Features of introducing complementary foods to a baby while breastfeeding

The need to introduce complementary feeding among modern mothers has long been beyond any doubt. Pediatricians, pediatric nutritionists and other certified specialists unanimously say that at a certain point, both mother’s milk and formula become insufficient to satisfy the growing needs of the child’s body for useful microelements and vitamins. Then it’s time to introduce complementary foods. The fact that your baby is ready to gain new experiences and try tastes that are still unknown to him is indicated by the presence of the following signs: • doubling the child’s initial weight, • the ability to sit with support, • the baby does not push food out of his mouth, • curiosity and the desire to try something from the common table.

Signs of malnutrition in a child, a constant feeling of hunger and associated anxiety, and weight loss can also serve as important signals for starting complementary feeding. In these cases, it is recommended to immediately contact a specialist and share your observations with him.

Choosing the type of complementary food that is best

Let's figure out how the two main directions in complementary feeding differ from each other: pedagogical and pediatric.

• Pediatric complementary foods are the most common and recommended by pediatricians. According to this method, the baby is offered special baby food, the first complementary foods are introduced according to the scheme, the order in which the products are introduced is important. However, it is not recommended to abruptly replace breast milk with complementary foods. It is recommended to introduce complementary foods from 4 to 6 months; the child is not entertained while eating and is not forced to eat.
• Pedagogical (or natural) complementary feeding for infants is called so because this approach is based on the desire to arouse a child’s interest in food, form healthy eating behavior, and teach him how to behave at the table. Within the framework of this technique, there are no longer any special feeding schemes.

Many feeding consultants recommend a combination of these two approaches. We will talk about pediatric complementary feeding.

How to replace feedings with complementary foods?

There have been no rigorous studies on this topic, so it cannot be said that one technique is definitely better than another. Many doctors recommend giving complementary foods first, and then breast milk or formula, so that the child does not have time to get enough and is more willing to eat unusual purees.

However, sometimes it is advised to first give breastfeeding or a bottle so that the child is tuned in to eating, and not playing with it, then give complementary foods, then supplement with liquid nutrition. Maybe it will be more convenient for someone to do this at first, and when the child gets used to eating from a spoon, move on to the first option.

When to introduce complementary foods

According to the recommendations of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods in the range of 4–6 months. At this time, the growing body requires more and more vitamins and minerals every week, and later introduction of complementary foods can cause a pronounced deficiency of some micronutrients. In addition, the enzyme system of the child’s gastrointestinal tract is already ready to accept new food, and he himself begins to demonstrate interest in food.

Our grandmothers said that a child is ready for solid food when he can loudly tap a tooth with a spoon.

But it is important to remember the following:

• during the period of teething, the baby is busy with his sensations and his interest in food is reduced;
• Complementary feeding cannot be introduced until 4 months, because the baby’s body is not capable of digesting food other than breast milk or formula;
• You should not introduce complementary foods later than 6 months to prevent a lack of nutrients in the child’s diet;
• Complementary foods should be introduced after consultation with a pediatrician.

What should new parents remember?

There are simple rules that allow you to carry out the first complementary feeding without complications. Young parents should remember them:

• Assess the child's physical condition. He must be able to sit alone or with support. Also, the baby should not push the spoon with food out of his mouth. The child must have an interest in food.
• Introduce new foods only during the day. It is best to do this in the first half of the day. This way you will be able to notice signs of allergy development in time.
• Give only simple foods. For the first time, purees and porridges consisting of only one ingredient, for example, broccoli or zucchini puree, are suitable. There should be no other impurities.
• Start with the smallest portion. For the first time, a portion the size of half a teaspoon is enough. The child will be able to appreciate the taste of the new product, and you will be able to monitor its condition. The serving size should be increased gradually over the course of a week, bringing it to 30-40 grams.

It is very important that the child is completely healthy before starting complementary feeding. You should not introduce your baby to new foods if he has signs of illness, has suffered serious stress, or has been vaccinated.

General rules for introducing complementary foods by timing

• From 4 to 6 months, vegetable puree is introduced. If a child has insufficient weight gain or frequent bowel movements, then it is better to start introducing complementary foods with gluten-free, dairy-free porridge.
• There is no need to start the first feeding with fruits and juices: having become familiar with sweet tastes, the baby may lose interest in vegetable and any other ones.
• The second complementary feeding should be offered to the child 3 to 4 weeks after the first.
• The same amount of time should pass before you offer your baby a third complementary food.
• Here's how to introduce basic foods into your diet: porridge, then vegetables and meat; porridge, then meat and vegetables; vegetables, then porridge and meat; vegetables, then meat and porridge.
• Of course, during the introduction of complementary feeding to the newborn, you need to continue breastfeeding; it still comes first.
• The baby can try fruits and juices after the first or second feeding - but only as a treat, and not as a main meal.
• It is advisable to offer the egg yolk to the baby when he is almost a year old.
• Adapted fermented milk mixtures are a “baby” version of kefir; they can be given to a baby at 9 months.
• When your child is 8–9 months old, you can give him 3 servings of complementary foods per day, and the total weight of “adult food” at this age is 400–600 g per day.

Features of introducing complementary foods

In the recommendations of Russian pediatricians [4], there are no differences regarding the introduction of complementary foods for bottle-fed and breastfed children. When breastfeeding, the mother should continue to breastfeed the baby according to the same pattern, but in the intervals between main feedings, offer the baby new foods as complementary foods. The same applies to formula milk - for “artificial babies”, milk nutrition should remain the main source of energy, fluid and nutrients. Complementary foods provide only additional nutrients and help the child’s body gradually adapt to adult food.

What features need to be taken into account when creating a “new menu” (according to ESPGHAN recommendations) [1]:

• Offer your baby foods with different tastes, aromas, and textures;
• cow's milk should not be the main food product for children in the first year of life - it contains too little iron;
• whole milk can be added to other children's dishes in small quantities
• give preference to products with a sufficient amount of iron in their composition (meat puree, milk formula);
• Do not add salt or sugar to ready-made children's dishes - let the baby get used to the natural taste of healthy food.

For children with functional digestive disorders, pediatricians recommend later introduction of juices. They contain large amounts of organic acids, which irritate the gastric mucosa and can aggravate eating disorders [6]. In the case of sweet dishes, it is better to give the baby breastfeeding (or formula) first, and then offer complementary foods. If you use an unsweetened product as complementary food, you can start giving it before breastfeeding.

Home cooking or industrial products?

Industrially produced porridges and purees provide a 100% guarantee that the products have passed all stages of testing and are safe for children. You can be sure that they do not contain heavy metal salts or pesticides, not to mention nitrates or GMOs. Therefore, porridges are great for first feeding. But purees that are prepared at home may contain harmful impurities, even if the original vegetables and fruits were grown independently.

Trust only verified ones. From the “First Spoon” range of products you can choose delicious and healthy dishes - in accordance with the baby’s age and his preferences.

What do you need to know to create the right menu?

Proper complementary feeding and following nutritional recommendations for children can help you avoid many mistakes and problems in the future. When creating a menu, pediatricians recommend adhering to the following rules:

• The child should have five meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, second breakfast and afternoon snack.
• During one feeding, the baby should eat 200-300 grams of food. However, you cannot feed a child against his will, even if the portion was not eaten.
• It is very important to organize a proper drinking regime. Before a year, a baby should drink a liter of water, after a year - about one and a half liters a day. However, do not forget to take into account the individual characteristics of the child’s body.
• The menu should be varied. Include vegetables and fruits at every main meal.
• Remember that meals must be nutritious enough to cover the body's needs for the necessary elements.
• A child should drink 450 ml of milk and fermented milk drinks per day.
• Porridge and cereal dishes should not be given more than once a day.
• Give bread no more than a couple times a day.
• Meat dishes are given 1-2 times a day. Their total volume per day is 70 grams. Fish dishes are given no more than 2-3 times a week in a total amount of 200 grams.
• During the week you can give 2-3 eggs, but no more.
• The consistency of the dishes must fully correspond to the physiological characteristics of the child’s development.
• Remember that sweet juices and compotes are not suitable for quenching thirst.

It is very important to understand that the menu is compiled individually for each child. Serving sizes may vary depending on the physiological characteristics of the body. The standard serving is 200 grams. The baby should eat this amount of food at one time. This includes both purees and milk.

A properly structured diet is the key to good health for your child. If you have difficulty creating a menu or don’t know what products to use for your first complementary foods, be sure to consult with your pediatrician. Always take into account the individual developmental characteristics of your baby.

You will learn more about feeding your baby, as well as much more, by enrolling in our school for expectant mothers.

Introducing vegetables (complementary feeding from vegetables)

What and in what order to introduce complementary foods will be advised by your pediatrician, who knows everything about the development and health of your child and has sufficient experience to make recommendations.

Most often, children's nutritionists and pediatricians recommend vegetable purees or cereals as the very first complementary foods. At the age of about 4 – 6 months, the baby’s body is already ready to accept the first pureed food and get acquainted with new tastes. Therefore, vegetables, the purees of which are least likely to cause allergies in infants, are traditionally considered the first “adult food” for babies. What kind of vegetables are these?

The very first “test” products for breastfed babies in our latitudes are traditionally considered to be hypoallergenic zucchini and cauliflower, and then broccoli and pumpkin. Your baby should be given zucchini complementary foods no earlier than 4 months, exclusively in the form of a completely homogenized puree, that is, without pieces.

Safety comes first!

The ingredients used in the preparation of industrial baby purees are grown on the territory of specialized farms in environmentally safe places and undergo multi-stage testing, so such purees are the safest for children.

The introduction of complementary foods is an important step in the development of a child, a serious stage in growing up. Children's vegetable purees "Agusha" have been thoroughly tested and are prepared in compliance with all safety rules - they introduce the baby to new tastes and help smoothly transition to new foods.

How much puree to give your baby:

First of all, it is worth determining whether the baby is allergic to the selected product. Therefore, the first purees are given in the afternoon, after morning breastfeeding.

• The baby is first offered very small portions - from 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per day.
• Over the course of a week, the amount of puree is increased to approximately 7 teaspoons per day. Of course, only if the little gourmet liked this dish and the little one was not allergic to it!
• Again, to avoid allergies, the little taster should try no more than one vegetable puree per week. At the same time, no matter how much a young mother would like to experiment with flavors, the first purees should be monocomponent, that is, consist of one ingredient.
• Purees should under no circumstances contain salt or sugar—such products should not be included in the diet for at least a year.

Only after your baby has approved all the main types of “safe” vegetables can you start mixing them. If one of the products is clearly rejected by the child, it is worth remembering about it in about a month: perhaps the grown-up child will reconsider his attitude towards the previously “rejected” vegetable. In addition, your baby simply might not like the presentation form or the amount of puree, so try again!

What do we introduce after the first vegetables:

After the main vegetables for baby food, potatoes and white cabbage are considered (be careful when introducing these products into your diet if you have colic and bloating!), as well as carrots.

Vegetables that can cause allergies (sometimes severe) in children traditionally include tomatoes, vegetables of bright colors, including bright orange pumpkin, carrots, celery, beets, and green peppers. They should be given to children carefully, completely excluded from the list of first foods if there have been cases of allergies to this product in the family.

“Pediatric” and “pedagogical” complementary foods

The method of introducing complementary foods is called pedagogical, when the child is given very small pieces of food from the common table, when the whole family eats. It is often contrasted with pediatric, when a child is specially placed in a high chair and they try to somehow make him eat the amount of a certain food written in a special table.

In fact, there is no opposition between these two types of complementary foods, and there are no clear boundaries between them. No modern pediatrician requires a child to eat strictly 150 g of broccoli in one feeding.

When teaching complementary feeding, the parent needs to eat foods that can be given to children (it is not recommended to add sugar and salt to complementary foods, and this may not be very tasty), and also take into account that the child may choke on hard pieces.

We introduce complementary foods from porridge

Porridge is traditionally introduced as complementary food after your baby has already become familiar with vegetables. This usually occurs within a period of about six months and not earlier than 4 months. Complementary food for a bottle-fed or mixed-fed baby may consist of porridge a little earlier than for infants.

Which porridge should I start complementary feeding with? The fact is that the main protein of cereals, gluten, can cause severe allergies and unpleasant phenomena such as pain and bloating in children.

So you need to start with gluten-free grains: rice and corn grits. Buckwheat porridge is also very suitable for complementary feeding.

• Start with one type of cereal and then gradually, a week after introducing the first porridge, offer your baby a new one; even later you can switch to a mixture of cereals.
• Preference should be given to industrially produced cereals - as they meet high safety standards, are made from proven raw materials and have the right consistency, ideal for a small body.
• Try starting with dairy-free porridge prepared with water or breast milk (and for bottle-fed babies, with the formula you usually feed them).
• Complementary feeding and constipation. If a child is prone to constipation, it is better to avoid rice porridges, giving preference to buckwheat or corn porridges. Milk-free porridges are suitable for children with lactose intolerance or allergies.

You should start giving porridge with small quantities - literally from half a teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume to 100 g per week. Moreover, first introduce one type of porridge and after about a week or two, move on to another.

First, offer your baby monoporridge and only then - porridge with several components or with additives. It should be taken into account that millet, oats, barley and semolina contain gluten, which means they can be given as complementary foods later than other cereals.

How to quickly introduce new types of products?

There is no need to give your baby several types of new foods at once. He is not fasting in any case, and it is wise to take a few days off (3 days is most often recommended) before the next food.

First, they give a very small amount of food (about half a spoon). If everything is in order, you can gradually increase the portion. Up to how many grams? To a small children's bowl. There is absolutely no need to weigh the portion on a scale. All the same, the child should be given as much as he willingly agrees to eat.

It makes sense to postpone the introduction of a new product for several days if the child is sick or some significant change is expected (for example, a change in formula or place of residence). Then it will be easier to understand the reason for the possible reaction.

Add fruit puree

After the child has tried vegetables and cereals, he can get acquainted with fruit purees. The baby may like this taste so much that he will begin to refuse the dishes that he ate before. To avoid this, you can start by adding just a little fruit puree to your porridge or vegetables.

• First, babies are given apple and pear puree, because they are rarely allergic to them. Then you can offer your child peach, apricot and plum.
• Do not mix different tastes; let the baby try them one by one.
• If mom prepares puree at home, then there is no need to add sugar: baked fruits are already sweet enough.

Porridge or puree? Where is the best place to start?

There is no exact answer to this question. You have the right to start as you wish, taking into account a number of recommendations:

• When introducing complementary foods, it is easier for babies to get used to vegetables first, since they are the most bland product;
• It is recommended to start with vegetable purees for children who have problems with excess weight, with anemia, rickets, frequent constipation and colic;
• Porridge is considered a heavier food for a baby’s developing digestive system;
• Pediatricians advise children who are underweight and predisposed to allergies to start introducing cereal into their diet;

Introducing fruit juices

Juices are offered to babies aged 6 – 12 months. As the very first new taste, it is recommended to give babies one-ingredient green apple juice without pulp. This juice is usually the least allergenic. Children's nutritionists advise starting with industrially produced juices, since both the ingredients themselves and the production process of these products undergo very strict testing. The above applies to Agusha juices and compotes, created from selected natural ingredients. They contain useful minerals (such as potassium), dietary fiber (in purees and juices with pulp), which will be a valuable addition to the daily diet of the baby and mother.

The right amount.

The baby should be given apple juice to try after morning feeding, one teaspoon at a time. If the little gourmet responded well to his first “adult” drink, the next day you can give the baby one more spoon of juice. During the second week, the volume of juice can be increased to 30 g per day, and the number of doses - up to 2 - 3 per day. By 12 months, a child’s daily diet may contain about 100 g of the drink.

It is safest to start introducing juices into a child's diet with apple juice. It has been clinically proven that clarified apple juice "Agusha" is a hypoallergenic drink. The entire line of Agusha products. The first spoon" was created specifically for the first feeding. They are made from natural ingredients and undergo strict quality control, so you can be confident in choosing the right first food for your baby.

• 2 - 3 weeks after apple juice, the child can be given other one-component juices without pulp: pear, banana, peach, apricot, plum, pumpkin. These products should not contain sugar, which is not recommended for infant nutrition. If the baby accepts the new product well, then his menu can be diversified with juices from cherries and black currants.
• After another 2 - 3 weeks, you can introduce juices from several ingredients: apple - pear, apple - pumpkin, apple - apricot, etc. Juices with pulp - apple, apricot, peach, plum - contain dietary fiber and are able to participate in maintaining bowel function. Kids love their thick and rich taste!
• Be careful with juices from fruits, vegetables and allergenic berries: strawberries, citrus fruits, raspberries, tomatoes - they are introduced into the diet of children no earlier than one year. If after drinking any juice the baby has an allergic reaction (diathesis, rash, urticaria), then it should be immediately excluded from the diet.

Home > Information for parents > Advice for parents > Diets for different age periods

Introduction of complementary foods

How to feed a child correctly is one of the first and most pressing questions that worries parents. Of course, breast milk is the best nutrition for a child from the first days of life. However, as the baby grows and develops, only breast milk becomes insufficient for him and it is necessary to expand his diet. Where to start introducing your baby to new products? At what time, in what form and in what quantity should they be offered? These questions often bother parents. In this section we have tried to answer all your questions. If you don't find the answer to your question, write to us, we will be happy to help you figure it out.

Your baby is already 4 months old. He has grown noticeably, become more active, is interested in objects that come into his field of vision, looks at them carefully and reaches out to them. The child’s emotional reactions have become much richer: he smiles joyfully at all people and makes various sounds. Are you still breastfeeding your baby or have you had to switch to mixed or bottle feeding? The child is actively growing, only now he can no longer always get all the necessary nutrients with breast milk or infant formula. This means that it is time to think about complementary feeding.

According to the Program for Optimizing the Feeding of Children in the First Year of Life in the Russian Federation (2019), the recommended age for introducing complementary foods is in the range from 4 to 6 months. However, specific deadlines are set taking into account the individual characteristics of the child. Before 4 months of life, a child is not yet ready to absorb food other than breast milk or infant formula. By this age, a number of digestive enzymes mature, a sufficient level of local immunity is formed, which reduces the risk of developing allergic reactions, the child acquires the ability to swallow semi-liquid and thicker food, which is due to the extinction of the “spoon pushing reflex.” The introduction of complementary foods after 6 months can cause a pronounced deficiency of micronutrients (iron, zinc, etc.) and lead to a delay in the formation of chewing skills for thick foods. The need to quickly introduce a variety of foods, as well as starting their introduction too late, increases the risk of developing allergic reactions.

When introducing complementary foods, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

⁃ determine the baby’s readiness: the child tries to sit (on his own or with support), the “pushing” reflex should fade away - when the baby pushes the offered food, a pacifier, etc. out of his mouth, whether there is food interest; ⁃ introduce a new product in the first half of the day to track possible reactions to it;

- porridges, vegetable and fruit purees should be introduced starting with monocomponent products, gradually adding other products of this group;

⁃ start giving a new product with 1/2 teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume over the course of a week;

- at the beginning of complementary feeding, the volume of one serving should be no more than 30-40 grams;

— new products are not recommended to be introduced during acute infectious diseases, before and after preventive vaccinations (within 3-5 days) or at some special moments (moving to another apartment, going out of town, on vacation, illness of parents, etc.) .d.).

Diet for a 4-6 month old baby

What is the best way to start complementary feeding? The first complementary food product can be either vegetable puree or porridge. If nothing worries you about your child’s condition, the choice is yours! But if your baby has growth and developmental characteristics, your pediatrician will help you decide where to start complementary feeding. For example, it is recommended to start with vegetables if the child is prone to constipation or is gaining weight too quickly.

With the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods, the child is gradually transferred to a 5-time feeding regimen. Night feedings end before the introduction of complementary foods. Spoon feeding should be done patiently and carefully. If your child shows that he is full and no longer wants to eat (for example, by leaning back or turning away from food), then you should not continue to force feed him, because this can lead to excess weight gain and eating disorders in the future. You should also not force your child to eat as much as possible before bed in the hope that he will not wake up for night feedings.

When introducing a new type of complementary food, try one product first, gradually increasing its quantity, and then “dilute” this product with a new one. For example, you can start vegetable complementary feeding with a teaspoon of zucchini puree. For a week, give your baby only this product, gradually increasing its volume. After a week, add a teaspoon of broccoli or cauliflower puree to the zucchini puree and continue to increase the total volume every day. The portion must correspond to the age norm. Over time, you can add new vegetables faster.

After introducing one vegetable (bringing its volume to the required amount), you can proceed to introducing porridge, and diversify the vegetable diet later. If the child does not like the dish, for example, broccoli, do not give up on your plan and continue to offer this vegetable in small quantities 1-2 teaspoons daily, maybe not just once, but 2-3 times before meals, and after a while (7 -15 days) the baby will get used to the new taste. This will diversify the diet and help the child form the right taste habits.

As for porridges, you should start with dairy-free, gluten-free ones - buckwheat, corn, rice. At the same time, it is important to use commercially produced baby food porridge, which is enriched, first of all, with iron. In addition, this porridge is already ready to eat; you just need to dilute it with breast milk, the formula that the baby receives, or water. Please note that porridge diluted with water does not provide the full nutritional value of the diet; consult a pediatrician for nutritional correction.

It is also recommended to add vegetable oil to vegetable puree, and butter to porridge.

The following complementary foods are meat and fruit purees.

The most preferred meat products for starting complementary feeding are turkey and rabbit purees. Meat puree contains iron, which is easily absorbed, and adding meat to vegetables improves the absorption of this micronutrient from them. Meat should be introduced into a child’s diet at the age of 6 months. Daily consumption of children's fortified porridge and meat puree allows you to meet your babies' needs for iron, zinc and other micronutrients.

Fruit puree can be administered to a child in the first half of life: for constipation, when the introduction of vegetable puree with vegetable oil did not have the desired effect, as well as for children with malnutrition and decreased appetite, adding it to porridge to improve their taste. At the same time, fruit puree should not be the first complementary food product. It is optimal to prescribe it in the second half of the child’s life, after the introduction of meat puree. When introducing fruit purees into your diet, it is recommended to start with apple or pear.

Recommendations and timing of introducing complementary foods to children at risk of developing food allergies and those suffering from food allergies are the same as for healthy children. In all cases, complementary feeding is introduced slowly and begins with hypoallergenic foods. The most common highly allergenic foods include: cow's milk (whole cow's milk is not recommended for children under one year of age due to the high risk of iron deficiency and increased stress on the kidneys), chicken eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, nuts, shellfish and fish. Previously, delayed introduction of highly allergenic foods was recommended to prevent the development of allergic diseases in children at risk. There is now evidence that such practices may lead to an increase, rather than a decrease, in the incidence of food allergies. Before introducing highly allergenic foods into the diet, the child should already tolerate several less allergenic foods, such as rice porridge, vegetable puree. If a child has a high risk of developing allergies or an existing allergic disease, it is recommended to consult an allergist-immunologist before introducing highly allergenic products.

From 5 months, the volume of one feeding averages 200 ml.

Diet of a 7 month old baby

When preparing a diet for a seven-month-old baby, distribute the foods so that you get a prototype of a menu for an already grown-up child with breakfast and lunch. At the age of 7 months, the yolk of a boiled chicken egg (no more than ¼ yolk) is introduced - a valuable source of fat, vitamin B12, A, phosphorus and selenium. Chopped yolk can be added to porridge or vegetable puree.

You can also give your child baby cookies without added sugar to try.

If the baby does not accept the new product the first time, it can be mixed with an already familiar product. By 7 months, the volume of porridge and vegetable puree should be increased to 150 g.

Diet for an 8 month old baby

By the age of 8 months, your baby has improved his skills to feed himself, so you can gradually change the consistency of foods. Soft foods cut into small pieces (fruits, vegetables, meat, etc.) are perfect for little gourmets.

You can start introducing fish into the diet of 8-month-old children, which is a source of easily digestible protein and contains a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3, as well as vitamins B2, B12, and minerals. A child should be given fish 1-2 times a week (no more than 30 grams per meal), instead of meat, being sure to monitor how the child tolerates this product in general and its individual varieties. Preference should be given to ocean fish, preferably white (cod, hake, pollock, sea bass, etc.), red salmon can be recommended, and river fish - pike perch, carp. Self-cooked fish is given to the child with boiled and pureed vegetables.

From 8 months, the child’s diet can be expanded to include cottage cheese in an amount of no more than 50 g/day, as well as fermented milk products (baby kefir, biokefir, bifidokefir, yogurt, bioyogurt, biolact). Fermented milk products are prepared using a special starter that breaks down milk protein, so that the baby can receive an essential set of amino acids in a readily accessible form. Some products have added prebiotics, certain vitamins and minerals. Their regular consumption has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestines, stimulates appetite, and increases the absorption of micronutrients. Children's fermented milk products are introduced into the baby's diet gradually, starting with 1 tsp. and if well tolerated, increase their volume to 150-200 ml per day.

At this age, when all the main food groups have already been introduced, special attention should be paid to the diversity of the composition of dishes. New, possibly combined products are being introduced, for example, not only purees from various fruits and berries, but also their combinations with cottage cheese, cereals, etc.

Diet of a child 9-12 months

By 9 months, the main complementary foods have already been introduced, so the expansion of the child’s diet continues. It is important to know that at this age the consistency of products should change - from homogenized to finely and coarsely ground.

A meat dish for a child of this age can be offered in the form of meatballs, which will diversify his diet and strengthen the development of chewing skills. Industrially produced canned meat for children over 8 months. - coarsely ground. The volume of fish puree increases to 60 g per day by 12 months.

As the year approaches, it is useful to add finely chopped fresh garden herbs (dill, parsley, etc.) to various dishes; this significantly enriches the diet with vitamins and minerals.

By 9 to 12 months, most babies have the dexterity to drink from a cup (held with both hands) and eat foods prepared for other family members. This behavior needs to be encouraged, but also combined with regular feeding to meet energy and nutrient needs.

It is worth reminding about foods and drinks that you should avoid.

It is not recommended to add salt or sugar to food to enhance the taste. Drinks that you should avoid drinking for up to 1 year include fruit juices, whole cow's and goat's milk, sweet fruit drinks, compotes and carbonated drinks.

Also, some foods should be excluded from the diet of infants under 1 year of age. These include hard round foods (for example, nuts, grapes, round candies, raw carrots, raisins, peas, etc.), due to the fact that a child can choke on them.

Children under one year of age are prohibited from giving honey due to the fact that it may contain spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which in the still immature digestive system of babies are capable of multiplying, producing toxins directly inside the intestines and, thus, causing infant botulism, which can be fatal. outcome.

Juices. Juices contain few vitamins and minerals, as well as a lot of sugar, so they should not be offered before 12 months. Subsequently, they should be given not in between feedings, but after the child has eaten porridge or vegetables with pureed meat, as well as for an afternoon snack. The habit of drinking juices between meals leads to frequent snacking in the future, a love of sweets is instilled, children are more likely to develop tooth decay and the risk of developing obesity increases.

Children under one year old should not be given semolina porridge, as it contains a large amount of gluten.

Diets at different age periods

List of used literature:

1. Methodological recommendations. Program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation. [Internet]. – M.: Union of Pediatricians of Russia, 2021. . – Moscow: Soyuz pediatrov Rossii, 2021.(In Russ.).] Available: https://www.pediatr-russia.ru/information/dokumenty/other-docs/nacprog1year_2019.pdf Link active as of 04/20/2020

2. Duryea TK Introducing solid foods and vitamin and mineral supplementation during infancy. In: Post T, ed. UpToDate

. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate; 2021. www.uptodate.com. Accessed April 20, 2021.

3.Fleischer DM Introducing highly allergenic foods to infants and children. In: Post T, ed. UpToDate

. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate; 2021. www.uptodate.com. Accessed April 20, 2021.

Introducing meat

Meat complementary foods can be introduced into the baby’s diet no earlier than 6 months. Meat complementary foods are, first of all, the main source of protein in a child’s diet. From 100 g of meat, he receives 14 - 16 g of protein, containing a full range of essential amino acids. Plus iron, zinc, some B vitamins.

The first meat foods are rabbit, turkey, and chicken. After them, you can introduce veal, beef, horse meat. Today it is believed that it is better to use industrially produced meat purees, since these canned foods undergo strict quality control and, accordingly, are safe for the baby. Refrain from buying meat from unfamiliar places.

• Beef is rich in protein and iron, contains minerals, including phosphorus and potassium, as well as some B vitamins. Sometimes babies with an allergy to cow's milk may also develop an allergy to beef protein, in which case it can be replaced with other types of meat for the first feeding - rabbit or turkey.
• Compared to other types of meat, rabbit meat contains the maximum amount of protein - about 20%, and the proportion of fat, on the contrary, is minimal - about 15%. In addition, rabbit meat is very juicy and tender - and kids adore it.
• Turkey is low in calories and fat, but the meat is very nutritious.
• Chicken meat, according to modern pediatric standards, should not be given to children under one year of age. An exception may be industrially produced baby puree or home-grown poultry purchased from a trusted place.
• As for pork, this meat has a very high fat content, so it is not suitable for a children's diet. It is better to wait until the age of 2.5–3 years to introduce pork into children’s diets.

What to do if you have an allergy to complementary foods

Food allergies in infants most often develop to protein foods and are observed precisely during the period of intensive introduction of complementary foods.

You can suspect that your baby has an allergy based on the following symptoms:

• skin rashes;
• digestive disorders - vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating;
• mucus and blood in the stool [10].

To identify the allergen, pediatricians advise mothers to introduce the first complementary foods in stages - each product separately, observing the child’s reaction.

If observations have shown an allergy to cow's milk protein , the diet is structured according to the following scheme:

• Whole milk and dairy products (cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt) are completely excluded from the baby’s menu;
• avoid milk from other animals (goat, sheep), as well as beef - these products can cause cross-allergic reactions;
• when breastfeeding, the mother should also receive milk;
• For mixed and artificial feeding, infant formulas based on highly hydrolyzed protein or amino acids are used.

For children who already suffer from allergies or are at risk, it is recommended to use products with proven hypoallergenicity for complementary feeding [11]:

• juices, apple and pear purees;
• vegetable purees from cauliflower, zucchini and broccoli;
• dairy-free rice and buckwheat porridges;
• puree from rabbit and turkey meat.

At the first signs of a food allergy, it is necessary to discontinue the complementary food product, after consumption of which an undesirable reaction occurred. In severe cases, when exclusion of the suspected allergen does not help solve the problem, a doctor's consultation is necessary. If the allergy significantly impairs the infant's health and quality of life, pharmacotherapy may be required. Only a doctor has the right to prescribe medications.

Rules for introducing meat complementary foods

You need to introduce meat from half a teaspoon, gradually increasing the weekly weight to 30 g. For several days it is worth leaving the amount unchanged, checking the child’s reaction to the new product. After all, we not only need to feed the baby, but also avoid allergies! Since the mother already knows which vegetable purees the child eats with a bang, they can be mixed with the first meat puree. This way the baby will understand the new food more clearly. At 8 - 8.5 months, a baby’s diet can contain up to 50 g of meat, and by 1.5 years, the amount of meat in the daily diet can already reach 80 - 90 g, that is, 560 - 630 g per week. Rabbit meat is considered ideal for children prone to allergies and also experiencing digestive problems. Kids love a homogeneous consistency - after all, pieces of food are still completely unusual for them. Homemade puree has a coarser “structure” and is often rejected by little gourmets. Proper nutrition for children who refuse meat.

For a child under 1–2 years of age, meat is not a mandatory component of the diet. If your baby is not gaining weight well, you don’t need to look for reasons solely in insufficient amounts of meat: this can be influenced by heredity, the functions of the endocrine system, a lack of microelements in the body and a number of other reasons. It happens that children under one year old categorically refuse meat and do not want to eat it in any form. It's not a disaster.

• If your baby refuses meat, you need to wait one or two weeks to introduce this complementary food and then try again.
• If you can’t introduce meat into your baby’s diet, you need to include cottage cheese, milk porridge in the menu, and after 9 months - kefir and cheese, which are also a rich source of protein.

Whatever choice your baby makes, whether he “agreed” to have meat in his diet or not, listen to his wishes, do not persist with new foods and do not insist on the need to try them. Remember that all children are different and each develops at their own pace.

PROBLEMS WITH COMPLETE FEEDING

— What might a child’s reaction be to unfamiliar food?

— The introduction of complementary foods is a kind of test for a small organism. It is important to start feeding your baby on time, following the principle of gradualness. However, things don't always go smoothly.

The most common functional disorders with the introduction of complementary foods:

• colic;
• bloating;
• the appearance or intensification of regurgitation;
• constipation or loose stools;
• rarely nausea or vomiting.

If all these phenomena are temporary, do not lead to disruption of general well-being, occur only when consuming a certain product and disappear after eliminating it, then, probably, due to the functional immaturity of the digestive organs, the child is not yet ready to change the diet. You should wait a little, and then, if symptoms return, try another product or take a break from complementary feeding for a while.

Introduce chicken egg

Let's get acquainted with one of the most controversial products on the children's menu. Often mothers are afraid to introduce eggs into their baby’s diet due to the risk of allergies. At the same time, many believe that this is the most important complementary food for the first year of life.

Useful properties of eggs.

Without eggs, breakfasts wouldn't be as cozy, birthday cakes wouldn't be as tasty, and kids' diets wouldn't be as interesting. Eggs are very nutritious and have high energy value.

• The proteins and fats that make up them are well absorbed by the body.
• Eggs are a source of microelements essential for children.
• The yolk contains an impressive amount of vitamin D, which is so necessary for the growth of the baby. It helps absorb calcium, thereby participating in the formation of teeth and bones.
• A valuable component of protein is lysozyme, which has a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect.

For the first time, your baby can try pureed yolk with Agusha porridge. Take a few grains of hard-boiled yolk, add 0.5 - 1 teaspoon of your favorite Agusha porridge and serve from a spoon.

How to introduce eggs into your diet:

If at 7 months your baby has already become familiar with some vegetables and cereals, you can offer him literally a few grains of hard-boiled yolk, mixing it with already familiar complementary foods. By 8 months you can increase this amount to ¼ yolk at a time, and by your first birthday your baby can eat half a yolk.

If you notice even the slightest hint of an allergic reaction in a child, then the yolk should be completely excluded from the diet. Unfortunately, children prone to allergies sometimes have to wait more than 2 years to try their first egg.

Egg whites begin to be introduced into the diet after 1.5 years. However, if you have doubts that your baby will respond well to a new product, it is better to wait until 2 years to introduce protein.

Rules for selecting and preparing eggs:

• The main rule is only fresh eggs.
• Before you start cooking for your baby, the egg should be washed well with a sponge or brush under running water, removing all dirt from the shell.
• Wipe with a cloth or paper towel and leave for a while at room temperature before cooking.
• For children under one year old, eggs should be boiled in boiling water for up to 10 minutes, and then placed under running cold water.
• If you cook an egg over high heat, the white will become denser than the yolk, and when cooked over low heat, the opposite will happen.
• Do not offer your baby boiled eggs that have been stored in the refrigerator.
• Buy eggs only from a trusted manufacturer.
• Raw eggs are absolutely contraindicated for baby food! They may contain salmonella bacteria.
• It is worth completely excluding eggs of waterfowl (ducks, geese) from the child’s diet, as they can be infected with pathogens of dangerous infections.

Children with allergies often respond well to quail egg yolk; they can begin to be introduced into their diet at about one year of age. Therefore, quail eggs can be an excellent alternative to chicken eggs, and they can also be included in regular children's dishes. Quail eggs are richer in vitamins and nutrients than chicken eggs, but when heat treated, their beneficial properties become almost identical.

Salmonella is rarely found in quail eggs, since their thick shell membrane prevents the penetration of this pathogenic bacterium. Also, due to their high body temperature, quails are resistant to infectious diseases, so they are kept without vaccination.

What to give an eight month old baby?

Eight-month-old babies become more active. They explore the world around them with interest. At this age, they begin to pick up food with their hands, try to drink from a mug, and show interest in cutlery. This behavior must be supported in every possible way. By this time, children already know how to chew food, which means it’s time to change the consistency of the dishes. Food does not need to be pureed. Now fruits, vegetables and meat can be cut into pieces.

By 8 months, the immune system and digestive system are already sufficiently adapted to new food, and you can try giving your baby fish. Take low-fat varieties, for example, carp, pike perch, salmon, pollock, hake and cod are suitable for this purpose. You don't need to give too much. A couple of times a week is enough. Approximately 30 grams of fish are crushed and given pure or mixed with vegetable puree. Remember that fish is a food that can trigger the development of allergies, which means you need to carefully monitor your child’s reaction.

In addition to fish, cottage cheese appears on the menu at this age. It is rich in calcium and vitamins. Give no more than 50 grams of product per day. Natural yoghurts, kefir and other fermented milk products are slowly being introduced. They are good for digestion. Samples begin with a couple of spoons, and within 7 days the serving volume increases to 150-200 milliliters.

An eight-month-old baby grows quickly and his body requires a lot of nutrients. His diet should be varied.

Complementary feeding table for up to one year

What criteria should porridge meet?

For the first feeding, it is important to choose the right foods. Porridge should not cause discomfort. To do this, you need to know what criteria it must meet.

Composition of cereals.

At the initial stage, you need to prepare porridge from one grain. This will allow you to control how the child’s body reacts to the new product. Only if there are no side effects can you start preparing porridge from several different grains.

Presence of gluten.

These include wheat, oatmeal, barley and semolina porridge. It is important to be aware of the possible risks here, since such dishes can provoke allergic reactions at an early age.

Milk content.

When can you start complementary feeding while breastfeeding cereals? No faster than from the age of 5–6 months. And you need to start with dairy-free cereals. Cow's milk is still an undesirable product because it belongs to the group of strong allergens.

Some mothers prepare porridge using their own breast milk or using special milk formulas. This solution is optimal.

Instilling healthy eating habits

Do not forget that children follow the example of their parents in everything. If you are used to eating junk food, then don’t expect anything different from your child. If every day he sees a picture of how his parents eat cookies, candies and sausages instead of cereals and vegetables, naturally, the baby will also take a closer look at these products and want to try exactly what his adults eat.

If you want to raise a healthy child, then first of all you need to change your habits and try to set him a positive personal example.

Development of chewing skills

Many parents deliberately feed their children pureed and liquid food for a long time in order to reduce the risks of protests against pieces, scandals due to reluctance to eat on their own and fear that the baby will choke.

By 9-10 months, the child should definitely start eating more dense and solid foods. This skill is closely related to speech development, dental health and bite formation. And of course, by doing so you will open your child to the wonderful world of delicious food.

Start offering foods that won't break down or get stuck in your throat: banana, avocado, boiled potato, baked apple, etc. You will be surprised, but the child will master this skill very quickly if you do not interfere with it!

Water for an infant

WHO advises not to give water to children who are only breastfed, because milk is fully capable of providing the baby with all the necessary elements for growth and development. An exception, of course, is made during hot weather and illness, then we give water little by little and carefully, from a spoon. Children who are fed with adapted milk formulas need water, but only at their own request; there is no need to force them to drink. Once you have decided to start giving complementary foods, it’s time to establish your child’s drinking regime. With the addition of new dishes to the diet, water is important for a small body for better absorption and comfortable digestion.

Developing taste

It is very important not just to feed the child, but to teach him to eat with pleasure. The Kabrita baby food manufacturer can help you in this matter (. They have a large assortment of high-quality purees and cereals for first feeding, and in addition, healthy products for further nutrition and shaping the taste of children.

The main thing you must achieve is the child’s interest in the food on your table, his desire to pick it up and try it on his own.

What should I do for this?

• It’s good when the baby eats at the same table with adults. Everyone eats, thereby setting an example for him;
• There is no need to force your baby to eat or lure him with cartoons and toys;
• The amount of food should increase only at the request of the baby;
• Try a variety of dishes with your child;
• Do not serve sugary drinks or offer cookies/waffles/candies before meals;
• Teach your baby to eat carefully and with cutlery;
• Do not keep your child at the table if he no longer wants to eat or indulges in food.

Teach your baby to feel food, its texture, shape and smells. Talk about the tastes of food; ask older children to talk about what they feel (sour, salty, sweet, bitter, crunchy, etc.).

How to offer your baby his first meal

The first feeding should be gradual. We must not forget that breast milk remains the main product in a baby’s diet. This is also noted by the famous TV doctor E. O. Komarovsky. The new dishes introduced to the menu are only a small addition to breastfeeding.

You should also prepare in advance for complementary feeding. To do this, you need to buy a special baby spoon made of silicone or safe plastic. Spoons with temperature indicators will be very convenient for feeding. When the temperature of the dish exceeds 40 °C, the spoon changes color.

The main purpose of complementary feeding is not to simply feed the baby. First of all, you introduce your child to new tastes. After each new meal, be sure to put the baby to the breast.

Food programming

Scientific research in recent decades has proven that there is a connection between the nature of a child’s nutrition in the first years of life and the risk of many diseases in the future, such as obesity, diabetes and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Food determines how our body will use the instructions hidden in our genes.

According to this program, using “building blocks” of nutrients, first the formation and growth of a small person inside his mother occurs, and then functional maturation and further development in childhood. A nutritious and balanced diet affects the ability to learn, as well as the chances of resisting infectious and environmental unfavorable environmental factors. Therefore, nutrition of the expectant mother during pregnancy and children during the period of intensive physical and mental development is an extremely important issue.