How to introduce complementary foods to a child – a table of complementary foods for children up to a year by months

Before any mother, sooner or later, the question arises: how to properly introduce complementary foods. Some rely on old grandmother’s advice, others try to find the answer on the net, and others seek information from specialized specialists. However, not all recommendations are true. Some of them can be not only wrong, but also dangerous.

For example, when giving advice to mothers, most pediatricians rely on old tables and charts developed back in Soviet times, for reasons of economy. The same can be said about “grandmother’s” advice. Improper introduction of complementary foods can lead to unpredictable results.

It is even more dangerous to turn to the Internet for advice. On the Internet, many articles of the most diverse, most often dubious content are replicated. To separate the “wheat from the chaff” you need to have a fairly detailed medical knowledge.

This article is just designed to create in the mind of the mother a holistic and correct picture of the introduction of complementary foods.

When can and should breastfeeding be introduced?

Many mothers introduce complementary foods to their baby too early. In this matter, they are based on the advice of compassionate grandmothers. Older relatives are advised to start complementary foods as early as possible, as soon as the baby is 3 months old. Indeed, early feeding was practiced several decades ago, but time moves forward. According to the results of medical research, the old practice has been revised more than once.

According to research, complementary foods should be introduced to babies no earlier than six months. But in this case, we are talking about breastfed babies. For artificial people, the introduction of complementary foods is permissible at 5 months. But still it is better to stick to the same scheme and introduce complementary foods at 6 months. Otherwise, the development of allergic reactions and a lot of health problems at an older age is possible.

Why can’t we introduce complementary foods earlier?

Introducing complementary foods before the baby is six months old is completely useless at best. At worst, it can also be dangerous. The thing is that up to six months the digestive and endocrine systems of the child are still too weak. Even if you introduce a new type of food into the diet of a child, his body simply cannot cope with it. As a result, an excessive load on the gastrointestinal tract will be created, which is fraught with problems in the future and active gas formation (colic).

At the same time, one should not be mistaken about small amounts of food: only one or two teaspoons are enough for a child to put a huge burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, in no case should one rush to introduce complementary foods until the gastrointestinal tract and the enzymatic system become sufficiently “adult”. Artists from the early days of life are faced with cow’s milk, so their enzymatic system “mature” much faster. If necessary, complementary foods can be introduced to such children a month earlier than to breastfed infants.

Complementary feeding table for a child on breastfeeding and artificial

What and how is introduced as complementary foods for a child at 6 months

There are several important rules and principles for the introduction of complementary foods:

• Complementary foods should be introduced strictly by months, each new type of product is introduced in its own month.

• Each new month, only one single new type of product is introduced.

• Non-allergenic vegetables are introduced first as complementary foods in the form of juices, since they are much easier to digest, then in the form of puree. If the child has a lack of body weight, you can make an exception and introduce cereals first, and only then vegetables.

• You should not give vegetable and fruit purees for breakfast. They should be given to the child at lunch.

Vegetables are best introduced into complementary foods in the following order:

• Courgettes.

• Cauliflower.

• Broccoli.

• Pumpkin.

• Carrot.

The vegetables that have the least allergenic potential are introduced first. A child may be allergic to pumpkin and carrots, which means they should be introduced last. Carrots contribute to an increased release of bile into the blood, which means that in order to avoid this, carrots should not be given as an independent product separately from other vegetables. It is optimal to feed the child with carrots in combination with other vegetables and no more than 2-3 times a week.

An equally important element in the introduction of complementary foods is the method of preparation of the product. It is quite possible to prepare vegetable and fruit purees on your own, there are no difficulties in this. Moreover, home-made mashed potatoes have an advantage over store-bought purees, since their natural composition is precisely known.

Vegetables are peeled, seeds are removed. Then they must be thoroughly rinsed in running water. Vegetables should be chopped and placed in a saucepan or steamer. The preferred cooking method is steam. This preserves most of the nutrients. At the end of cooking, the vegetables are chopped with a blender to the state of gruel. To prepare a puree, water or vegetable broth is added to the gruel.

It is necessary to add liquid until the consistency of the puree becomes liquid, similar to full-fat milk or kefir. When the child gets older, the consistency can be changed to a thicker one. In no case should you add salt, sugar, seasonings. Worth keeping in mind. Puree must be fresh and cannot be stored.

A little more about the procedure for introducing a new product into the diet (using vegetables as an example):

• Day number 1. For lunch – 5 grams of squash puree (about 1 tsp). Supplement with mother’s milk or formula (with artificial feeding).

• Day number 2. 10 grams of zucchini puree. Then supplement the baby with breast milk or formula while artificially feeding.

• Day number 3. 20 grams of zucchini puree. Then supplement the baby with breast milk or formula while artificially feeding.

• Day number 4. 40 grams of zucchini puree. Then supplement the baby with breast milk or formula while artificially feeding.

• Day number 5. 80 grams of zucchini puree. Then supplement the baby with breast milk or formula while artificially feeding.

• Day number 6. 120 grams of zucchini puree. Then supplement the baby with breast milk or formula while artificially feeding.

• Day number 7. 150 grams of zucchini puree. Then supplement the baby with breast milk or formula while artificially feeding.

Then, in the second week, another vegetable, cauliflower, is introduced in the same way as zucchini. The principle of introducing complementary foods described above is suitable for any product (except for cases where a different order is explicitly indicated in the article).

What to give at 7 months?

At the next stage of the introduction of complementary foods, the child should be given cereals from non-allergenic cereals. Porridges are prepared exclusively on water, since gluten and milk are a huge burden for a child’s body. No milk, except for an infant, should receive up to a year (neither goat nor cow). Milk has a negative effect on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, increases the intensity and frequency of colic, the risk of bleeding. If the baby refuses to eat porridge without milk, it is permissible to add a little mother’s milk or an artificial mixture (depending on the type of feeding).

Until the age of one year, the child should eat only gluten-free cereals. The use of gluten is fraught with the development of a serious disease of the small intestine – celiac disease. Just corn, buckwheat and rice cereals do not contain gluten.

You can cook porridge yourself, but the best solution would be to buy ready-made dry porridges in the store. Many mothers are suspicious of store-bought baby foods, particularly cereals, but their fears are unfounded. These are all the same cereals that have undergone primary processing: the cereal is crushed, boiled and dried. To prepare such porridge, it is enough to add water. No chemical additives are used in the process of their manufacture.

The introduction of cereals into the diet of a child is carried out according to the same scheme as indicated above.

Complementary foods at 8 months

At 8 months, the baby’s diet becomes even more diverse. At the age of 8 months, the following is introduced into the diet:

• РЇРёС ‡ РЅС ‹Р№ жел ток. You can use the yolk of a chicken or quail egg. Quail egg yolk is preferable because it is less allergenic. Give the yolk should be 2 times a week. For the first time, its amount should not exceed a few grains. For the second time – half (for quail) and a quarter (for chicken) eggs. This is followed by a whole quail or half a chicken yolk. The yolk should be given for breakfast. Forgive just grind the yolk and add it to porridge or milk.

• Potatoes. Potatoes are highly allergenic, and therefore they are introduced last. The scheme for introducing potatoes into complementary foods is similar to that indicated above, however, by the end of the week, the volume of potatoes should not be 150, but only 50 grams. Accordingly, the daily incremental volume of the amount of a new product should be much smaller (you can calculate it yourself, starting from 5 grams on the first day).

• Meat. The first kinds of meat that can be given to a child should be rabbit and turkey. They are the least allergenic. Next, you can introduce veal into the diet. When the child is about 9 months old, the introduction of lamb, beef, chicken is allowed. It is better to refuse fatty meats, such as pork, until the child is older (a year and a half). The meat is introduced according to the following scheme. You need to give it, starting with the amount of 5 grams, along with vegetables for lunch. The amount of the product should be no more than 50 grams per day as a result. By 12 months, you can give about 100 grams of meat. The meat should be mashed. It may happen that the child refuses to eat mashed meat in its pure form. In this case, it should be mixed with vegetable.

For those who want to cook their own meat puree, this is a convenient cooking method. Minced meat without additives is prepared from meat, then you need to form meatballs. Boil meatballs in boiling water (for 4-5 minutes), then freeze. If necessary, meat balls are thawed and steamed along with vegetables. Both vegetables and meat are chopped with a blender.

9 months – it’s time to introduce the child to fermented milk products

Basic rules for complementary foods at 9 months:

• Dairy products should be introduced into complementary foods very slowly. As slowly as possible. Cottage cheese is introduced first into the diet. You should not give your child cottage cheese, which is sold in stores, such as curd mass, granular cottage cheese, etc. Cottage cheese should be special, without additives, sugar and fruits. For the first time, give 5 grams (1 tsp). Every day, increase the amount by 1 tsp until the total amount is 30 grams. By the onset of the year, you can give 50 grams per day.

• The best time to feed dairy products is in the evening, 1-2 hours before dinner. Kefir is introduced into the diet in small quantities, no more than 1-2 teaspoons. It is important to make a reservation, kefir should also be for children. The final volume on the seventh day should be 100-150 ml. By the onset of the year, you can give up to 200 ml of kefir (if the child can handle so much). Kefir is not the most favorite product for children. However, do not add sugar to kefir. It is better to try to introduce it into the diet a little later, in a few weeks, a month. It is not scary if the child does not drink kefir at all. It will not affect development in any way.

10 months – time for desserts

By the age of 10 months, the child can be given fruits. Of course, you shouldn’t overdo it. Preference should be given to fruits growing in the region where the child was born. It is better not to give tropical and other exotic fruits during this period. The best choice is pear, prunes, apple (all in the form of mashed potatoes). A little later, you can give the child crushed fruits. On the first day, the amount of fruit should be 1 tsp. or a small piece.

Fruits can be given between main meals, as a snack. The final amount on the 7th day is 100 grams.

Speaking of drinks, from the age of 7 months, the child can be given tea (herbal), and at a later age (about 10 months, after the child has tasted fruit) fruit compotes.

The child does not eat complementary foods, constipation, diarrhea, allergies are typical problems with the introduction of complementary foods

In some cases, after the introduction of a particular type of product, unpleasant consequences may occur: digestive problems, allergies, etc. In this case, it is urgent to cancel the product that caused such a reaction. The product should be re-introduced no earlier than after 1-2 months.

About canned food. Arguing about which is better, canned food or homemade food is useless. Both are true.

However, giving preference to canned food, you should keep in mind a number of points:

• Do not believe the inscriptions on the labels regarding the timing of the introduction of the product and expiration dates. It’s marketing, nothing more. Therefore, you need to follow the recommendations for the introduction of complementary foods and choose a product made as early as possible (the freshest).

• The product must be fresh. Do not feed your child expired food.

• Components in the composition should be a minimum. Of course, artificial additives are unacceptable.

What can not be given up to a year and what they mistakenly love to feed babies:

• Milk (cow, goat).

• Fruit juices. They may not be present in the diet at all. There is no benefit from them, but harm is possible.

• Exotic and tropical fruits.

• Semolina and cereals with gluten.

• Sweets (cookies, sweets, sugar included).

• Fresh vegetables. They are difficult for the body to digest.

What a mother should remember about breastfeeding:

• Be sure to follow the recommendations for the introduction of complementary foods.

• The introduction of complementary foods up to a year is not a complete diet, but only an acquaintance with new products.

• New products are introduced no more than once a week (1 week – 1 product).

• You can not enter several types of products at once.

• The introduction of complementary foods is no joke. You need to approach it responsibly and without experiments. The health and development of the child depends on this.

• Spices, including salt and sugar, can not be added.

• After the introduction of complementary foods, the child can be supplemented with water.

• It is too early to introduce complementary foods at 3 months. You should keep this in mind.

• If the child does not eat complementary foods, there is nothing to worry about. Should try a little later.