Vegetables to feed 6 month old baby


Best Vegetables for Babies

We all want our kids to grow up eating a healthy diet — and it’s hard to think of a healthier food than vegetables. Full of complex carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, veggies are a dietary building block of wellness, even for very young children.

But the question always follows: Can you actually get your kid to like vegetables? The battle over a plate of veggies is a classic parent-child power struggle.

Here’s how to not only choose the best veggies for your baby, but prepare them in ways that will help your kiddo become a veggie lover for life.

For babies just starting to eat solids (around 6 months or so), try these six softer, blendable veggies.

Carrots

Bugs Bunny’s fave orange veggies are a baby food staple for good reason. Once cooked, carrots puree beautifully and offer a not-too-piquant flavor for baby’s sensitive palate.

Plus, they contain plenty of fiber to promote healthy digestion, as well as beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A to boost vision and immune function.

Spinach

Speaking of cartoon characters’ favorite vegetables, remember Popeye’s love for spinach? This leafy green deserves its cartoon reputation for being rich in iron — a nutrient babies especially need for energy and development.

Cooked, pureed spinach is best for younger infants. Add a sprinkle of salt to enhance taste.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin may bring to mind chilly temperatures and falling leaves, but with canned varieties, your child can enjoy the gourds any time of year. Pureed pumpkin’s smooth texture is ideal as one of baby’s first foods, and high amounts of A and C round out its nutrient profile.

Avocados

Avocados are the heroes of healthy monounsaturated fats. These important macronutrients help develop baby’s brain and nervous system, as well as increase absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Meanwhile, each serving of avocado comes with a sizable dose of fiber and folate.

Keep in mind that a little bit of high fat avocado goes a long way. Start with a serving of about 1 tablespoon, mashed.

Sweet potatoes

Mashed cooked sweet potatoes not only make for easy-peasy serving to your little one, they’re loaded with nutrients, too! Like carrots and pumpkin, sweet potatoes burst with immune- and vision-supporting vitamin A, plus plenty of fiber, manganese, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.

When serving sweet potato to your baby, be sure to mash well and remove the skin.

Peas

Mushy peas might not sound like a culinary delight to adults, but they’re an excellent choice for infants. These little green balls are one of the highest-protein veggies, with 4 grams per serving.

To serve, simply steam frozen peas and blend until pureed. You can even add a bit of breast milk for a thinner consistency.

As your baby becomes more of a solid food pro, try introducing these six veggies.

Broccoli

With cancer-fighting compounds and micronutrients galore, broccoli is an extremely healthy veggie for people of all ages.

Turn your baby on to this cruciferous superfood by serving steamed or roasted broccoli by itself, or add it to pasta dishes, cheesy baked potatoes, or soups cooled to room temperature.

Cauliflower

Has your little eater cut a few teeth? Now’s the time to try cooked cauliflower! The chunky texture of this veggie in a puree (or roasted and roughly mashed) offers just the right level of challenge for new chewers.

Zucchini

When the summer months roll around, take advantage of a bumper crop of zucchini by feeding some to baby. Green and yellow summer squash offer mild flavor and nutrients like manganese, potassium, and vitamin A.

Try serving your baby zucchini prepared as cooked, spiralized “zoodles” with a tomato sauce or thin-sliced and pan-sautéed with a bit of olive oil.

Tomatoes

Before long, your kiddo will likely be chowing down on all sorts of tomato-based foods like pizza and spaghetti with marinara. For now, get them started on the fresh, whole version by serving tomatoes in finely chopped pieces.

Ample water content for hydration plus vitamins C and A add to tomatoes’ value as a healthy first veggie.

Onions

Because of their pungency, you might shy away from feeding your child onions. But these aromatic alliums can be a great way to add flavor to baby’s diet without sodium or anything artificial. Try cooked onions in casseroles or mixed in with other vegetables.

Beets

We’ll be honest: Beets are an acquired taste. That said, you can make them more tempting for baby by pureeing cooked beets with fruits like blueberries or cherries.

The pigments in these colorful blends might leave baby with a red beet “mustache,” but beets’ high content of folate, manganese, and fiber are well worth it.

You can help your child take the lead in the weaning process by providing them plenty of self-feeding opportunities. Incorporate these four bite-sized, easily grasped veggies in baby-led weaning (BLW).

Butternut squash

When first starting with baby-led weaning, opt for softer foods. They’re easier for baby to gnaw, which may allay your concerns about choking. (Still, carefully supervise your baby during mealtimes.)

With their tender texture and sweet taste, pieces of cooked butternut squash are an excellent first round of BLW. Dust cooked pieces with cinnamon for even more flavor.

Bell peppers

Fun fact: Ounce for ounce, bell peppers contain more vitamin C than oranges! This important vitamin not only strengthens the immune system, it acts as an anti-inflammatory antioxidant.

Give baby’s health a leg up by letting them self-feed diced bell peppers. If the peppers’ strong flavor gets a negative reaction, try serving them with cheese or hummus.

Cucumbers

There’s nothing quite so refreshing as a cool, crunchy cucumber. These veggies’ cooling sensation can be especially soothing for babies’ teething gums. To reduce the risk of choking, peel the skin off of cucumbers and dice them into small pieces as part of baby-led weaning.

Edamame

Everyone knows that popping edamame beans out of their shells is half the fun of eating these tender legumes. However, for baby-led weaning, start by placing shelled, slightly mashed edamame on the high chair tray. Their high protein content will fuel baby’s playtime, as well as build muscle tissue.

Vegetables are among the healthiest foods on the planet. Could anything go wrong with feeding them to your baby?

For very young children, there are some safety concerns about nitrates — compounds certain vegetables absorb from soil.

When babies consume excessive amounts of nitrates, it can lead to a condition called methemoglobinemia. Babies with this condition may develop a blue tinge on their hands, feet, and mouth, and may have fatigue and difficulty breathing.

If your baby has any of these symptoms — especially shortness of breath — seek medical attention immediately.

Root vegetables like beets and carrots and leafy greens (especially spinach) do contain relatively high levels of nitrates. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feed these healthy veggies to your baby when they start solids.

Older research from 2005 shows that high amounts of nitrates from vegetables are primarily harmful to babies 3 months of age and younger — but since it’s not recommended to introduce solid foods until around 6 months, this is likely to be a nonissue.

  • Baby carrots. “Baby” may be in their name, but baby carrots are not a good choice for infants. Their size and hardness make them a choking hazard.
  • Raw celery. The stringy fibers of raw celery can easily lodge in a baby’s throat. If you choose to serve your baby celery, be sure it’s cooked thoroughly and cut into small pieces.
  • Corn. Creamed or pureed corn is fine for infants, but avoid serving the small, chewy kernels by themselves.
  • Any hard, raw vegetables. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, chunks of raw vegetables remain a choking hazard until children reach the age of 4 years.

As with any food group, you may run into snags when introducing your child to the wide and colorful world of veggies. Although allergies to vegetables are rare and no vegetable is among the top eight food allergens, it’s always possible for a child to have an allergic reaction to any food.

If your baby has symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing, hives, or a rash after eating a particular vegetable, talk to your pediatrician about the possibility of an allergy or food sensitivity.

Contrary to the stereotypes, getting your kid to eat their vegetables doesn’t have to be an epic battle of the wills. By introducing a wide variety of veggies and preparations from a young age, you’ll give your little one the best chance of developing a veggie-loving palate.

Even if your high chair gourmand spurns spinach or turns up a nose at turnips, don’t despair! Keep at it. The more you expose your child to any food, the more likely they are to eventually accept (and even enjoy) it.

Best Vegetables for Babies

We all want our kids to grow up eating a healthy diet — and it’s hard to think of a healthier food than vegetables. Full of complex carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, veggies are a dietary building block of wellness, even for very young children.

But the question always follows: Can you actually get your kid to like vegetables? The battle over a plate of veggies is a classic parent-child power struggle.

Here’s how to not only choose the best veggies for your baby, but prepare them in ways that will help your kiddo become a veggie lover for life.

For babies just starting to eat solids (around 6 months or so), try these six softer, blendable veggies.

Carrots

Bugs Bunny’s fave orange veggies are a baby food staple for good reason. Once cooked, carrots puree beautifully and offer a not-too-piquant flavor for baby’s sensitive palate.

Plus, they contain plenty of fiber to promote healthy digestion, as well as beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A to boost vision and immune function.

Spinach

Speaking of cartoon characters’ favorite vegetables, remember Popeye’s love for spinach? This leafy green deserves its cartoon reputation for being rich in iron — a nutrient babies especially need for energy and development.

Cooked, pureed spinach is best for younger infants. Add a sprinkle of salt to enhance taste.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin may bring to mind chilly temperatures and falling leaves, but with canned varieties, your child can enjoy the gourds any time of year. Pureed pumpkin’s smooth texture is ideal as one of baby’s first foods, and high amounts of A and C round out its nutrient profile.

Avocados

Avocados are the heroes of healthy monounsaturated fats. These important macronutrients help develop baby’s brain and nervous system, as well as increase absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Meanwhile, each serving of avocado comes with a sizable dose of fiber and folate.

Keep in mind that a little bit of high fat avocado goes a long way. Start with a serving of about 1 tablespoon, mashed.

Sweet potatoes

Mashed cooked sweet potatoes not only make for easy-peasy serving to your little one, they’re loaded with nutrients, too! Like carrots and pumpkin, sweet potatoes burst with immune- and vision-supporting vitamin A, plus plenty of fiber, manganese, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.

When serving sweet potato to your baby, be sure to mash well and remove the skin.

Peas

Mushy peas might not sound like a culinary delight to adults, but they’re an excellent choice for infants. These little green balls are one of the highest-protein veggies, with 4 grams per serving.

To serve, simply steam frozen peas and blend until pureed. You can even add a bit of breast milk for a thinner consistency.

As your baby becomes more of a solid food pro, try introducing these six veggies.

Broccoli

With cancer-fighting compounds and micronutrients galore, broccoli is an extremely healthy veggie for people of all ages.

Turn your baby on to this cruciferous superfood by serving steamed or roasted broccoli by itself, or add it to pasta dishes, cheesy baked potatoes, or soups cooled to room temperature.

Cauliflower

Has your little eater cut a few teeth? Now’s the time to try cooked cauliflower! The chunky texture of this veggie in a puree (or roasted and roughly mashed) offers just the right level of challenge for new chewers.

Zucchini

When the summer months roll around, take advantage of a bumper crop of zucchini by feeding some to baby. Green and yellow summer squash offer mild flavor and nutrients like manganese, potassium, and vitamin A.

Try serving your baby zucchini prepared as cooked, spiralized “zoodles” with a tomato sauce or thin-sliced and pan-sautéed with a bit of olive oil.

Tomatoes

Before long, your kiddo will likely be chowing down on all sorts of tomato-based foods like pizza and spaghetti with marinara. For now, get them started on the fresh, whole version by serving tomatoes in finely chopped pieces.

Ample water content for hydration plus vitamins C and A add to tomatoes’ value as a healthy first veggie.

Onions

Because of their pungency, you might shy away from feeding your child onions. But these aromatic alliums can be a great way to add flavor to baby’s diet without sodium or anything artificial. Try cooked onions in casseroles or mixed in with other vegetables.

Beets

We’ll be honest: Beets are an acquired taste. That said, you can make them more tempting for baby by pureeing cooked beets with fruits like blueberries or cherries.

The pigments in these colorful blends might leave baby with a red beet “mustache,” but beets’ high content of folate, manganese, and fiber are well worth it.

You can help your child take the lead in the weaning process by providing them plenty of self-feeding opportunities. Incorporate these four bite-sized, easily grasped veggies in baby-led weaning (BLW).

Butternut squash

When first starting with baby-led weaning, opt for softer foods. They’re easier for baby to gnaw, which may allay your concerns about choking. (Still, carefully supervise your baby during mealtimes.)

With their tender texture and sweet taste, pieces of cooked butternut squash are an excellent first round of BLW. Dust cooked pieces with cinnamon for even more flavor.

Bell peppers

Fun fact: Ounce for ounce, bell peppers contain more vitamin C than oranges! This important vitamin not only strengthens the immune system, it acts as an anti-inflammatory antioxidant.

Give baby’s health a leg up by letting them self-feed diced bell peppers. If the peppers’ strong flavor gets a negative reaction, try serving them with cheese or hummus.

Cucumbers

There’s nothing quite so refreshing as a cool, crunchy cucumber. These veggies’ cooling sensation can be especially soothing for babies’ teething gums. To reduce the risk of choking, peel the skin off of cucumbers and dice them into small pieces as part of baby-led weaning.

Edamame

Everyone knows that popping edamame beans out of their shells is half the fun of eating these tender legumes. However, for baby-led weaning, start by placing shelled, slightly mashed edamame on the high chair tray. Their high protein content will fuel baby’s playtime, as well as build muscle tissue.

Vegetables are among the healthiest foods on the planet. Could anything go wrong with feeding them to your baby?

For very young children, there are some safety concerns about nitrates — compounds certain vegetables absorb from soil.

When babies consume excessive amounts of nitrates, it can lead to a condition called methemoglobinemia. Babies with this condition may develop a blue tinge on their hands, feet, and mouth, and may have fatigue and difficulty breathing.

If your baby has any of these symptoms — especially shortness of breath — seek medical attention immediately.

Root vegetables like beets and carrots and leafy greens (especially spinach) do contain relatively high levels of nitrates. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feed these healthy veggies to your baby when they start solids.

Older research from 2005 shows that high amounts of nitrates from vegetables are primarily harmful to babies 3 months of age and younger — but since it’s not recommended to introduce solid foods until around 6 months, this is likely to be a nonissue.

  • Baby carrots. “Baby” may be in their name, but baby carrots are not a good choice for infants. Their size and hardness make them a choking hazard.
  • Raw celery. The stringy fibers of raw celery can easily lodge in a baby’s throat. If you choose to serve your baby celery, be sure it’s cooked thoroughly and cut into small pieces.
  • Corn. Creamed or pureed corn is fine for infants, but avoid serving the small, chewy kernels by themselves.
  • Any hard, raw vegetables. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, chunks of raw vegetables remain a choking hazard until children reach the age of 4 years.

As with any food group, you may run into snags when introducing your child to the wide and colorful world of veggies. Although allergies to vegetables are rare and no vegetable is among the top eight food allergens, it’s always possible for a child to have an allergic reaction to any food.

If your baby has symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing, hives, or a rash after eating a particular vegetable, talk to your pediatrician about the possibility of an allergy or food sensitivity.

Contrary to the stereotypes, getting your kid to eat their vegetables doesn’t have to be an epic battle of the wills. By introducing a wide variety of veggies and preparations from a young age, you’ll give your little one the best chance of developing a veggie-loving palate.

Even if your high chair gourmand spurns spinach or turns up a nose at turnips, don’t despair! Keep at it. The more you expose your child to any food, the more likely they are to eventually accept (and even enjoy) it.

Complementary feeding rules + BONUS (approximate diet for a child up to a year from a nutritionist)

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From six months, or maybe earlier, your baby is already ready to try adult food. Where to start, what absolutely should not be done, and how to convince the "unwilling" to try a new product? Nutritionist Maria Litvinova answers mothers' questions, and mothers share their secrets.

From personal experience

In matters of nutrition, I act rather intuitively0010 ). Our little one, now 9 months old, has been interested in adult food since about 5 months old. By this time, his first teeth had already appeared, so from 5.5 months the pediatrician allowed him to start complementary foods.

Since we are very large and breastfeeding, the first began to introduce vegetable puree, and then fruit puree, a quarter of a teaspoon. Portions increased gradually, a new product came about once every 5-6 days. There was no particular enthusiasm, and carrots, broccoli, pears caused a clear disgust. Leaders - apple, plum. In the same period, they began to give a little seasonal fruit in a nibbler and a banana scraped with a spoon. Vegetables were better in the form of a thin soup with a slight addition of sunflower oil. Closer to 6.5–7 months, we got acquainted with meat: turkey, rabbit, then other types. Meat, both jarred and fresh, chopped in a blender, I liked even less. After 7 months, dairy-free cereals began. I liked rice, oatmeal, corn, less - buckwheat. After some time, they began to add a little butter to it, and after 8 months they switched to milk porridge. Monocomponent ones go well, but the test of the multicomponent one with berries was not successful: the cheeks and ears turned red. In the same period, fruit purees with cottage cheese, and then with cream, began to be eaten with pleasure. Sometimes the baby agrees to chew baby biscuits slightly soaked in water. We don’t like chicken yolk and are easily recognized in other foods, so we don’t eat it regularly. During the day, the baby drinks a little water, occasionally - highly diluted juice. After 9months, we began to gradually introduce children's yogurt, we plan to try children's kefir. In cases where the child is stubborn, co-feeding with one of their favorite toys helps, but sometimes. Otherwise, the meal is transferred, or the portion is divided into two parts.

For information . WHO suggests the following rates of increase in complementary foods: if started at 6 months, other foods along with liquids should make up approximately 25% (150 - 250 g) of the total diet by 1 year - in the event that the baby is breastfed , and he requires a breast regardless of meals . In artificial children, ordinary food quickly replaces formula feedings, one by one, all meals are successively replaced. A child's introduction to complementary foods can take up to a year.

Tatyana G., mother of many children:

– No complementary foods until six months, only filtered water, if it's hot. The introduction of complementary foods began with vegetables, then cereals, meat. I introduced fruits when teeth appeared . I introduced sour milk to my daughter immediately after cereals, the boys are allergic to preservatives, so is only after a year and a half. The peasants did not want complementary foods until almost 9 months. I don't give any sweets, juices, chocolate, even cookies to the younger ones. They don’t even ask, t and to as they don’t know. In the handle a crust of bread, cucumber, dried fruit.

Tatyana D., mother of many children:

- I am against canned puree, I cooked it myself. But she didn't really force it. At least while breastfeeding. Later she gave a cucumber, a crust of bread in her hand - they got used to chewing it. Drank juices, fresh juices, fresh compotes.

Basic rules for the introduction of complementary foods

According to nutritionist Maria Litvinova , the introduction of complementary foods is a crucial stage in a child's life. Its main goal is to provide the growing body with the nutrients necessary for development. A child who is breastfed does not need to introduce additional food products up to 6 months of life.

Rule 1 Complementary feeding age

Usually 6 months is the average time to start complementary foods. With insufficient weight gain, it can be recommended earlier: at 4.5 months - for a child on artificial feeding, at 5 months - for breastfeeding. Ideally, if the baby has at least 1 tooth at the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods, the child explores the contents of mom and dad's plates with interest, the baby is healthy and has not received preventive vaccinations in the last 3 days. However, the fundamental principle of rational nutrition of infants is maximum individualization and taking into account the characteristics of the state of health.

Rule 2. Type of complementary foods

In case of underweight, frequent stools the optimal first complementary food is porridge . With overweight, constipation, signs of rickets - vegetable puree. Then enter meat , later porridge.

Complementary feeding algorithm:

  • complementary foods are given at the beginning of feeding, gradually replacing breast milk or an adapted formula ;
  • when switching to a fundamentally new type of complementary foods (vegetable, cereal or sour milk), you should start with half a teaspoon, in 2 weeks bringing the serving volume to the recommended norm ,
  • z and one new product is introduced once ;
  • Complementary foods must be free of pieces in texture and should not cause difficulty in swallowing ;
  • each new product is introduced within 5 days with obligatory monitoring of the reaction, including the appearance of a rash, change in the nature of the stool ;
  • new products introducing yat into the child's diet in the first half of the day, so that the reaction can be traced until the evening.

First food "Vegetables + Meat" (6 months)

The first vegetable product, as a rule, is zucchini, you can add mashed cauliflower or broccoli. Then, multicomponent purees are introduced at the expense of pumpkin, cabbage, and subsequently - tomatoes and beets. From 7 months green peas are added.

5 grams of vegetable oil can be added when the volume of the main serving of vegetable puree is half of what it should be. Meat in the form of minced meat or mashed potatoes is added to vegetables in an amount of up to 50 grams per day ( this combination allows the absorption of iron ). The age of introduction is 7 months.

Up to 9-10 months it is better to use special canned meat for children.

The second complementary foods - porridge (7-8 months)

The first porridge is better to introduce buckwheat - one of the most useful in terms of vitamin and mineral composition. Then rice, oatmeal, millet, wheat, corn porridge. Semolina porridge is not introduced until a year old, but it is better to wait up to three years (semolina porridge has a high glycemic index, and it also prevents the absorption of calcium).

Later, porridge can be prepared with milk formula (50 ml water + 50 ml formula). Cow's milk should not be used before the age of one. Butter in the amount of 5 grams is added to porridge when the volume of porridge injected is at least 70 ml.

By 9-10 months, multi-cereal porridges are introduced, as well as baby pasta.

Third food - fruit purees (7-8 months)

Fruit should be introduced after vegetables. It is better to use seasonal berries and fruits. In summer - apple, pears, currants, gooseberries and even strawberries. In winter - industrial mashed potatoes. Fruits can be consumed separately, or with cereals, preferably dairy-free.

Fruit juices are undesirable for children, especially industrial ones, as they contain a lot of sugar. It is better to teach a child to drink water, you can give dried fruit compotes, fresh juices diluted by half with water. Herbal teas should not be given without a doctor's recommendation.

Cottage cheese is recommended from 6 months, but it is better to introduce it later, because. the baby is getting enough breast milk or formula. Up to a year, use only special children's curds. This will reduce the risk of stress on the kidneys. After a year, cottage cheese can be given plain, raw or in the form of casseroles. Dairy products are tried at 8 months. They should not exceed 200 ml per day.

Fish and offal introduced from 8 months. From 8–9 months, fish is offered once or twice a week instead of meat. The yolk begins to be introduced from 7 months (bring to the norm 1/4 - ½ of the yolk). Crackers, cookies - from 7 months.

From 8 months you can use onions and garlic, from 9 months you can use spices (white pepper, bay leaf) and spicy vegetables (celery, dill).

Approximate diet for a child under one year old:

Age 6.00 10.00 14. 00 18.00 22.00
6 months Breast milk or formula - 200 ml. Breast milk or formula - 200 ml. Vegetable puree 150 g Vegetable oil 1 tsp. Breast milk or formula - 50 ml. (meat puree - 30 g with the introduction of meat). Breast milk or formula - 200 ml. Breast milk or formula - 200 ml.
7 months Breast milk or formula - 200 ml. Porridge - 150-170 g Fruit puree - 30 g Yolk - 1/4 Vegetable puree 160 g Vegetable oil 1 tsp Meat puree - 50 g Bread - 5 g Breast milk or formula - 130 ml Fruit puree - 40 g biscuits - 5 g. Breast milk or formula - 200 ml.
8 months Breast milk or formula - 200 ml. Porridge – 170 g Fruit puree – 30 g Yolk – 1/2 Vegetable puree 180 g Vegetable oil 1 tsp Meat (fish) puree – 50 g Bread – 5 g Breast milk or formula - 110 ml Fruit puree - 40 g Cottage cheese - 40 g Cookies - 10 g Breast milk or kefir - 200 ml.
9-10 months Breast milk or formula - 200 ml. Porridge - 180 g Fruit puree - 50 g Yolk - 1/2 Vegetable puree 180 g Vegetable oil 1 tsp Meat (fish) puree - 50 g Bread - 5 g Breast milk or kefir - 100 ml Fruit puree – 50 g Cottage cheese – 40 g Cookies – 10 g Breast milk or kefir - 200 ml.
11-12 months Breast milk or formula - 200 Porridge - 200 ml. Porridge - 180 g Fruit puree - 50 g Yolk - 1/2 Breast milk or kefir - 150 ml. Meat (fish) puree - 70 g Vegetable puree 180 g. Vegetable oil 1 tsp. Bread - 5 g Fruit puree - 60 g Breast milk or kefir - 200 ml. Cottage cheese - 40-60 g biscuits - 10-15 g Breast milk or kefir - 200 ml.

* The table shows an example menu. Porridge can be cooked on a mixture or breast milk - the volumes are indicated with this in mind. Kefir or mixture is written everywhere. Depends on the preferences of the child, can be mutually replaced. Kefir is enough once a day.

Feed the baby, mission impossible?

Elena F., a young mother:

– It was impossible to feed the elder. They invented everything they could: they fed their favorite toys with him, and read books at the table, and watched TV, and all kitchen utensils were used in turn. And my grandmother was both a clown and a man-orchestra.

Many mothers have problems feeding their little “unwanted babies”. Accumulating numerous Internet tips and recommendations of familiar mothers, I would venture to offer a few recommendations:

It is better to feed from bright dishes.
  • The child should eat only at the table, sitting in his chair, and not in a random place, and preferably at least once a day with the whole family. And start complementary foods, only noticing its complete readiness: it is the desire to try food, and not play with dishes and napkins. Everything is very individual, and the child does not owe anything to anyone,
  • It’s good to have a separate bright dish that will be associated exclusively with food, and instill independent nutrition skills as early as possible. in special devices, like a nibbler, or scrape with a spoon. Then you should give them as often as possible. The child must have free access to them during the day,
  • Snacks should not be allowed between meals, sweets and pastries should not be given,
  • Sweets, soda, fast food, the baby should be introduced as late as possible, 2-3, as is customary, and make a verdict - they say, "he categorically does not eat this with us";
  • Disliked foods should be masked with preferred ones. Meat and yolk are better combined with vegetables than porridge,
  • Never turn food into a game, feed after cartoons, advertising,
But without this, your child will be happy too!
  • Food should not be a source of reward or punishment;
  • It is worth being patient, not pushing the child. He may finish eating later or even skip feedings entirely. The daily norm of the product can be divided into two doses;
  • The child has every right not to adhere to the norms of nutrition, and to eat according to his appetite: today a lot, and tomorrow a little bit. Do not force to eat;
  • For older people who don't want to, you can make a dish unusual and beautiful. Hide a useful edible surprise in it. Take ideas from Jacob's Food Diaries blog here;
  • You can try to cheat: put a plate of food in front of you so that the child seems to be eating your food. Although most sources advise teaching a child to eat only from his own plate;
  • The whole family should demonstrate proper eating behavior: eat slowly, with appetite, the right foods. Emphasize the pleasure of the process;
  • Sometimes you can use your imagination: for example, there was advice for children over one year old to put an album and a felt-tip pen next to the plate. If a child eats a pear, shade a piece of the drawn one with each piece, the same with soup;
  • Food should always be at a comfortable temperature, portions should be small, and the menu varied;
  • Avoid allergenic foods if there is a tendency in the family. For example, it is not advisable to give honey to children under one year old (including because it can become a source of botulism, and not just allergies). Fish should be given with caution, do not offer the baby seafood, caviar, mushrooms, peanuts, products with dyes and preservatives, herbal teas and infusions.

Ekaterina NOVITSKAYA, host of the section "Mom on maternity leave"

Any questions about the development, upbringing, problems of your children, you can send me an email: [email protected] Let's discuss together!

Vegetables for a 6 month old baby | mother today

From the age of 6 months, complementary foods are introduced into the baby's diet on a general basis. Until then, his diet is based solely on milk either breast milk or formula. When weaning, it's time to offer solid foods to your baby. This should be done with very clearly marked landmarks to check how the child digests the food.

The pediatrician will be the one to give you advice on food intake, although there are some differences today from what was done in the past. What used to be always given in the form of puree, porridge or puree, today there is the so-called weaning. that there is nothing else than the opportunity for the child to take food in its natural form, albeit with certain guidelines and limitations.

Index

  • 1 Complementary foods
    • 1.1 Vegetables for a baby at 6 months

Whether you choose the crushed or baby-led option, the food for your baby is the same at the start. It is always recommended to offer each food separately, one at a time, a few days apart before moving on to the next meal. The reasons are very simple, on the one hand, you should observe how the child digests the food if you have any reaction in order to know if you tolerate it adequately.

On the other hand, you need to let your baby get used to the taste of food. Keep in mind that milk is warm, easy to drink, and basically the only thing the baby knows at the moment. Therefore, food often does not seem very attractive at first. Let me try this little , at different times you can even mix them with milk. If he doesn't want it, you can put it off for a few days and try again later to see how he reacts.

As regards foods allowed at the beginning of the introduction, it is customary to start with easily digestible fruits and vegetables. Doctors often recommend fruits like oranges, bananas or pears because is easy to digest even with the immaturity of the child's digestive system. Vegetables are more versatile in this sense and you can choose from more options, we’ll tell you right away which vegetables are the best for a 6-month-old baby.

Vegetables for a 6 month old baby

To start introducing vegetables into the diet of a 6 month old baby, you can start with those that taste sweet and those that are easier to digest. Most often start with potatoes, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans or squash . All of them are vegetables with very beneficial nutrients for baby's health and are easy to digest.

These vegetables are unlikely to give any reaction and are therefore the first choice at the start of weaning. As for the way to give vegetables to the baby, you can try to give them in a pureed form. You only need to boil vegetables with water and a drop of oil Do not add salt or any other seasonings. Chop the vegetables and spoon them out to your baby to get used to using cutlery.

If you want food to be a sensory experience for your little one, try Whole Foods. It's not about limiting their way of eating, you can try both. It's about letting your baby experiment with food, discovering it naturally so he can suck, touch and taste it in his own way. Thus, the food becomes more attractive and exciting for the baby.

Complementary foods mark the transition is essential in a baby's life. For although milk will remain their main food, it is the way to what will become their natural diet in the future.


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