How to wean a baby onto food

Your baby's first solid foods

When to start introducing solid foods

Introducing your baby to solid foods, sometimes called complementary feeding or weaning, should start when your baby is around 6 months old.

At the beginning, how much your baby eats is less important than getting them used to the idea of eating.

They'll still be getting most of their energy and nutrients from breast milk or first infant formula.

Giving your baby a variety of foods, alongside breast or formula milk, from around 6 months of age will help set your child up for a lifetime of healthier eating.

Gradually, you'll be able to increase the amount and variety of food your baby eats until they can eat the same foods as the rest of the family, in smaller portions.

If your baby was born prematurely, ask your health visitor or GP for advice on when to start introducing solid foods.

Why wait until around 6 months to introduce solids?

It’s a good idea to wait until around 6 months before introducing solid foods because:

breast milk or first infant formula provide the energy and nutrients your baby needs until they're around 6 months old (with the exception of vitamin D in some cases)
if you're breastfeeding, feeding only breast milk up to around 6 months of age will help protect your baby against illness and infections
waiting until around 6 months gives your baby time to develop so they can cope fully with solid foods – this includes solid foods made into purées, cereals and baby rice added to milk
your baby will be more able to feed themselves
your baby will be better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing it – this may mean they'll be able to progress to a range of tastes and textures (such as mashed, lumpy and finger foods) more quickly, and may not need smooth, blended foods at all

Signs your baby is ready for solid foods

There are 3 clear signs which, when they appear together from around 6 months of age, show your baby is ready for their first solid foods alongside breast milk or first infant formula.

They'll be able to:

stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady
co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth by themselves
swallow food (rather than spit it back out)

The following behaviours can be mistaken by parents as signs that their baby is ready for solid foods:

chewing their fists
waking up in the night (more than usual)
wanting extra milk feeds

These are all normal behaviours for babies and not necessarily a sign that they're hungry or ready to start solid food.

Starting solid foods will not make your baby any more likely to sleep through the night. Sometimes a little extra milk will help until they're ready for solid foods.

Get tips to help your baby sleep well

How to start solid foods

In the beginning your baby will only need a small amount of food before their usual milk feed.

Do not worry about how much they eat. The most important thing is getting them used to new tastes and textures, and learning how to move solid foods around their mouths and how to swallow them.

They'll still be getting most of their energy and nutrients from breast milk or infant formula.

There are some foods to avoid giving to your baby. For example, do not add sugar or salt (including stock cubes and gravy) to your baby's food or cooking water.

Babies should not eat salty foods as it's not good for their kidneys, and sugar can cause tooth decay.

Tips to get your baby off to a good start with solid foods:

Eating is a whole new skill. Some babies learn to accept new foods and textures more quickly than others. Keep trying, and give your baby lots of encouragement and praise.
Allow plenty of time, especially at first.
Go at your baby's pace and let them show you when they're hungry or full. Stop when your baby shows signs that they've had enough. This could be firmly closing their mouth or turning their head away. If you're using a spoon, wait for your baby to open their mouth before you offer the food. Do not force your baby to eat. Wait until the next time if they're not interested this time.
Be patient and keep offering a variety of foods, even the ones they do not seem to like. It may take 10 tries or more for your baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures. There will be days when they eat more, some when they eat less, and then days when they reject everything. Do not worry, this is perfectly normal.
Let your baby enjoy touching and holding the food. Allow them to feed themselves, using their fingers, as soon as they show an interest. If you're using a spoon, your baby may like to hold it or another spoon to try feeding themselves.
Keep distractions to a minimum during mealtimes and avoid sitting your baby in front of the television, phone or tablet.
Show them how you eat. Babies copy their parents and other children. Sit down together for family mealtimes as much as possible.

Texture progression

Once you've started introducing solid foods from around 6 months of age, try to move your baby on from puréed or blended foods to mashed, lumpy or finger foods as soon as they can manage them.

This helps them learn how to chew, move solid food around their mouth and swallow.

Some babies like to start with mashed, lumpy or finger foods.

Other babies need a little longer to get used to new textures, so may prefer smooth or blended foods on a spoon at first.

Just keep offering them lumpy textures and they'll eventually get used to it.

Safety and hygiene

When introducing your baby to solid foods, it's important to take extra care to not put them at risk.

Key food safety and hygiene advice:

always wash your hands before preparing food and keep surfaces clean
cool hot food and test it before giving it to your baby
wash and peel fruit and raw vegetables
avoid hard foods like whole nuts, or raw carrot or apple
remove hard pips and stones from fruits, and bones from meat or fish
cut small, round foods, like grapes and cherry tomatoes, into small pieces
eggs produced under the British Lion Code of Practice (stamped with the red lion) are considered very low risk for salmonella and safe for babies to eat partially cooked

Always stay with your baby when they're eating in case they start to choke.

Choking is different from gagging. Your baby may gag when you introduce solid foods.

This is because they're learning how to deal with solid foods and regulate the amount of food they can manage to chew and swallow at one time.

If your baby is gagging:

their eyes may water
they might push their tongue forward (or out of their mouth)
they might retch to bring the food forward in their mouth or vomit

Equipment checklist

High chair. Your baby needs to be sitting safely in an upright position (so they can swallow properly). Always use a securely fitted safety harness in a high chair. Never leave babies unattended on raised surfaces.
Plastic or pelican bibs. It's going to be messy at first!
Soft weaning spoons are gentler on your baby's gums.
Small plastic bowl. You may find it useful to get a special weaning bowl with a suction base to keep the bowl in place.
First cup. Introduce a cup from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals. Using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn to sip and is better for their teeth.
A messy mat or newspaper sheets under the high chair to catch most of the mess.
Plastic containers and ice cube trays can be helpful for batch cooking and freezing small portions.

Find out more:

tips to help your baby enjoy new foods
children's food: safety and hygiene
foods to avoid giving babies and young children
how to stop a child from choking
baby and toddler safety

Feeding your baby: from 0 to 6 months

Breast milk is the best food your baby can have during their first 6 months of life.

It's free, always available and at the perfect temperature, and is tailor-made for your baby.

First infant formula is the only suitable alternative if you do not breastfeed or choose to supplement breast milk.

Other milks or milk substitutes, including cows' milk, should not be introduced as a main drink until 12 months of age.

"Follow-on" formula is not suitable for babies under 6 months, and you do not need to introduce it after 6 months.

Babies do not need baby rice to help them move to solid foods or sleep better.

When using a bottle, do not put anything (such as sugar or cereals) in it other than breast milk or infant formula.

Vitamins for babies

It's recommended that breastfed babies are given a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms (µg) of vitamin D from birth, whether or not you're taking a supplement containing vitamin D yourself.

Babies having 500mls (about a pint) or more of formula a day should not be given vitamin supplements.

This is because formula is fortified with vitamin D and other nutrients.

All children aged 6 months to 5 years should be given vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, C and D every day.

Find out more:

benefits of breastfeeding
how to make up baby formula
vitamins for children

Feeding your baby: from around 6 months

When they first start having solid foods, babies do not need 3 meals a day. Babies have tiny tummies, so start by offering them small amounts of food (just a few pieces, or teaspoons of food).

Pick a time that suits you both, when you do not feel rushed and your baby is not too tired.

Start offering them food before their usual milk feed as they might not be interested if they're full, but do not wait until your baby is too hungry.

Allow plenty of time and let your baby go at their own pace.

Keep offering different foods, even foods your baby has already rejected.

It can take 10 tries or more before your baby will accept a new food or texture, particularly as they get older.

Your baby will still be getting most of their energy and nutrients from breast milk or first infant formula.

Breast milk or infant formula should be their main drink during the first year. Do not give them whole cows' (or goats' or sheep's) milk as a drink until they're 1 year old.

You can continue breastfeeding for as long as you both want.

Introduce a cup from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals. Using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn to sip and is better for their teeth.

First foods

You might want to start with single vegetables and fruits.

Try mashed or soft cooked sticks of parsnip, broccoli, potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear.

Include vegetables that are not sweet, such as broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.

This will help your baby get used to a range of flavours (rather than just the sweeter ones, like carrots and sweet potato) and might help prevent them being fussy eaters as they grow up.

Make sure any cooked food has cooled right down before offering it to your baby.

Foods containing allergens (such as peanuts, hens' eggs, gluten and fish) can be introduced from around 6 months of age, 1 at a time and in small amounts so you can spot any reaction.

Cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months of age, but should not be given as a drink until your baby is 1 year old.

Full-fat dairy products, such as pasteurised cheese and plain yoghurt or fromage frais, can be given from around 6 months of age. Choose products with no added sugar.

Remember, babies do not need salt or sugar added to their food (or cooking water).

Finger foods

As soon as your baby starts solid foods, encourage them to be involved in mealtimes and have fun touching, holding and exploring food.

Let them feed themselves with their fingers when they want to. This helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination.

Your baby can show you how much they want to eat, and it gets them familiar with different types and textures of food.

Offering your baby finger foods at each meal is a good way to help them learn to self-feed.

Finger food is food that's cut up into pieces big enough for your baby to hold in their fist with a bit sticking out.

Pieces about the size of your own finger work well.

Start off with finger foods that break up easily in their mouth and are long enough for them to grip.

Avoid hard food, such as whole nuts or raw carrots and apples, to reduce the risk of choking.

Examples of finger foods include:

soft cooked vegetables, such as carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnip, butternut squash
fruit (soft, or cooked without adding sugar), such as apple, pear, peach, melon, banana
grabbable bits of avocado
cooked starchy foods, such as potato, sweet potato, cassava, pasta, noodles, chapatti, rice
pulses, such as beans and lentils
fish without bones
hardboiled eggs
meat without bones, such as chicken and lamb
sticks of pasteurised full-fat hard cheese (choose lower salt options)

Baby-led weaning

Baby-led weaning means giving your baby only finger foods and letting them feed themselves from the start instead of feeding them puréed or mashed food on a spoon.

Some parents prefer baby-led weaning to spoon feeding, while others do a combination of both.

There's no right or wrong way. The most important thing is that your baby eats a wide variety of food and gets all the nutrients they need.

There's no more risk of choking when a baby feeds themselves than when they're fed with a spoon.

Find out more:

help your baby enjoy new foods
drinks and cups for babies and young children
food allergies in babies and young children
foods to avoid giving babies and young children

Feeding your baby: from 7 to 9 months

From about 7 months, your baby will gradually move towards eating 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and tea), in addition to their usual milk feeds, which may be around 4 a day (for example, on waking, after lunch, after tea and before bed).

As your baby eats more solid foods, they may want less milk at each feed or even drop a milk feed altogether.

If you're breastfeeding, your baby will adapt their feeds according to how much food they're having.

As a guide, formula-fed babies may need around 600ml of milk a day.

Gradually increase the amount and variety of food your baby is offered to ensure they get the energy and nutrients they need.

Try to include food that contains iron, such as meat, fish, fortified breakfast cereals, dark green vegetables, beans and lentils, at each meal.

Your baby's diet should consist of a variety of the following:

fruit and vegetables, including ones with bitter flavours, such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and cabbage
potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods
beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other non-dairy sources of protein
pasteurised full-fat dairy products, such as plain yoghurt and cheese (choose lower salt options)

As your baby becomes a more confident eater, remember to offer them more mashed, lumpy and finger foods.

Providing finger foods as part of each meal helps encourage infants to feed themselves, develop hand and eye co-ordination, and learn to bite off, chew and swallow pieces of soft food.

Remember, babies do not need salt or sugar added to their food (or cooking water).

Feeding your baby: from 10 to 12 months

From about 10 months, your baby should now be having 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and tea), in addition to their usual milk feeds.

Around this age, your baby may have about 3 milk feeds a day (for instance, after breakfast, after lunch and before bed).

Breastfed babies will adapt their milk consumption as their food intake changes.

As a guide, babies fed infant formula will drink about 400ml daily.

Remember that formula-fed babies should take a vitamin D supplement if they're having less than 500ml of formula a day.

All breastfed babies should take a vitamin D supplement.

By now, your baby should be enjoying a wide range of tastes and textures.

They should be able to manage a wider range of finger foods, and be able to pick up small pieces of food and move them to their mouth. They'll use a cup with more confidence.

Lunches and teas can include a main course, and a fruit or unsweetened dairy-based dessert, to move eating patterns closer to those of children over 1 year.

As your baby grows, eating together as a family encourages them to develop good eating habits.

Remember, babies do not need salt or sugar added to their food (or cooking water).

Feeding your baby: from 12 months

From 12 months, your child will be eating 3 meals a day containing a variety of different foods, including:

a minimum of 4 servings a day of starchy food, such as potatoes, bread and rice
a minimum of 4 servings a day of fruit and vegetables
a minimum of 350ml milk or 2 servings of dairy products (or alternatives)
a minimum of 1 serving a day of protein from animal sources (meat, fish and eggs) or 2 from vegetable sources (dhal, beans, chickpeas and lentils)

Your child may also need 2 healthy snacks in between meals.

Go for things like:

fresh fruits, such as apple, banana or small pieces of soft, ripe, peeled pear or peach
cooked or raw vegetable, such as broccoli florets, carrot sticks or cucumber sticks
pasteurised plain full-fat yoghurt
sticks of cheese (choose a lower salt option)
toast, pitta or chapatti fingers
unsalted and unsweetened rice or corn cakes

The World Health Organization recommends that all babies are breastfed for up to 2 years or longer.

You can keep breastfeeding for as long as it suits you both, but your child will need less breast milk to make room for more foods.

Once your child is 12 months old, infant formula is not needed and toddler milks, growing-up milks and goodnight milks are also unnecessary.

Your baby can now drink whole cows' milk. Choose full-fat dairy products, as children under 2 years old need the vitamins and extra energy found in them.

From 2 years old, if they're a good eater and growing well, they can have semi-skimmed milk.

From 5 years old, 1% fat and skimmed milk is OK.

You can give your child unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, oat or almond drinks, from the age of 1 as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Children under 5 years old should not be given rice drinks because of the levels of arsenic in these products.

Find out more:

what to feed young children
foods to avoid giving babies and young children
drinks and cups for babies and young children
vitamins for children

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Weaning your child from breastfeeding

Weaning is a natural stage in your baby’s development. It is the gradual process of giving your baby other foods while continuing to breastfeed.

Weaning can come with many mixed emotions. You may feel excited at the new independence you and you baby can both enjoy, as well as some sadness as your baby moves to another stage in their life. This is completely normal.

Breastfeeding as long as you can is the best thing for your baby. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, and continued breastfeeding as long as it is comfortable for you and your baby, even well into the toddler years.

When should I wean my baby?

At about 6 months, your baby will be ready for other foods. They will also need other foods to meet their growing nutritional needs. As you introduce your baby to new foods, you are encouraged to continue to breastfeed.

You’ll know baby is ready to start other foods when they:

seem hungry earlier than usual.
can sit up without support, and have good control of their neck muscles.
hold food in their mouth without pushing it out on their tongue right away.
show interest in food when others are eating.
open their mouth when they see food coming their way.
can let you know they don't want food by leaning back or turning their head away.

Weaning can be either natural (child-led) or planned (mother-led).

Natural weaning or “child-led weaning” happens when your baby starts to accept more—and different types—of solid foods while still breastfeeding on demand. With this type of weaning, you watch your baby’s cues and wean at their pace. Babies who are weaned naturally usually stop breastfeeding completely sometime between 2 and 4 years of age.

Planned weaning or “mother-led weaning” happens when mothers decide to start the weaning process.

A “partial wean” means substituting one or more feedings with a cup or bottle and breastfeeding at other times. This can work well if you are going back to work or school, but still want to breastfeed. Early morning, evening and night feedings can continue even if you are separated from your baby during the day.

How do I wean my baby?

Your weaning experience is up to you and your baby. Try to follow your baby’s cues whenever possible. If you feel your baby is not taking enough other foods or liquids, see your doctor.

When you and your baby are ready to wean, there are few things that can help to make the experience a more positive one for both of you:

It’s easiest for you and your baby if weaning is gradual – over several weeks, months or even longer. A sudden, abrupt wean should only be considered in extreme circumstances.
Start by substituting one feed. When one feed is going well, substitute another feed, and so on.
Continue this way, substituting one feed at a time. The pace is up to you and your baby, but in general, the slower the better.
Someone else may need to offer a feed for your baby to accept it. You can start with a liquid (such as expressed breast milk) in a bottle or cup or a complementary food after about 6 months of age.
Follow your baby’s cues. They will tell you when they've had enough.
Hold and cuddle your baby if you are feeding from a bottle. This extra closeness will help both of you during the weaning process. Never prop a bottle. Bottle propping can put your baby at risk for choking and can cause early childhood caries.
Watch the cues you give to your baby. If you sit in the same chair you usually use when you’re nursing, they will likely want to breastfeed.

Can’t I just stop breastfeeding?

If possible, avoid an abrupt wean, which can be uncomfortable for you and upsetting for your baby.

If you have to take a medication, talk to your doctor. There are very few medications that require you to stop breastfeeding.
If you are very sick, or if you and your baby have to be separated or a long time, try some of the suggestions for caring for your breasts described below. If your breasts get uncomfortable, express your milk to avoid blocked ducts, mastitis or a breast abscess.
Babies who are sick should not be abruptly weaned. You can pump and store breast milk until your baby can take it again.

What complementary foods can I give my baby?

At about 6 months, you’ll start to introduce solid foods into your baby’s diet. When this happens, your baby will begin to take less breast milk.

Introduce solids one at a time and in small amounts at the beginning. Some babies get very constipated if they are given too much solid food early on.

You can also offer your baby small amounts of water once or twice a day, usually after 6 months of age. Don't offer juice at this age. Too much juice can lead to dental caries, obesity or even poor weight gain and diarrhea.

If you give your baby water, or alternate milks, offer it in a cup instead of a bottle. Breastfed babies easily learn to drink from a cup as early as 6 months of age. You can also try this with expressed breast milk.

Age	What you can offer
6 to 12 months	Breast milk Iron-fortified infant formula Begin introducing solid foods
12 to 18 months	Breast milk Whole cow’s milk (3.25%)
18 to 24 months	Breast milk Whole cow’s milk (3.25%). 2% milk is okay if your child is growing well and eating a variety of foods
2 to 5 years	Breast milk 2% milk

After 12 months of age, your baby should not take more than 16 to 24 ounces (500 mL to 720 mL) of milk per day. Otherwise, they will fill up and won’t want to eat solid foods. Also, they may develop iron deficiency anemia. If your baby has a milk allergy, talk to your doctor about what to use for substitute feedings.

For complete information on introducing solids into your baby’s diet, read our information on feeding your baby in the first year.

My baby is refusing the breast. Does that mean they are ready to wean?

No, it doesn’t necessarily mean your baby is ready to wean. Sometimes babies go on a “nursing strike” and suddenly refuse to breastfeed. There can be many causes, such as teething, an ear infection or other illness, the onset of your period, a change in your diet, soap, or even deodorant.

Here are some tips to encourage your baby to start breastfeeding again:

Make feeding time special and quiet; try to limit distractions. Sometimes, as babies get older, they are more interested in looking at the things happening around them then focusing on nursing.
Cuddle and soothe your baby as much as possible.
Offer your breast when your baby is very sleepy or just waking up.
If possible, try using different nursing positions, alternate sides, or nurse in different rooms.
If you can’t figure out the reason for your baby’s nursing strike, see your doctor or talk to a lactation consultant. Don’t get frustrated or angry. Remember that a nursing strike does not mean your baby is rejecting you.

If this happens, be sure to pump your milk so you don’t develop a blocked duct or get engorged, and that you continue to produce enough breast milk for when your baby is ready to nurse again.

How should I care for my breasts when I start to wean?

If your breasts are uncomfortable while weaning, try expressing just enough milk so that you no longer feel uncomfortable. Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen might help. Cold compresses or gel packs applied to your breasts can also be of some comfort.
Don’t bind your breasts or drink fewer fluids while you’re weaning.
Check your breasts regularly to make sure you aren’t developing a blocked duct. A blocked duct will feel like a firm, tender area (the size of a pea) of the breast. Sometimes you can clear it with gentle rubbing or by putting a little bit of pressure on the area. If it’s painful, see your doctor or lactation consultant. This is more likely to occur during an abrupt wean.

What is mastitis?

Mastitis is an infection that causes breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness on your breast. It can also cause fever and chills. If you have these symptoms, call your doctor. Your doctor will most likely prescribe an antibiotic to clear up the infection.

You can continue breastfeeding if you have mastitis.

More information from the CPS

Additional resources

Reviewed by the following CPS committees

Community Paediatrics Committee
Public Education Advisory Committee

Last updated: June 2018

How to teach a child to eat any food with pleasure - Moscow 24, 01/18/2021

January 18, 2021, 10:07

Society

A common table, a turned off TV and a personal example. Journalist and mother Evgenia Artamonova shares life hacks on building a healthy relationship with food in a child.

Photo: depositphotos/oksun70

Before the birth of the child and all the 2.5 years that we were together, I thought a lot about food. I listened to authoritative speakers, talked with other mothers and read modern literature.

It was important to me that my son liked to eat. He felt the taste of food, ate intuitively: when he wants and what he wants. So that he would not remember with horror how he was not allowed to leave the table, "until the soup is finished." So that in adulthood he does not suffer from eating disorders and does not eat sweets.

The second, no less important task that I set for myself (and, to be honest, I have not yet fully solved it) is to reduce the level of parental anxiety and make life easier for myself. Do not calculate the grams eaten by the child, do not worry that he did not want something. Do not "fly" like a seagull around the table, constantly instructing "how it should be. "

We are still half way there. But I'm happy with the results. Most often the child eats. And eat with pleasure. And if I suddenly decide not to eat, I try not to worry, because this is normal. As soon as I catch myself wanting to help my son finish eating, I seem to be transported back to my childhood and automatically turn on some settings that have been recorded in my subcortex. I almost want to distract and spoon-feed, but most often I stop myself in time. I strive for 100% Zen.

Answers to many pressing questions were found in the book "My child does not want to eat!", written by a pediatrician, author of several works on nutrition and children's health, Carlos Gonzalez. His modern approach is very close to me: to give the child freedom of choice, to believe in him and not interfere.

Below is a list of tips on how to instill a love of food in your child based on the insights of Gonzalez and other evidence-based professionals that work.

Don't force me.
As Gonzalez writes, "The truth is that children do not grow because they eat. They eat because they grow. Those who become tall, with broad bones, always eat more than those who are short and thin." That is, we cannot know for sure how much a child really needs at a particular moment.

Don't worry if your child doesn't eat.
Doesn't want to eat now - will come back later. And if not, then he doesn't need it. Therefore, the best solution is to shift your attention to other more important tasks.

Involve your baby in the kitchen, do it together.
Invite your child to take part in the cooking process. Trust some simple assignments. From my own experience I will say: what the son had a hand in is eaten with special pleasure.

Make eating a family ritual.
Give your baby a separate seat at the table and eat together at the same time. We have a special children's growing chair. From a month we move to a common large table and simply adjust the seat for height. It is interesting and important for the son to be with us.

Photo: depositphotos/demiurg_100

Less salt and pepper.
Try to limit the use of spices and sweeteners so that the child (and adults will also benefit) learns to recognize the original taste and enjoy, for example, even cauliflower eaten without any additives.

Green light for food games.
Playing with food within reasonable limits is also an experience! After all, a child learns the world through play. I allow (do not interfere) to scatter the ingredients of the dish around, eat with my hands / spoon / fork, sit on the table, eat from my plate, leave the table in the midst of the meal and return.
And if we talk about restlessness, then up to three years (and sometimes later) this is normal. That's how little kids are. During periods of wandering back and forth, I catch zen.

Don't get distracted.
During each reception, try to keep the process at the forefront. You can chat, joke, listen to music, but if something interferes, you need to remove it. It's better to turn off the TV. Because if adults can still somehow separate watching TV and eating food, then children become little zombies: they automatically put spoons in their mouths or completely forget. And then, already at a more meaningful age, they stop noticing gastronomic desires and needs.

Set an example.
And, probably, the main secret is that significant adults in the family eat the way they would like the child to eat. Children repeat everything after their parents. If you do not eat barley, soups and broccoli, then why should a child love them? He understands: yeah, mom and dad don’t eat it, I don’t want it either!

Therefore, start with yourself. Do you want your child to have a healthy and balanced diet? Study the question. Introduce more vegetables, different cereals, legumes into the diet. Experiment, explore new flavors and combinations. Try not to get carried away with sauces. Try the products individually. And everything will work out!

Artamonova Evgenia

society

Media news2

Without tears and whims: when and how to accustom a child to adult food

"Adult" nutrition refers to food from the common table, and the transition to it is recommended to be carried out gradually after a year. However, if the family menu contains “correctly” prepared dishes suitable for the child, then you can start earlier. For example, a soup prepared for the whole family on a vegetable broth or a second broth with vegetables and lean meat is quite suitable for a baby from 10 months old. Only the vegetables should be mashed with a fork, and the meat should be finely chopped.

Meatballs and lean meatballs prepared for the whole family can also be suitable for a baby from the age of 8-10 months.

How to start?

It is best to start with vegetables mashed with a fork: broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots. By 8 months, we add meat in the form of soft meatballs, cutlets, soufflé. In the same period, it is very important to accustom the child to fish. From 10 months we diversify the diet with small pasta and grated cheese. For breakfast, you can also start giving an omelet.

After a year, more complex dishes may appear in the child’s diet: meat soups with various vegetables, pasta with vegetables and cheese, vegetable, meat, cottage cheese casseroles, vegetable stew ( see also: “My child eats: 10 rules of food education Europeans who will be useful to us").

“It is also necessary to take into account national traditions in nutrition, so the diet of a young child should be formed from those products that are typical for his place of residence. The more varied the diet of the baby, the better it will develop physically and intellectually. However, do not forget that for greater safety, it is recommended to start complementary foods with industrial products. They are designed and adapted specifically for young children, taking into account their needs and the capabilities of the gastrointestinal system. Too early introduction of adult foods into complementary foods can have an adverse effect on the baby’s digestive system, ”says Olga Lukoyanova, MD, leading researcher at the National Medical Research Center for Children's Health, Federal State Agrarian University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

Consequences of not following the recommended timing

If coarser foods are introduced before 8 months, this can put a lot of strain on the digestive system of a young child. As a result, the development of diseases such as gastritis, biliary dyskinesia and allergies is possible.

Late introduction of adult food is also undesirable. If started after 1.5–2 years, the child will have a poor diet, delayed chewing of solid foods, reduced interest in food, and abnormal eating behavior will form.

In addition, the child may develop neophobia - a negative attitude towards new foods, which will lead to insufficient intake of essential nutrients, vitamins and trace elements, which, in turn, can lead to serious health problems. In addition, such behavior of the child will become a big problem for parents.

How to make this stage easier for mother and child?

Experts recommend that the transition to adult food be easy and bring only pleasure to everyone, develop a food interest in the baby and in every possible way encourage his craving for acquaintance with new tastes and dishes. Manufacturers of baby food try to diversify their assortment as much as possible and thereby make a great contribution to the development of the taste and nutritional preferences of the child.

For example, the Russian brand FrutoNyanya can offer babies from 6 months of age puree with non-standard flavors for the Russian baby food market: puree with oatmeal cookies, apple puree with charlotte cookies and puree with muesli. If such combinations are unusual for us, then in the West there has long been a trend for "adult" tastes, adapted to the children's diet. This step has a logical explanation: to help moms and dads comfortably transfer children to an adult table without additional stress. An intermediate link in the chain "fruit puree - full-fledged meals" has so far been practically absent, with the exception of meat and meat and vegetable products for children over 8 months old.

Another piece of advice from Olga Lukoyanova: parents need to keep their child interested in food by offering it in the form of pieces and letting them pick it up with their hands.

Pieces should appear in your baby's diet as early as 8-10 months, when pureed food is gradually replaced by finely chopped food. Observations show that if a child is not offered food in pieces in the first year of life, he gets used to food from the common table much later and worse in the second year. But you should not leave the baby alone when he eats food in pieces, and even more so allow him to run around at this time. It is advisable to use children's dishes and special children's appliances. While eating, the child should sit on his chair and not be distracted by anything ( see also: "10 tips on how to teach your child to eat beautifully").

New foods or dishes are best introduced at the beginning of a meal when the baby is hungry. The appearance of food is also of great importance: beautifully decorated dishes with a variety of color combinations will attract the child faster and easier.

It is very useful to share meals with other family members so that the child begins to feel like an adult.

What should I do if my child refuses a new menu?

Parents' attempts to force them to eat a new dish or eat it to the end can have a very negative impact on the child's further perception of any unfamiliar food and lead to a complete rejection of the proposed food. The kid needs to be given time and not insist, but periodically offer a new menu. Sometimes children are more willing to try an unfamiliar dish if it is on the plate of mom or dad or just stands on the table, as they say, “in the public domain”. Sometimes it helps to mix a new flavor into an already familiar dish. The main task of parents is to be calm and tune in to the wave of the baby, but in no case force him to eat.