What, how, when?
The kid confidently sits on his chair, is interested in the contents of your plate and even tries to steal a piece from it and send it into your mouth? Most likely, it's time for crumbs to get acquainted with new dishes.
It's a question of time
The old Soviet system, which recommends giving apple juice to babies from the age of 3 months, has outlived its usefulness. Today many pediatricians criticize her for unreasonably early introduction of additional products into the diet of infants. Up to six months (and often longer) the child is enough mom's milk. Even artificers only need a single formula - it contains all the elements necessary for the growth and development of the baby. At present, it is customary to start introducing complementary foods at 6 months (for infants fed breastfeeding) or at 5 months (for babies feeding on milk formula). By this age, the enzymatic system usually ripens, the first tooth breaks, the crumb confidently sits and is interested in eating from my mother's plate. In some cases (insufficient weight gain, lack of iron or vitamin D, unstable stools) pediatricians recommend the introduction of complementary foods from 4 months.
Question of quantity
Familiarity with each new product should start with a minimum amount (usually enough half a teaspoon). Does the child normally tolerate food? Hence, the portion can be increased. If there are unexplained rhinitis, digestive disorders, redness or irritation of the skin, consult a doctor and stop any supplementation for a while.
Quality issue
Kashi, vegetables, fruit purees and juices start to enter from one-component and hypoallergenic species. Strawberry and mango children will try later.
Advices of experienced moms
And a few more practical recommendations from experienced moms. First, it is better to give the lure not from a bottle, but from a spoon - the child will get used to it more quickly. Secondly, to start lure is best with vegetables or cereals. In half a year the taste preferences of the baby are not yet formed, so that it will be difficult to accustom him to fresh squash after a sweet pear. Thirdly, do not start introducing complementary foods if the child is not feeling well or ill, and also during and immediately after routine preventive vaccinations.
And most importantly: remember that there is not, and there can not be a single scheme for introducing complementary foods. Here everything is individual and depends on many factors, including the fullness of the baby, the general condition of his body, heredity and even taste preferences. Nevertheless, all products can be divided into groups, for each of which there are recommendations.
Group number 1
Dairy and sour-milk products
Adapted infant formulas are given to children as needed from the first days after birth. But as for other dairy and fermented milk products, there are some limitations. Most pediatricians consider the introduction of products from whole milk at an early age to be undesirable, as this can lead to iron loss in infants and the development of anemia, creating an increased burden on the kidneys. In addition, the protein of cow's milk is a strong allergen.
Cottage cheese starts to give to children from 8 months, kefir - from 10-12 months, and whole milk not earlier than 12 months. Kefir year-old baby should not drink more than 200 grams per day, and the curd is eaten - not more than 50 g. Products such as butter, yoghurts, cheeses, sour cream, cream are generally not recommended for children under one and a half years. Please note that in the dairy kitchen these products are not always given in accordance with the specified terms of complementary feeding. The marking on the package, as a rule, also outstrips the recommended by the doctors of the scheme. The age at which products of this group are introduced: 8-10 months. Where to begin? With low-fat cheese, kefir, fermented milk mixtures. Caution: whole milk should be given to the baby boiled, and all other products should be introduced gradually, starting with low-fat or low-fat, since the baby's stomach is not yet adapted to serious digestion of animal fats.
Group number 2
Fruits and berries
Berries and fruits in addition to vitamins contain fruit sugar and mineral salts, useful for the development of the body. First, fruits and berries are given to the children in the form of mashed potatoes, then they are rubbed on the grater, if the crumb is about 2 years old - cut into slices, removing the bones. When the baby cuts through all the teeth, the fruit can be given whole. Another important fact: both fruits and berries are best eaten raw, because under the influence of temperature, they lose a lot of vitamins. To rub the fruit should be on a plastic grater, because when contact with the metal begins the oxidation process. The age at which products of this group are administered: 6 months. Where to begin? With a green apple, pear, banana, raspberries, blueberries.
Caution: not all fruit and berries are useful in large quantities. It is important to remember that apples can provoke increased gas formation, plums weaken, pears cause constipation. Strawberries and strawberries are the strongest allergens, and cherry and currants are generally not recommended to give children up to two years, as they are very poorly absorbed by the growing organism.
Group 3
Vegetables
Vegetables contain useful vitamins, microelements and fiber, which contributes to the regular emptying of the intestines. Therefore, vegetables are necessary for digestion not only adults but also children. Begin to introduce vegetables best from potato or mashed potatoes, after them try cauliflower and broccoli, and then - carrot and pumpkin. Boiled or baked vegetables are usually rubbed in mashed potatoes or from them you can make soup-mashed potatoes. It is important not to add salt, spices and vegetable oils at once - this can provoke a digestive disorder or the emergence of food allergies. Olive or corn oil can be started to enter from 9-10 months, but as a new product, carefully monitoring the reaction of the child.
The age at which products of this group are administered: 6 months. Where to begin? With potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower.
Caution: cucumbers often provoke diarrhea, and tomatoes (potential allergens, harmful to the joints) and hard root crops can not be taken immediately by the children's organism because of the rough texture of such food.
Group 4
Porridge and cereals
Begin to introduce the porridge best with dairy-free options, when it comes to ready-made industrial gruel. Carefully read the composition: it should not contain sugar, milk powder and other dubious ingredients. The first to introduce into the lure of cereals that do not contain gluten - a protein of cereals, which can cause serious digestive disorders in some children. Gluten-free are rice, buckwheat and corn porridge. Gluten-containing porridge - oatmeal, wheat, semolina - can be offered to a child only from 8 months. First porridges dilute with water, a mixture or own breast milk. Porridge should be sufficiently liquid that it can be given to a child not only from a spoon, but also from a bottle. The age at which products of this group are administered: 6-8 months. Where to begin? With rice, corn or buckwheat porridge.
Caution: do not start lure with multi-cereal cereals - in case of allergies it will be difficult to calculate what kind of croup it provoked. Do not mix different types of cereal in the first place - it can adversely affect the digestion of crumbs. With accuracy, enter the rice in the diet - from it, babies often begin constipation.
Group number 5
Meat, poultry, eggs
These products are necessary for the child for full development, since they contain protein, fat, vitamins A, B, B12 and minerals. In meat products, a lot of iron is needed to prevent anemia. What is preferable - meat bought in the store and cooked independently, or children's meat sauce? Pediatricians usually recommend puree, because it guarantees a clear content of nutrients, and the quality of children's canned food is tightly controlled. Another argument in favor of ready purees is convenience and ease of use plus real time savings. The age at which products of this group are administered: 7-12 months. Where to begin? With turkey, rabbit, lean beef, yolks.
Caution: the baby's stomach is not yet adapted to digesting heavy fats, so it is worthwhile to wait with fatty meat varieties, especially with pork and lamb. Also, do not immediately give egg white, because it is an allergen. Do not start with mashed potatoes containing salt, sugar and spices.
Group No. 6
Seafood, fish
Fish - an indispensable source of vitamin D and phosphorus, which are necessary for every growing body. Seafood contains a large amount of iodine, which is very important for children growing in the middle band in conditions of iodine deficiency. To begin with, it is convenient to buy fish purees for children: there really will not be a single bone in them. Just do not give the baby fish more often 2 times a week, at least at first. After 3 years, seafood should be present in the baby's diet at all times - this will significantly increase the immunity of crumbs. The age at which products of this group are introduced: 11 months. Where to begin? With lean fish with white meat: cod, haddock, flounder.
Caution: carefully fish and be afraid of bones, fatty fish and seafood enter the baby's diet no earlier than 2 years.
Group number 7
Sweets
Sweet love all the children - it's a fact. Should I put up with him? The American pediatrician, the author of several books and the father of many children, William Sire, wrote that the children who had eaten properly before 3 years of age, who did not know what cakes, rolls and sweets are, are forming the right food preferences. Subsequently, these children are much less likely to grow sweets. What kind of childhood without sweets? This question torments not only grandmothers, but also many mothers. The correct answer is: "Very happy." The later the baby learns what is sweet and flour, the easier it will be for the mother's life and the baby's health, because excessive and too early consumption of sugar and cakes can lead to such consequences as obesity, diabetes, caries, food allergies, and even to the intolerance of a particular type of sugar - that's when childhood really will be inadequate! The age at which products of this group are introduced: 3 years .Which to start? No matter, but to replace various sweets will help natural products uktas such as honey, candied fruits, dried fruits and sweet fruits.
Caution: chocolate and other products containing cocoa not only often cause severe allergies in children, but also have an exciting effect on the nervous system.
Group number 8
Semi-finished and fast food
Beach of the XXI century - fast food and semi-finished products - the most terrible substitutes for natural products. Learning what is French fries and sausages with ketchup, any child will prefer their homemade puree and meatballs. But in our power to explain to him how bad the fast food is.
As for harmless at first glance, dry breakfasts and instant soups, then, no matter how convenient these products are, for beloved crumbs it is better to cook dishes from natural ingredients using semi-finished products only in the most extreme case. The age at which the products of this group are introduced: the later the child acquaints with them, the better. Where to begin? Do not start at all.
Caution: all products of this group without exception are harmful and lead to obesity and an excess of cholesterol.
For many years, malnutrition was the main cause of many childhood diseases. Nowadays, science and medicine have reached a level of development when total errors can be avoided. The most important thing is not to listen to unprofessional counselors - neighbors, grandmothers, girlfriends, and trust good practitioners and proven literature.