About when a child turns six months old, the parents begin to add complementary foods to their diet. In addition to consuming the daily portions of mum’s milk, the baby becomes ready to explore hitherto unknown tastes, smells and textures. Mariola Darzycka, an expert at BoboVita, suggests how to deal with the challenges of expanding the diet of the youngest.
Is it true that expanding your diet means ending breastfeeding?
Mariola Darzycka: Expanding your baby’s diet does not necessarily stop breastfeeding. However, after 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, breast milk ceases to fully meet the infant’s growing energy and nutrient requirements. Then you should start introducing complementary meals to his diet. At the same time, according to the recommendations of experts, breastfeeding should be continued until at least 1-2 years. year of life is conducive to the proper development of the child1. Mother’s milk – throughout the lactation period – is valuable and rich in many ingredients, including, for example, antibodies that protect the young organism, e.g. against infections.
When is the Right Time to Introduce Your First Complementary Meals?
The new foods should be introduced to the baby no sooner than the age of 17 weeks and no later than the 26th week of its life. This is the period when most toddlers send signals that they are ready to start expanding their diet. The child then puts various items in his mouth, sucks his tongue or sucks on his fingers. He can also curiously reach for mom’s or dad’s plate, which shows that he is beginning to be interested in new foods.
What to give your toddler first?
It is best to start introducing complementary foods with dry vegetables, and after about 2 weeks, continue to expand the diet, introducing the baby to fruit. The less sweet taste of carrots or broccoli makes them more difficult to accept than, for example, an apple, so a child may have more trouble liking them. This is why introducing vegetables first gives you a better chance of their acceptance. When expanding the baby’s menu, it is also worth remembering that the first novelties should be composed of individual ingredients, have a mild taste and delicate texture. The best form of meals will then be smooth purees or mousses.
What is the order of introducing the next products to the infant’s diet?
Once your baby has learned and accepted the taste of vegetables and fruits, it is time to introduce grain products to their diet. These porridges will work best for the start – they are valuable, have an acceptable flavor, and their lumpy texture helps you continue your transition from a milk-based diet to a more solid one. Immediately after cereals, the infant’s menu is expanded to include meals containing meat, fish, eggs and dairy products such as yoghurt and cottage cheese.
Can you give your baby plain semolina or cereals?
Grain products from the family table – such as cereals, cereals, sticks or cakes – will not be the right choice for the youngest. The organism of both an infant and a small child is extremely sensitive to the influence of the external environment and requires a tailored – different than in the case of adults – diet. For this reason, in order to support the proper development of a toddler, it is worth reaching for cereal products designed for him, such as porridges with an indication of the age on the packaging. These are foods that are tailored to the specific requirements of an intensively developing child’s organism. The grains contained in such porridges, which come from crops especially for the youngest, are proof of that, and each batch of them undergoes even several hundred quality and safety tests.
What porridges for the youngest are available on the Polish market?
On store shelves, you can find porridges in both dairy and non-dairy variants – which should be prepared on the basis of mother’s milk or modified milk tailored to the needs of the infant. Such porridges are available in many delicious flavors – including fruit ones, which encourages the toddler to try and learn more about new products. Parents can also choose porridges that do not contain added sugar *, and, in accordance with the law, also preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers. In addition to being safe and valuable, such products contain a carefully selected variety of grains such as wheat, oats, rice, millet, corn, barley, and rye. It is both a safe and tasty proposition of a cereal meal that supports the proper development of a child.
See also:
- How do I choose the perfect formula?
* They contain naturally occurring sugars from cereals, fruits and modified milk.
Important information: It is recommended to continue breastfeeding while introducing complementary foods. Breastfeeding should continue for as long as desired by mother and baby. Breastfeeding is best for your baby.
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.