Starting from six months of age, complementary foods can be introduced into a child’s diet. Dr. Komarovsky says that this concept is fundamentally different from supplementary feeding. The latter is introduced if the mother’s own milk is not enough. Complementary feeding is given in addition to breast milk, which becomes insufficient at six months of age. One of the main products in a baby’s diet is porridge. They contain large amounts of vitamins, minerals and plant proteins, as well as large amounts of carbohydrates, which are the main source of energy. They contain fiber, which ensures the stability of the intestines.
The baby refuses complementary foods
Important! Porridges have the ability to remove toxins and waste from the body.
But not all children enjoy eating this food. Why does this happen, and what to do if the baby refuses to use it?
Features of introducing the product into complementary foods
Pediatricians recommend feeding your baby solid foods from the age of six months. This process can be problematic because the baby has previously only become accustomed to the taste of mother's milk, and any new foods may frighten him. There is no need to force your baby to eat porridge, as he may turn away from this healthy product altogether.
The boy doesn't want to eat
If a child does not eat porridge at 6 months, there is still no cause for concern. The introduction of this product is smooth. It is recommended to add mother's milk or a familiar formula so that the taste is not so different from the usual. It is better to start complementary feeding with gluten-free cereals - gluten is very difficult for the toddler’s body to digest due to a lack of necessary enzymes. This may be the reason why the child does not eat porridge complementary foods.
Swap the porridges
If at first your child willingly eats dairy-free porridge, and then categorically refuses it, try offering him another one. For example, if your baby doesn’t want to eat buckwheat, give him rice. Alternatively, you can mix the porridge with purees that your little one likes. The only “but”: pediatricians do not recommend mixing porridge with vegetables; it is better to have it as fruit puree.
For good stomach function, it is better to make the porridge liquid. As your child gets used to dairy-free porridge, add different options and new flavors: corn porridge is very useful for a child’s body due to the presence of the right microelements. If your baby categorically refuses buckwheat, try mixing it with the porridge that he likes best, in general, experiment.
Those who have tried dairy-free porridge know that it is not a particularly tasty “drink”, but when prepared on the basis of hypoallergenic milk mixtures, it becomes, firstly, tastier, and secondly, much more satisfying.
Dairy-free porridge for sensitive tummies of babies is usually used if the child is intolerant to natural cow's milk, in case of lactose deficiency, complete or partial, if your child is overweight.
Such cereals contain a minimal amount of sugar, vitamins, minerals and grains. To begin with, we recommend using ready-made cereals made from environmentally friendly raw materials, which are perfectly absorbed by the child’s body. It is also important that, thanks to the use of modern technologies, the biological and nutritional value of cereals is preserved in industrially prepared porridges; they are enriched with vitamins according to the age of the children.
Reasons why a child refuses porridge
There is no need to sound the alarm if the baby does not want to eat porridge. This does not always indicate an illness accompanied by loss of appetite. There are a huge number of reasons why a baby refuses porridge.
Not hungry
From what month can you give your baby a banana?
Often the reason that a child does not eat complementary foods (porridge) is simple satiety. A child, unlike adults, cannot eat unless he is hungry. In this case, it’s enough just to wait, and then, perhaps, he will take up complementary foods with great pleasure.
Important! This can happen if parents try to feed the baby close to night, for example. You should try to feed the baby in the morning.
Force feeding
If you force a little person to eat, he will associate food with stress. Force-feeding is also harmful because in the future the baby will not focus on his feeling of fullness, which will lead to overeating.
Unpleasant consistency of the dish
If the consistency is too thin, or, on the contrary, it is too stretchy, this may confuse the child. If the porridge is poorly mixed and there are lumps floating in it, this can kill a child’s appetite for a long time.
The baby is crying
The problem is that the parent may not initially know what consistency the baby will like best. Therefore, you need to experiment until the ideal consistency for the child is selected.
Late introduction to complementary foods
Some cereals can only be introduced from 8-9 months (for example, millet). If the child’s body is not yet configured to digest it, the child’s reluctance is completely justified.
Didn't like a certain cereal
Even at a very young age, the baby is able to understand what food is tasty to him and what is not. Just like adults, babies over six months old can differentiate which cereals they like more and which ones they like less.
Doesn't like porridge without milk
This only applies to older children. Porridge with milk is much tastier for an adult, but what about small children who have more sensitive taste buds? If a child does not eat dairy-free porridge, this may be the reason. To solve this problem, you can first add breast milk to complementary foods, and after a few months - cow's milk.
Unsuitable food temperature
If a baby gets burned by porridge once, he may stop wanting to eat it for a long time. Therefore, you need to make sure that it is not too hot or cold. The optimal temperature of food in a bottle for a child under one year is 35-40 degrees. It is this warmth that the taste buds of a baby or toddler are accustomed to.
Adults typically eat food at temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees. If you give such breakfast to a child, it will cause a fair protest.
The baby turns away from the spoon
Advice . To control the heating of food, you can use a special spoon, the color of which changes depending on the temperature.
Lumps
Lumps appear if the parent did not mix the product well enough when preparing it. This is especially true for semolina porridge, which very easily forms tubercles that are unpleasant for the child’s eyes and taste. To be fair, it is not recommended to give semolina porridge to babies, as it helps wash calcium out of the body.
Portion too big
Everything is simple here: if the portion is too large, the child will overeat. Accordingly, he refuses to eat further. It is very important here not to force the baby to finish eating, because this behavior of the parents in the future can lead to the child becoming overweight or even obese.
“If he doesn’t want to eat porridge, breakfast is over”: how to overcome a child’s lack of appetite
A common problem that parents face is the child’s lack of appetite and preference for eating a specific product. What is this: a sign of illness or simply incorrect upbringing?
We talked about this with Natalya Yuryevna Novikova, a specialist in the Healthy Child’s Office at Children’s City Hospital No. 8.
So what to do if your child has no appetite?
N.Yu.: First, you need to find out how the lack of appetite manifests itself. It often turns out that a child refuses some foods, but willingly eats others. For example, he defiantly spits out porridge and demands sweet fruits. If they meet him, then next time the situation will repeat. Obviously, the problem of selective appetite is not directly related to appetite as such. This is a pedagogical problem: a manipulator grows up in the family.
What to do in this case?
N.Yu.: A child should not grow up to be the darling of fate and not the center of the universe. Doesn’t want to eat porridge - breakfast is over, lunch is in four hours. If you didn’t eat soup at lunch, wait until dinner. At the same time, it is important that no food comes into his sight, that the child does not have the opportunity to snack on his own, and that there is no talk about food in his presence.
But he might not eat all day!
N.Yu.: It's okay. A person can go without food for several days. The main thing is that there is water - we offer water. Just water, not juice, not compote, not fruit drink, not tea. Well, as a rule, it doesn’t come to this, unless, of course, parents and grandmothers have enough patience. Well, it’s not enough - it’s still your child!
In general, the formation of a child’s eating skills depends on the example of adults in the family. If parents snack on the run, eat in front of the TV, eat the “wrong” food, and never gather at the dinner table, then it is unlikely that the child will develop correct eating behavior.
Why else might there be no appetite?
N.Yu.: Because of snacks between meals. The child did not eat well at breakfast, an hour later he is given a sandwich, then yogurt, and by lunchtime the child is not hungry. Schoolchildren can immediately after school snack on sausage, sweet cheese and buns, therefore, there can be no talk of any soup later - he does not want to eat it.
Maybe it's all about individual developmental characteristics?
N.Yu.: Children are all different: some are very active and constantly burn calories, while others are calm and love quiet games. Therefore, the first is most often thin, and the second is quite well-fed, although he may eat less than the first. Everyone has their own ability to digest and assimilate food and their metabolic rate. Therefore, the needs of children of the same age are different.
Everyone has a different body type. You can feed a child endlessly, but the ribs still stick out. This is the type. Other children are prone to increased fat deposition.
What about your child's physical activity level?
N.Yu.: As energy is consumed, children begin to feel hungry. Little athletes never suffer from lack of appetite.
Very often, a child eats well in the company of peers - at a party, in kindergarten. A good appetite is contagious.
If a child attends clubs after school, where he most often sits, if he has an exemption from physical education, if he spends hours at the computer, he is guaranteed to have no appetite, since there is no energy consumption. Or he may have problems with excess weight with a good appetite. Only a personal example will help here: active games together while walking, cycling, football, swimming, and so on.
If the child still doesn’t want to eat, maybe force-feed him?
N.Yu.: This, of course, will not achieve appetite, but you can lose it forever. For good digestion of food, enzymes and the presence of gastric juice are needed - that is, the entire system must be ready for food. If you simply place food in the stomach, the percentage of its absorption is very low. You need a beautiful appearance of food and an aromatic smell.
Force feeding may cause stomach and intestinal spasms, vomiting, and so on. This can even lead to anorexia.
Can any diseases affect appetite?
N.Yu.: Decreased appetite can be caused by any disease. Then a consultation with a pediatrician is necessary. But most often these are still errors in upbringing.
It happens that a child asks for one thing, but with a poor appetite, he still drinks a lot of juice or, for example, kefir a day... Will this somehow affect his health?
N.Yu.: If a child is allowed to eat only what he likes, then a deficiency of certain macro- and micronutrients will arise. This will affect the development of the child and may create certain pathologies in the development of organs and systems. For example, if a child really loves milk and consumes it at every meal and at night in unlimited quantities, then his body receives too much protein, which affects the excretory system, in particular the kidneys. Diathesis may appear on the skin. And all this will be accompanied by constipation or diarrhea. Therefore, carefully monitor your child's eating behavior.
Maybe you can say a few “parting” words to our parents?
N.Yu.: With pleasure! Dear parents, do not forget that family nutrition should not be one-sided. Its variety and usefulness of products is important. Be patient, organize a clear diet, daily routine, sufficient active walks outside, pleasant lunches and dinners together, and everything will be fine!
What to do if your child does not eat porridge
Constipation mixture for newborns
If your baby refuses to eat porridge, you don’t always need to sound the alarm. In this matter, it is important to understand when the reason for the reluctance to eat porridge is poor appetite, and when it is the desire to get other complementary foods or other grains. Here are some ideas on how you can convince your baby to eat porridge.
Diversify the taste
Perhaps the baby needs to be given porridge with a different type of cereal or some fruit added. Children like complementary foods with the addition of pumpkin or some fruit. You need to choose the ratio that your baby will like most.
Let me get hungry
If a child does not want to eat, there is no need to force him. Hunger motivates people to act. If the baby wants to eat, he will cry, then he will happily start eating anything. It is absolutely impossible to force him.
Prepare porridge with a uniform consistency
To make porridge attractive in appearance, sometimes it is enough to achieve a uniform consistency. To do this, you need to stir it regularly during cooking. Many parents are too lazy to do this and then wonder why the child refuses to eat.
Decorate the dish
It is enough to make the porridge more attractive in appearance so that the baby wants to eat it. To do this, you can put fruits or berries on top.
Add breast milk to porridge
If you add breast milk, the baby will not be so afraid of porridge. It is recommended to dilute any new type of cereal with it.
Choose another cereal
Perhaps the child does not like this particular cereal, and the problem can be solved by simply replacing it. If the baby’s body is not configured to digest a particular type of porridge, it can be easily replaced with another.
Why children don't like porridge and meat
The most important and most terrible thing that children inherit from their parents is the habit of eating dead food, which is instilled with mother's milk in the literal sense of these words.
Recently, in an innocent newspaper article about how Ukrainians are planning to kill themselves and self-destruct on New Year’s, the following lines caught my attention: “My little ones don’t really like meat dishes,” says a 29-year-old Vinnytsia resident. - To fool, you need to invent some jokes. “Gift Bags” is beyond competition.” The following is a recipe for a meat dish. I immediately remembered examples from my own childhood, how adults forced us to eat what they themselves ate. What did they come up with! Some children are spoon-fed by their mothers even until they are 10 years old, as long as they eat soups and cereals.
The child does not know that he has come to a world where consumerism reigns and where everyone desperately needs his illnesses. He is naturally drawn to live food. And parents do everything to avoid giving their child any carrots again (because, you see, they are dirty) and outlaw citrus fruits. Having listened to the advice of doctors, parents are ready to stuff their children with garbage mixtures and canned food, which for some reason are considered children's food, day and night.
You can write and write about the harm that boiled and animal food causes to children - this is an inexhaustible topic, and I will probably return to it more than once.
Today I offer you a RATING of the most common means that parents use to turn their children into unconscious creatures, consumers.
Examples taken from various sites and forums for moms. As it turns out, reluctance to eat is one of the main problems that children create for their parents. Another problem is disease.
1. Graduality The most important principle. It is necessary to gradually introduce a child to grub (this is probably a more correct name for food, which by nature is not really food for humans). As a result, all people from conception to death live on grub and no one knows or suspects that it is possible to live differently. On one of the sites, a mother asks:
“How to get a child to eat vegetables with meat? (child is 7 months old) I just can’t feed him the same turkey soup! Screams and that's it. I’m used to fruits, you know, but we don’t want fresh or salty... where can we get fiber in this case???”
This is what they advise her: “Try to cook something else. I liked the zucchini with carrots (the first time I also grated an apple there - directly into boiled vegetables (only into cooled ones, so as not to create a temperature difference), if I liked it, I cut the apple, added meat (we started with rabbit), and gradually moved on for the same mixture, but with cabbage, removed the zucchini, added potatoes, got cabbage soup. I didn’t recognize food from jars at all (except for fruit purees), I tried it myself - it’s a rare disgusting thing! Not sweet - not salty, stinks of cat food, it seems to me let him get used to his mother's kitchen, it will be easier to transfer him to the common table. My friends' son is almost 2 years old, he only eats food from a blender or from jars, he doesn't like to chew, he immediately spits, and my one-year-old shashlik was chewed off the skewer! (without seasonings - chicken)".
“My experience: when I introduced meat complementary foods, my daughter spat meat, turned away from the spoon, and in general, made me angry in every way. After consulting with everyone, I determined that you need to give meat at least a spoonful and regularly, he will get used to it. After a year, my efforts were crowned with success; she finally began to eat meat. Without much enthusiasm. And so - until now. Sometimes he eats something, sometimes he spits it out and scatters it around.”
All pediatricians and “experts” in children’s needs advise gradually changing children’s tastes from natural to perverted. As a result, even if children don’t like meat and cereal, they will 100% become hooked on candy. Then, when these children in adolescence begin to smoke, drink and visit McDonald's every day, parents, of course, will sound the alarm. But it’s their own fault—they gradually, over the years, used textbooks to kill their child’s health.
2. Threats and blackmail “The child does not want to eat normal food, but this is the only way he eats candy, cookies and fruit. He can eat soup for 2 hours, I don’t have the patience to feed him. It gets to the point where I stand over him with a belt so that he can eat at least a couple of spoons.”
Here’s what another online misfortune writes: “The eldest is 9 years old. I still have problems with food. Threats and blackmail at this age no longer help - on the contrary - he may not eat anything, and then shouts that they didn’t let me eat - now my stomach hurts.”
“Every day I continue to struggle with feeding. When we lived with my mother, she forced him to eat. Sometimes, as a sign of protest, he would induce vomiting; as soon as he had eaten, he would run to the bathroom to vomit to spite us. And in general, he often burps for any reason, coughs and burps.”
3. The herd mentality “The herd mentality is a great thing, even in a camp where the food is from the canteen. So, let's eat together."
“My child started eating porridge only after I myself began to eat it with appetite.”
4. Hunger It is worth saying that hunger is a disease of all people who eat unnaturally, without exception. Parents first do everything so that the child begins to experience painful hunger, so that without a dose of boiled and meat food his tummy hurts, and then they take advantage of the same.
“The main thing here is to have a little more willpower than a child. Morning. - Sit down and eat. - No, I won’t eat. - If you don’t want to, then don’t eat, I’m not forcing you. But you won't get ANYTHING before lunch. Before lunch. - I’m hungry, I’ll go eat something (not what I, mother, want her to eat). - No. Didn't you want to have breakfast? We haven't sat down to eat yet. Dinner. Foot stamping and tears begin. - I want thisoooooo! - Here's food. It's edible. There is no other (problems with nerves - clean the apartment and the refrigerator in advance until... crystal clean). And sweets (or replace them with whatever the capricious child wants) only when he eats normally. Somewhere between lunch and dinner. Repeat. Dinner. Repeat. Believe me, it was a miracle breakfast—with a bang. If a child is healthy, then his body requires eating. And this is not our adult “what would we eat?” Eat. The body is growing and DEMANDING. A few hours of healthy hunger, secretion of saliva and gastric juice will not harm him. Any veterinarian will tell you that (and so will I).”
5. Persuasion and intimidation “Come on! A spoon for dad, a spoon for mom.”
“If you don’t eat, you won’t grow.”
“Don’t eat, you won’t have the strength.”
6. Promises They mainly promise games, interesting trips somewhere, and candy.
“Eat a cutlet, I’ll give you a kankhvet.”
“The most important thing is to make sure that the child does not eat candy, cookies, etc. Only as a reward for eating soup (or other normal food).”
7. Medicines “There is this drug “Elkar”, it helped us a lot. The pediatrician advised 15 drops in water half an hour before each meal. In addition, it would be necessary to check for worms. We were checked many times, but I have a suspicion that no one looks at our poop, they just put a dash in it and that’s it. 2 weeks ago they gave me pills for worms, so he started eating like he was crazy.”
“If your appetite is poor, Elkar is the best solution.”
8. Lie “I hid meat for my children. It looks like they are eating a spoonful of vegetable puree, but there is some hidden inside. Of course, it’s difficult, but it’s okay, we managed it - now we’re ready to eat meat without vegetables.”
“My son hasn’t eaten meat, fish or even milk since he was 2 years old. I'm trying to deceive him. I cook meat broth, and put the meat in cold water so that all the nutrients go into the broth. Instead of pure milk - Nesquik. It’s more difficult with fish, but I found a way out, I buy him red caviar and only give it to him. Sometimes a miracle happens and he asks for a cutlet, I cook it instantly. I make homemade hot dogs, less ketchup, put two sausages on it. He is already 10 years old, he can’t even stand his appearance. We didn't see any doctors, not even a psychologist. Eats only vegetables. At the same time, he manages to be the largest boy in the class. The school canteen for him is something scary and terrible. He has a very keen sense of smell. Just a nightmare!! Horror!!!!"
They say that a child eats what his body lacks. Perhaps this example will make you change your point of view: “Chinese Liang Liang, 2.5 years old, smokes a pack of cigarettes a day. He was born with a hernia and cried in severe pain. To distract their son, his parents taught him to smoke. When Liang was one year old, surgeons cut out the hernia. But the kid didn’t give up cigarettes. Now the parents are hiding cigarettes from the child, and Liang begs for them from passers-by. People like to watch the little guy smoke. It makes them laugh." This is how the child’s body asks for what it needs. The situation is the same with adults. I advise you not to trust your body, contaminated with toxins and accustomed to dyes and preservatives. In this state, he can no longer know what he needs.
Modern human civilization requires doctors and other “conscious” citizens to carefully and continuously protect human diseases from childhood. Because the economy needs it. The system needs this. The basis of modern civilization has long been consumerism, the basis of which in turn is dependence on boiled and animal (meat, fish, poultry, dairy products) food, as well as all kinds of sweets, jams, chips, cakes, cookies, etc. Natural food for humans is that which has grown in the garden, in the forest, naturally picked and eaten without any heat treatment. All animals in nature eat this way and, please note, they do not experience old age or disease.
Taken from here
Swap the porridges
If at first your child willingly eats dairy-free porridge, and then categorically refuses it, try offering him another one. For example, if your baby doesn’t want to eat buckwheat, give him rice. Alternatively, you can mix the porridge with purees that your little one likes. The only “but”: pediatricians do not recommend mixing porridge with vegetables; it is better to have it as fruit puree.
For good stomach function, it is better to make the porridge liquid. As your child gets used to dairy-free porridge, add different options and new flavors: corn porridge is very useful for a child’s body due to the presence of the right microelements. If your baby categorically refuses buckwheat, try mixing it with the porridge that he likes best, in general, experiment.
Those who have tried dairy-free porridge know that it is not a particularly tasty “drink”, but when prepared on the basis of hypoallergenic milk mixtures, it becomes, firstly, tastier, and secondly, much more satisfying. And no matter how difficult it may be, never force feed your child.
Your rating Rating: 0 (0 votes)
I don't want to eat porridge
The material was prepared by Nestlé specialists ( https://www.nestlebaby.ru/ )
From time to time, children experience periods of unmotivated refusal of a particular product. The kid, who was happily devouring the porridge, suddenly begins to grit his teeth at the sight of his former favorite or spits out the puree that previously went with a bang. Should I worry about such refusals? And most importantly, how to behave in this case?
Important!
First, you need to figure out: does the baby refuse all types of food or does it simply require replacement of the boring product? The most common reason for completely refusing complementary foods is the eruption of another tooth.
It hurts for the little one to chew with his swollen gums, so he protests. Up to a year, the baby receives breast milk, so for some time you can do without purees or cereals. In a day or two, when the tooth appears, your appetite will return.
Also, a complete refusal to eat can be a symptom of an incipient illness, so it is important to closely monitor the baby’s well-being and, if in any doubt, consult a specialist. Another reason for refusing to eat may be a negative experience. For example, a child received food that was too hot and got burned.
Important!
It is important to remember that the temperature receptors in the baby’s mouth are accustomed to 35-40°C.
Adults prefer soups and cereals heated to 55-65°C. An attempt to feed him “warmed up” porridge leads to a violent protest from the baby. To control the correct heating of food, it is convenient to use a spoon that changes color depending on the temperature.
Perhaps, during the previous feeding, the baby managed to try something unchildish (hot pepper, mustard) or pulled the tablecloth off the table with a roar and got scared. It doesn't matter what exactly happened, just change the situation. If your baby is already eating in a high chair, sit him on your lap. Sit on the other side of the table. Calm the baby down. Offer your child another food from the list of foods he is already familiar with. By nine months, the baby’s diet should include several types of cereals and purees. Nine-month-old children are already familiar with fruits; their sweet taste is usually liked by young gourmets. Suggest and observe.
Important!
The main thing is not to force feed or deceive. You can put a few spoons of porridge into your baby while listening to a cartoon, a dancing grandmother and other distracting moments, but this will not do any good. It’s even worse if parents diligently sweeten all the food because “he’s hungry.” The baby will develop unhealthy eating behavior, which can greatly harm his health in the future.
Calmly offer different products. Feed only a slightly hungry baby. And remember: not a single healthy child has ever died of hunger in front of a plate of food. Especially if there is complementary food on the plate.
Advice
Spend a couple of days searching for your new favorite foods and don’t be surprised by your little ones’ whims. After all, adults also have favorite and least favorite foods. Your task is to offer your child healthy and wholesome food, and he will choose from it what he especially likes.
Never force feed your child - he needs your approval and praise for every bite of a new product he eats.
You will find even more useful information on the website https://www.nestlebaby.ru/
