Breast milk contains enzymes, essential amino acids, antibodies, vitamins and other substances necessary for the growth and development of the baby. However, with age (between 6-24 months, according to WHO), the child’s needs change, and then complementary foods need to be introduced. At the same time, it is not necessary to stop breastfeeding immediately (WHO recommends breastfeeding until 2 years of age). CTA pediatrician Anna Aleksandrovna Tsaregorodtseva spoke about how to correctly introduce new foods into a child’s diet.
Where to begin
The first foods should be pureed so that it is easier for the child to digest them!
As a rule, the child is first “introduced” to vegetables. If you want to introduce vegetables from jars, then it is better to buy single products - so that the puree contains only zucchini or only broccoli, etc. It's best to start with zucchini. After this, you can introduce cauliflower, then broccoli, then potatoes, pumpkin and carrots.
It should be administered at lunchtime (12-15 hours) and no more than one product at a time. Vegetable puree (like any other complementary food) is given before breastfeeding or formula feeding, 1 teaspoon. The next day, you need to observe the baby’s skin and stool and not give him complementary foods, but only breastfeed! If the body accepts the new product normally, you can give 2 tsp every other day. zucchini Following the same scheme - if everything is in order, you can increase the amount to 3 tsp. Gradually they give more complementary foods (up to 5 spoons) and supplement the baby with milk less and less often. When the volume of vegetables in the diet is approximately 150-200 g per day, you can stop breastfeeding at this meal.
How to introduce puree into complementary foods
— What digestive problems may a child have after introducing complementary foods in the form of purees and what to do in this case?
— Problems arise not because of the introduction of puree, but because of the reaction to the product. The main negative reactions that we observe are dyspepsia (bloating, diarrhea or regurgitation) or allergies. In this case, you need to immediately stop the puree and give the child enterosorbents.
— Which puree (vegetable, fruit or meat) is best to start introducing a child to complementary foods in the form of purees?
— Vegetable puree is recommended as a child’s first complementary food. We start with hypoallergenic vegetables: these include zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli. When 2-3 vegetables are established in the baby’s diet, we move on to fruit puree and sequentially introduce 2-3 fruits, for example, an apple, a pear and a prune, one at a time. And only after this comes the turn of meat puree - turkey or rabbit.
— Should a child be forced to eat purees if he doesn’t want to? And what to do in this case?
- First of all, calm down. Most children refuse one or another complementary food, scream, become indignant and even spit. Don't be nervous or force your baby to eat. Offer puree, let's try it and leave the child the right to refuse.
Excessive pressure can only aggravate the baby’s refusal and negative attitude towards “adult” food.
If your child absolutely does not like broccoli, stop eating it and try introducing zucchini. If you don't like rabbit meat, you can offer turkey. Give a new product when the baby is in a good mood, and not at the first feeding: the baby may be capricious after sleep. Sometimes the child takes the initiative to eat with a spoon on his own. Don't deny him this!
— Are there any contraindications for introducing puree as complementary foods?
- Undoubtedly! You should not introduce a child to a new product if he is sick, suffers from diarrhea, skin rashes, or fever. Delay complementary feeding if your baby is getting vaccinated.
— When and with what product should we start complementary feeding with vegetable purees?
— As I already said, we start with hypoallergenic vegetables
, for example, from zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower. Set aside pumpkin and carrots, as brightly colored vegetables can cause allergies. Starchy potatoes can put a strain on the pancreas, so take your time with them too.
We begin introducing vegetables to a child at 5.5–6 months.
— When and with what product should we start complementary feeding with fruit purees?
- After the child has tried vegetables, we move on to fruits. We start with an apple or pear, and choose green varieties; red ones can be allergenic. First, you need to give monocomponent fruit purees, then different fruits can be mixed.
Fruits enter a child’s life at 6.5–7 months.
— When and with what product should we start complementary feeding with meat purees?
— We introduce meat at 7.5-8 months.
This is a storehouse of proteins, which are the building blocks of all organs and tissues. Therefore, you should not put off meat dishes, however, you cannot rush; you must wait until the gastrointestinal tract is “ripe” to digest rabbit or turkey. Modern pediatrics does not recommend chicken as the first meat supplement, as it can cause allergies. Pork and lamb should be avoided for at least 2-3 years.
I would still recommend canned meat puree to start with. Modern blenders, of course, chop very well, but the manufacturers of the canned product manage to achieve an airy consistency that the child likes better at first.
How to introduce a new dish
The 2nd dish (cauliflower) must be added to what has already been introduced. That is, 5 tsp. zucchini and 1 tsp. cauliflower. On a “fasting day” you can give 5 tsp. zucchini, but discard the cabbage and observe. As a result, you will give your baby 5 tsp. zucchini and 5 tsp. cauliflower.
Then you can introduce the 3rd dish - broccoli - and then other vegetables. Once the child is familiar with different vegetables, vegetable mixtures can be introduced.
If you want to feed your child home-cooked vegetables, then note that it is best to cook the vegetables in a double boiler. This way you can preserve vitamins and microelements.
Complementary feeding on IV: which product to start with?
The optimal first complementary food for artificial feeding is vegetable purees; they are best absorbed by the body. It’s good to start with zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower. An exception is the situation with a child who is underweight: then complementary feeding begins with gluten-free cereals, and only then vegetable purees are given.
Next, you can give your child fruit purees to try. When the child gets used to the innovations, you can begin to combine fruits and vegetables.
The procedure for introducing new foods into the child’s diet should be agreed with the doctor, he will also tell you a list of allergenic foods and give you a table for introducing complementary foods. Sugar and salt are prohibited for children under one year old.
Other products
You can also introduce ground porridge into your diet, gradually adding butter or vegetable oil to it. If this is baby porridge and it needs to be diluted with liquid, then it is better to use mother’s milk or formula rather than cow’s milk.
From 7-8 months it is necessary to introduce semi-solid food so that the child develops chewing skills (and with them the correct functioning of the tongue and speech), fine motor skills, and eye function. Products can be mashed, grated or ground. This will make it easier for your child to eat them.
From 8-9 months, you can cut food (cooked vegetables and fruits) into small pieces and offer it to your baby. He will pick up food with his hand, place it in his mouth and eat it.
By one year of age, your baby will be ready to eat solid foods.
Expansion of complementary feeding by month
Pediatricians recommend expanding the food menu for some children as early as 3 months. This may be due to anemia, lack of vitamins in the body, or poor weight gain.
It is important to gradually increase portions of new foods, supplementing the baby with formula at first - the total volume of food received in one meal should be approximately 150 ml. Do not forget to alternate complementary foods and main feedings so as not to overload the baby’s gastrointestinal tract. For example:
- Mixture;
- Porridge + mixture;
- Mixture;
- Puree + juice + mixture;
- Mixture.
Below are recommendations for preparing new dishes for your baby and a table for increasing portions according to age.
Nutrition at 3 months
Diversify your baby's menu with natural fruit juice. It is better if a green apple is used to prepare it. The pulp is removed from the juice, and the liquid is diluted in half with boiled water. The warm drink is given to the baby in the amount of just a few drops, and the portion increases slightly every day. Over time, it is permissible to introduce peach, pear and apricot juices into the menu.
Nutrition at 4 months
Fruit and vegetable purees are added to the juices in the menu in a self-determined order. Among fruits, preference should be given to apricots, peaches, green apples and pears, and banana (it is given only raw).
The best vegetables for complementary feeding are: zucchini, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, green peas, carrots and potatoes. The first puree should be one-component. When the baby gets used to the products offered separately, they can be mixed into one dish.
Selected vegetables and fruits are pre-boiled, stewed or baked. The puree is prepared using a blender; you can add a little mixture to it so that the taste seems “familiar” to the baby. You can dilute the vegetable dish to the required thickness with boiled water or broth left after cooking. Fruit puree can be brought to the required consistency using juice.
Instead of puree, it is possible to introduce gluten-free and dairy-free porridge. It is prepared in water; the grain should be finely ground. Choose buckwheat or rice porridge. It is better to offer it for breakfast, and shift vegetables and fruits to the afternoon.
At 5 months
A new product in the baby’s diet is vegetable oil. It is added to vegetable purees, or you can drop it into porridge if it tastes better for your baby. Olive oil is a controversial product, so discuss with your pediatrician the possibility of including it in the children's menu. Dishes may be a little thicker, but without lumps. Fruit juice can sometimes be replaced with compote. The latter should also not be made too concentrated; it is better to dilute it with water.
In six months
It's time to switch the baby to milk porridge. First, they are prepared with milk, half diluted with boiling water; subsequently, the pure product is used. If you are allergic to cow protein, you can use goat milk. In porridges and purees it is allowed to add butter and boiled yolk. If chicken eggs are not suitable, replace them with quail eggs. The yolk can be offered to the baby as a separate treat, crushed with a fork and mixed with the milk mixture.
It is permissible to diversify the diet with kefir and cottage cheese. Although the respected Dr. Komarovsky believes that these products are the best for first feeding, many pediatricians do not share his opinion. Check with your doctor. These products contain bacteria beneficial for microflora and a lot of calcium, but they create a heavy load on the baby’s kidneys.
When preparing kefir and yogurts yourself, purchase the starter exclusively from pharmacies. Do not add sugar or fructose to them. Pay attention in the table to the maximum allowable amount of these products in the diet of a growing baby.
Nutrition at 7 months
At this age, you can include pureed meat in your diet. To prepare it, purchase meat without fat, veins and bones. Rabbit, turkey or chicken fillets are best suited for complementary feeding. Veal is allowed to be used if the baby is not allergic to cow protein. The meat is boiled or steamed, after which it is chopped with a blender or meat grinder.
You can diversify the menu by preparing not only puree from meat, but also pates and soufflés.
Meat broth is not used in any way, even in diluted form to improve the consistency of the puree. To stimulate the development of chewing skills, you can offer your baby a bagel, baby cookies or crackers, slightly soaked in compote, juice or kefir.
8 months
Cereals containing gluten are added to the diet. Start preparing oatmeal, barley, pearl barley, corn, and millet porridge for your baby. It is better not to introduce semolina into the diet until one is a year old - it is too high in calories and the least healthy. The baby can be served soup with meatballs. Its vegetable filling should be familiar to the child.
9 months
Your child can try low-fat fish, such as hake, cod, and perch. The fillet should be steamed, boiled, stewed or baked. Inspect it carefully for the presence of seeds - the puree should be smooth and tender. It is filled with vitamins and microelements and is easier to digest than meat. A fish dish should replace a meat dish twice a week; there is no need to include it in the menu more often.
Nutrition at 10-12 months
During this period, the baby’s portions become larger, and he is hardly fed formula. Vegetable purees become multi-component, and multi-grain porridges are prepared. Fruit juices and purees are added to cottage cheese, kefir and yogurt for taste; sugar is still prohibited. The meat and fish menu is complemented by steam cutlets. Instead of porridge, you can sometimes offer noodles cooked in milk. Prepare a casserole with fruit from cottage cheese.
Try offering your little one a piece of bread with the soup. You don’t have to grind the vegetables with a blender, but simply grind them or even cut them into slices. Knead the yolk with a fork. A meal can consist of several dishes at once. If the baby is healthy and not susceptible to food allergies, then new foods can be introduced more often - once every 3 days. You can safely start weaning your baby off the bottle, since his menu is very varied - he gets full.
Remember that all schemes are variable - the above is only an approximate plan for introducing complementary foods for an artificial baby. You should adapt only to your child, who may fall in love with one product and refuse another for a long time. Consult your pediatrician and please your baby.
Permissible amount of complementary feeding according to the age of the artificial baby
| Dishes | 4 months | 5 months | 6 months | 7 months | 8-9 months | 10-12 months |
| Fruit juice, ml | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70-80 | 90-100 |
| Vegetable puree, g | 5-30 | 10-100 | 150 | 150-160 | 170-180 | 200 |
| Fruit puree, g | 5-30 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60 | 70-80 | 90-100 |
| Porridge on water, ml | 10-100 | 10-100 | – | – | – | – |
| Vegetable oil, ml | – | 1-3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Porridge with milk, ml | – | – | 50-100 | 150 | 150-180 | 200 |
| Butter, g | – | – | 1-4 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Egg yolk, pcs. | – | – | ¼. | ¼. | ½. | ½-1. |
| Kefir, ml | – | – | 10-30 | 50-100 | 100-200 | 300-400 |
| Cottage cheese, g | – | – | 10-30 | 40 | 40 | 50 |
| Galette cookies, g | – | – | – | 3-5 | 5 | 10-15 |
| Meat puree, g | – | – | – | 10-30 | 50 | 60-70 |
| Fish puree, g | – | – | – | – | 10-30 | 30-60 |
Approximate weight gain with proper introduction of complementary foods
| Age, months | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Gain, g | 750 | 700 | 650 | 600 | 550 | 500 | 450 | 400 | 350 |
