What size should baby finger food be

Finger Food For Babies - The Ultimate Guide ・Healthy Little Foodies

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By: AmyPosted: May 19, 2018Updated: Apr 14, 2022

Starting your baby on finger foods can be exciting but it can also be an overwhelming and frustrating experience. This Guide to Finger Food for Babies not only gives an extensive list of finger food ideas, but it also answers the questions many parents have when it comes to starting finger foods.

Of all the messages I receive, by far the most are about finger food for babies. Many parents are nervous about choking, unsure when to start and stuck for ideas.

This guide has been a long time coming and has been sitting in my drafts for some time now. Every time I receive an email, asking me about finger foods, I promise myself I will write this resource.

Finally, I have completed it! I do feel, however, that this will be a resource that I return to and continually update as I receive new questions and develop new recipes to add to the list.

Jump to:

When Should I Start My Baby on Finger Food?
How to Prepare Finger Food for Babies.
How Much Should I Offer?
Safety Precautions when Offering Finger Food to Babies
Gagging vs Choking
Foods To Avoid / Take Care With
Finger Food for Babies - Ideas.

When Should I Start My Baby on Finger Food?

When you start your baby on finger food really depends on you, your baby and what method of weaning you have chosen.

Followers of Baby-led Weaning introduce finger food at 6 months.
Those following the Traditional Weaning approach, usually introduce finger food around 7-8 months.

As with many aspects of parenting, every baby and parent is different and there is no right time to start finger food. However:-

You shouldn't start finger food before 6 months and your baby should be able to sit up independently and hold their head up.
You shouldn't wait too long to introduce finger food. By one year, your baby should be eating table food, (the food you are eating in age-appropriate textures (shredded, chopped, etc), and self-feeding with assistance as necessary.
How many teeth (or lack of teeth) your baby has is not an indication of whether they can handle finger food or not. Gums are unbelievably strong.

How to Prepare Finger Food for Babies.

You want to offer food that is safe and easy for your baby to pick up and put to their mouth. This will vary depending on the age of your baby.
- Younger babies, 6-8 months, generally use their whole hand to pick up food, this means they have to close their hand around a piece of food to hold it. The food should be bigger than the palm of their hand as they can’t open their fist to get to it. Long strips of food work best at this age, around 5cm (2 inches). Offering food that is too small can cause frustration.
- As babies get older, around 8-9 months, they are able to pick up smaller pieces of food, they have usually developed their pincer grasp at this age and use their thumb and forefinger to feed themselves.
The texture is also something you need to think about, if the food is too soft it will turn to mush when handled. If too hard they won't be able to gnaw on it and could be a choking hazard. You can make food easier to grip by leaving the skin on or by using crinkle cutters to add texture (see below picture).
Don't be afraid of spices and herbs, they are a fantastic way to add flavour and it is good to get your babies used to different flavours from a young age.
Try different cooking methods, roasting, steaming, sautéing and boiling all can change the texture and way a food tastes. If your baby doesn't like something steamed, don't be disheartened, they may love it roasted!

How Much Should I Offer?

Many parents worry and wonder if their children are eating enough. With purees, it is easy to see what has been eaten but it is a little more blurry when it comes to finger foods and you find pieces of food on the floor or down the chair.

Let your baby decide how much they want to eat. They will naturally manage their own intake and will stop eating when full. Allow them to feed themselves at their own pace.

Offering a well-balanced diet of finger foods will help ensure that your baby is eating the right amount of the right nutritious foods.

Safety Precautions when Offering Finger Food to Babies

Make sure your baby is sitting upright to eat and not slumping or lying about.
Always ensure eating is done sitting. If you have a mobile baby make sure they are not eating on the run!
Don't let anyone except your baby put food into their mouth (watch out for young siblings trying to feed their baby brother/sister. )
Never leave your baby alone with food, they should always be supervised.
Don't offer food that is an obvious choking risk (see list below)

Gagging vs Choking

One of the main worries parents have about starting their baby on finger food is choking. Often worries about choking are based on seeing babies gagging on food. Although choking and gagging are related they are not the same thing.

It is very common for babies to gag on food. Gagging is triggered when food touches the sensitive area on the tongue or roof of the mouth. The gag reflex is very reactive in babies as the sensitive point is much further forward in the mouth.

When a baby gags, food that isn't ready to be swallowed is pushed forward in a retching movement. Although it can be unsettling to watch, babies generally don't seem too bothered by it.

Choking happens when the airway is partially or fully blocked. When something partially blocks a baby's airway they will start to cough to clear it. If a baby's airway is fully blocked and they are truly choking they will be silent as no air can get past the blockage.

This is why it is crucial that you never leave your baby alone with food.

Foods To Avoid / Take Care With

Whole nuts or large pieces of nuts - Avoid, they can get lodged in a babies windpipe.
Popcorn -Avoid, unpopped and half-popped kernels can get caught in your child's throat and block their airway.
Honey - Avoid, honey should never be given to a baby under 12 months. Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores which can lead to botulism poisoning.
Whole fruits with stones (cherries and larger stone fruits) - Take Care, stones should be removed and fruit should be ripe.
Round Fruits - Take Care, round fruits such as grapes and cherry tomatoes should be cut in half lengthways or quartered.
Fish - Take care to properly debone. Avoid high mercury fish such as swordfish & king mackerel.
Meat - Take care to remove small bones and gristle.
Processed foods - Take care and avoid where possible. Processed food often contain sodium levels too high for babies and can be high in sugar.
Salt - Take Care and avoid where possible, babies up to 1 yr should have no more 1g of salt 0.4g sodium per day. Do not add salt to foods.
Sugar - Take Care and avoid where possible, sugar provides empty calories with no nutrients, it also damages teeth.
"Sticky" Foods - Avoid gummy candies/jellies etc as they can get lodged in your babies throat. Be careful with nut butter as they can be difficult for babies to swallow (don't offer spoons of it, always spread it thinly on bread etc.)
Hard Foods - Avoid hard foods such as raw carrots and apples as chucks can break off and are a choking hazard. Soften them by cooking.

Finger Food for Babies - Ideas.

Now onto some ideas! This list is mainly based on what my kids ate and loved. There will obviously be hundreds of other finger food for babies ideas out there but this is a pretty good list to get you started (with over 90 ideas)

The best way to provide a good range of nutrients for your baby is to offer a varied diet. Having a varied diet will also allow your baby to experience different tastes and textures.

Always cut up the food to the size you and your baby are comfortable and have experience with.

Finger Food for Babies That Require No Cooking / Little Prep

Fast, healthy food with no cooking required!

Vegetables - Most vegetables need some preparation as they are too hard to offer babies raw and can, therefore, be a choking hazard.
- Cucumber sticks - Served chilled and cut into fingers (great for teething) or diced.
Fruit - Most fruit is perfect for babies and requires no cooking. Make sure the fruit is ripe as unripe fruit (like nectarines, pears etc) are hard and can be a choking hazard.
- Avocado - mash and spread it, cube or cut into strips.
- Banana - Thin slices can be slippery and difficult to handle. Break into big chunks or leave some peel on as a "handle".
- Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries etc) - All great finger foods, squish/half blueberries if they are large.
- Cherry tomatoes - Cut in half lengthways or into quarters.
- Grapes - Cut in half lengthways or cut into quarters.
- Kiwi - Diced, cut into fingers
- Mango - Diced/cut into fingers
- Melon (all varieties) - Remove seeds and dice/cut into fingers
- Oranges / Clementines / Mandarins - Remove any seeds and cut into small pieces.
- Papaya/ Paw Paw - Ripe, diced or cut into fingers
- Pineapple - Diced or cut into rings (the ring makes a great handle!)
- Pears - Ripe, diced or cut into fingers.
- Stone Fruit (apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums etc) - Ripe, stone removed and diced/cut into strips.
Other -
- Cheddar Cheese - Grated or diced. (Be careful of the amount you offer as high in sodium)
- Tinned Beans - Washed thoroughly, to remove as much salt possible, squish/or cut lengthways.
- Tinned Tuna - Flaked. (Check the packaging for sodium levels and other added ingredients.)

Finger Food for Babies That Require Basic Cooking / Prep.

This section is a list of one ingredient foods that need some simple cooking before serving. Experiment with the cooking methods, try cooking with different fats (olive oil/butter) and with different herbs /spices.

Vegetables - Most vegetables are perfect for babies if cooked and served in a safe way.
- Asparagus - Steam/Roast and cut into bite-size pieces. I did baby-led weaning with my second child and gave them to him as spears.
- Beetroot - Roast/steam and cut into appropriately sized pieces. (Can be messy!)
- Broad Beans - Boil and remove skin,
- Brocolli - Boil/Steam/Roast. Serve in small pieces or florets.
- Carrot - Boils/Steam/Roast. Cut into fries or dice
- Cauliflower - Boil/Steam/Roast. Serve in small pieces or florets
- Capsicum (Bell Pepper) -Roast in strips and serve in strips or cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Egg Plant (Aubergine) - Roast/Sautee chunks.
- Green Beans -Steam/sautee and cut into small bite-size pieces or strips.
- Mushrooms - Sautee and serve in small bite size pieces or strips.
- Parsnip - This was my youngest's absolute favourite as a baby. Roast and serve in strips / bite-size pieces.
- Peas - Steam/Boil/Sautee.
- Potato - Steam/Boil/Roast. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Pumpkin - Steam/Boil/Roast. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Squash - Steam/Boil/Roast. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Sweetcorn - Boil/ Steam/Grill. Serve on the cob in small sections (see above picture) or individual kernels.
- Sweet Potato - Boil/Steam/Roast. Serve as fries, wedges or small bite-size pieces.
- Turnip - Boil/Steam/Roast. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Zucchini (Courgette) - Steam/Sautee/Roast. Cut into fingers / bite-size pieces.
Fruit - Most fruit is safe to serve raw but cook harder fruits to soften them.
- Apple - Baked or sauteed apple. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Pears - Baked pears or sauteed like above apple recipe. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Plantain - Grilled/roasted. Cut into appropriately sized pieces
Other - Other examples that require basic cooking include
- Chicken - All cuts, baked/pan-fried/poached, shredded or diced into small pieces. Thigh meat is less dry and was favoured more by my kids when they were younger.
- Couscous - Boil, clump and squish into a ball.
- Eggs - scrambled, hard-boiled, omelet. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Fish - (white fish, salmon) Baked/pan-fried/microwaved etc, flaked being careful to check and remove bones
- Ground Meat (beef, chicken, pork, lamb or turkey) Sauteed until fully cooked, add in herbs and spices for extra flavour.
- Israeli Couscous - Boil and serve. Larger than regular couscous, my kids love it!
- Lentils - Boil, drain and serve.
- Pasta - Boil, cook and serve plain or with a sauce.
- Prawns / Shrimp - Peeled and deveined and fully cooked. Cut into appropriately sized pieces.
- Rice - Boil, allow to cool slightly then clump and roll into balls
- Toast - Cut into fingers or finely chopped. To with a range of low salt/sugar spreads (hummus, carrot hummus peanut butter, mashed avocado etc)
- Quinoa - Boil. I find quinoa harder to clump into balls but adding some grated cheese can help it stick together better.

Finger Food for Babies - Recipes

These are great recipes that both my boys loved as babies (and still do now!). Cut them up into the size your baby has experience with.

I receive a lot of e-mails from parents who have babies with allergies. Next to each recipe, I have detailed if it is Dairy Free (DF), Egg Free (EF), Gluten Free (GF) and Nut Free (NF).

Savoury Recipies

Savoury Pancakes/ Waffles / Muffins - Easy for babies to pick up and great for packing into lunchboxes for out and about.
- Pea Pancakes (NF),
- Lentil Pancakes (GF, EF, DF, NF),
- Rainbow Fritters (GF, DF, NF)
- Sweetcorn Quinoa Fritters (GF, DF, NF)
- Carrot and Parsnip Fritters (DF, NF)
- Zucchini Bites (NF)
- Sweet Potato Pizza Bases (DF, NF)
- Savoury Muffins (NF)
- Savoury Waffles (NF)
Balls - Made with different grains or meat, easy to pick up
- Sweet and Sour Quinoa Balls (GF, NF, DF)
- Tomato and Cheese Quinoa Balls (GF, NF),
- Baked Risotto Balls (DF, NF),
- Ginger Lemongrass Chicken Meatballs (EF, NF)
- Chicken Meatballs for Babies (EF, NF, optional DF, GF)
Croquettes / Tots / Bakes
- Cauliflower Tots (NF),
- Sweet Potato, Lentil and Carrot Croquettes (NF)
- Bean and Veggie Nuggets (NF)
- Veggie Chickpea Sticks (GF, EF, NF)
- Fish Fingers (DF, NF)
- Curried Lentil Bake (GF, DF, NF),
- Mexican Lentil Bake (GF, NF)
Eggs - Delicious, easy to pick up egg recipes.
- Egg Rolls (GF, NF)
- Mini Crustless Quiches (GF,NF)
- Tuna Frittata (NF, GF)

Sweet Recipes

Oats - These recipes are great for breakfast or as a sweet snack and they can all be frozen.
- Porridge Fingers (DF, EF, NF)
- Mango and Coconut Breakfast Bars (DF, NF),
- Fruity Breakfast Bites (NF),
- Raspberry Banana Oat Cookies (EF, NF, DF)
- Plum and Almond Baked Oats (DF),
Pancakes - Great for little hands, why not try these variations.
- Banana Blueberry Fritters (DF, EF, GF, NF),
- Green Smoothie Pancakes (NF),
- Banana Pancakes (DF, GF, NF),
- Sweet Potato Pancakes (DF, GF, NF)
Muffins and Cookies - These recipes are sweetened only with fruit, making them great for babies.
- Mini Blender Muffins (NF),
- Fruity Chickpea Cookies (EF, DF, NF)
- Carrot Apple Muffins
- Sweet Potato Truffles (EF, DF, GF)
Frozen Recipies - Allow your baby to experience different textures, flavours, and temperatures. Warning - will get messy!
- Hidden Veg Popscicles (GF, EF, NF)
- Frozen Yoghurt Bark (GF, EF, NF)

Finger Food for Babies - Out and About

There are so many snacks and finger food for babies and toddlers available on the market. I rarely ever bought them as I never saw the need to.

Always look at the back of the packaging, at the ingredient list. Marketers are very clever at convincing us that something is healthy when it is not.

Fresh ripe fruit is perfect for out and about and many of the above recipes can be frozen and are easy to take out and about.

Do you still have questions? Leave any queries you have below and hopefully, they can be answered.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for general use only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the personalised care and advice given to you by your health professional. I am not a health professional and I do not know your baby. You should always discuss any concerns or questions about the health and well being of your baby, including Baby-Led Weaning and starting solids, with a healthcare professional. Please refer to my full disclaimer for more info.

Meet Amy

Amy Whiteford runs the blog Healthy Little Foodies. She is a mum to two, has a BSc (Hons) Food Science, PGDE Primary Education and a Certificate in Childhood Nutrition. She uses her experience and knowledge to create healthy and delicious recipes for kids. Explore the site for creative ideas, tips, and inspiration! Read more

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Best Early Finger Foods for Baby (With Tips, Visuals, and Recipes)

Use this list of safe, nutritious, and easy to eat finger foods for baby to help you know exactly what (and how) to offer at meals and snacks. Plus, find the best first finger foods, troubleshooting tips, and visuals of foods broken down by food group to keep things easy!

Finger Foods for Baby

After baby starts solids and is ready to move onto finger foods, you may feel a little confused by exactly what to serve and how to serve it. Which is totally normal because it can be scary to let baby feed themselves this way and we may not have any experience doing this—or we may have totally forgotten from our last kiddo!

This list of finger foods for baby will cover some great first finger foods to start with, then set you up with plenty of healthy options from each food group.

TIP: Find more info on starting solids here and the best foods to start with if doing baby led weaning or purees with baby.

Healthy Baby Food

I love sharing these ideas for baby food since they are easy to prepare and serve and because I know how hard it can be to continue to come up with flavorful and healthy meals and snacks for our little ones. Let me tell you, I’m on my third kiddo and it can be such a challenge to feed him during the chaos of parenting the rest of my crew! These foods are wholesome and nutritious—perfect for your baby.

TIP: I’m a big fan of SpoonfulONE, a company that offers the most complete way to introduce food allergens to our kids. They make mix-ins, puffs, and crackers that are yummy and easy for babies and toddlers to eat. Learn more about their pediatrician-approved baby foods here. (sponsored link)

Best First Finger Foods

When baby is around 9 months, you’ll notice that they’re able to pick up smaller pieces of food with two fingers. This is known as the “pincer grasp” and is a sign that they’re ready to start finger foods. To be clear, when I say “finger foods” I mean small pieces of food that a baby (or toddler) can feed themselves.

Here are some of my favorite ones to start with that are all super soft, safe to eat, and easy to pick up.

Scrambled egg, broken up into small pieces
Roasted sweet potato mashed and broken up into small pieces
Fresh raspberries, broken up into smaller pieces
Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
Ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
Shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
Mashed sweet potato, in little pieces
Peanut butter puffs

TIP: You can serve the tofu, ground meat, or meatballs in veggie puree from a pouch or a simple marinara sauce for extra moisture and flavor. Learn more about how and why to introduce peanut butter.

Finger Foods for Baby: Fruits and Veggies

Some of my favorite early fruits and veggies to serve babies are:

Mashed roasted sweet potato, broken up into small pieces
Warmed frozen peas, slightly mashed if desired
Roasted Zucchini
Diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
Fresh blueberries, cut in half or quarters
Fresh raspberries, broken into small pieces
Banana, broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
Avocado, diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)

TIP: A good rule of thumb is to serve pieces of food that are about the size of a pea to start and soft enough that they are easy to squish between your fingers. This will be easy for baby to pick up and eat and will also reduce chances of choking.

Finger Food Ideas: Carbohydrates

Offering complex carbohydrates can provide fiber, a variety of textures, B vitamins, and more. Try these with your baby.

Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
Baby Puffs
Peanut Butter Puffs
Rice (it’s easiest if it’s in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
Baby Banana Muffin
O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
Baked Oatmeal, diced

Finger Food Ideas: Proteins

Offering proteins will continue to expose baby to a range of nutrients. These are my go-tos for babies newer to finger foods—and toddlers too.

Shredded cheese (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up)
Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
Flaked cooked wild salmon
Lightly mashed meatballs
Shredded chicken, cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
Ground beef, turkey, or chicken, broken into smaller pieces
Lightly mashed beans
Scrambled eggs, broken up into small pieces
Diced egg muffins

I’d love to hear any questions you may have, or if you have foods that your babies enjoy that I didn’t include here.

Chime in below in the comments!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Baby Food

Calories 124kcal

Servings 1

First Finger Foods (choose 1-3 per meal)

▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup Roasted sweet potato, mashed and broken up into small pieces
▢ 1/4 cup Fresh raspberries (broken up into smaller pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
▢ 2 tbsp shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
▢ 1/4 cup Mashed sweet potato (broken into little pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup Peanut butter puffs

Fruits and Veggies

▢ 1/4 cup mashed roasted sweet potato (broken up into small pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup warmed frozen peas
▢ 1/4 cup Roasted Zucchini
▢ 1/4 cup diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
▢ 1/4 cup blueberries (cut in half or quarters)
▢ 1/4 cup raspberries (broken into small pieces)
▢ 1/4 cup banana slices (broken into small segments—they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
▢ 2 tbsp avocado (diced and mashed slightly—be sure it's ripe and very soft)

Whole Grains and Carbohydrates

▢ 1 Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
▢ 1/4 cup Baby Puffs
▢ 1/4 cup Peanut Butter Puffs
▢ 1/4 cup fully cooked rice (it's easiest if it's in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
▢ 1 Baby Banana Muffin
▢ 1/4 cup O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
▢ 1/4 cup Baked Oatmeal (diced or regular oatmeal broken into little pieces)

Dairy

▢ 2 tbsp Shredded cheese (such as mozzarella)
▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
▢ 2 tbsp flaked cooked wild salmon
▢ 1 lightly mashed meatballs
▢ 2 tbsp finely shredded chicken (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, turkey, or chicken (broken into smaller pieces)
▢ 2 tbsp lightly mashed beans
▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
▢ 1 Diced Egg muffins

For each meal or snack, choose 2-3 foods from a mix of food groups. Aim to include some fat in most meals and protein in many too.
Prepare the food, cutting into small pieces and/or mashing as needed to make the food easy to eat.
Start with small portions and allow more as baby indicates according to their hunger.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Many foods you cook for your family will work as baby finger foods—just be sure they are easy to squish between your fingers and the pieces are small and easy to chew.
Babies very normally make a lot of faces when they eat, so don't assume they don't like something just because they scrunch their nose!
Flavors and textures can take time to learn to eat, so continue offering foods in small portions even if baby hasn't liked them in the past—and make sure they taste good to you!

Calories: 124kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 9857IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

What portions of food should be given to a child under 1 year old

Kizino Polina Aleksandrovna

pediatrician, perinatal psychologist

The nutrition plan for babies at 6 months and at 8 months is different. What a child should eat at every age, how large portions of food for a child can be, what foods should not be given to children under one year old, says pediatrician Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino.

- Polina Alexandrovna, please tell us what foods are present in the diet of a child in the first year of life.

— It depends on the age.

First half of the year - the child's diet contains milk nutrition: breast milk, milk formula or mixed feeding.
Approximately from five months - the child's diet is optimized for the content of minerals, trace elements and vitamins, the lack of which may occur in the second half of the year. For this, complementary foods are introduced to the baby - vegetables, cereals, fruits appear in his diet.
By the age of 1 year - the child is already familiar with all the main products (dairy and sour-milk products, meat, fish, flour products).

I draw the attention of parents: All these products must be adapted according to the age of the child, they must not contain crystalline sugar, salt, spices. Children's food should not be fried, it is prepared in a gentle way - mostly boiled or steamed.

Advice to mom: baby food of industrial production is recommended for a child under one year old - purees, cereals and cream soups, which are specially designed for children's diet using special technologies according to specially developed recipes and take into account the metabolism and digestion of young children.

— How many meals should a child of the first year of life have per day?

- If we compare the feeding of a newborn and a one-year-old child, then there will undoubtedly be differences in the number of meals. In the first days and weeks after birth, pediatricians recommend free feeding and breastfeeding every 1.5-2 hours during the day and 3-4 hours at night. At night, the concentration of prolactin (the hormone responsible for the synthesis of breast milk) is higher. Therefore, night feedings for newborns are very important.

In the future, mother and baby choose the most suitable schedule for them: daytime feedings can be every 2. 5-3 hours, and the night interval increases. In the future, with age, the intervals increase, and the number of night feedings decreases.

Newborn baby - 10-12 feedings per day.
4 months - 6-7 feedings per day.
6 months - 5-6 feedings per day (five daytime, one nightly).
12 months - 5 feedings per day (baby does not eat at night). Sometimes four feedings are enough for a baby, and sometimes, in addition to five daily feedings, at night, a child may ask for a breast or a bottle once. Variations are acceptable if the child is adequately gaining weight and height.

- Talking about portions for feeding children - how much food should be given at each meal, depending on the number of feedings per day?

— The size of a portion of complementary foods for a child depends on many factors. A newborn baby and a one-year-old baby will consume completely different amounts of food at one meal and per day.

The daily amount of food is calculated according to the formula for each individual child according to his age and body weight. These formulas change during the first year, and the portion of food decreases depending on the weight: for a child of the first months it is 1/5 of the body weight, by six months - 1/7 of the body weight. The portions of complementary foods at 6-7 months will be different from the portions of complementary foods at 10-11 months.

The amount of food for one meal depends on how many times the child eats per day. For example, a child will eat a daily volume of 1 liter of milk or milk formula five times, 200 g at a time. If the child eats four times a day, then portions and breaks between feedings will be larger, but in a day he will use the recommended norm for himself.

Important! New foods are introduced in small doses to make sure the child is responding well to the food they are given.

Powdered milk formula introduction
— Despite the fact that the composition and properties of the adapted mixtures are close to human milk, the introduction of a new milk formula into the diet is in fact a stressful situation for the child, as it causes a change in the processes of digestion and intestinal microflora. In practice, it is not uncommon for children to have allergic reactions to a new product. Therefore, you should start introducing a new mixture with microdoses - 10-20 or 30 ml of the mixture and carefully monitor how the child learns it. After making sure that there are no negative reactions, you should offer the child a larger portion and bring it to the required volume within 5-7 days. Thus, the child's body adapts more easily to the new mixture and learns to digest and assimilate it without disturbing digestion.

Introduction of first and second complementary foods
- Solid food requires special attention from parents. When starting to introduce the first or second complementary foods, it is important not to overload the baby's gastrointestinal tract and not to miss a food intolerance or an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is extremely important to follow the rules for the introduction of complementary foods:
- start complementary foods with small doses;
- introduce new products in the morning;
- track a child's reaction to a specific product;
- to acquaint the child with only one product during the week.

Diet expansion
— When a child already receives a sufficiently varied diet - vegetables, cereals, fruits, meat and dairy products, it can be assumed that he will react calmly to what, and to what - an undesirable reaction. Therefore, what falls under suspicion is not offered to a child under 1 year old, and what does not cause suspicion can be introduced faster and spent on it not a week, but 3-4 days. But still, we give new products in the first half of the day, tracking the reaction.

— How to competently increase the volume of servings?

— Properly means slowly and gradually. If a baby needs a certain amount of formula or breast milk, then the volume of his stomach corresponds to this need. If yesterday you gave 200 ml at a time, and today you increase the portion overnight by 40 ml, you should not act like that. (the child will be hard and uncomfortable, he will burp too much). The portion of food for the baby increases gradually, 10-15 ml at a time (without injuring the child so that he can cope with the new volume and not burp).

- "Microportion" - how much?

- Volume ½ or 1 teaspoon. On the first day of introducing complementary foods, half or one teaspoon of a new product is given, no more, even if the child asks. This is necessary in order to track the reaction of the baby, not to load the body with a product that can cause intolerance or an allergic reaction.

— What is the ratio of basic milk nutrition and complementary foods in the diet of a child in the first year of life?

— A child has different needs at every age.

First six months of life. Up to six months, the child mainly needs breast milk, complementary foods are for informational purposes only.
The second half of life. After six months, the diet expands. The older the child becomes, the higher his need for basic nutrients - proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and trace elements, additional sources of which are cereals, vegetables, fruits and other complementary foods.

— What foods should be given at what time of the day?

— It is important to introduce a new product in the first half of the day in order to monitor how the child reacts to them.

Breakfast - cereals, cereals (contain enough carbohydrates to store energy and strength for the whole day).
Snack and afternoon snack Fruit purees, light dairy products, curds and yoghurts appropriate for the child's age (snack should not be heavy enough).
Lunch - vegetables, mashed meat, closer to a year - food with soft pieces (full meals, similar to those that parents eat).
Dinner - vegetables, fruits, dairy products, cereals (do not try to feed the child, he will calmly fall asleep an hour and a half to two hours after eating and will not be hungry until the morning: on complementary foods, the gastrointestinal tract learns to rest at night, like in adults ).

Advice for mom: from the MAMAKO ^® assortment, you can choose healthy products for a varied diet of your baby - dairy-free baby cereals and baby goat milk cereals for breakfast, cream soup for lunch, fruit puree with cottage cheese for an afternoon snack or a light dinner.

— What food should not be given as complementary foods for up to a year?

- The child should not be given spicy, salty, overly sweet, spiced, fried foods. The baby needs food and dishes prepared in traditional ways, which are used in baby food in the form of vegetable, fruit and meat purees, cereals, soups or adapted dairy products. This will make the baby's diet balanced and will not irritate the baby's delicate digestive tract. At the stage of introducing complementary foods, the child only adapts to a new type of food and is completely unprepared for adult food.

Give your child only food that is good for him.

Important! Obligate allergens are those foods that most people can be allergic to: citrus fruits, chocolate, honey, nuts, seafood, strawberries, and bright red vegetables and fruits. It is better not to acquaint a child under a year with them.

- Polina Alexandrovna, tell us about the approximate diet of babies, depending on age in the first year of life.

— Baby's menu changes with age. At what time, in what form and how much to give products intended for a child of a certain age category, is tentatively presented in the tables of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia. They will help determine portions of complementary foods for months and make a menu for the baby, taking into account his needs and individual characteristics.

Download the leaflet in pdf

When you first introduce your child to new products, the main thing is not to rush. Serving rates for children under 1 year old depend on age.

In the early stages, the purpose of introducing complementary foods is not to feed the child and make the portion as large as possible, but to introduce him to new foods. Therefore, it is not worth worrying about the portion size, rushing the baby and trying to feed him through force.

At the stage of expanding the diet, when complementary foods take up more and more space in the daily menu of the baby, and milk feedings are reduced, portions of complementary foods for children should be increased gradually and according to age, so that the child's body adapts to adult food more easily and quickly.

* Breast milk is the best food for babies. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child's life and continued breastfeeding after complementary foods are introduced until the age of 2 years. Before introducing new products into the baby's diet, you should consult with a specialist. The material is for informational purposes and cannot replace the advice of a healthcare professional. For feeding children from birth.

Information sources

Introduction of complementary foods Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

https://www.pediatr-russia.ru/parents_information/soveti-roditelyam/ratsiony-pitaniya-v-razlichnye-vozrastnye-periody/vvedenie-prikorma.php Available for download on 06/14/2022. https://www.pediatr-russia.ru/parents_information/soveti-roditelyam/ratsiony-pitaniya-v-razlichnye-vozrastnye-periody/vvedenie-prikorma.php Accessed 06/14/2022

https://www.pediatr-russia . ru/parents_information/soveti-roditelyam/ratsiony-pitaniya-v-razlichnye-vozrastnye-periody/ Available for download on 06/14/2022.

Melnikova K. S., Kuvshinova E. D., Revyakina V. A. Allergic diseases at an early age. Pediatrics. Consilium Medicum. 2021.

Innovations in baby food. Under the editorship of Tutelyan V. A., Nikityuk D. B., Konya I. Ya., Pyrieva E. A., MIA, 2020.

Guidelines. The program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation., 2019.

#Tips for Mom #breast-feeding #mixes #Lure #baby digestion

Union of Pediatricians of Russia

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Nutrition for children from 1 to 3 years old

The period from 1 to 3 years of life is a crucial stage in the transition to an adult type of nutrition, which has certain features. In order to ensure that all the necessary nutrients enter the child's body and at the same time prevent an excess of individual nutrients, nutrition should be balanced and varied.

The daily amount of food for children aged 1 to 1.5 years should be 1000-1200 g, from 1.5 to 3 years - 1200-1500 g, the amount of food in one feeding should not exceed 300-350 ml. The diet consists of three main meals per day and two snacks. It is considered optimal when breakfast is 25% of the total energy density of the diet, lunch is 30–35%, dinner is 20%, and additional meals are about 10%. In general, the child can eat the same food as the rest of the family.

In the diet of a child 1-3 years of age must be present daily : animal or poultry meat, dairy and sour-milk products, vegetables, fruits, bread, cereals, vegetable and butter; fish and eggs are included in the diet 2-3 times a week.

Cereal products: bread - 2-3 servings per day, cereals and side dishes - 1 time per day
Fruit and/or vegetables: at least 5 times a day
Dairy products: at least 3 servings per day (including those used to make cereals, yoghurts, fermented milk drinks, cottage cheese, infant formula or breast milk).

Domestic pediatricians recommend, when compiling a diet for children aged 1–3 years, preference should be given to specialized children's dairy products of industrial production that meet high quality requirements and safety indicators for this age. Most children's dairy products are additionally enriched with vitamins and/or minerals and other biologically active components, taking into account the physiological needs of children of this age. At the same time, in foreign recommendations, children over 1 year old are offered the gradual introduction of whole cow's milk, which is rich in fats necessary for proper growth and development, the absorption of vitamins A and D, the development of the brain and nervous system of the child.

Meat dishes: 2-3 times a day
Fish dishes: 2-3 servings per week
Eggs: 2-3 per week
Dietary fats: 3-4 teaspoons of butter and/or vegetable oils per day

When cooking, use the minimum amount of salt and sugar, and do not add them to industrial products.