What to feed babies and when

Baby's first foods: The 10 best foods for babies

These 10 first foods are ideal for your baby because they're full of essential nutrients, reasonably priced, easy to prepare, and delicious. Avocados contain healthy fats, while bananas are loaded with potassium. Blueberries are bursting with antioxidants, whereas broccoli offers fiber and folate. Both lentils and meat are packed with protein. Prunes can help with constipation, and yogurt helps form healthy bones and teeth. Sweet potatoes and winter squash are great sources of beta-carotene and vitamin C.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it's important to offer your baby a variety of healthy foods. There are lots of healthy, baby-friendly foods out there, but these 10 recommended by doctors and dietitians alike stand out from the pack. From vitamin-rich fruits and veggies to meats and beans loaded with protein, these superfoods are full of essential nutrients, reasonably priced, easy to prepare, and delicious.

Many are also favorite first foods. Before introducing solids, talk to the doctor about your baby's readiness for solids, and which foods to introduce and when. Then introduce foods one at a time, waiting at least three days after each new food to watch for any allergic reaction.

Avocados

BabyCenter parents are all about avocado as a first food. This buttery fruit-vegetable is rich in healthy unsaturated fats that help boost brain development. In fact, the fat composition of avocados is somewhat similar to that of breast milk.

Serving ideas: Mash avocado with a fork, or make baby guacamole.

Bananas

Known as a good source of potassium, this grab-and-go fruit also contains vitamins B6 and C, fiber, and magnesium.

Serving ideas: Make banana and mango puree. Or, for your little one's first smoothie, puree banana and peach chunks with whole-milk yogurt.

Blueberries

Blueberries are bursting with antioxidants. The deep, brilliant blue of these berries comes from flavonoids that benefit your baby's eyes, brain, and even urinary tract.

Serving ideas: Blend or mash blueberries well and swirl a spoonful of the juicy purple puree into yogurt, or top silky coconut milk rice pudding with blueberry compote.

Broccoli

This cruciferous vegetable is a rich source of essential nutrients, including fiber, folate, and calcium. Introduce your baby to broccoli's bold flavor early, and you'll be expanding their tastes and encouraging a lifelong love of green vegetables.

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Serving idea: Steam until soft, cut into pieces small enough for your child to eat safely, and then chill. Steaming takes the bite out of broccoli, and some babies prefer the texture and taste when it's cold.

Lentils

Beans and other legumes pack lots of lean protein and fiber. But unlike larger beans, little lentils simmer into a pleasing mush just right for baby bites. They're also one of the cheapest healthy foods you can buy.

Serving ideas: Cook finely diced carrots along with the lentils. As your baby gets older, double up on nutrient-rich foods by making lentil and spinach stew.

Meat

Lack of iron can cause anemia. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends meat as a first food because it's such a great source of protein, zinc, and iron, especially red meat and dark poultry meat. Plus, babies absorb iron more easily from meat than from iron-fortified cereals, another common first food.

Serving ideas: If your baby is new to solids, try our easy turkey or chicken puree recipe. As they get older, introduce new flavors with chicken curry with green beans and zucchini or shepherd's pie.

Prunes

Whether you call them "prunes" or "dried plums," these humble fruits don't sound glamorous – but they're soft, sweet, and full of fiber. Your baby may suffer from constipation when switching to solids, as it's a big change for their system. Add pureed prunes to your baby's diet to aid digestion and keep things moving.

Serving ideas: Serve pureed prunes alone or mixed with other foods, such as oatmeal, cereal, or applesauce, for a naturally sweet treat.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of the more popular first foods for babies, who tend to like both their sweetness and texture. These colorful root vegetables are packed with beta-carotene, vitamin C, and minerals, including iron and copper.

Serving ideas: Serve sweet potato puree alone or swirled into pureed chicken or turkey.

Winter squash

Orange- or yellow-fleshed hard winter squashes such as butternut, acorn, and pumpkin boast many benefits, one of which is they're exceptionally rich in beta-carotene, recognized for being great for eyes. Squash is also an excellent source of vitamin C. Natural sweetness and a creamy texture add to the appeal of winter varieties.

Serving ideas: Roast a winter squash like butternut, scoop out the flesh, and puree it for an easy first food. As your baby gets older, introduce new flavors and textures with dishes like smashed chickpea and butternut chili.

Yogurt

Creamy yogurt is rich in calcium and vitamin D, necessary for healthy bones and teeth. Your baby can have it at 4 to 6 months, long before they'll be ready for cow's milk.

Opt for plain yogurt with no added sugar. Also look for a brand with the most live cultures, which help regulate the good bacteria in your baby's digestive tract. Make sure you pick up whole-milk yogurt – babies need the calories from fat.

Serving ideas: Yogurt is fine on its own, or swirl in pureed berries or other fresh fruit, applesauce, or mashed avocado.

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How much should my baby eat? A guide to baby food portions

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Wondering how much to feed your baby? This can be hard to figure out, especially when you're starting solids and most of your baby's food ends up on your little one or the floor. It's also difficult to determine how much an 8-month-old (or older baby) should eat – babies this age are more interested in solid foods but still get most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula. This visual guide to baby food portions can help you figure out how much your baby should eat at every stage.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much should my baby eat?

Do you worry that your baby is eating too little or too much? Your baby will self-regulate her food intake based on what their body needs, so let their appetite be your guide.

It's helpful to have a reference point, however. Here are photos of how much solid food a baby typically eats in a day. You can also ask your baby's doctor for feeding advice.

This visual guide shows:

Portions for infants who are new to solids (typically 4 to 6 months)
Two sample meals for a younger baby (6 to 8 months)
Three sample meals and two snacks for an older baby (8 to 12 months) from a menu developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Your little one may eat less or more than what's shown here. Your job is to provide a variety of healthy foods at regular intervals without pressure, and their job is to decide what and how much to eat.

Photo credit: iStock.com / UntitledImages

Watch for signs your baby is full

Lots of factors – including activity level, growth spurts or plateaus, illness, and teething – will affect your baby's appetite, which can vary daily.

End feeding when they signal that they're done. Signs of being full include:

Turning their head away
Refusing to open their mouth for another bite after they've swallowed (resist the urge to encourage your baby to have one last spoonful)
Leaning back in their chair
Playing with the spoon or food rather than eating

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much a 4- to 6-month-old should eat

When your baby is developmentally ready for solids, typically around 4 to 6 months, talk to their doctor about introducing solid foods. The first bites are mostly about them getting used to the idea of having something different in their mouth.

Start with a very small amount, 1 to 2 teaspoons, of a single-ingredient puree.

Gradually increase to 1 to 2 tablespoons of food once a day.
Follow your baby's fullness cues.

Popular first foods include pureed mango, banana, chicken, turkey, beef, peas, sweet potatoes, and infant cereal. It's up to you what food to start with, but wait 3 to 5 days between introducing each new food to make sure your baby doesn't have an allergic reaction or food intolerance. (And remember, no cow's milk or honey until age 1.)

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much a 6- to 8-month-old should eat

As your little one gets more comfortable with solids, you can increase the frequency of meals and variety of food.

Transition from one to two meals a day, typically by 8 months.
Over time, add a second food to each meal. The photo above is an example of a meal with two foods.
Once you've worked up to two meals with two foods each, aim for a balance of proteins, vegetables, fruits, and grains in their daily diet.
Whenever you introduce a new food, start with a very small amount, a teaspoon or two, to allow your baby to get used to its flavor and texture.
Start with a soupy consistency. Gradually add more texture as their eating skills improve.

Expect their intake of breast milk or formula to go down. They'll start drinking less of it as they eat more solid foods. Provide healthy options at mealtimes, and let them choose how much to eat.

Note: The jars in all photos are standard 4-ounce baby food jars.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Breakfast for a younger baby (6 to 8 months)

Cereal and fruit make an easy combination for a morning meal.

Grain: Iron-fortified, whole-grain infant cereal is a popular first grain. At 6 months, a typical daily portion of infant cereal mixed with breast milk or formula might be 2 to 3 tablespoons, increasing to 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) by 8 months. (It's best to avoid rice cereal, though.)

Fruit: Babies love the natural sweetness of fruits like pears, apples, berries, prunes, and stone fruits. Between 6 and 8 months, a baby will typically transition from about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fruit puree a day to 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) of mashed or minced fruit.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Dinner for a younger baby (6 to 8 months)

If you serve a grain and fruit in the morning, consider offering a protein-rich food and vegetable later in the day. Your child may eat more or less than the amounts shown.

Protein: A baby might transition from eating 1 to 2 tablespoons of meat puree at 6 months to 2 to 4 tablespoons at 8 months, for example. Other good protein sources include cheese, unsweetened plain whole-milk yogurt, tofu, beans, and lentils.

Vegetables: Between 6 and 8 months, a baby will typically transition from about 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable puree a day to 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup). Try classic favorites like carrots, spinach, or butternut squash, as well as less traditional first foods such as parsnips, beets, or asparagus.

As your child's eating skills improve, gradually add more texture by dicing or mincing foods.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much an 8- to 12-month-old should eat

By 8 months or so, your baby is likely getting the hang of eating and needs to eat more calories to support their growing body. But since their little belly can't hold a lot of food, they'll need to eat more often. Every baby is different, but this may be a good time to try offering a third solid food meal.

During this period:

Continue to give your baby breast milk or formula.
Add morning and afternoon snacks. (Some babies this age are happy with breast milk or formula as their snack, while others gravitate toward solid foods. ) Once you've added a third meal and snacks, your baby will be eating or drinking something about every two to three hours.

Continue to aim for a mix of proteins, vegetables, fruits, and grains.
Introduce coarser and chunkier textures, for example, by dicing or mincing food instead of pureeing it, and graduate to soft finger foods as your baby's eating skills improve.
Avoid foods with added sugars. Check the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods, and try to steer clear of foods that list 1 gram or more of "Added Sugars."
Provide healthy options, and let your baby choose how much to eat.

To visualize daily portions for an 8- to 12-month-old, check out the following photos of a typical day's menu for a baby this age, developed by the AAP.

Your child may eat more or less than these amounts. If you're concerned about how much your baby is eating, talk to their doctor for advice.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Breakfast for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a breakfast consisting of:

4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) whole-grain infant cereal mixed with formula or breast milk
4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) diced fruit

Note: This is an example. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Morning snack for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a morning snack consisting of:

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) diced cheese or cooked vegetables

Note: This is an example of a morning snack, which babies typically add sometime between 8 and 12 months. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Lunch for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a lunch consisting of:

4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) unsweetened plain whole-milk yogurt or cottage cheese, or minced meat
4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) diced or mashed yellow or orange vegetable

Note: This is an example. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Afternoon snack for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features an afternoon snack consisting of:

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) diced fruit or unsweetened plain whole-milk yogurt
1 whole-grain teething biscuit or cracker

Note: This is an example of an afternoon snack, which babies typically add sometime between 8 and 12 months. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Dinner for older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a dinner consisting of:

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) minced or ground poultry or meat, or diced tofu
4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2) cup diced, cooked green vegetable
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) noodles, pasta, rice, or potato
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) diced fruit

Note: This is an example. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much should my baby drink once they start eating solids?

Breast milk or formula will fully meet your child's hydration needs until they're about 6 months old. They may start drinking less as solid foods become a bigger part of their diet. Here are typical daily amounts by age – your baby's intake may be different, however.

6 to 8 months: 24 to 32 ounces of formula, or continued breastfeeding on demand

8 to 12 months: 24 ounces of formula, or continued breastfeeding on demand

Water: You can offer your baby water once they start eating solids, but let them self-regulate how much they drink. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends giving babies who are 6 to 12 months old 4 to 6 ounces of water a day, but what your baby decides to drink may vary. They may drink more on a hot day, for example.

Avoid juice: Juice isn't recommended for babies younger than 12 months.

Photo credit: iStock.com / SDI Productions

Your baby has the final say

Keep in mind that these portions are an estimate. The truth is, every baby is different, and there's no set amount of food that's appropriate for every baby at every stage.

If you're worried about whether your baby is eating enough – or too much – the best advice is to look for and respond to signs that your baby is full.

Your baby's doctor will chart their weight gain at regular intervals. If the doctor sees a consistent growth curve and doesn't have other concerns, your baby is most likely eating the right amount of food.

Hungry for more?

Age-by-age guide to feeding your baby

The 10 best foods for babies

The worst foods for babies

Using spices and seasoning in baby food

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Elizabeth Dougherty

Elizabeth Dougherty is a veteran parenting writer and editor who's been contributing to BabyCenter since 2015. She's an intrepid traveler, devoted yogi, and longtime resident of Silicon Valley, where she lives with her husband and son.

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What to feed a child - "Food"

The current situation is a serious test of the strength of family ties and parental love. When schools and kindergartens are closed, moms and dads have to figure out how to entertain children 24 hours a day, what to feed, how to entertain and don't go crazy with it. And if you find it difficult to establish a daily life in lack of school canteens, kindergarten lunches and children's menus in restaurants, then you are not alone in the world. For self-doubting dads and moms Liz Ganzor, nutritionist at the Harvard Public Health Institute, wrote the instruction "Baby food in quarantine." Nothing it does not offer anything revolutionary, but to speak again the familiar truths, helping to make food at home boring and complete, will not be superfluous. And in addition to the theory, a little practice - we have collected 11 simple and understandable recipes for dishes from available products, which suitable not only for children, but also for the whole family.

Excerpts from "Baby Food Under Quarantine" by Liz Ganzor:

Food must be prepared naturally. naturalness implies the rejection of factory semi-finished products for long-term storage, stuffed with preservatives. Family dinner prepared by mom, not a semi-finished product thawed in the microwave, gives the child a feeling of care and security, which is especially important today.
Learn to calmly accept the ability of the child yourself determine the right amount of food for him. Today he might want to eat less, tomorrow - more, there is nothing wrong with that ... But the psychological blackmailing adults, even if they are well-intentioned, causes the child to perceive food as a means manipulations: here we finish the soup, my mother will be pleased, and they will allow me to play phone. So the child stops “hearing” his own appetite, and here it’s not far from serious eating disorders.
Until the age of 14, the child literally "eats with his eyes": attractive the appearance of the dishes can make him sympathize with homemade food. Take on weapons "traffic light principle" - shades red, green and yellow arouse emotions in the mind of the child, inciting appetite. This is a handy way to do it the child's menu is complete: so, orange-yellow shades of products (pumpkins, carrots) indicate the presence of beta-carotene, red (tomatoes) - that they contain lycopene is quite a powerful immunity booster, and green signals chlorophyll, a substance which saturates blood cells with oxygen.
Giving sweets to a child on demand, trying to distract his attention is not the best option. Fast carbohydrates - muffin, chocolate sweets, packaged juices - dramatically increase the glycemic index of the blood, lead to a burst of hyperactivity, and in as a result, you risk getting an uncontrollable monster next to you.
Try not to deviate from the established diet. Lock the refrigerator (at least in a figurative sense) between the main food intake. Psychologists have proven that a regime failure for a child is always a signal anxiety. Although from time to time it is worth arranging a holiday of disobedience for a child, for example, having a picnic on the balcony so that life at home does not turn into a boring routine.
Turn cooking food for fun. Have you ever wanted to learn how to bake a cake or make creme brulee? but not enough time? Now it is! And by the way, cooking with kids is fun too. adventure, and the opportunity to teach your child favorite family recipes, and the chance make a dozen stories on instagram.
Not let yourself become a kitchen slave. Don't get depressed while cooking every day a three-course lunch, breakfast and dinner. You don't want to open restaurant at home. The world is full of dishes which taste better the next day. A soup or stew can be a few days to stand in the refrigerator.

Omelette soufflé

If ordinary fried eggs, scrambled eggs and other scrambled eggs have already breakfast you can cook an omelette in the form of a delicate airy soufflé. Essentially, this filling for french pie quiche lauren, only without the dough. The recipe attracts variety: today you can add ham to it, tomorrow - fried vegetables, smoked or salted fish or any meat, not forgetting to chop it finely.

Recipe

Breakfast French cuisine

214 14 4905

Alexey Zimin

11 ingredients 25 minutes

Chicken Noodle Soup

Simple and healthy chicken soup. The one that was once cooked caring mothers for us: in a clear broth, with freckles of fried onions and carrots. But a small touch - a clove added to the broth - distinguishes it from fresh catering food. Sudden separation from the office is a great excuse learn how to make noodles with your own hands, with it the soup will be even tastier and cooked quite at home. 9Ol000

You won’t get far on chicken noodles alone, so here’s another soup option for all times. Made from improvised products, nourishing due to pearl barley cereals and potatoes, not dull because of the pickle. In addition, you will be attach a pickle from an open can of cucumbers - it is added to the soup in the very end.

Recipe

Soups Russian kitchen steps up

12 1 363

Author: Food

14 Ingredients 3 hours 9000

Cottage cheese and buckwheat are important elements healthy children's menu. In order not to get bored on a monotonous diet, you can take and "marry". Buckwheat only needs to be boiled, everything is mixed and loaded into multicooker that will do all the work for you. If multicookers on the farm no, you can bake the casserole in the oven - at 180 degrees, 20 minutes is enough. And in as a vitamin filling, use apple slices, nuts and dried fruits. 9Redmond_receipts

Content - meat, cabbage, rice - it's quite pigeons. But in a simplified version: there is no need to boil a head of cabbage in boiling water and wrap the minced meat in a cabbage leaf. Everything is just finely chopped and fried in a pan, and then lightly stewed in broth. It turns out Ideal even for inexperienced parents. Cilantro, if your child cannot stand it, can be easily replaced with parsley. 9Ol000

Textbook children's dish — meatballs with rice, codenamed hedgehogs. In the role of needles - rice with long grains. The dish is good because it is very easy to prepare, and also contains approximately equal amount of proteins and carbohydrates. You can serve hedgehogs without garnish, with the same sauce in which they were stewed.

Recipe

Main dishes Russian cuisine Step by step recipes

23 1 567

Author:Food

10 ingredients with 1 hour macaroni 08

All, with rare exceptions, children tied to hefty portions of baked macaroni with golden cheese crust. And it's not just pasta. - a whole casserole! This dish is known all over the world mac&cheese, and in it, of course, a million calories. But children, especially active ones, are not afraid. Although if If you want to lighten the plot, replace a third of the pasta with cauliflower or broccoli florets.

Recipe

Main dishes American kitchen step -by -step recipes

64 22 2221

Author: Food

9 Ingredients 55 minutes 9000

A very convenient dish in everyday life - yesterday's potato is suitable for it. puree that looks great in zrazy. Then the plot can be changed to infinity: stuff zrazy not with an egg, but with mushrooms or minced meat with green peas. And sauces vary from tomato and sour cream to tender, but not heavy bechamel sauce.

Recipe

Main dishes Belarusian kitchen step recipes

20 6 1687

Author: Food

10 Ingredients 40 minutes 9000

Greetings from childhood, which is even more valuable to parents than their heirs. Its value is rather not dietary, but psychological - in that sense that it is precisely such nostalgic things that bring us back to that distant a time when we felt carefree and completely protected from different adversity, which helps to cope with stress. By the way, you can bake them with children to keep them busy.

Recipe

Pastries and desserts Russian cuisine

86 17 881

Author: Alena

Vitamin recharge, which, if you know a couple of simple things, the maximum reminiscent of a compote of fresh berries. Here's what's important: do not defrost the berries first, then they will not turn into porridge, and cook compote no longer than five minutes. Then take it off the heat and let it cool down. and brew under the lid to fully reveal the fruity taste and aroma. brew compote immediately in large pots - for children it is healthier than sugary sodas.

Recipe

Drinks Russian cuisine

106 11 934

Author:Anna Yushchenko

3 ingredients 040 minutes from terrible children

The secret weapon for the most extreme case or the holiday of disobedience as it is. Recipe taken from the book "What Parisians Eat" by Anne Martinetti, a Frenchwoman working in the genre "Culinary ins and outs of literary plots". The book is preceded by a quote from play "Terrible Children" by Jean Cocteau: "Marietta took her responsibilities to heart. <…> A Breton would, of course, prefer that she was given the opportunity to cook good bourgeois dishes, but she forgave by her habits and without dispute, she obeyed the whims of children. <…> A enfan terribly - terrible children - preferred to stay at home and eat dishes that they invent themselves, mixing products contrary to all rules and decency. Not Does this quote sound surprisingly relevant again today?

recipe

Oaks French kitchen

1 0 42

Author: Food

12 Ingredients 30 minutes

How and what to feed the child: Recipes

Home Ideas/ Recipe Ideas

“I'm cooking, I'm trying, I'm standing at the stove, and he's yelling “Fe!” and pushes the plate away.

And what to feed this child?” My friend complains. Common situation? Dear mothers, as I understand you. Feeding a child is sometimes a daunting task. And it’s not even a pity for the products themselves, but for the efforts and time that we spend in the kitchen. Children's meals should be fresh, tasty, interesting. But how to realize all this for a busy mother?

After talking with friends and conducting a small opinion poll, we managed to collect some simple and tasty dishes that our children love. But, most importantly, their preparation does not take much time.

1. Chicken in sweet sauce

Ingredients: chicken, honey, turmeric, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic, orange.

Preparation: The amount of ingredients depends on the size of the chicken. In a deep bowl, mix 2-3 tbsp. spoons of honey, 1-2 tsp. turmeric, a pinch of ground coriander, pepper, salt, squeeze 1-2 cloves of garlic. Add the juice of one small orange. Marinate the chicken for half an hour. You can leave it overnight if you wish. Place in preheated oven for about an hour. Garnish can be mashed potatoes, pasta or cereal. The taste of the chicken will be spicy-sweet, and it looks interesting! And you can use the baking time for yourself.

2. Shells with cheese

Ingredients: large shell pasta, seasoned cheese, tomatoes, onion, boiled chicken breast, salt, pepper.

Preparation: Boil pasta, but less than 2-3 minutes less than it says in the instructions. Let the pasta cool.

While the shells are cooking, cut the onion into cubes and fry in olive oil, add salt, pepper, if desired, you can add aromatic herbs. Cut the boiled chicken breast and tomatoes into small cubes. Mix onions, tomatoes and meat. Grate the cheese on a fine grater.
Fill the shell with minced tomato and meat, top with cheese. Put the shells in a deep frying pan or baking dish, pre-greased with oil. You can put on fire or put in a hot oven for 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve with any salad. Cooking time takes approximately 15-20 minutes.

3. Potatoes with cheese

This potato is tender on the inside and has an appetizing crispy crust on top. Believe me, does not leave anyone indifferent. Minimum ingredients, minimum time, maximum enjoyment!

Ingredients: potatoes, butter, cheese, salt.

Preparation: Choose small potatoes. Cut a peeled or well-washed potato in half. Put on a baking sheet, greased with oil, salt, put a piece of butter. Send to preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then put a piece of cheese on each potato. Cook for a few more minutes until the cheese melts and browns a little. You can serve with any salad.

4. Chicken liver with sour cream sauce

Not all children like liver, although it is very useful. But this recipe is a godsend. The liver becomes tender, fragrant, and will simply melt in your mouth.

Ingredients: chicken liver, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, aromatic herbs, sour cream, sunflower oil.

Preparation: fry the chicken liver on both sides until the color changes in sunflower oil in a heated frying pan. Add diced onion, salt, pepper, optionally add aromatic herbs. After a few minutes, add the grated carrots on a medium grater. Simmer for a few minutes under the lid. Add low fat sour cream. Add fresh herbs if desired. Simmer for a few more minutes.

Serve with pasta, potatoes or cereals. With this cookie, children will sweep away everything. It takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare, and the taste is simply amazing!

5. Soup with meatballs

The first courses are very useful and simply necessary in the children's menu. But is it easy for you to feed your child with soup? I think the answer is "no".

Everyone loves my signature soup with meatballs because of its beauty and taste, of course. And it takes 15 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients: minced chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, green peas, turmeric, small star pasta, olive oil, salt, pepper, bay leaf, herbs.

Preparation: If you have minced chicken lying around in your refrigerator, this is a godsend. Well, if not, then cook it yourself by chopping the meat, adding a small onion, a clove of garlic and salt to taste.

Potatoes, carrots and onions cut into cubes, minced meat to make meatballs. We put potatoes and carrots on the fire, wait until it boils and boil for several minutes, add onion, salt, pepper, bay leaf, pasta and turmeric. We cook for a few minutes. Add meatballs and a spoonful of olive oil. A minute before readiness, add greens. If you have canned peas, add them at the end. If fresh - along with potatoes.

This soup looks very pretty, the turmeric makes it golden and appetizing, and the different colors and shapes of the ingredients are sure to keep kids interested.

6. Fish cakes

Everyone knows that fish is a very useful product. But it just so happened that many children do not like fish. These cutlets are delicious, look beautiful and can be disguised as ordinary cutlets.

And they are also useful because they are not fried, but baked.

Ingredients: fish fillet 500 gr, 2-3 slices of white bread without crust, onion, hard cheese, one egg, vegetable oil, dill, salt.

Preparation: pass the fish fillet through a meat grinder together with the onion, add an egg, squeezed bread in water, or in milk. Add finely chopped dill, salt, a spoonful of vegetable oil. With wet hands, form patties. For beauty, you can give them the shape of stars, fish, hearts. Spread on a baking sheet and put in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes. After this time, sprinkle with grated cheese and send to the oven for another 5 minutes. Kittens are ready!

7. Carrot cutlets

We adults know that vegetables are healthy. Children are not interested at all. But these carrot cutlets should attract the attention of children. There are many variations of this dish, but these two, savory and sweet, are the simplest and most delicious.

Sweet cutlets
Ingredients: 5-6 medium-sized carrots, half a glass of semolina, 2-3 tsp. sugar, one egg, a pinch of salt, vegetable oil.

Preparation: boil carrots, when cool, grate, add semolina, egg, sugar, salt. Form cutlets, roll in semolina and fry in vegetable oil. You can serve with jam or jam.

Salty cutlets
Ingredients: carrot, small onion, garlic clove, salt, egg, semolina, dill.

Preparation: Grate boiled chilled carrots, add chopped onion, garlic, finely chopped dill, egg, salt, semolina, knead, form cutlets, fry on both sides.

8. Omelet with sausage and vegetables

Eggs are undoubtedly a very useful product. As always, not all children love scrambled eggs. But I think this lush, soft and fragrant omelette should be of interest to kids. And if you dream up a little more and add interesting components to it, the children will definitely want to try it.

Ingredients: 8 eggs, 1 glass of milk, 1-2 tbsp. tablespoons of flour, a whisper of salt, a few children's sausages, 1-2 tbsp. spoons of canned peas, 1 boiled carrot, 1-2 boiled potatoes, greens.

Preparation: Crack eggs into a deep bowl, add milk, salt, flour and beat well. Cut the sausage into rings, carrots and potatoes into cubes, finely chop the greens, rinse the peas with water. Add all the ingredients to the eggs, mix, pour into a greased baking sheet and send to the preheated oven. Such an omelette can be served with fresh vegetables or sauces.

9. Mannik

Mannik is a flight for mom's imagination, and components can be easily found in any refrigerator.

Ingredients: 1 glass of semolina, 1 glass of sour cream (can be replaced with kefir or taken in half), half a glass of sugar, three eggs, half a teaspoon of soda, vanilla sugar can be added.

Preparation: Mix all ingredients, let stand for a while. Can be prepared in the evening and left in the refrigerator overnight.
Pour into a greased mold and put in the oven for 30 minutes. You can put dried fruits, berries in mannik, or just pour over your favorite jam or syrup.

10.

Cottage cheese casserole Cottage cheese is almost the healthiest dairy product. But my baby categorically refuses to eat it, but the cottage cheese casserole goes with a bang. Over several years of preparation, she has become my best friend and savior when it is difficult to feed a child with something. I love to cook it and because in the process you can fantasize and experiment, and it is almost impossible to spoil it.

Ingredients: 1 kg of cottage cheese, 3 eggs, half a glass of semolina, half a glass of milk, vanillin, 1 glass of sugar (to taste, a little less), zest of one lemon, juice of half a lemon, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of starch.

Preparation: Pass the cottage cheese through a meat grinder or chop in a blender. The softer the cottage cheese, the tastier the casserole will be.

While you are doing this, pour the milk over the semolina. Stir the eggs with the sugar, beating until foamy is not necessary. Mix cottage cheese, eggs, semolina, add vanillin, pour in the juice of half a lemon, grate the lemon zest on a fine grater, add a spoonful of starch.