do not feed your baby right from the jar — bacteria from the baby's mouth can contaminate the remaining food. If you refrigerate opened jars of baby food, it's best to throw away anything not eaten within a day or two.
  • Around 6 months of age is a good time for your baby to try a cup. You might need to try a few cups to find one that works for your child. Use water at first to avoid messy clean-ups. Do not give juice to infants younger than 12 months.

Over the next few months, introduce a variety of foods from all the food groups. If your baby doesn't seem to like something, don’t give up. It can take 8 to 10 tries or more before babies learn to like new foods.

from how many months to introduce oatmeal to a child

Published: 09.12.2019

Reading time: 4 min.

Number of reads: 46362

Oatmeal is the most popular breakfast among residents of many countries. The excellent taste of this dish and the energy boost of slow-digesting carbohydrates make for a good start to the day for all family members. The word "oats" comes from the Latin avere, which means "to be healthy". Oatmeal is also known under the name "oatmeal" - after the name of the ancient Greek mythological hero, endowed with great physical strength and endurance. Oatmeal is included in the mandatory diet of not only Olympic champions, this product appears one of the first on the baby's menu in the first year of life. Let's look at why oatmeal occupies an honorable place in the pyramid of healthy eating and when to introduce this healthy product into the child's diet.

Content: Hide

  1. Oat carbohydrates
  2. Oat proteins and fats
  3. Biologically active substances of oats
  4. Timing of the introduction of cereal complementary foods
  5. Oatmeal Safety
  6. Choice of porridge
  7. Oatmeal Bebi Premium

Oat carbohydrates

All cereals are a source of carbohydrates, primarily starch, which determines a burst of energy and a long-lasting feeling of fullness after eating porridge. This is due to the slow digestion and gradual assimilation of the product. Oatmeal is rich in starch, but compared to other cereals, its proportion is less. However, starch grains are very small, which determines its almost complete assimilation. The rest of the slowly digestible carbohydrates are dietary fiber, and oatmeal surpasses many cereals in the content of this component. Vegetable fiber is very important for the normal process of digestion and also serves as a natural food for the gut microbiome. Maintaining the numerical composition and diversity of one's own intestinal microflora is an indisputable factor in human health. Oatmeal contains unique soluble dietary fiber, which has an enveloping effect, protecting the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. In addition, oat fiber helps to eliminate toxins and has a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Products based on oatmeal are used not only in the diet of a healthy person, but also in therapeutic nutrition schemes.

Proteins and fats of oats

Oat groats in terms of vegetable protein content can only compete with buckwheat and are significantly superior to other cultivated grains in this characteristic. In addition to the quantitative content, the qualitative composition of the protein is very important: oatmeal contains almost all essential amino acids in a balanced ratio. These substances are not synthesized in the human body, but are absolutely necessary for life, especially during periods of intensive growth. Among them, the content of lysine, methionine and tryptophan is especially important. These amino acids are very important for the development of the immune and nervous systems. Oat protein is easily digestible, therefore products based on this cereal are widely recommended in dietary and baby food. Oatmeal contains a fairly large amount of vegetable fats, which also determines the high nutritional value of the product. They are easy to digest, almost completely absorbed and stable to oxidation. The qualitative composition of oat oils is also important, which is characterized by the content of essential fatty acids (oleic, linoleic and linolenic) in the most favorable ratio.

Biologically active substances of oats

Useful properties of oat groats are connected not only with the content of essential nutrients. The restorative effect and a positive effect on the work of almost all organs and systems of the body are also determined by the micronutrients included in the composition. The high content of B vitamins (especially B 1 and biotin) has a beneficial effect on metabolism and ensures high performance. In combination with a sufficient intake of magnesium, and oats are also rich in this mineral, a person’s mental activity improves, sleep and mood normalize. Oatmeal is rich in vitamin E, which is necessary for the functioning of the immune and reproductive systems, has a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair. The high content of silicon and phosphorus has a beneficial effect on physical development, musculoskeletal system and linear growth. In terms of the content of trace elements such as copper and manganese, oats absolutely surpass other cereals. Copper is part of numerous enzymes that provide cellular respiration, as well as liver cells that neutralize toxins. Manganese is very important for hematopoiesis and energy metabolism. Oat grains are a natural source of flavonoids that protect cells from destruction and premature aging.

Timing of the introduction of cereals

At what age can this healthy and nutritious product be introduced into the baby's diet? For the first four months of life, the baby's body can only absorb mother's milk or an adapted mixture, since the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys are still functionally immature. The process of maturation is individual, but for most infants, by the 4-6th month of life, it is already possible to introduce complementary foods. Moreover, by this age, the nutritional value of breast milk or formula is no longer enough to ensure intensive growth and development of the baby. There is a need to expand the diet. Cereal products are the most preferred choice of first complementary foods. They are distinguished by high nutritional and energy value, the content of almost all essential nutrients, as well as good compatibility with breast milk. As the first complementary food product, a baby can be offered dairy-free porridge or cooked on the basis of mother's milk. The familiar taste will allow the child to quickly adapt to changes in nutrition, which will facilitate the introduction of complementary foods in the future.

Oatmeal safety

At what age can I start complementary foods with oatmeal? The introduction of cereals in the first 6 months of life has limitations associated with the possible toxic effect on intestinal cells of vegetable gluten protein. Early mucosal contact with this protein can cause serious disease. Therefore, the list of cereals that can be used for the first feeding includes rice, corn and buckwheat. The question of the toxicity of oats for the immature mucosa of the baby still remains completely unresolved. According to most experts, oatmeal is a safe protein, but oatmeal can be contaminated with impurities from other cereals. Therefore, this product is introduced into the child's diet after 5 months of life.

Choice of porridge

How to prepare oatmeal for baby food? This is a simple but at the same time very important practical question. Despite the apparent simplicity of home-made cereals, specialized baby food products are the preferred choice. The modern level of industrial production determines the high quality standard of finished products so that every child can get the best for healthy growth and development. Bebi Premium baby food cereals are a well-thought-out recipe that meets the needs of a child in every age period, and guaranteed quality of raw materials, at all stages of production in accordance with international safety standards.

Bebi Premium oatmeal

All Bebi Premium oatmeal porridges are made on the basis of cereals, not flakes, which allows you to preserve the beneficial properties of the grain shell as much as possible. In their production, a special technology of grain processing and subsequent drying is used, which makes it possible to produce cereals based on cereals, but no heat treatment is required during cooking. At the same time, a delicate taste and the necessary degree of grinding of the finished product are preserved. A great choice to start your oatmeal introduction to babies over 5 months old is Bebi Premium Oatmeal Without Dairy. In addition to the beneficial properties of oatmeal, the composition of the product is enriched with the natural prebiotic inulin, as well as a unique vitamin and mineral complex. Then the baby can be offered another tasty and nutritious product of the Bebi Premium line - “Oatmeal porridge with milk”. All Bebi Premium milk porridges contain special baby milk, which is allowed from 4 months of age. To further enrich the diet with pectins, sugars and organic acids, the menu can be expanded with cereals with fruit and vegetable components. "Oatmeal porridge with peach and milk" Bebi Premium contains 100% natural peach puree, which gives the product natural sweetness, expands the range of taste sensations and gradually prepares the baby for the introduction of fruit and berry complementary foods. In children of the second half of life, multi-cereal products can be safely included in the menu. Oatmeal is a part of multi-component dairy and dairy-free cereals of the Bebi Premium line, which allows you to use the benefits of different cereals to improve your baby's health.

#First food #Nutrition for children up to a year #Complementary food

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