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Baby is already 4 months old, and your pediatrician has told you that it is possible to start food diversification. On average, this is gradually being put in place between 4 and 6 months. It also implies switching to 2nd age milk if you are not breastfeeding, finding the right position to feed your baby… Big changes in your child’s daily life!
What can a 4 month old baby eat?
The visit to the pediatrician just before the baby is 4 months old is one of the most important appointments of baby’s first year for feeding. This is when you will have green light from your pediatrician to start food diversification.
On average, the food diversification can be started between 4 and 6 months. ” Even if we know, as parents, what is good for our baby, it is absolutely necessary to have the Go of our pediatrician to start the diversification », Insists Céline de Sousa, chef and culinary consultant, specializing in infant nutrition.
At 4 months, your child cannot yet eat full meals, so food diversification begins with a few spoonfuls. You can start with vegetables, some fruits or powdered cereals, everything being well done, well mixed, well seeded and peeled for pieces of fruit and vegetables.
« The texture of mixed foods, fruits, vegetables, grains should be extra smooth, it should really be get closer to the texture of the bottle », Adds Céline de Sousa. For cooking, the chef recommends steaming, without adding fat and spices, so that baby can discover the natural taste of the fruit or vegetable.
Marjorie Crémadès is a dietician and member of the Repop network (Network for the management and prevention of pediatric obesity). She explains that if the food diversification is authorized from 4 months by your pediatrician, it is interesting to take advantage of a « tolerance window »Between 4 and 5 months ” We note that we can reduce the risk of allergies and intolerance by giving baby a taste of a maximum of foods – in very small quantities – between 4 and 5 months. But you have to dose well and follow the advice of your pediatrician: baby’s digestive system is not yet mature and not all are ready at the same time. In addition, too early dietary diversification is not beneficial for baby and increases the risk of obesity in adulthood ».
Food diversification: how much should a 4 month old child eat at each meal?
We cannot really speak of a meal for a 4 to 6 month old child who is starting to diversify his diet. A 4 month old baby does not consume only small spoonfuls, like 2 tablespoons of vegetables, 70 g of vegetable or fruit puree, or 1/2 jar of 130 g of vegetable or fruit compote in a bottle for example.
Milk – maternal or infant – therefore remains the first source of its food et should not be reduced even if you are new to diversification. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding of children up to 6 months. But if you cannot or do not wish to breastfeed, or you are in a mixed baby breastfeeding and are feeding your baby formula milk, you can switch to 2nd age milk.
Breastfeeding or bottles: how much should baby drink besides food diversification?
Despite the introduction of new foods in your child’s diet, you should not reduce his usual consumption of bottles or feeds. Diversification is the opportunity to bring it new flavors, but her needs for nutrients, vitamins, proteins or essential fatty acids are still met by her milk consumption.
On average, at 4 months, baby needs 4 bottles of 180 ml per day, i.e. between 700 and 800 ml of milk per day.
If you are not breast-feeding your child, it is possible to switch from a 1st-age infant formula to a 2nd age infant milk, always choosing an infant formula that meets the needs of the infant and meets the strict regulations of the European Union. Milks of plant or animal origin for adults do not cover baby’s needs, and if your baby has an allergy or intolerance, certified infant formulas made from soy or rice proteins can replace more traditional infant formulas.
Food: what vegetables to give baby to start food diversification?
To start your child’s food diversification, it is better to choose vegetables or fruits less rich in fiber and which mix well, so as not to interfere with its still immature digestive system. “ Avocado is often among the first foods to be incorporated », Notes Marjorie Crémadès. ” Depending on the time of year when you start to diversify your food, you can take advantage of seasonal fruits or vegetables: mix a ripe peach in summer or rather a pear in autumn », Adds Céline de Sousa.
Examples of vegetables that can be offered to babies, from 4 months:
- beetroot
- broccoli
- the carrot
- celeriac
- the cucumber
- squash
- the courgette
- watercress
- fennel
- the green bean
- parsnip
- the leek
- the pepper
- Potato
- the pumpkin
- the pumpkin
- the tomato
- the Jerusalem artichoke
Examples of fruits that can be offered to babies, from 4 months:
- apricot
- the banana
- Chestnut
- Quince
- lychee
- The mandarin
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- to nectarines
- the Peach
- the pear
- Apple
- the plum
- the grape
All of these foods should be perfectly washed, peeled, seeded, pitted, and mixed until you get a very smooth texture, similar to that of a baby bottle. We can also introduce a little bit of infant cereals or well mixed rice cakes. You can also offer baby water that is low in mineral content between meals.
First small pot: how much?
On average, baby needs at 4 months 4 meals a day ! If you have started food diversification and you want to add a little mixed vegetables, fruits or cereals in your bottle, but you are running out of time, you can turn to small jars sold in stores.
These preparations meet the very strict requirements of European regulations on infant nutrition. For baby’s meal, you can for example mix a small jar of 130 g in 150 ml of water and 5 doses of 2nd age milk.