At 4/6 months
Between 4 and 6 months, your little one gradually discovers the taste of food in addition to breastfeeding. Cooked and mashed, sweet flavored vegetables such as carrots, zucchini or pumpkin tame, one by one, his taste buds. This is also the case for fruit compotes such as apple or pear. At the very beginning of food diversification, you can offer baby 2 teaspoons of vegetable puree with a few drops of vegetable oil, such as olive oil, or the same proportion of fruit purees. Around 6 months, you can add starchy foods such as rice or pasta always well mixed to your meal by gradually increasing the proportions. You can also introduce meat or fish always finely chopped and in small quantities of about 10 g. If you want to vary meat and fish, to diversify the animal protein intake, you can alternate with 2 teaspoons of crumbled or ground hard-boiled egg in its purees.
8 to 12 months
Depending on the appetite of your child, from 8 months, you can increase the total quantities of its vegetable and starch purees by increasing from 100 to 200 g approximately! From 8 to 12 months, garnish them with 10 to 20g of meat or fish or 2 to 3 teaspoons of chopped hard-boiled egg for lunch. On the dessert side, a fruit purée or a small dairy product, special for babies, will gently end the meal. From 12 months and over, the intake of meat, fish, or hard-boiled egg increases significantly at lunchtime, count 20 to 30 g or 4 to 6 teaspoons. Do not hesitate to start the good little simmered dishes.
At 15 months and over
Your little one’s digestive system is ready for the discovery of raw vegetables. Start gently, with 1 teaspoon of grated carrots for example or a piece of avocado mashed with a fork. Mashed bananas are also well tolerated by babies. As for the proportions of mashed vegetables and compotes, adapt to his appetite. You can leave small melting pieces in your preparations so that your little gourmet develops his masticatory capacities. At this age, your child will be able to eat up to 40 g of meat, fish or hard-boiled egg, or 6 to 8 teaspoons at lunchtime. It is also a good time to introduce him to the taste of a soft piece of cream cheese.
In any case, pay attention to the quality of your food. Prefer seasonal fruits and vegetables and play with flavors; a drizzle of olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil here, a few chopped aromatic herbs there… to awaken your senses and your appetite.