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How often to feed baby cereal when first starting


Balancing introducing solids with milk feeds

When to introduce solids?

At around 6 months of age babies need to start having solid foods as well as breastmilk or formula. Find out how to get started with solid foods and what are the best foods to start with.

At 6 months, your baby will still be getting most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula.

As you introduce solid foods, continue feeding with breastmilk or formula until at least 12 months of age.

Start to introduce solid foods at around 6 months of age when:

  • your baby can sit up with support and has good head control
  • your baby starts to show interest in food such as watching and reaching out when they see food

Even though some babies show these signs from an earlier age, continue to offer your baby breastmilk or formula if they appear hungry. This is usually all they need until around 6 months. It’s recommended that you don’t introduce solids before 4 months.

How to introduce solid foods into your baby’s diet

Start feeding your baby solids once a day. Your baby will take only small amounts of solid foods at first. Try one teaspoon at first of pureed vegetable, fruit, or rice cereal in between milk feeds.

From 6 to 9 months continue to give your baby breastmilk or formula first, then try solids after the milk.

From 9 months you can try to give solids first, then breastmilk or formula. This allows for your baby to naturally transition to solids by around 12 months.

At around 8 to 9 months try giving your baby solids as part of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Continue breastmilk or formula through the first year of life while foods are being introduced. From around 6 months you can try small amounts of cooled boiled water out of a sippy cup.

Which foods first?

From 6 months of age baby’s first foods should contain iron. Foods that have iron, include:

  • iron-fortified baby cereals
  • meat
  • poultry
  • fish
  • cooked tofu
  • legumes - lentils, beans, or chickpeas

Guidelines recommend that you can introduce foods in any order and at a pace that suits your baby, family, and cultural backgrounds, as long as some foods servings contain iron.

Your baby’s first foods can be smooth, mashed or have soft lumps.

Choose from the 5 food groups.

Vegetables and legumes

Give your baby cooked and pureed:

  • pumpkin
  • sweet potato
  • carrots
  • potato
  • peas
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • zucchini

Over time puree them less so the texture gets lumpier.

Then introduce vegetables that are cooked but not pureed.

Fruit

Give your baby stewed and pureed:

  • apples
  • pears
  • peaches
  • apricots
  • berries

Your baby might also like to try mashed ripe banana.

Gradually introduce pieces of cooked fruit, banana, peach and grated raw apple.

Avoid larger pieces of raw apple; babies can choke on them.

Grains and cereals

Give your baby fortified infant cereals (e.g. rice cereal) to start.

Move to cooked rolled oats, wholegrain breakfast biscuits (Weetbix, Vita Brits) or thick infant cereals.

Don’t add sugar or honey or offer cereals with chocolate or added sugar.

Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, tofu

Meat, fish, poultry eggs, legumes, tofu should always be pureed when you start introducing solids.

When your baby accepts this, offer them bite size pieces of:

  • chicken
  • minced meat
  • flaked fresh or canned fish (in spring water)
  • mashed tofu
  • mashed legumes
  • scrambled or mashed boiled eggs

Don’t add salt. Also avoid processed meats as they have a lot of salt.

Milk, cheese, yoghurt

Formula should be used only until your baby is 12 months old. Then small amounts of milk can be added to foods like porridge. Breast feeding is recommended to continue until the age of 2 or longer.

Grated cheese is good in mashed vegetables.

Choose yoghurt without added sugar. Add fruit for extra flavour

What drinks should I be giving my baby?

After 12 months of age breastmilk, water (clean tap water or bottled water) and full fat cow’s milk should be the main drinks you offer your baby.

Keep breastfeeding for as long as you and your baby like.

Switch from formula to full fat ordinary cow’s milk after 12 months. Your child doesn’t need toddler milk products. Offer your baby a cup to drink from rather than a bottle. Your one-year-old should be exclusively drinking from a toddler cup.

From about 12 months, you can try rice milk and oat milk (fortified with at least 100mg calcium/100mL) if you want. But these drinks don’t have enough protein and vitamin B12. Your baby will need to have plenty of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, yoghurt, or cheese to make up for what they’re not getting from cow’s milk.

How much should I feed my baby?

Your baby will grow at different rates at different times. Their appetite can vary, even from day to day.

Babies don’t know what to eat but they know how much. Provide wholesome, healthy unprocessed food choices. Take your cue from your baby. Babies tend to turn away or lose interest when they’ve had enough to eat.

Finger foods and self-feeding

By 9 to 12 months, most babies like finger foods. Finger foods are foods they can hold themselves.

Some also like to hold their own spoon at that age. It will be messy! But learning to feed themselves is important.

By 12 months, your baby can eat the same healthy food you serve your family.

Foods to limit or avoid when introducing solids

There are some foods and drinks you should limit or avoid:

  • coffee and tea, herbal drinks are not recommended
  • fruit juice
  • honey until 12 months (to prevent botulism)
  • processed foods
  • raw or runny eggs (bacteria in raw eggs can be harmful to babies)
  • sugar sweetened drinks
  • unpasteurised milks

Low-fat milks are not recommended in the first 2 years of life. Goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, soy milk, coconut milk and almond milk should also be avoided before the age of 2 unless your doctor recommends them.

Avoid small hard foods such as whole nuts and uncooked vegetables until 3 years. These can be choking hazards.

If your family doesn’t use animal products, your baby may need a vitamin B12 supplement. Discuss this with your doctor.

Seek help from your health care professional if you are worried about your baby’s eating or development.

Fruit — give your baby stewed and pureed apples, pears, peaches, apricots and berries, or mashed ripe banana. Gradually introduce pieces of cooked fruit, banana, peach and grated raw apple. Avoid larger pieces of raw apple; babies can choke on them.

Grains and cereals — give your baby fortified infant cereals (e.g. rice cereal) to start. Move to cooked rolled oats, wholegrain breakfast biscuits (Weetbix, Vita Brits) or thick infant cereals. Don’t add sugar or honey and don’t use cereals with chocolate or added sugar.

Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, tofu — make them pureed at the start. When your baby accepts this, offer them pieces of chicken, minced meat, flaked fresh or canned fish (in spring water), mashed tofu, mashed legumes, scrambled or mashed boiled eggs. Don’t add salt and avoid processed meats as they also have a lot of salts.

Milk, cheese, yoghurt — breast milk or formula should be used for up to 12 months, then small amounts of milk can be added to foods like porridge. Grated cheese is good in mashed vegetables. Choose yoghurt without added sugar. Add fruit for extra flavour.

How much?

Babies grow at different rates at different times. Their appetite can vary even from day to day.

Babies don’t know what to eat but they know how much. Take your cue from your baby. Healthy babies turn away or lose interest when they’ve had enough.

Finger foods and self-feeding

By 9 to 12 months, most babies like finger foods.

Some also like their own spoon at that age. It will be messy, but learning to feed themselves is important.

By 12 months, serve the same healthy food you serve your family, but without hot spices.

Encourage infants to feed themselves.

If you have stopped breastfeeding, switch to ordinary cow’s milk after 12 months. Use a cup rather than a bottle. Limit the amount of cow’s milk to around 500ml per day. Under health professional supervision, you can use full fat rice milk or oat milk with at least 100mg calcium per 100mL if you want, as long as other sources of protein are included (meat, chicken, fish, eggs, legumes or nut butters).

Your child doesn’t need toddler milk products.

If your family doesn’t use animal products, your baby may need a vitamin B12 supplement. Discuss this with your doctor.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

When Can You Start Feeding Your Baby Rice Cereal

Adding solid foods to your baby’s diet is a big milestone, and you may be wondering when to begin the process and what foods to start with. In the past, single grain infant cereals have been the traditional first choice when transitioning to solid foods, with rice cereal being one of the more popular ones. These days, though it is still OK to start with cereal, experts say that there is no evidence that introducing foods in a certain order provides any advantage for your baby (though babies do tend to like cereal).

Keep in mind that experts highly recommend giving rice cereal as part of a mixed diet of single ingredient choices, rather than as an exclusive food.

Find out how to safely give rice cereal to your baby, and what other infant cereals you might want to give instead.

What Is Rice Cereal?

Rice cereal for babies has been a traditional first food for infants who are being introduced to eating solids. The most common type is a dry powdered cereal, to which liquid is added to form an oatmeal-like consistency, but it can also be purchased premixed. It's one of the single grain cereals that have been recommended for infants when they start on solid foods.

Is Rice Cereal Safe for Your Baby to Eat?

It’s OK to include rice cereal in your baby’s diet as long as you’re not exclusively feeding your baby rice cereal.

The reason experts recommend rice cereal be limited is because of the naturally occurring levels of inorganic arsenic in rice (in this case inorganic refers to the arsenic’s specific chemical compound bound with carbon).

As rice is grown, the plant absorbs more inorganic arsenic from its environment compared to other crops. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can enter the food supply through water, soil, or air.

When body weight is considered, a baby’s intake of inorganic arsenic through rice cereal could be three times more than an adult’s. Eating too much rice cereal as an infant can cause long-term health problems.

What Infant Cereals Can You Give Your Baby Instead of Rice Cereal?

Instead of rice cereal, you can offer another single grain infant cereal such as oat or barley cereal. You can find many of these infant cereals in premixed or dry versions to which you would add breast milk, formula, or water to create a consistency that your baby will like.

Look for cereals that are specifically made for babies because they will be fortified with nutrients like iron and zinc that your baby needs.

Just remember that when introducing new foods — including different types of infant cereals — do so gradually, offering one new food at a time, and then waiting a couple of days before adding another food, to watch for any possible allergic reactions. Once your baby has become accustomed to eating solids, feel free to offer a variety of single ingredient, soft foods.

How Many Times a Day Should You Feed Your Baby Infant Cereal?

When your little one is just starting on solids, spoon-feed your baby a small amount of infant cereal once or twice a day, ideally just after he’s been bottle-fed or breastfed. Start with one or two teaspoons of cereal so that your baby can get accustomed to this new food.

Eventually you can introduce other foods one at a time—and you can even make your baby’s food at home.

Are Other Rice Products Safe to Give Your Baby?

Not necessarily. You can give rice to your older baby as part of a varied and balanced diet. However, it’s best to avoid certain rice-based products like rice syrup, often used as a sweetener in processed foods, as well as rice milk, which should not be used as a substitute for cow's milk.

If your child has turned 1 and is sensitive or allergic to cow’s milk, your healthcare provider will be able to recommend milk alternatives if needed, and can also weigh in on any rice products you’re considering giving.

At What Age Should You Start Feeding Your Baby Infant Cereals?

For most babies, 6 months is a good age to start to introduce solid foods, which can include infant cereals. Breast milk or formula will continue to provide most of your baby's nutrition for the first 12 months.

Waiting until this age is important because by this point your baby would have outgrown a natural reflex that all babies are born with that causes them to push their tongue against anything inserted into their mouths. Most babies grow out of this tongue thrust reflex between 4 and 5 months.

Can You Give a Baby Younger Than 6 Months Infant Cereals?

Most babies are not ready for solid foods, including infant cereals, until they are about 6 months old, though some babies could be ready a month or two earlier. Experts recommend that babies be breastfed or bottle-fed (with expressed breast milk or formula until 6 months of age.

How Do You Prepare Dry Infant Cereal for Your Baby?

If you’re using dry cereal, mix one tablespoon of dry cereal with four tablespoons of breast milk, formula, or water; or follow the recommended directions on the container.

Be sure not serve the cereal from a bottle for reasons we mention in the next section. Gradually, you can add less liquid to the dry cereal to find a thickness your baby likes.

Can You Feed Your Baby Cereal in a Bottle?

Although this might be a practice you’ve heard of, don't feed your baby cereal in a bottle unless your baby’s healthcare provider says otherwise. Feeding your baby through a bottle can lead to unnecessary calories—she may consume more food than she actually needs.

Although rice cereal may have been a popular choice, experts now say there are other infant cereals and first foods that may be safer for your baby. If you’re ever unsure about which infant cereal to give, or need advice about expanding your baby's menu, reach out to your baby’s healthcare provider for advice.

As your baby transitions to solid foods, you deserve lots of rewards for all those diaper changes. Download the Pampers Club app to get rewards for all your Pampers purchases.

How we wrote this article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.

how to introduce, with what to start the first feeding of a child, the correct sequence of complementary foods by months

Contents: Hide

  2. Basic rules for introducing porridge into the baby's menu
  3. How to prepare porridge for baby foods

How to introduce porridge into complementary foods

According to the recommendations of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods in the range of 4-6 months. At this time, the growing body needs more and more vitamins and minerals every week. But the later introduction of complementary foods can cause a pronounced deficiency of essential micronutrients. In addition, the enzymatic system of the gastrointestinal tract of the baby by this age is already ready to accept new food, and he himself begins to show interest in food.

Expansion of the children's menu helps to provide an actively growing organism with many useful substances, the need for which can no longer be covered by mother's milk or an adapted formula. Also, complementary foods contribute to the formation of taste, mastering the skill of chewing and simply satisfies the curiosity of the crumbs, who are already actively interested in what their parents eat. Almost all experts agree that one of the ideal options for the first adult food for a child is cereal. Various cereals can have a beneficial effect on the baby's digestive system and serve as a valuable additional source of vitamins, minerals and energy necessary for the harmonious development of the baby's organs and body systems.

What kind of porridge is better to introduce for the first feeding

IMPORTANT! Porridge in general is an easily digestible product that is a valuable source of carbohydrates, rich in vitamins and minerals, vegetable protein and fiber. From about 5-6 months of age, when the baby stops eating his usual food (breast milk or formula), complementary foods from cereals help to provide his body with an increased need for nutrients and energy.

At the same time, each porridge has its own properties.
Buckwheat. It is with her that they advise to start the very first feeding with cereals. It may be easier for a baby’s body, in which digestive enzymes have not yet formed enough, to absorb it. Buckwheat is rich in protein, magnesium, B vitamins. It has a lot of iron, so this dish is sometimes recommended for anemia. Also, the product has the ability to stimulate the digestive tract.
Rice. Good for premature babies and those who are slowly gaining weight. Groats are rich in dietary fiber and have a pleasant taste that most kids like. There are relatively few vegetable proteins in rice, so it is well absorbed. Porridge from such cereals can help children with unstable stools. However, in the presence of frequent constipation, it is better to introduce buckwheat into complementary foods first.
Corn. This cereal has no less value than other cereals. Such a porridge is a real storehouse of vegetable protein, minerals and fiber. Experts believe that it is right to introduce it into complementary foods after the child has become acquainted with buckwheat and rice.

Read also: Corn porridge for complementary foods

When is it better to introduce cereals and in what order

It is recommended to include cereal dishes in the child’s diet 3-4 weeks after he has already become acquainted with the first complementary foods, vegetables, and is completely used to to them. But sometimes porridge can precede them. For example, a pediatrician may prescribe this product if the baby is not gaining enough weight, has problems with stools (with a tendency to liquefy). In any case, it is better to adhere to a certain sequence of introducing cereals into the children's menu, which the pediatrician will tell about.

Video: Where to start complementary foods
Author: pediatrician, Ph.D. Komarovsky E.O.

6-7 months. Which porridge should be introduced first? To begin with, you can introduce the baby to gluten-free porridge: buckwheat, rice, corn. Gluten is a vegetable protein gluten that can cause children in the first six months of life (and even a little longer) to have difficulty digesting food. This is due to insufficient production in the gastrointestinal tract of the crumbs of the peptidase enzyme, which is necessary for the normal processing of gluten. The consequences of this can be bloating and pain in the tummy, increased gas formation. In very rare cases, celiac disease occurs. This is a hereditary disease, which is expressed in intolerance to gluten throughout life. The first cereals for children must certainly be dairy-free and monocomponent, consisting of one type of cereal. They should not contain any additional components (salt, sugar, honey, fruit, berry, cream fillers).

7-8 months. Add oatmeal to your baby's diet as a new staple. If the child’s body tolerates familiar cereals well, combine different types of cereals with each other. It is still not recommended to cook the dish with cow's milk. At this age, you can try adding toppings, such as applesauce, to the porridge.

9-10 months. At this age, you can offer the baby wheat, barley porridge. Cereals can also be used as a side dish, mixed with vegetable, meat complementary foods, and also as one of the components of a light children's soup.
From 12 months. From the year, but not earlier, it is recommended to introduce milk porridges cooked in whole cow's milk. Provided that the crumbs are not allergic to this product. Also at this age, you can already offer your baby to try semolina porridge.

Basic rules for introducing cereals into the baby's menu

1. To make it easier for the child to get used to the new product and the consistency of the dish, prepare a fairly liquid porridge at first. For this, 5 g of cereals are required for 100 g of water.
2. If the product is tolerated normally and the baby likes to eat it, after 7-10 days you can make a thicker concentration - add 10 g of cereal per 100 g of water.
3. The baby should be offered porridge from a spoon. In a number of situations, according to the testimony of a doctor, for example, if the baby is sick or weakened, a bottle with a special nipple is used.
4. The best time to get acquainted with cereals is breakfast. Thanks to this, during the day you can observe the state of health of the baby. It will also be easier to identify an allergic reaction and take the necessary measures immediately. In the morning, the gastrointestinal tract works most actively and enzymes are released that promote the digestion of food and the absorption of substances from it.
5. After feeding with porridge, while its amount has not yet reached the normative serving value, supplement the baby with breast or adapted milk formula.
6. Keep a food diary, recording types of complementary foods, portion sizes, and reactions of the child's body to new foods, if any (colic, indigestion, weight gain, etc.).
7. About 3 weeks should pass between the acquaintance with two new porridges. This will allow the baby to properly adapt to the product, and you can control how the child's body reacts to it.
8. The volume of a single serving of porridge should gradually increase as the baby grows older. Indicative figures are: 160-170 ml at 7-8 months, 170-180 ml at 8-9 months. Starting from 9 months, it is already possible to switch to a complete replacement of one feeding with complementary foods in the amount of 200 ml.

It is clear how to introduce porridge into complementary foods by day is shown in the table:0005

The number of finished porridge

1

5 g (1 teaspoon)

2 9000 9000 9000

10 g (2 teaspoons)

3

15 g (3 teaspoons)

4

20 g (4 teaspoons)

0109 9009 9009 5

50 g

6

100 g

7

150 g

How to cook cereals for baby foods

Cereal foods can be introduced in the form of home-cooked cereals, instant instant powders, as well as in canned form. Let's consider all the options in more detail.
Homemade
To prepare porridge for a child, you can use a special baby food flour made from the appropriate cereal. But such a product is not always found in a regular supermarket. A more affordable option is fresh, good quality cereal. Before cooking, it must be cleaned of possible litter and rinsed thoroughly. The following options are available:
• Method 1. Grind the grains in a coffee grinder to a powder. Throw the product into cold or boiling water and cook until tender over low heat.
• Method 2. Cook porridge from unground cereals. Cool to a temperature of 37 degrees and grind with a blender. In the cooled porridge, you can add a little breast milk or mixture (literally 20-30 ml). This will improve its taste and make it even more nutritious.
Cooked cereals
These are specialized products for baby food that help mothers save time on cooking cereals in the traditional way, but at the same time take care of a high-quality, nutritious and varied baby's diet.

IMPORTANT! The Bebi Premium line includes the entire range of cereals recommended for the first feeding. These are dairy-free and milk porridges, monocomponent and multi-cereal, with fruit, berry, vegetable, creamy components. They are:
• made from certified raw materials;
• have a balanced composition;
• additionally enriched with prebiotics.

Freshly boiled water is used to make porridge. The optimal proportions of liquid and powder for the appropriate age of the child are usually indicated on the product box.
Porridges in jars
When the baby is already well acquainted with porridge and other types of complementary foods, you can give him canned foods in jars as a second food. Such products contain cereals with fruit or vegetable puree, with the addition of milk. Contains no salt and sugar. This is a convenient way to provide the baby with the necessary nutrition during trips and travels.

Important Rules

The main thing that all specialists from the Russian Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the World Health Organization (WHO) agree on is that complementary foods should not be forced! If you see: the child categorically does not eat what is offered, leave this idea for at least a week. This is a sure indicator that it is for your baby that the time for complementary foods has not yet come. What do we have to do? Form the first food interest. How? Sit on your knees when you eat yourself, show food, dishes. Children learn quickly and adopt your habits and your eating behavior. Listen to your baby!

#First complementary foods #Complementary foods

how to introduce, start and scheme of complementary foods by months

When to give complementary foods?

What should young parents remember?

4-6 months: time to get acquainted with new products

Features of the introduction of cereals

Features of the introduction of meat and fruit purees

What to give a seven-month-old baby?

What to give an eight month old baby?

Nutritional considerations 9 to 12 months

Rules for the introduction of juices

The main mistakes of parents

What do you need to know to make the right menu?

With the advent of a child, young parents face many difficult questions. The most relevant of these is the introduction of complementary foods. The baby is growing, and the usual formula or milk is no longer enough to meet the body's needs for minerals and vitamins. To avoid possible difficulties, parents should have an idea of ​​how and when to introduce the first complementary foods and what products are suitable for this purpose.

When to give complementary foods?

If the first three months of life the child does not show much interest in the environment, then by four the picture changes dramatically. He becomes more active, recognizes familiar faces, smiles, tries to grab and examine objects that are in front of his eyes. By this age, breast milk is no longer enough to meet the body's need for nutrients. There is a need to think about the first complementary foods.

Pediatricians recommend doing this at 4-6 months of age. No need to rush to feed. The first three months of life, the child's digestive tract is still very weak and not ready to meet with "adult" products. Early feeding is fraught with problems with digestion and the development of allergic reactions. But by four months, the picture changes. Moreover, the baby's expulsion reflex disappears, he can swallow food that is thicker than breast milk.

Late feeding is also fraught with serious consequences. First, the child's body begins to experience a deficiency of vitamins and vital elements. This can lead to developmental delays. Secondly, such an approach will slow down the development of chewing skills and, possibly, provoke problems with speech in the future.

Therefore, feeding too early or too late brings many problems. The optimal period is the age of 4-6 months. However, before starting the introduction of "adult" food, you need to consult a pediatrician and focus on the individual characteristics of your baby's body.

What should new parents remember?

There are simple rules that allow you to carry out the first weaning without complications. Young parents should remember them:

  • Assess the child's physical condition. He must be able to sit by himself or with support. Also, the baby should not push a spoonful of food out of his mouth. The child must have an interest in food.
  • Introduce new foods only during the day. It is best to do this in the morning. Thus, you can notice signs of allergy development in time.
  • Give only simple foods. For the first time, mashed potatoes and cereals consisting of only one ingredient are suitable, for example, mashed broccoli or zucchini. There should be no other impurities.
  • Start with the smallest portion. For the first time, a serving the size of half a teaspoon is enough. The child will be able to evaluate the taste of the new product, and you will be able to monitor its condition. The serving size should be increased gradually over the course of a week, bringing up to 30-40 grams.

It is very important that the child is completely healthy before starting complementary foods. You can not introduce the baby to new food if he has signs of illness, he has suffered serious stress or he has been vaccinated.

4-6 months: time to introduce new foods

Once you've made sure your baby is ready for new foods, the next step is to choose which product to use for that purpose. If the baby has problems with stool or excess weight, preference is given to vegetable puree. In all other cases, you can start with both vegetables and cereals. If in doubt, be sure to consult your pediatrician.

In order to form the correct eating habits in the baby, he is transferred to five meals a day. Night feedings should be gradually reduced to a minimum. However, do not forget that it is quite normal for a child under one year old to wake up at night. Also, you can not feed the baby through force. If you notice that he is already full, stop feeding, even if the portion was not completely eaten.

Important! Don't try to feed your baby a lot of puree before bed in the hope that he will sleep through the night. Thus, you can provoke problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Once a complementary food has been chosen, start gradually introducing it into your baby's diet. For starters, half a teaspoon will be enough. During the week, give only the chosen dish, do not add anything new and carefully monitor the reaction of the child. If familiarity with the product was successful, you can proceed to the introduction of a new component. This is done in the same way.

If a child refuses to eat a new dish, it can be mixed with an already familiar one, gradually increasing the total serving size. With age, it will be possible to introduce new components faster, however, while the immune and digestive systems of the child are not strong enough, you should not rush. If you started with vegetable purees, then after the child's body adapts to them, you can start introducing cereals.

Some children absolutely refuse to try new foods. This usually applies to vegetable purees that have a neutral or specific taste. You don’t need to force the baby to eat by force, but you also don’t need to give up trying to “make friends” with a new dish. Gradually he will get used to the unfamiliar taste. In some cases, adaptation to a new dish can take 7-14 days.

Features of the introduction of cereals

You need to start introducing complementary foods with dairy-free gluten-free cereals. Suitable buckwheat, corn and rice. It is best to give industrial cereals enriched with iron and other vitamins. Homemade cereals are less nutritious. In addition, not knowing the technology of their preparation, you can harm the fragile stomach. It is worth diluting the finished product with breast milk or milk formula. Porridges diluted with water have much less nutritional value. If the baby does not have allergies, you can add a little butter to the porridge.

Peculiarities of the introduction of meat and fruit purees

Meat should be introduced not earlier than 6 months. For meat feeding, mashed rabbit or turkey is suitable. Meat contains a lot of iron, which is necessary for the children's body. By adding meat puree to vegetable puree, you greatly facilitate the process of assimilation of this element.

Fruit puree can be administered earlier, but pediatricians recommend that it be administered after meat puree. Fruits help to avoid problems with the stool, as well as increase appetite. Very often, fruit mixtures are added to cereals, which improves their palatability.

Important! If a child suffers from a food allergy, the rules for the introduction of complementary foods for him do not change. Starting acquaintance with new products should be with minimal portions. It is important to avoid highly allergenic foods, such as fish and cow's milk.

Foods with a high risk of developing allergies should only be introduced after the baby's body has fully adapted to low-allergenic foods. In some cases, you may need to consult an allergist. By 5 months, the volume of one serving averages 200 ml.

What to give a seven-month-old baby?

By this time, new foods are introduced into the diet. The baby has already grown enough, and the schedule of his nutrition should be drawn up similarly to the schedule of a grown child. In simple terms, he should have three main meals and two additional ones: breakfast, lunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. However, one should not demand too much from a seven-month-old baby. He still wakes up at night, as for him this is a physiological norm.

At this age, children are given a taste of chicken egg yolk. To begin with, they give 1⁄4 pieces. If the child refuses to try an unfamiliar product, it is mixed with porridge or vegetable puree. When you include the yolk in the menu, you must carefully monitor the reaction of the child.

In addition to the yolk, at the age of 7 months, you can start giving babies special baby biscuits. No more than 1-2 pieces per day. It is important to understand that cookies are not a complete meal. This is a dessert that is given out for an afternoon snack or after a full meal.

If new foods don't appeal to your child, try mixing them with familiar and tried ones. At one meal, the baby should eat about 150 grams of porridge or mashed potatoes. However, everything is individual here, you need to look at the physiological characteristics and needs of your child.

What to give an eight month old baby?

Eight-month-old babies become more active. They are curious about the world around them. At this age, they begin to take food with their hands, try to drink from a mug and show interest in cutlery. This kind of behavior should be encouraged in every possible way. By this time, children already know how to chew food, which means it's time to change the consistency of dishes. Food does not need to be pureed. Now fruits, vegetables and meat can be cut into pieces.

By the age of 8 months, the immune system and the digestive system are already sufficiently adapted to the new food, and you can try to give the baby fish. Take low-fat varieties, for example, carp, pike perch, salmon, pollock, hake and cod are suitable for this purpose. You don't have to give too much. A couple of times a week is enough. Approximately 30 grams of fish is crushed and given in its pure form or mixed with vegetable puree. Remember that fish is one of the products that can provoke the development of allergies, which means that you need to carefully monitor the reaction of the child.

In addition to fish, cottage cheese appears on the menu at this age. It is rich in calcium and vitamins. Per day give no more than 50 grams of the product. Slowly introduce natural yoghurts, kefir and other fermented milk products. They are good for digestion. Samples begin with a couple of spoons, within 7 days the portion volume increases to 150-200 milliliters.

An 8 month old baby is growing fast and needs a lot of nutrients. His diet should be varied.

Features of nutrition from 9 to 12 months

The menu of a nine-month-old baby is already quite diverse and includes all major food groups. However, parents still need to constantly expand his diet to introduce new foods. At 9 months, steamed cutlets can be given instead of mashed meats. Ready meals can be supplemented with herbs, which is also very useful.

It is at this age that many parents make the main mistake - they transplant their child to an adult table. As a result, the baby begins to develop problems with the stomach and intestines. If you want your child to be healthy and strong, you need to learn a number of simple rules:

  • Never sweeten or add salt to prepared foods, even if they taste bland to you.
  • Do not rush to introduce fruit juices. Postpone tasting them for up to a year. As for carbonated drinks, they should be completely excluded from the child's diet.
  • Do not give your baby nuts, gummies, or other small, hard foods as they may choke on them.
  • Never give whole apples and pears for the baby to “scratch” his teeth. He can bite off a piece of an apple and also choke.
  • No need to replace sugar with honey. In some cases, natural honey does even more harm, causing serious health problems.
  • Do not introduce semolina porridge into the diet for up to a year. It does not have many nutrients, but it is full of gluten.

Rules for introducing juices

By the age of one, you can introduce your child to juices. It is best to offer them as a dessert after the child has eaten the main course. Also, juice can be given for an afternoon snack. Excessive consumption of sugary juices leads to a violation of the correct taste habits, and can also provoke the development of dental problems.

The main mistakes of parents

According to statistics, only 45% of young parents follow the recommendations of doctors regarding the introduction of complementary foods. As a result of the wrong approach, children do not receive the nutrients and trace elements necessary for full growth and development. Let's analyze the main mistakes with specific examples.

  • Premature introduction of new products. The introduction of complementary foods up to 3 months increases the risk of developing excess weight, gastrointestinal diseases, and can also serve as a prerequisite for the development of diabetes.
  • Delaying complementary foods. Lack of complementary foods after six months leads to a lack of trace elements and nutrients. There may be a developmental delay or problems with eating behavior in the future.
  • Injection of too large portions. Because of this, the child may refuse breast milk or formula, which until a certain time is his main source of nutrition. In addition, the fragile gastrointestinal tract is simply not ready for such loads.
  • Feeding only puréed foods for too long. After six months, the baby develops a chewing reflex. At this age, food can be cut into pieces. Refusal of solid foods can lead to digestive problems, as well as difficulties with the development of speech.
  • Force a child to finish eating a serving completely. If the baby shows with all his appearance that he is full, feeding should be stopped. Otherwise, overeating can cause vomiting or indigestion.
  • Transplant a 10-12 month old baby to a general diet. "Adult" dishes contain a large amount of fat and other elements that the children's stomach is not able to digest completely.
  • Giving harmful foods. Almost 80% of parents already in the first year of a child's life give him a taste of chocolate, cookies, sausage, dumplings and other dangerous products. These products are dangerous not only for the baby, but also for the adult. They also lead to disruption of healthy eating habits.

What do you need to know to make the right menu?

Proper complementary foods and adherence to recommendations for children's nutrition can avoid many mistakes and problems in the future. When compiling the menu, pediatricians recommend following the following rules: