What complementary foods to introduce at 6 months. Complementary feeding schedule for breastfeeding

According to WHO recommendations, at the age of 6 months, a healthy baby is maximally ready for complementary foods. Although mother's milk continues to be the main source of all substances important for life, the body no longer has enough energy, vitamins and microelements. The baby's digestive system is physiologically ready to digest more coarse food. Moreover, its use can cause the release of special enzymes that have a positive effect on the motility of the gastrointestinal tract.

Age features - why from six months?

Many mothers mistakenly believe that if their milk is not enough to saturate the baby, then it is time to move on to the introduction of complementary foods from 2-3 months. Indeed, what can harm a couple of teaspoons of applesauce or "such healthy" carrot juice? In fact, this is a fundamentally wrong point of view. The baby's digestive system is unable to digest anything other than mother's milk. With insufficient lactation, the pediatrician must pick up the child. The introduction of early complementary foods is fraught with such unpleasant consequences for the crumbs as:

indigestion;
(which can last for many years);
subsequent development of obesity.

On the other hand, late feeding is also harmful: it will lead to:

lagging behind in mental and physical development;
the risk of developing deficiency states (hypotrophy, anemia, hypovitaminosis);
protein-calorie deficiency.

The baby's body up to 5 - 6 months is not adapted to the digestion of any food, with the exception of breast milk and adapted milk formulas, which are used in cases of insufficient lactation. But the age of 6 months is an average value. Accurate information about whether the baby is ready for the introduction of complementary foods can only be provided by a pediatrician observing his development. Babies do not grow according to an exact pattern, each baby is individual: one is ready for complementary foods at 5 months, the other only at 9. The main factors that it is time for your son or daughter to start feeding are:

The child is absolutely healthy:
He shows interest in food from the diet of the adults around him;
The weight of the baby has doubled since birth;
The child does not have enough breast milk: he is increasingly applied to the breast;
The baby sits confidently without support;
The expulsion reflex (regurgitation) gradually fades.

Complementary foods while breastfeeding - where to start at 6 months

The basic principles that should be followed when introducing complementary foods for a breastfed baby:

Complementary foods can be introduced only if the baby is completely healthy: there is no disorder of the digestive system (constipation, diarrhea), fever, there was and will not be vaccination 5-7 days before and after the planned complementary foods;
An additional meal should be given to the child when he is hungry, then breastfeed;
The consistency of the dish should be as homogeneous and liquid as possible, the temperature should be moderately warm. It is especially useful to steam vegetables and then grind them in a blender (or rub through a strainer). With this method of cooking, vitamins and nutrients are better preserved in vegetables;
Feed the baby should be from a spoon and always in a sitting position;
A new product can be given to a child only once a day. You should start with 0.25 - 0.5 teaspoon. Within two weeks, the portion should be increased to 150 g, which will replace one breastfeeding;
New dishes are introduced gradually. The next product can be used in the diet after the body adapts to the previous one;
Constantly monitor the child's condition, his reaction to new products;
Simultaneously with the introduction of complementary foods, accustom the baby to 5 meals a day with intervals of 4 hours between feedings.

Products for the first menu

The choice of first courses for complementary foods depends on the characteristics of the body and the condition of the baby: if there is a problem of underweight, then it is better to start with gluten-free cereals: corn, buckwheat or rice. If a child has a tendency to constipation, then with vegetable and fruit purees.

At the first stages, the dish should consist of one type of product: you should not mix two types of vegetables, fruits or berries in one puree or juice.

The best products for the first vegetable feeding- cabbage of all varieties, the most useful of which are cauliflower and broccoli, potatoes and zucchini (especially if the baby has constipation). Then you can enter green peas. Colored fruits and vegetables (red apple, dark grapes, carrots, beets, pumpkin) are offered to the baby a little later.

No need to add sugar to fruit puree, and salt to vegetable puree. Half the yolk, vegetable oils (olive or sunflower) are added to vegetable puree, starting with 1 drop and bringing up to 1 tsp. for a full portion of puree (150 g).

Since the kidneys of a child under one year old are not fully formed, in no case give the baby meat broths, which contain a large amount of purine bases. For soup, it is better to use vegetable broth.

The healthiest way to cook vegetables is by steaming and chopping in a blender or strainer. With such heat treatment, a greater amount of vitamins and other useful substances are preserved. Puree must be made liquid, the baby is not yet adapted to swallow thick food.

Porridges for a 6-month-old baby (we are starting to give one-component, gluten-free cereals. Buckwheat, rice and corn porridge are such types) are first cooked from one type of cereal. After three weeks, you can start mixing cereals. First, it is recommended to grind them in a coffee grinder and only then boil them. Both water and breast milk are suitable for cooking. It is useful to add melted butter to the finished porridge.

Child's taste preferences

Be very attentive to the desires and taste preferences of the crumbs. If some dish is unpleasant to him and he turns away from the spoon, in no case do not insist. Stay away from this product for a while. It can be re-offered after 3 or 4 weeks.

Do not force your child to eat the entire portion of complementary foods. In this case, the baby will suck out less milk from the breast, which will lead to a decrease in its production and the extinction of lactation. It can also cause aversion to a new dish and poor appetite in the future.

It is necessary to supplement the baby with breast milk for as long as possible. It remains the main food for up to a year, a source of growth hormones and antibodies that form the child's immunity. Remember that the main task of complementary foods is not to transfer to the general table, but to form a natural eating behavior. Therefore, it is not so important whether the products and their quantities correspond to the recommendations. It is necessary to take into account the desire of the crumbs. If parents do not pursue the goal of respecting the quantitative portion of baby food, then an active interest in food will remain, and breastfeeding will not be supplanted. In this case, the transition to eating from a common table will be gradual.

Babies who, for one reason or another, eat adapted artificial mixtures, are introduced complementary foods a little earlier: from 4 to 5 months. This should be done on the preliminary recommendation of the observing pediatrician and taking into account his advice. The introduction of complementary foods at such an early stage is due to the fact that for the full development of a growing organism, there are not enough nutrients obtained from mixtures.

The feeding regimen corresponds to the feeding regimen of a breastfed infant. First, vegetable and fruit purees are also introduced into the diet. At the age of 6 months, artificial feeders move on to the second stage of complementary feeding - milk (depending on the tolerance of milk) and dairy-free cereals with the addition of butter, juices diluted with water, cottage cheese, yolk, meat and fish purees.

Artificers can be prone to obesity, so do not abuse semolina. In addition to being highly nutritious, it is essentially not useful in any way. With the frequent use of this cereal, the possibility of the appearance of conditions such as anemia or rickets increases significantly.

When adding meat and fish dishes to the menu, you can use ready-made canned food () intended for children, but mashed potatoes or mashed potatoes prepared in a blender at home will be more useful. The first meat purees are made from rabbit, turkey, veal or chicken meat. ()

Our complementary feeding history (6 months)

Closer to six months, the baby begins a more active life: he learns to sit and crawl. Most often, by 6 months, he already has the first tooth. And these events are the first signal to parents that their baby needs additional nutrition, that is, complementary foods. After all, his body needs an increased amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements. All of them are very important in the further development of a small person. Therefore, the mother of a six-month-old baby is not an easy task - to decide where to start complementary foods at 6 months.

Early feeding

Even now, when science has stepped far forward, pediatricians cannot agree on when to start complementary foods, and which product should be the first. The older generation of specialists assures that complementary foods can and should be introduced as early as 4 months. They explain their point of view by the fact that at this age the child begins active growth, and the nutrients in breast milk by this time are no longer enough.

At 6 months, the child's body has already sufficiently adapted to the outside world and its digestive system will quickly cope with the digestion of unfamiliar food.

But modern pediatricians prove that such early feeding can harm the child's body. After all, his digestive system will begin to function normally only by 6 months. Moreover, by 4 months, babies only have painful colic. And it is absolutely not worth loading the intestines with heavy food during this period. Even formula-fed babies should not be introduced to complementary foods before 6 months of age. Manufacturers of infant formulas create products that are as similar in composition to breast milk as possible. Therefore, you can wait with the new food.

Complementary foods at 6 months are considered one of the most optimal. But is your baby ready for it? You can evaluate the degree of its readiness by the following points:

Child's age. It plays a special role when the baby was born, whether it was a full-term pregnancy or the baby was born prematurely. For example, if the baby was born a few weeks earlier, then complementary foods should be introduced later, adjusted for this period of time.
Baby weight. From birth to the moment you decide on complementary foods, your baby should weigh two or two and a half times more.
Tongue out. This reflex in babies from birth as a protective one, when something that is unusual or unusual enters their oral cavity. If the tongue continues to carry out reflex movements, it is likely that you will have to wait a little with complementary foods. You can check the readiness with a spoon: give the baby water in it, if you see that the liquid flows down the chin, then it is really too early to introduce complementary foods at 6 months.
The physical abilities of the baby. If your baby has already begun to sit, then this may be the first of the signals to start complementary foods. If the baby is unsure of his head movements and sits unsteadily, then the time for feeding has not yet come.
It also happens that the baby simply does not have enough mother's milk, because he is growing rapidly and he needs more and more energy every day to learn about the world around him. Therefore, the crumbs will have to be fed so that he is not hungry. It is not difficult to understand that a child does not have enough food: he will drag foreign objects into his mouth, ask for food much more often.
If the crumbs have their first teeth, it may be time to start introducing the first complementary foods at 6 months.
Another important feature in the development of the baby, by which you can determine the readiness of your child for complementary foods, is the ability to stretch the lower lip forward in order to take food from a spoon, as adults do.
Well, if the baby has mastered the skills of chewing. This can be determined if the baby grabs food with his tongue and moves it deep into the oral cavity.
If your baby shows interest in what he sees on your plate and also wants to try your food, he is probably ready for solid foods.

If all these points have been passed and the child is already 6 months old, then you can safely start complementary foods. And here another problem arises: what product to introduce the child to? In the old days, pediatricians advised young mothers to give fruit juices for the first complementary foods at 6 months. But today there is scientific evidence that they do not have enough vitamins, and introducing them into the child's diet is ineffective. Therefore, it is better to start the first complementary foods at 6 months with vegetable puree. It is important to use only one type of vegetable to control the possible occurrence of an allergic reaction.

It is necessary to give vegetable puree in the morning. So, the mother will be able to observe the reaction of the child's body to a new product.

It is better to start your baby's acquaintance with vegetables with zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower. These green vegetables rarely cause individual intolerance and are easily digested. Mom can make delicious puree from one vegetable herself. To do this, take a zucchini or other selected vegetable, wash it thoroughly, peel and cut into small pieces, put in a saucepan, add water and boil for 5-10 minutes. Then the finished vegetables need to be killed in a blender along with the liquid until smooth.

It is important on the first day to offer the baby no more than 1 tsp. vegetable puree. Sample meal plan for the day:

1st feeding - breast milk or 200 ml of the mixture;
2nd feeding - breast milk (mixture);
3rd feeding - breast milk (mixture 180 ml), 5-10 grams of vegetable puree;
4th feeding - 200 ml formula or breast milk;
5th feeding - breast milk / mixture.

If the child does not have an allergic reaction after a new product, then the next day the amount of vegetable puree increases to 30-40 grams. By the end of the week, it should be in the daily diet of 150 grams. If mom prepares vegetable puree at home, then by the end of the second week it is recommended to add 5 ml of olive oil to it. You can begin to introduce the child to the next vegetable 14 days after the first.

Complementary foods from 6 months

How to introduce complementary foods at 6 months

There are several important rules that you should follow if you decide to introduce complementary foods to your child:

do not introduce complementary foods when your baby is sick. It is also not the best option to introduce complementary foods in the heat or if your baby has recently been vaccinated;
a new product should be introduced in small portions - a quarter and a half teaspoon, the volume should be increased gradually over 7 days;
the next product is introduced in two weeks;
The optimal time of day for the introduction of complementary foods is in the morning. This will allow you to objectively assess the body's response to changes in diet. Mom should carefully consider the baby's stool, examine the skin for rashes;
infant feeding should be done before you give him formula or breast, but fruit dishes should be given to the child after the main feeding;
keep in mind that the food that you offer your baby for complementary foods must be carefully chopped so that the nutrients are absorbed as much as possible;
change the consistency of dishes from liquid to thicker;
monocomponent complementary foods at 6 months is ideal for the first steps towards diversity in the diet;
porridge or mashed potatoes will be the most suitable option for feeding a baby;
the first complementary foods at 6 months should include products recommended by experts for a given age, portions should also correspond to the age of the baby;
in order to carry out complementary foods, you may have to re-give the same dish several times;
if the baby fundamentally refuses a certain product, go to the next one;
a gastronomic diary will help track the relationship between a certain product and the negative reaction of the body to it.

There are times when complementary foods are best postponed:

crumb disease;
if the baby's teeth are climbing, he has moodiness and the temperature rises;
during a period of travel, relocation or if you have recently changed your place of residence;
while the baby is getting used to new living conditions: a nanny or someone close to him is taking care of him, and his mother went to work;
when, after the first feeding, the child has an indigestion or allergy;
got vaccinated.

The main thing is to stick to the sequence. Mom does not need to rush, and cram too much new food into the crumbs. If the baby refuses to eat zucchini puree, you can offer him a different type of vegetable for feeding.

What kind of porridge to start complementary foods at 6 months

If, for some reason, the mother does not want to start giving the baby vegetables, then she can try to introduce porridge into the diet of a six-month-old baby first. This product is also best administered first when the baby is underweight. The consistency of cereals is somewhat thicker than the main food. But due to the taste, even in the absence of sugar and salt, the child gets used to them quickly. Such complementary foods for a child at 6 months have a number of features:

it is important to start introducing gluten-free cereals (buckwheat, rice);
porridge is boiled in water from one type of cereal;
for a child with frequent constipation, buckwheat and corn porridge are suitable;
if the baby has loose stools, then it is necessary to introduce rice porridge;

Only after getting used to it, you can try to offer the baby porridge cooked in milk. After all, the nutritional value of milk porridge is much higher due to the high content of protein, calcium, fat and vitamins. The scheme for introducing cereals coincides with feeding vegetable puree - at first 1 tsp is offered, and by the end of the weeks the volume rises to 150 ml.

Vegetable menu for complementary foods

According to pediatricians, vegetable feeding for babies should start with zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli or potatoes. Offer one type of vegetable puree throughout the week. At this time, observe the child, for his well-being and health. After that, you can proceed to the introduction of a new vegetable, and then to feeding with a combined vegetable puree. Give the baby food without salt. During this period, the child is happy to perceive food without seasonings. And over time, when he grows up, he learns about food diversity, it will be possible to season his dishes with vegetable or butter, add a little salt.

Dairy food at 6 months

If your baby normally tolerates milk protein of animal origin, then by 6-7 months you can diversify his menu with cottage cheese. Cook it yourself so that the baby gets a quality fermented milk product.

Meat puree for baby

When the baby is seven months old, you can gradually accustom him to meat food. Pediatricians advise starting with ready-made mashed meats, which can be purchased at baby food stores. Ideal for a child will be mashed turkey, chicken, rabbit or beef mashed potatoes.

Fruit dishes for babies

Juices and fruit purees are most often administered during the period of 7-8 months. Pears, a yellow or green apple are better suited for this purpose, and a little later offer the baby a banana, apricot, plum. When the child reaches eight months, you can try to give him strawberries and kiwi. If the child's diet already contains cottage cheese, then at 8 months you can combine it with fruit puree. Your child will love this dessert.

Fish food

Suitable only for babies who have reached the age of nine months. Fish dishes can cause allergies, so special care is required here. The first fish feeding should start from pollock, flounder or hake.

Finished products

Manufacturers of baby food create a variety of products designed for complementary foods. State control allows us to say with confidence that most companies produce high-quality and safe purees and cereals. The benefits of finished products include:

The composition and nutritional value, which corresponds to the age of the child, are indicated on the package.
The products used in production are carefully selected and tested for the presence of nitrates, pesticides, antibiotics and other hazardous substances.
Products are additionally saturated with vitamins, minerals, calcium and other useful components.

High-quality baby food allows parents to diversify their child's menu and introduce even non-seasonal or unaffordable products into complementary foods. In addition, a mother at home is unlikely to be able to achieve the required consistency of vegetable or fruit puree. It is better for her to take care of her beloved child and not be distracted by cooking.

Parents should understand that the first acquaintance with a new product can be spoiled by the reaction of the baby. And now we are not talking about allergies or indigestion. The baby may simply not like the taste of the proposed vegetable, and he will spit out the puree and will not want to open his mouth again. In this case, the mother should not be nervous and show her displeasure to the baby. You can try to leave him a plate of food and put a spoon in the handle. And even if the table for feeding and the child himself will be divorced from mashed potatoes, then the next time the baby will not react so negatively to the product.

Pediatricians and nutritionists recommend that nursing mothers start complementary foods from six months. By six months, the baby can already sit, the first teeth appear, and often he himself reaches for new food. The body, strengthened and adapted during this time, is ready for adult products.

You need to be very careful when starting to introduce adult food into the baby’s menu while breastfeeding and follow the recommendations of the expert. Otherwise, the child develops allergies, colic or diarrhea. Let's take a closer look at how to properly introduce complementary foods.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods

For a child who is breastfed, complementary foods should be introduced no earlier than 6 months after birth. For babies on artificial feeding - you can start as early as 4-5 months;
Pay attention to the child's behavior. If he is already sitting on his own, does not push away the spoon and reaches for food himself, you can start complementary foods;
Feed your baby with a teaspoon. Start with small portions of half to one spoon. Then every day increase the dosage as recommended;
Pay close attention to your child's well-being. If the baby has a negative reaction, then do not increase the dose or try giving food to a friend. If you do not feel better, then postpone the introduction of complementary foods for a while;
Don't force feed your baby! This will lead to a decrease in appetite. In addition, the baby in the future may refuse adult food for a long time;
Don't try two new foods at the same time. Let the baby first get used to the new product;
The first complementary foods during breastfeeding are arranged in the interval of 9-11 am after the first morning feeding with breast milk;
When you start complementary foods, don't stop breastfeeding! Gradually replace attachments with spoon-feeding;
At the first feeding, you can give vegetable purees and dairy products with a low fat content, which are designed specifically for feeding children;
Choose products carefully, view the date of manufacture and expiration date. Choose only ripe and fresh vegetables and fruits, or use frozen ones. Study the packaging carefully, as the nutrition for children indicates at what age it is suitable.

Where to start complementary foods: vegetables and dairy products

As we have determined, the first complementary foods can be started from the age of six months. But what foods to give the baby while breastfeeding? Most experts are sure that you should start with mashed vegetables. For the dish, choose one type of light-colored vegetable. It can be pumpkin, zucchini, potatoes, broccoli, etc. If the child does not have allergies, then carrots can also be used.

However, the well-known pediatrician and TV presenter Komarovsky recommends starting complementary foods with dairy products. For the first time, he advises giving children's low-fat kefir at a dosage of 10-20 grams. Portions are increased every day.

On the fourth or fifth day, 30 grams of cottage cheese with a fat content of up to 3-5% can be added to kefir. Cottage cheese must be crushed and mixed with kefir until smooth.

Vegetable puree is very different from the composition of breast milk. Therefore, according to Komarovsky, a sharp change in habitual nutrition can lead to severe indigestion. Dairy products are the most suitable in consistency. More details with the recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky can be found in the article “”.

However, keep in mind that cottage cheese is a heavy product for the body of an infant. Therefore, only low-fat cottage cheese should be given in small doses. By one year, the baby should consume no more than 50 grams of the product!

From the age of seven months, start giving fruit puree to the baby. For the dish, one type of soft-colored fruit is also chosen. Do not use citrus fruits, as they contain a strong allergen. Green apples are best. Well, if they are from their own garden. Such fruits do not contain pesticides and other chemicals.

Vegetable and fruit puree can also be bought at the store. Such jars are convenient in that the product is already ready for use. The composition of the puree is balanced and intended for a child of a certain age.

However, a dish prepared at home is more useful. You will be confident in the quality of the products and the date of manufacture. After the baby gets used to various vegetables and fruits, the types in mashed potatoes can be mixed.

It is up to each mother to choose which product to start introducing complementary foods with. If a child suddenly has an allergy or other ailment, the dish can always be replaced with another one. If you feel worse, stop increasing the dosage. With severe disorders, complementary foods need to be returned to the usual feeding for a while.

How and when to correctly introduce foods into the baby's menu while breastfeeding, will tell.

What is useful vegetable puree: cooking at home

To prepare puree for the first feeding, take a vegetable of one type. Rinse thoroughly and chop finely. Pour in a small amount of water so that it slightly covers the vegetables. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.

After the baby is used to new vegetables, you can mix several types. What vegetables can be eaten by the baby at the first dose, the table will tell.

Vegetable	Useful elements	Action	Peculiarities
Potato	Thiamine, potassium and phosphorus, beneficial amino acids	Removes excess fluid and salt from the body, improves metabolism	High-calorie product - contains 2-3 times more calories than other vegetables.
Cauliflower and broccoli	Vitamins C and group B, folic acid, a complete set of macronutrients (iron, zinc, etc.)	Ensures normal growth and development, prevents cancer, protects against viruses	The hypoallergenic product, unlike fresh cabbage, is easier to digest and does not cause bloating in the baby.
Pumpkin	Vitamins B, C and PP; potassium and copper	Ensures the work of the intestines and digestion, removes excess fluid from the body	Low-calorie product, but the keratins in the composition can cause allergies!
vegetable marrow	Vitamins B, C and E; sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc	Normalizes the work of the intestines, cleanses the body and removes toxins, activates the growth of the newborn	A dietary and hypoallergenic product, it will be an excellent substitute for beets in case of allergies to the latter.
Carrot	Vitamins A, B, C, E and PP	Improves the condition of the skin and hair, maintains visual acuity, strengthens the immune system, promotes bone growth	Beta-keratin in the composition can cause allergies!

When preparing mashed potatoes for six-month-old children, it is not recommended to use onions, beets, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers and white cabbage. Such vegetables can be introduced into the menu after 10-12 months.

Puree is started with ½ teaspoon and supplemented with breast milk or high-quality formula. The dose is gradually increased to 150-200 grams. This corresponds to the standard portion of one feeding. Double each dose as compared to the previous one. Do not forget to monitor the reaction of the baby!

What porridge to choose for the first feeding

From six months, babies are given porridge without milk. For cooking, use buckwheat or rice groats, which are more easily absorbed by the body and do not cause an allergic reaction.

To cook porridge on water for feeding, rice or buckwheat groats must be carefully sorted and ground. The crushed cereals are poured with cold water and boiled over low heat until tender.

For children under one year old, doctors do not recommend putting pure sugar and salt in dishes. To enhance the taste, you can use saline or sugar syrup. How to prepare a solution and syrup, read in. Many nursing mothers add breast milk to porridge.

Porridges on cow's milk begin to cook after eight months. Cow protein is a strong allergen that causes rashes, redness, and other negative reactions. Milk porridges are also cooked from buckwheat or rice groats. Sometimes they give oatmeal with good tolerance.

Semolina, millet and barley porridge are best given to babies from one year old. These cereals contain gluten. This vegetable protein is long and hard to digest in the body. It can lead to intestinal problems and allergies.

From seven months, butter can be added to porridge. Start with ⅛ teaspoon and gradually increase to 10-20 grams. Also, after one year, you can give multi-cereal cereals.

Cottage cheese for the first feeding: pros and cons

Pediatricians did not agree on whether or not to give cottage cheese as complementary foods for children at the age of six months. Many talk about an excess of calcium in the composition of the product and difficult absorption in the child's body. Therefore, it is recommended to use the product no earlier than 7-8 months.

Komarovsky argues that the amount of calcium in cottage cheese is only slightly greater in the composition of breast milk. In addition, the curd mass in small quantities will not harm the body. Therefore, he advises adding cottage cheese to kefir already in the first week of complementary foods.

Cottage cheese is a useful product for a child. It has a beneficial effect on the body and performs a number of important functions:

forms a bone skeleton and strengthens muscles;
improves memory and brain function;
strengthens the immune system, protects against infectious diseases;
improves bowel function;
stimulates growth and improves the condition of hair, teeth and nails.

Thus, in small quantities, cottage cheese can be added to kefir from six to seven months. In its pure form, it is better to introduce complementary foods after eight months. If you buy cottage cheese in a store, choose a fat content of less than 5%. but it's better to cook at home. Moreover, it will not be difficult. And with additives in the form of fruit after a year.

To cook cottage cheese at home, you need to heat the milk over low heat and add four tablespoons of sour cream. The mixture is thoroughly mixed, wrapped and left overnight.

The next day, the resulting mass is brought to a boil and then filtered through a sieve with gauze. By the way, the remaining whey is used to make delicious and satisfying pancakes.

Principles of cooking for the first complementary foods

When preparing meals for children, especially at the first feeding and under the age of one, certain principles must be followed. Then you can provide the baby with proper and tasty nutrition.

Vegetables, meat, let's only boiled or stewed;
Use the minimum amount of water to stew vegetables. The main thing is that she covers the products a little. Then the vegetables will retain their beneficial properties and get a rich taste;
The smaller the food, the easier the dish will digest the child's body. In addition, at the time of the eruption of the first teeth, the baby cannot chew on its own. Therefore, there should be a maximum rub;
Do not use sugar and salt. As mentioned earlier, natural supplements should be replaced with a salt solution and sugar syrup. And it is better to do without additives at all, so that the baby gets used to the natural taste of food;
Vegetable oil can be added to dishes. It will enhance the taste and will be beneficial for the child.
Olive and sunflower oil can be safely given to babies from six months. Start with 3-5 drops and gradually increase the dosage to one teaspoon;
Prepare food for only one meal, because the products should be as fresh as possible and retain their beneficial properties.

For more information on what foods and when you can use a baby while breastfeeding, the table in the article will tell. In addition, from the article you will learn recipes for delicious and healthy dishes for a child.

In this article we will talk about the transition of the baby from baby food to adult food. This transition is called weaning. The first complementary foods during breastfeeding are recommended to be introduced from six months, because until this age the baby has enough of those nutrients that he receives with mother's milk. For formula-fed babies, it is better to do this earlier, at 4-4.5 months. Many mothers are interested in a scheme from 6 months to introduce a new product. Options may vary depending on the weight, health and behavior of the baby. So where to start?

Why can't we introduce complementary foods before 6 months? Some parents think that if the baby is not eating well at 2-3 months of age, then it is urgent to introduce complementary foods, at least a couple of spoons of mashed potatoes or a small amount of juice. But such an intention can only harm the health of the child. In the future, health problems such as:

diathesis;
allergy;
development of obesity;
indigestion.

But late feeding is dangerous:

lack of vitamins;
the risk of anemia, malnutrition.

So how do you start weaning? How to introduce complementary foods correctly? What to feed a child? The baby's stomach until the sixth month is not ready to receive heavier food than breast milk. Each child is unique, so the start time is different for everyone. Perhaps at five months someone is ready for a new food, and someone only at nine. It is best to consult a doctor and observe the baby yourself. But at 6 months, the baby already knows how to swallow. But first of all, you need to pay attention to such factors:

sits well enough, no longer burps;
there is the ability to stretch the lower lip forward to take food from a spoon;
can turn his head, demonstrating refusal to eat;
the child's tongue does not make reflex extrusion movements;
adult food is very interesting to the baby;
more often asks for milk;
doubles the weight
the child is healthy, active and mobile.

However, our grandmothers strive to give the baby early new food. Starting from early infancy, they diligently try to achieve this. But such an early introduction will not lead to anything good. Make sure you have a schedule. We recommend feeding your child five grams a day, increasing the dose per week to 100-150 grams.

Feeding principles:

Complementary foods from 6 months on breastfeeding should be liquid and warm. Cooking in a double boiler will retain nutrients in the product.
feed before dinner;
give new ingredients on an empty stomach. Then fix the dinner with milk;
the next ingredient should be taken after adapting to the previous one;
change the feeding regimen, take a break between meals for four hours.

Moms have questions about the type of product being introduced. Which comes first: cauliflower, broccoli or an apple? When to give water? What to give at 6 months while breastfeeding? For advice, you need to go to the pediatrician and, based on his observations, develop your own formula for complementary foods. And also pay attention to the reaction of the child's body when feeding. In case of irritation, redness, you should immediately stop feeding this product.

What is the first menu

How to introduce complementary foods? The choice of the first menu depends on the individual preferences of the baby's body. The feeding schedule from 6 months is varied. There are two options for feeding new baby food. The first is gluten-free, dairy-free cereals, which include buckwheat, corn, rice. The second option is vegetable purees. If the baby is overweight and has constipation, then, of course, it is better to start with vegetable puree. If a child gains little weight, then definitely from cereals, because they have more calories than 100 grams of liquid milk. You can’t mix products so that later you don’t look for the cause of an allergy or malaise.

Complementary foods for a 6 month old baby can be created in various ways. If your choice fell on vegetable purees, then choose cauliflower or broccoli. Then continue to add other vegetables: carrots, potatoes, zucchini. Do not add sugar or salt to the puree. For babies, this will be an early test, it is better to add a drop of vegetable oil or half of the yolk, again starting with small doses (a drop or five grams of the product will be enough). Vegetable broths will be useful, meat broths are too early for children's kidneys.

The most delicious and healthy 6-month-old baby will be cooking soups. Vegetables are chopped in a blender and served on the table. In this form, all vitamins and nutrients will be preserved. As for the preparation of cereals, they are also “destroyed” in a blender, after which they are boiled in water or breast milk, you can add a drop of vegetable oil. And dinner is ready to eat.

The scheme for the introduction of complementary foods for children who are breastfed or artificially fed can be varied.

Let's look at one of them in the tables:

Feeding table.

days	Norm
The first	5 gr
Second	10 gr
Third	20 gr
Fourth	40 gr
Fifth	80 gr
Sixth	115 gr
Seventh	140 gr
Eighth	5 gr
Ninth	10 gr

If a 6-month-old baby is not satisfied with the food you offer him, do not insist. So that's enough for him. Potatoes are best introduced at eight months of age because they are much harder to digest in the young GI tract than breastfeeding.

How to introduce porridge

You can start introducing complementary foods to your baby in the form of porridge at the age of 7 months. It is too early to give cow or goat milk, as there is a risk of intestinal diseases. Gluten in cow's milk can cause gastrointestinal disease (celiac disease). You can make porridge on your own on the water or buy it ready-made in a store, pharmacy, but be sure to be dairy-free and gluten-free. After that, carefully monitor how the body reacts to this product, whether there are any allergies, constipation. Only after good assimilation can you continue to feed with another species. It is important to know that an allergic manifestation is formed after an increase in the volume of the product. Therefore, you need to introduce the first complementary foods carefully, observing every week the reaction of the body, the growth of the child.

Complementary foods at 8 months

At eight months, the baby is ready to eat potatoes, meat, yolk. It is better to give potatoes a little later, because they are very allergenic. It is better to start with five grams, increasing the dose to 150 grams by the end of the week. A drop of butter will not harm a young body. As for the yolk, it is best to feed quail. Quail yolks are considered healthier and less allergenic. On the first day, give a couple of crumbs, on the second - ½ halves, then half and ½. And the easiest way to interfere with it in breast milk. From meat puree, it is preferable to give turkey or chicken first, these products are easier to digest. Then veal (by nine months), and pork the later, the better (1–1.5 years). Everything is introduced according to the same scheme, the amount does not change - from 5 grams to 150. If the baby refuses meat puree, add the usual product for feeding the child - broccoli, carrots.

We advise you to use an easy meatball recipe for making daily fresh soups. Grind the meat without any additives in a meat grinder, then make balls and send it to the freezer. If necessary, we take it out of the freeze, steam it together with vegetables and grind it in a blender. Such balls will not stick together in the future.

Complementary foods at 9 months of age

During this period, you can carefully introduce fermented milk products and cottage cheese. We buy cottage cheese without additives and fruits, fillers, it is better to let it be children's cottage cheese Tyoma or Agusha. We also start with 5 grams and bring to a portion of 50 grams by the end of the year. Grainy cottage cheese is better not to take. As for kefir, it is better to give it two hours before bedtime in a volume of 5-10 ml. Kefir must be unflavoured. Introduce in portions the same as cottage cheese, and by the year increase the dose to 200 ml. If the baby was fed with kefir, and he refuses to drink it, do not be discouraged. Some mothers try to add sugar to this drink, which is not recommended. It is worth postponing this event for a week, then try again. If the child doesn't want to, don't worry. Some kids will never eat it, and they will develop no worse than their peers.

Complementary foods at 10 months of age

Some babies have teeth by 10 months and can safely be given a piece of fruit. The best complementary food is an apple or, alternatively, applesauce. We also start with half a spoon, bringing the portion to 150 gr. Sometimes mothers give their baby fruit puree for complementary foods from the age of 6 months, but this is not necessary, because the beneficial trace elements contained in it are found in breast milk or in dry formula. Fruit, as a source of nutrition, is a treat that irritates the gastric mucosa. Store-bought juices are especially useless. Now pediatricians recommend giving juices after the introduction of the main complementary foods, that is, not earlier than 7 months. In general, juices are a heavy product for the digestive tract, as they contain a lot of acid, vitamin C and sugar. As for drinking, from the age of seven months it is preferable to give herbal tea or water.

Complementary feeding problems

What problems can arise when introducing a new food? This is an allergic reaction, constipation, or, conversely, diarrhea. The kid becomes capricious, he is disturbed by colic in the stomach. To avoid recurrence, stop taking the new product for a period of 1-2 months. In the future, take a new product after consulting your pediatrician. Monitor your baby's health. If the baby is active, healthy, but after a few months does not eat complementary foods, do not worry, the child's body knows better what is suitable for him. Perhaps the enzyme system has not yet formed. Therefore, do not feed the child at 6 months, but give it a break and try again.

Often mothers argue which is better: food in jars or freshly prepared. There is no consensus. Both sides are right to some extent. Canned nutrition was invented to save maternal time and give mom a break, but for this you need to check:

expiration date on banks;
composition (there should be no additives, salt, sweeteners).

What is best not to give kids under a year:

juices (the acids contained in them only irritate the mucous membrane, but there is no effect from them);
cereals with glutagen;
fresh vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes);
chocolate, waffles;
cow's, goat's milk or any dairy product;
overseas fruits.

Mom needs to remember the rules of complementary foods:

correctly and evenly begin to accustom to new food, since then this "hurriedness" can adversely affect the health of the child;
it is advisable to start giving water from the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods so that the baby does not have constipation;
monitor the condition of the skin and the reaction from the abdomen;
do not schedule vaccinations;
start with a one teaspoon serving;
it is recommended to start complementary foods with ready-made baby food;
spices, salt, sugar should not be given to a child at such a young age. For us, not a salty zucchini will seem like a terrible meal, but for a baby it will be an excellent delicacy and healthy. The kidneys of a little man are not ready for such a load;
feeding a child is adding missing vitamins and microelements to the baby’s diet, but not pampering, so “do not reinvent the wheel”, but once again consult with a specialist;
if the child is against your proposed product, do not insist, but give in and take a break.

Summary

Mother's milk is undoubtedly the best source of nutrition for an infant. However, liquid food has a certain concentration of energy, where there is a certain number of calories. The thicker the food, the higher its energy content. For the health of the baby, it is necessary to start complementary foods at 6 months, and for "artists" from four to five months. Mothers who start to give complementary foods earlier are “fundamentally” wrong. The child's stomach is not yet ready to digest such heavy food. It seems to you that it is possible to fill the baby’s body with useful substances and vitamins in this way, but in fact it will be harmful. New food is introduced in small portions, one teaspoon each. The break between meals becomes longer, about 4 hours. It is important to observe the feeding regimen of the child and consult with the pediatrician about where to start and on other issues of interest.

Follow the simple rules of the first complementary foods during breastfeeding, the scheme from 6 months of which is discussed in this article, and you will succeed. Do not forget that your positive attitude is transmitted to the baby.

A six-month-old baby often shows interest in adult food, which his body begins to need. From the table, parents will learn how to properly feed a child for 6 months. A correct change in diet will allow you to switch to new dishes without disturbing digestion.

Specialists of the online store "Daughters-Sonochki" will introduce the range of baby food used as complementary foods.

Detailed scheme for the introduction of complementary foods from 6 months

Before starting feeding, it is important to know what food and in what portions can be given to the baby in the first days. The scheme for introducing complementary foods from 6 months is designed for 7-10 days and implies that the child consumes half or one teaspoon of additional food. This is the portion for the first day. The main dish of complementary foods should be milk porridge, vegetable or fruit puree.

Complementary feeding schedule from 6 months. The first complementary foods are signed by day throughout the week. Each day of the week has its own portion:

breakfast of the first day - 2.5-5 g (up to 1 tsp);
breakfast of the second day - 10 g (2 tsp);
breakfast of the third day - 15-20 g (3-4 tsp);
lunch of the fourth day - 20-30 g (4-6 tsp);
lunch of the fifth day - 50-75 g (10-15 tsp);
lunch of the sixth day - 100-120 g (10-12 dessert spoons);
seventh day lunch - 150-160 g (15-16 dessert spoons).

Important!

The scheme of feeding a child at 6 months provides for the gradual introduction of new foods of a thick consistency (without pieces). It is better to start complementary feeding before the first, second or third main feeding with breast milk or formula. In the afternoon there will be time to follow the reaction of the baby's body to a new product.

We introduce complementary foods at 6 months. Table in grams

From the second week of successful feeding, a portion of corn, buckwheat, rice milk porridge or mashed marrow, cauliflower, pumpkin should be 150-160 g per day. The complementary feeding scheme looks optimal from 6 months, when the table includes low-fat cottage cheese and vegetable or butter that are useful for the formation of bone and muscle tissues. In the main dish (porridge, mashed potatoes), you can add no more than 4 g of oil.

The complementary feeding table from 6 months is designed with the introduction of exclusively one-component dishes and products into it. This means that six-month-old babies are not recommended to prepare food from several ingredients at once, since it will be difficult to determine the allergenic component.

Important!

The feeding table from 6 months includes few foods and dishes, and the portions in the first week are very small. However, half a month after the start of complementary foods, the daily amount of additional food is enough to replace one day's feeding.

Complementary foods from 6 months. Menu in the table

For a six-month-old child with underweight, the main dish of complementary foods should be milk porridge made from buckwheat or corn. It is porridge that will contribute to the rapid weight gain. The table of the first complementary foods from 6 months also includes mashed potatoes from anti-allergenic green vegetables. This dish is recommended for children with stool problems.

In our online store you can choose healthy complementary foods for six-month-old babies: vegetable purees (“Grandma’s basket” of broccoli, Hipp zucchini with potatoes), fruit purees (“Agusha” apple-banana, apple-cottage cheese, “FrutoNyanya” apple-apricot with
cream, apple-pear with cream), various cereals (Heinz, Fleur Alpine Organic, "Malyutka") and other dishes.

When preparing food for complementary foods, it is impossible to:

the dish contained food additives (spices, salt, sugar, thickeners);
the food had a non-puree-like consistency;
gluten cereals (barley, rye, wheat) were used.

conclusions

The feeding scheme for a baby from 6 months is based on the gradual introduction of new products into the diet for 10 days. The initial dosage is 2.5-5 g of porridge or puree with a daily increase in the daily volume of food by 1.5-2 times. After the second week of problem-free complementary feeding, one feeding can be replaced with complementary foods.

The table of introduction of complementary foods from 6 months contains foods and dishes that are extremely useful for the development of the child. Before entering them into the menu, you need to consult with a pediatrician to get additional recommendations on the nutrition of your particular baby.