TO by the time the baby is 4-6 months old, it's time to think over the complementary feeding scheme. I am not a supporter of the introduction of complementary foods before the 6th month if the child is on breastfeeding and the mother is producing enough milk. The introduction of complementary foods always entails displacement breastfeeding. If there is not enough breast milk, you can start introducing complementary foods both at the 5th and at the 4th month, as in the case when the baby is on artificial feeding.

I consider it justified to introduce complementary foods at 4 months only if the production of breast milk has decreased, and there is a choice between the introduction of complementary foods and the selection of an adapted mixture. In this case, I would choose complementary foods for my child.

American pediatricians, authors of literature for young parents, strongly recommend that the first complementary foods be introduced only after the child can sit with support, has learned to control head movements, and if his weight has doubled since birth.

At all in pediatrics, the topic of introducing the first complementary foods is quite controversial. I read a lot of literature in my time, talked with several specialists and, in the end, simply accepted one of the positions for myself.

By 5-6 months, the baby is no longer enough nutrients obtained from breast milk. The baby is growing fast, moving a lot. When mom begins to notice that he does not eat enough milk alone, it's time to introduce complementary foods.

True, all modern pediatricians are of the same opinion that the introduction of complementary foods under the age of 3 months is highly undesirable. Until this age, the process of adaptation of the body and intestinal microflora is underway, the likelihood of manifestations of diathesis and digestive disorders is high. Only after 3 months the activity of enzymes of gastric juice and pancreas increases. I can’t even believe that back in the late 90s in Russia, pediatricians recommended young mothers to introduce juices from the age of three weeks.

If the child does not gain enough weight, then porridge from gluten-free cereals is introduced as the first complementary food: rice, buckwheat, corn. Rice porridge is usually introduced as the first porridge, it is well absorbed and there is practically no allergic reaction to it. Buckwheat porridge is considered the most useful, as it contains essential amino acids.

Gluten protein in babies under 6 months of age can cause malabsorption bowel disease nutrients. As far as I understand, this disease is quite rare, but gluten can also cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, many pediatricians recommend the introduction of cereals containing gluten after the baby is 8 months old.

In a situation with normal weight gain, the pediatrician may give different recommendations.

The first position - we start complementary foods with vegetable purees. This position is the closest and most understandable to me, I am its supporter.

Vegetable puree is close in composition to fruit puree, but is easier to digest. Vegetables do not contain fructose, which acts aggressively on the baby's stomach and pancreas, and puts less strain on the kidneys.

In addition, vegetable purees perfectly normalize stools and less allergens.

The second position - we start complementary foods with fruit puree - green apple puree (sometimes, a few weeks before the introduction of puree, it is recommended to start giving juice).

Fruit puree children ride with great pleasure and get used to it more easily. But this plus is also a minus. After fruit, the child is more difficult to transfer to vegetables.

Fruits do not affect the fortification of the baby's food, since the baby receives all the necessary vitamins from breast milk or an adapted milk formula.

Fruit juices put an additional burden on the pancreas, some pediatricians do not recommend giving juices to babies under six months of age.

The third position - we introduce baked apples and pears as the first complementary foods. In this way, doctors recommending fruits as the first complementary foods introduce complementary foods in children prone to allergies. After heat treatment, some of the allergenic properties are lost. If there is no reaction to the baked fruit, it is administered raw.

The fourth position is porridge. Porridges are easily digested and the least aggressive for gastrointestinal tract baby. But porridge is not suitable as a first feeding if the baby periodically suffers from constipation.

So, white and green vegetables and green (for color, not maturity) fruits are introduced first. But here the question arises why many manufacturers baby food offer as the first complementary foods, for example, carrots. Moreover, there are foreign producers who offer carrots as the first one-component product, and then offer to give the child the same carrots with other vegetables.

I'll try to answer. Carrots are sweetish and have a more interesting taste than, for example, cauliflower. Carrots are "light" and have a regulating effect on the child's stool. And yet, each country has its own specifics and its own food traditions. If you have read B. Spock or other American authors, then, of course, you were surprised that they offer to give the child orange and mango juice as the first product. By the way, this is why you should not be guided by the product management scheme recommended in the literature by foreign authors and foreign manufacturers of baby food. For example, my daughter's cheeks turned red after carrots, so we introduced carrots only closer to the year, at the same time as egg yolk.

Complementary foods should be introduced from hypoallergenic foods (low degree of allergenicity), such as zucchini and green apples.

Scheme for the introduction of vegetables:

1. Zucchini or zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli. Some parents try to give as a first product patissons and turnips. If your baby does not like any of the vegetables, you can try pumpkin, because it has a sweetish aftertaste, children are more willing to try it. You may have an allergic reaction to pumpkin. If you're making your own puree, choose light-colored pumpkins.

2. Green pea and green bean pods. Then potato(easy on the stomach, but quite often gives an allergic reaction) , corn, sweet potato, spinach. Can be added green bell pepper. Quite often, pediatricians recommend that mothers pre-soak potatoes and administer in an amount of no more than 20% of total mass baby puree.

3. On carrots, beets, celery often there is an allergic reaction, so they are administered with extreme caution. Last entered tomato. I draw your attention to the fact that, unlike turnips, radish is a highly allergenic product. Pediatricians advise not to rush with greens. For example, parsley, even heavily chopped, is a very tough product for a baby. Greens can be used as a seasoning during cooking and stewing, but do not add it when grinding mashed potatoes. As the first spices during cooking, after the child is 9-10 months old, you can use: white pepper, Bay leaf, dill and parsley.

Do not forget that different vegetables, like fruits, affect the intestines of a child in different ways: potatoes strengthen, spinach weakens, white cabbage is a strong gas-forming product. Grapes also enhance the fermentation processes in the intestines, so you should not rush to include it in the diet of a child of the first year of life.

2 weeks after the introduction of vegetables, you can start giving the baby porridge, and even after 2-3 weeks, fruit purees and juices. As a first feeding, it is better to give preference dairy-free cereals, diluting them in breast milk, milk mixture familiar to the child or water.

Scheme for the introduction of berries and fruits:

1. Green apples and pears (fasten).

2. Plums (prunes) and peaches (weaken) , bananas. I draw your attention to the fact that apricots, unlike peaches, are allergenic products. There are very few vitamins in bananas, so they are rather good as a filler for fruit puree(not everyone knows that a banana is a cereal, it contains: fiber, pectin, carbohydrates and a lot of potassium).

3. Blackcurrant and blueberry (fasten) other berries. Try raspberries, strawberries, red apples, and pears with extreme caution.

Exotics, including pineapples and kiwi, Russian pediatricians recommend giving only to children over 3 years old.

From citrus fruits you can give a baby lemon juice , by the way, it helps well if the baby often spits up. It is recommended to give grapefruit to a child not earlier than 1.5 years old, and tangerines and oranges to children after 2-2.5 years.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods:

1. Each time, introduce one vegetable (fruit, berry). Feeding a baby with monocomponent purees will make it easier to recognize the product that caused the reaction when a food allergy manifests.

2. Complementary foods are introduced gradually. Starting with 0.5-1 teaspoon of puree per day and bringing up to 50 grams (norm in 5-6 months) in 1-1.5 weeks.

3. A teaspoon of each new product is added to the previously introduced puree and brought to age norm(50-100 grams)

4. If a child has an undesirable reaction on the skin (itching, redness), the administered product must be excluded from the child's diet for 1-2 months. Later, at an older age, introduce the product also with caution, starting with 1 teaspoon.

5. Multi-component purees (from 2 or more products) can be given at 5 and 6 months, but only if the puree contains no more than 1 new component.

6. Feeding porridge usually corresponds to breakfast. Porridge, at bedtime or twice a day, is given to children during illness and in case of weight loss. Vegetable puree is served for lunch. If the child already eats both vegetables and fruits, vegetable puree should be given for lunch, and fruit puree for afternoon tea. It is highly undesirable to mix fruits and vegetables and give the child in one feeding.

7. Give complementary foods while the baby is still hungry, before breastfeeding.

8. You should not introduce new complementary foods if the child is sick (SARS, intestinal infections etc.) or to be vaccinated.

And another very important point. Babies, especially the first year of life, can be called gourmets. They evaluate the taste of food in a completely different way and are able to appreciate the natural taste qualities of products.At a time when the child is just learning the taste of food, you should not add spices and salt to vegetables. In addition, any supplements will simply be an additional burden for the body.

Jars are helpers.Opinion about what is better not to buy " baby puree”, and to cook the baby on my own, I would call an outdated delusion.

Firstly, buying fruits and vegetables in the markets and shops, we do not have the opportunity to check their quality, to find out what fertilizers the plant was watered with. And baby food of industrial production undergoes strict control.

Secondly, in jars of the first stage (for children from 3-5 months) heavily crushed puree. You can achieve the same result only by manually rubbing vegetables and fruits through a fine strainer. large pieces little child difficult to swallow and not safe for him.

On common table the baby can be gradually transferred to the year when his immunity is already stronger.

Third. It is very convenient to use ready-made purees, they only need to be warmed up. In addition, modern manufacturers offer a wide range. Jars are convenient to take on the road, like any canned food, they are protected without a refrigerator. Unlike canned foods for adults, only vitamin C is added to baby food, the use of any preservatives is prohibited. Long term storage provided by vacuum packaging and modern heat treatment technologies.

It is important, when choosing industrial baby food for your baby,give preference to purees, which do not include additional components– thickeners such as starch.The jars of the first complementary foods should not contain spices, salt and sugar. Here are some baby food manufacturers that produce products for the smallest consisting only of vegetables (fruits) and water: Gerber (Gerber), Beech nut (Bich nat), Semper (Semper).

You can give preference to home-made puree during the harvest season, if you have a summer cottage and a desire to cook your own baby. In this case, you need to take care of the variety of vegetables in advance.

IN winter time many mothers prefer to cook baby soups, vegetable stews and frozen food purees. In order for vegetables, fruits and berries to retain all their vitamins as much as possible, they should be frozen immediately after harvesting.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you that the introduction of complementary foods always leads to a decrease in breast milk, as babies begin to suckle worse. Therefore, do not rush and give complementary foods too early (before the baby is 5-6 months old) if the baby is breastfeeding.

In addition to fruits and berries, industrial fruit purees include natural substances - shaping agents (thickeners), i.e. are they introduced additionally or are they found in berries and fruits?, which give the puree a uniform consistency. It also promotes habituation child to thicker food, the gradual formation of chewing and swallowing skills. For this purpose, pectin (a high molecular weight polysaccharide capable of neutralizing harmful substances) or rice starch, guar gum (resin), etc. They have enveloping and absorbent (absorbing) properties, which are especially necessary for children with an immature digestive tract.

We give fruit puree, like any other dish, starting with 1/2 teaspoon, and gradually increase the volume of puree in 5-7 days to 60-80g at 8 months, 100g at 10-12 months. Fruit puree is recommended to be added to one of the complementary foods after the main meal. As with the introduction of any other complementary foods, after the introduction of fruit puree, it is necessary to closely monitor the baby's reaction to complementary foods - monitor the condition of the skin and stool. When a rash occurs or liquid stool you should cancel a new dish, consult a doctor. It is better to start with puree from green varieties of apples. The pectin substances contained in apples have bactericidal properties and also contribute to easier bowel movements. Further, you can quickly expand the range of fruit purees, taking into account individual tolerance. For example, in the first week, introduce an apple or pear, a banana in the second, an apricot in the third, and prunes or wild berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) in the fourth.

Puree from bananas is a source of trace elements: 100 grams contains 42 mg of magnesium and 348 mg of potassium, in terms of the content of the latter, a banana is comparable only to dried apricots. In addition, these tropical fruits are a source of calcium, iron and phosphorus. Bananas rarely cause allergic reactions.

Puree from prunes widely known as a mild laxative that increases intestinal peristalsis. 100 g of prune puree contains 330 mg of potassium. This puree is also rich in vitamin B1 (thiamine) and B2 (riboflavin). Puree from blueberries can contain a tannin - tannin, which has a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effect, so blueberries have long been used as folk remedy with intestinal disorders. Blueberry pectin absorbs toxins and, like tannin, provides a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect. This berry not only contains a large amount of provitamin A - beta-carotene, which improves vision, but is also a "record holder" for the content of manganese, which contributes to the accumulation of glycogen in the liver - the body's energy reserve, and also regulates hematopoiesis and growth processes. In addition, blueberries are low allergenic.

Apricots are fruits that are an excellent source of potassium, carotene, vitamin C and pectin. Raspberries and black currants have a greater allergenic potential, so when they are introduced, you need to carefully monitor the reaction of the baby. The main source of energy for child are carbohydrates. Some of them, in particular glucose, are an indispensable "fuel" for brain cells. Berries, fruits and vegetables just contain a diverse set of carbohydrates that children need so much. IN last years combined fruit purees appeared on the baby food market in Russia: fruit and grain purees (from fruits with the addition different types flour), fruit and milk (from fruits with the addition of yogurt, cottage cheese, cream). Most of these purees are fortified with vitamin C. In fruit and grain purees, the grain component is usually represented by oatmeal, rice flour, flakes, and also starch. This puree has more nutritional value. We introduce these purees only after mastering one-component purees (containing one fruit).

first juice

Juice, unlike fruit puree, is introduced after vegetables, cereals, fruits, meat, fish, kefir and cottage cheese. Why didn't we give juices earlier and do we need them now?

There are many disadvantages to the early introduction (between 3-6 months) of juices to infants. First, it is a high probability of allergic reactions. Secondly, even with freshly prepared juice, there are no special vitamins that would not be part of human milk, child do not get. With canned juices, it’s even worse - some of the vitamins in them are still destroyed, and minerals not much. Anxiety is caused by excessive consumption of fruit juices containing artificial sweeteners and simple carbohydrates in addition to glucose, sucrose and fructose. Beverages containing sugar alcohols, such as mannitol and sorbitol, can cause diarrhea in some children. Also, sugars contained in juices contribute to the appearance of dental caries. Early introduction of juices reduces appetite in child and can reduce the mother's milk supply if the juice is "liked" to kid. Therefore, it is recommended to give to kid juice when the baby is already receiving a large amount of "heavy" foods - cereals, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish are introduced, dairy products... Then the juices will act in a new capacity as stimulators of enzymatic activity - the juice stimulates the production of enzymes - substances necessary for the digestion of food.

The introduction of juice should be started with a minimum amount (1/2 teaspoon) after one of the morning feedings, monitoring tolerance and gradually increasing its amount over 3-4 weeks to 80-100 ml at 10-12 months. Juices can be clarified and with pulp, mono juices (from one type of fruit, berry, vegetable) and combined (from a combination).

What kind of juice to choose for complementary foods?

Apple juice is rich in natural carbohydrates and organic acids. This enhances the secretion of digestive juices and increases appetite. It is better to choose the following varieties of apples - Antonovka, Simirenka, white filling, etc., which have a white or green color (they are much less likely to cause an allergic reaction). Pear juice has a "golden reserve" of folic acid (it plays important role in the processes of hematopoiesis and is very important for growing babies), as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, cobalt and fiber. It should be borne in mind that this juice has a fixing effect. Carrot-apricot juice, taken on an empty stomach, helps to cope with constipation. The fiber and pectin contained in it stimulate intestinal motility and also promote the growth of beneficial intestinal microflora (this is important, for example, during and after antibiotic treatment). Dietary fiber stimulates bile secretion, binds bile acids and increases their excretion with feces, lowers cholesterol levels. In addition, carrot-apricot juice is rich in beta-carotene, which is converted in the body into vitamin A, which is necessary for building the retina, which has great importance with skin diseases, with low growth rates. When choosing juices, you need to take into account their characteristics and the state of health of the baby. So, children with a tendency to allergic reactions are not recommended citrus, raspberry, strawberry, tomato and exotic (mango, papaya, guava). It is recommended to start with apple, pear, peach juices. Later introduce cherry, blueberry, cranberry, carrot, cabbage and beet. The last two have a laxative effect and are good to give to children suffering from constipation. Grape juice children under 4 years of age are not recommended, as it contains few vitamins and increased amount sugar, which enhances fermentation processes in the intestines, causing increased gas formation. Even for adults, juice is too concentrated a product that needs to be diluted with water, since it contains high concentrations of acids and does not contain fiber, unlike fruits, it can be said that juice is a concentrate of allergens and has an irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract. If you believe that it is better to give compote, cooked from the same apples, pears, peaches, prunes, berries from their summer cottage. We cook the compote as usual (we use fresh fruits or berries or frozen) just do not add sugar. When cooking compotes from frozen or very ripe fruits (plums, pears), they must be put into boiling water and turned off immediately after the compote boils again. Hard apples, pears and other fruits, berries, as well as dried fruits should be brought to a boil, then boiled for 10-15 minutes. If compote is prepared from sour berries, then it makes sense to cook compote from several ingredients, for example, add raisins.

Complementary feeding scheme
Signs of readiness to introduce complementary foods
Complementary foods are by no means introduced after reaching a certain age - age is only one of the factors. Readiness can only be judged by the presence of a combination of factors:

1. Age not less than 4 months. (for children born ahead of time based on gestational age).

2. The baby has doubled its birth weight. For premature babies, the coefficient is x2.5.

3. The child's expulsion reflex of the tongue is gone. If you give it to drink from a spoon, then its contents will not be on the chin (and we give complementary foods EXCLUSIVELY from a spoon so that it is processed with saliva).

4. The child knows how to sit. May lean towards the spoon or lean back, refusing to eat. Knows how to control the turn of the head - can turn away in case of refusal. Or tilt your head.

5. If artificial, then eats more than a liter of the mixture per day, and does not gorge. If she is breastfeeding, then at each feeding she eats both breasts and really wants more.

6. The child can hold something in his fist and put it purposefully into his mouth.

7. And most importantly - children show a HUGE interest in the food of their parents and are eager to try it. Nature itself lets you know when the child's body is already able to accept food other than adapted food (mixture or mother's milk).

For each child, this period, when ALL the factors of readiness are already manifested, comes individually. On average between 5 and 9 months. By the way, even twins can give signs in different ways. There are situations when a child gives all signs of readiness as early as 4 months, and there are situations when a child can wait up to a year - but these are more extreme situations, although they are also a variant of the norm.

Therefore, DO NOT rush with complementary foods. It's better to be "a little" late than to hurry. If the child has good adequate nutrition ( breast milk or good adapted mixture) - it will not be deprived of a source of nutrients.

Basic rules for the introduction of complementary foods
Start introducing complementary foods only healthy child or, in extreme cases, during the recovery period, with normal stool;

Complementary foods are introduced warm before breastfeeding or formula;

complementary foods are given from a spoon, vegetable puree can first be added to a bottle of milk, so that the child can more easily get used to the new taste;

Each complementary food dish is introduced gradually, from small amounts (1-2 teaspoons) and brought to the age dose within two weeks;

1.5-2 weeks after the introduction of the previous one, they switch to a new type of complementary foods;

The density of complementary foods should gradually increase;

Complementary foods - vegetables
Important point!!! The first vegetable should be "typical of the family and locality." A baby from Egypt will be bent on peas as a complementary food, but it will ideally transfer an orange. From which the "average Ukrainian" will be treated for years.

For example, carrots in Germany are considered a hypoallergenic product. The "bright coloration" theory is considered a myth. Squash and rap are not recommended to give up to a year ... and celery and carrots are considered best solution for the first meal. The same pumpkin - the best variety is considered "Hokaido" - a bright red little pumpkin.

Be sure to look at the label so that spices, salt, rice starch are not added to the puree. It is very important! In the first puree (and in subsequent ones, by the way, too) there should be nothing but vegetables and water

How to give:

Gradually, the volume is brought to 50-100 ml, making sure that everything is in order, you can try to give another vegetable. The introduction rules are the same starting from a small amount the amount of puree offered to the child is gradually increased.

· do not give two new vegetables at once, only mono puree. About a couple of months after the introduction of vegetables, you can start giving your child vegetable oil by adding a small amount to vegetable puree. It is very useful to give oils obtained by the "cold" method, as they contain polyunsaturated fatty acids that favorably affect the condition of the skin. Linseed oil is rich in such acids.

In order to minimize a possible allergic or other reaction to vegetables, you need to introduce vegetables (and any other product) as carefully as possible, especially if the baby is prone to diathesis, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, etc.

· Introduce a new vegetable at the end of a feed, mixing it with an old familiar food if possible. If you are breastfeeding, then let's drink each new complementary food to the baby with a breast (at his request, of course), this will help the baby digest and assimilate a new product for his gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is bottle-fed, then it is optimal to give a little familiar mixture after introducing a new product. If this is not the first complementary food for the baby, then mix the vegetable with the “old” (familiar to the child) food.

· The lower doses you start with, the better. The smaller the initial amount of vegetables, the slower it increases, the less likely the occurrence of diathesis.

homemade vegetables

If you do not have enough money for purchased jars, or you have some kind of prejudice before them, you can cook vegetable puree for your baby yourself - either from frozen vegetables, or from fresh vegetables. It depends on the time of the year - if it's autumn, the season of vegetables, then you will definitely mash fresh market vegetables, if there are no vegetables on sale, then buy frozen vegetables in bags and mash them.

If you have a blender, great! Cook cauliflower, zucchini, pumpkin or turnips as usual, cook for yourself (with the only difference being that you add salt and spices for yourself, and for the baby you just boil vegetables in water). Then cool the vegetables a little and grind them in a blender. The only exception is potatoes - it is not recommended to grind it in a blender, because the starch in it will turn the puree into a sticky paste, not much like delicate mashed potatoes.
When you introduce mono puree from fresh or frozen vegetables, you can make a variety of puree variations, make it according to the taste of the baby and his discretion: boil carrots, potatoes, cauliflower. Boil peas, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes together, etc. The options are many!

With the age of the baby, you can not chop vegetable puree in a blender - it will be enough just to mash soft boiled vegetables with a fork (the baby will learn to eat in pieces, and since vegetables are usually soft, it will be easier for the baby to get used to eating in pieces).

If you do not trust not only canned baby food, but also frozen vegetables, then you can freeze the vegetables for future use yourself. They can be stored at -6°C for a week, at -12°C for 1 month, at -18°C for 3 months.

The second complementary food - cereals - you need to start introducing gluten-free cereals (rice, corn, buckwheat) and cook them on the milk or milk mixture that the child receives;

· Baby food in jars contains the optimal amount of salt and sugar and therefore should not be added.

Complementary foods - porridge.

The first porridge for a baby must be gluten-free - rice, buckwheat or corn porridge (by the way, one of the components of ordinary corn porridge is corn starch, which is 80% gluten). Therefore, when talking about corn porridge, we mean industrially prepared porridge specifically for children, and not ground corn, which is also called “polenta”. The rest of the cereals: oatmeal, semolina, millet, barley, etc. - contain gluten and are not suitable as a first food.

Porridge is best cooked on water, but it is allowed, if the baby is breastfed, to cook porridge on expressed mother's milk. The same applies to artificial people - it is permissible to cook porridge on the mixture that the baby usually consumes.

If the baby has a tendency to constipation, then it is advisable not to start complementary foods with rice porridge. Best with buckwheat. Although they say that buckwheat is very allergenic, but this must be looked at by the child. If there is a tendency to allergies, then start feeding with rice, if there is constipation, then start with buckwheat. If there is a tendency to both allergies and constipation at the same time, then start complementary foods with corn, and then introduce oatmeal.
If the baby has no problems, then you can enter in this order - rice, buckwheat, corn or buckwheat, rice, corn. After these cereals are introduced, you can try oatmeal. Semolina porridge in view of its great nutritional value, but low fortification and usefulness, it is better to postpone for later and offer it to the baby after a year

Table with dairy-free, milk and fruit-grain cereals:

How to give?

In no case do not give even the smallest child porridge from a bottle. It’s better to make thin porridge and give it from a spoon, let the baby eat a little, but it’s right! For a baby in the first complementary foods, the amount of food is not so important, for him it is still only an introductory, trial, and not satiating. When feeding from a bottle, food does not undergo enzymatic processing of saliva, which negatively affects the digestive process. The fact is that in the baby's saliva there are special enzymes - amylase and lysozyme. When food enters the baby's mouth from a spoon, it manages to completely, so to speak, be saturated with saliva, and enters the stomach already thoroughly "soaked" in saliva. And amylase is very helpful in digestion and the breakdown of food. It is already in the stomach helps to quickly break down food into smaller components and thus it contributes to faster digestion. When the baby is given food from a bottle, it does not have time to soak in saliva and almost immediately gets into the throat, without lingering in the mouth. Thus, it enters the stomach without primary treatment with amylase.

To minimize a possible allergic or other reaction to porridge, you need to introduce porridge (and any other product) as carefully as possible, especially if the baby is prone to diathesis, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, etc.

Offer a new porridge at the end of feeding, if possible, mix it with the old familiar food to the child. If you are breastfeeding, then let's drink each new complementary food to the baby with a breast (at his request, of course), this will help the baby digest and assimilate a new product for his gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is bottle-fed, then it is optimal to give a little familiar mixture after introducing a new product. If this is not the first complementary food for the baby, then mix the porridge with the “old” (familiar to the child) food.

This is done to prepare the gastrointestinal tract for new food, so that it is easier for the enzymatic systems, intestines, and stomach to work, digesting “familiar food”. By introducing complementary foods at the end of feeding, you will not "take by surprise" the child's body and do not harm him.

The lower doses you start with, the better. The smaller the initial amount of porridge, the slower it increases, the less likely the occurrence of diathesis.

When to give?

Entering porridge into the baby's diet depends only on the baby and his mother. Traditionally, if the baby has a lack of weight, if the baby is thin, then it is advisable to start complementary foods with cereals. If the baby is chubby, if he has a small (or large) overweight, then it is best to start complementary foods for such a baby with mono-vegetable puree.

The time of day for entering porridge is of fundamental importance. Traditionally, porridge is given either in the morning or for dinner. But for the first feeding, it is better to choose the morning time in order to see during the day what the baby's reaction to the new product will be. If you give a new product at night, you may not notice it. When you have already introduced porridge into the child's diet and made sure that the baby reacts normally to it, you can give porridge at night (or leave it like that in the morning).

Fruits

Fruit purees are best administered after cereals and vegetables. If you have already introduced your baby to porridge and vegetables, then it's time to give your child a taste of fruit puree.

For the first feeding, it is necessary to take foods with a low degree of allergenicity - these are green apples, white cherries, white currants, gooseberries, plums. When low-allergenic vegetables are introduced, “medium-allergenic” vegetables such as peaches, apricots, red currants, bananas, cranberries can be introduced. And you need to leave at the very last turn highly allergenic foods, such as strawberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, pineapples, grapes, melons, persimmons, pomegranates, citrus fruits and others.

After the first solid food with mono-fruits is introduced, you can offer the child a puree-assortment of different fruits. There are so many purees!

How to give?

· Complementary foods are introduced starting from a quarter of a teaspoon once a day, preferably in the morning. Every day the volume increases gradually, approximately 2 times. It takes 7-10 days to reach the age norm. The condition of the child's skin, digestive problems are assessed daily, if any changes appear, then the introduction of complementary foods is suspended.

Gradually, the volume is brought to 50-100 ml (on average 70 grams in the first complementary foods, then increases to 100 g, and then to 180 g), making sure that everything is in order, you can try to give another fruit. The introduction rules are the same, starting with a small amount, the volume of the puree offered to the child is gradually increased.

· The general rule for ANY complementary foods is no more than one product in 1-2 weeks!

· Do not give two new fruits at once, only mono puree.

In order to minimize a possible allergic or other reaction to fruits, you need to introduce fruits (and any other product) as carefully as possible, especially if the baby is prone to diathesis, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, etc.

· Offer a new fruit at the end of feeding, if possible, mix it with the old familiar food to the child. If you are breastfeeding, then let's drink each new complementary food to the baby with a breast (at his request, of course), this will help the baby digest and assimilate a new product for his gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is bottle-fed, then it is optimal to give a little familiar mixture after introducing a new product. If this is not the first complementary food for the baby, then mix the fruit with the “old” (familiar to the child) food.

This is done to prepare the gastrointestinal tract for new food, so that it is easier for the enzymatic systems, intestines, and stomach to work, digesting “familiar food”. By introducing complementary foods at the end of feeding, you will not "take by surprise" the child's body and do not harm him.

· The lower doses you start with, the better. The smaller the initial amount of fruit, the slower it increases, the less likely the occurrence of diathesis.

FEEDING SCHEME FROM GASTROENTEROLOGIST

Give each new product at least 7 days. Start with 1 tsp. and bring back to normal within a week.

6 months

At about 12 noon (future lunch) - vegetables.

“Squash” (zucchini-pumpkin) is still a kind of pumpkin, and not in our strip - do not give it.

Pumpkin, carrot - remove.

Leave the yellow for later. Start with green.

You can cook it yourself or make mashed potatoes from frozen vegetables.

Zucchini is frozen. For example, firms "4 seasons"

Cauliflower - "Semper" or frozen

Broccoli - "Semper", "Top-top" (not to be confused with "Tip-top")

Green beans - do it yourself

Green peas - "Gerber"

Potatoes - “Gerber” ordinary, do not give sweet, (also not our strip), do it yourself (soak before that for 2 hours in boiled cold water, when starch is released, change the water)

Parsnips and spinach - after a year, because reduces the level of iron absorption in the child's body by more than 76%

When you try everything, you can mix, but no more than 3 types.

Vegetable oil from 8 months.

7 months

Gradually completely replace one feeding.

Buckwheat, corn, rice without additives.

Oatmeal, semolina, milk, soy porridges are not introduced into the diet for up to a year. It is harmful.

The package should say: "no sugar, salt, gluten, milk, dyes."

It is best to give it on water, since with the addition of milk there is a big load on the digestive tract.

Gerber, Baby Sitter, Low Allergy Baby

7 months

At 17 o'clock (future afternoon snack) - fruits:

Green apple - "Semper", "Top-top". Bake yourself.

Red later.

Pear - (if there is no constipation) "Semper".

Banana - do it yourself.

Apricots, peaches - jars, do it yourself in the summer, they are not watered with anything harmful,

As for cherries and cherries - later, in the summer, do it yourself.

Cottage cheese - after 8 months. For an afternoon snack, add to fruit puree.

For example, 0% cottage cheese "House in the village". Every day a new pack.

Strictly not more than normal if a child is overfed with cottage cheese, he will have anorexia.

Meat - after 12 min (load on the digestive tract) add to vegetable puree. Do not exceed the norm of meat! Strictly prepared puree with vegetables.

"Gerber" - turkey, piglet, lamb, beef.

At least up to a year you can not give children meat broth. It contains too many carcinogens. They serve soup with vegetable broth.

Kefir - after 12 p.m. (it has too high acidity, and in children with perinatal CNS damage (90% of children) the acidity of the gastrointestinal tract is already high.

Kefir in children up to a year causes microbleeding in the intestines, which leads to severe hypochromic anemia), give at night.

Beefy, Agusha without sugar. If the child refuses, do not insist.

It is better to drink before meals, do not drink.

Juices diluted with water (min. 1/1), after a year.

Salt after a year, sugar, in general, the later the better.

Feed the child always at your table so that nothing distracts.

Do not snack between feedings - apple, bread, drying

Total:

7 m. Fruits - 60 gr., vegetables - 150 gr., porridge - 150 gr.

8 m. F. - 70, O. - 170, K. - 150

9 m. F. - 80, O. - 180, K. - 180

12 m. F. - 90-100, O. - 200, K. - 200,

Butter - 5 gr., Meat - start 5-30 gr., then 70, cottage cheese 10-30, then 50 g. then 60

Table with vegetable and meat purees

Bottle feeding baby:

1. After opening the jar, select a serving for feeding, and put the rest in the refrigerator.
2. Strictly follow the instructions for storing opened baby food jars.
3. Reheat only as much food as needed for one feeding.
4. Do not return the uneaten portion to the jar - this will cause bacteria to grow, and saliva enzymes will thin the mixture.
5. Do not freeze baby food, it becomes inedible.

Feeding crumbs from early childhood should be balanced and correct. Caring parents carefully choose products for the baby, strictly monitor the allowable norms for a particular product, and also try to choose the optimal balance of nutrients in the child's diet. When feeding a baby is just beginning, many parents face the question: when to give fruit puree to a baby? After all, there are a lot of conflicting theories related to the rules for accustoming babies to adult food. It is not so difficult not to make a mistake and choose the right recommendations. Let's try to figure it out.

When to give fruit puree to babies: the optimal age

Fruit puree can be introduced into the diet of crumbs already at the age of 3-4 months.

And yet, choosing sweet fruit purees for the very first complementary foods is not recommended.

For a long time, in the 80s and 90s, pediatricians advised starting the first complementary foods with fruit purees. Apple and pear puree is ideal for starting complementary foods. Today, however, the approach to starting complementary foods has changed somewhat. And it is not recommended to start accustoming a baby to adult food with fruit purees. It is believed that after getting used to a sweet product, the baby will not appreciate the taste of unleavened zucchini or cauliflower puree. It is also likely that the baby will not want to eat unsweetened porridge if he has already tasted and loved mashed apples and pears. But if parents do not see rational sense in such a warning, then purely theoretically, you can start complementary foods with fruits. Apple or pear puree is considered the least allergenic. The product perfectly regulates the work of the intestines. And, most importantly, fruit puree has an excellent taste. Often, even adults enjoy eating the contents of jars of baby fruit food.

When answering the question of when to give fruit puree to babies, you can form the following recommended sequence:

• Green apple puree - from 3 months;
• Pear puree - from 3-4 months;
• Banana puree - from 6 months;
• Apricot puree - from 6-7 months;
• Peach puree - from 7 months;
• Plum puree - from 8 months.

When to give fruit puree to a baby: morning, afternoon or evening?

When thinking about the question of when to give fruit puree to a baby, it is also important to decide on the time of day when such food is most comfortably absorbed by the baby's body. It turns out that there is no fundamental difference between whether a baby gets fruit puree for breakfast or lunch. But the closer feeding is to evening, the more carefully you need to approach the choice of product. Fruit puree can cause intestinal upset or an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is best to give this version of the product in the morning or afternoon. Mom will have time to evaluate the reaction of the crumbs to a new product and sleep will not be disturbed by an upset tummy. And when the fruit puree becomes narrower familiar product in the menu of the baby, you can give it after dinner and in the late afternoon. It is believed that fruit puree can be offered to the baby even several times a day. Such food can be offered to the baby after the main meal or as a small snack. When the baby grows up, fruit puree can freely replace one of the main feedings. But this period will come only when the child will easily eat half, or even a whole jar of fruit baby food.

When should you not give fruit puree to a baby?

Any product may have contraindications. This is especially important to consider when it comes to feeding the smallest. You should not start introducing fruit puree into the baby's diet in the following cases:

• The baby is not yet 3 months old;
• The baby has a food allergy or diathesis of unknown origin;
• The baby has an intestinal disorder (diarrhea, constipation);
• The child reacts psychologically sharply to the introduction of a new product (flatly refuses to eat);
• The baby does not feel well or is sick;
• Doctors do not recommend introducing new complementary foods 3 days before and 3 days after vaccination.

Plum puree for babies

Most tasty food: introduce fruits into the baby's diet

Perhaps, fruit complementary foods are the most favorite among kids and their parents. Infants enjoy eating fruits, because they are so bright and tasty! And also ruddy, colorful and fragrant fruits with different skins to the touch are not only a delicious dessert, but also entertaining objects that are so interesting to look at and touch for a baby. And yet, the main thing for a baby in fruits is new taste sensations and additional vitamins that he receives along with fruit foods.

A few words about the benefits

In addition to the fact that fruits are an ideal source of minerals and vitamins, in particular vitamin C, the first juicy fruits give the growing body energy and strength. Fruit sugar and the mineral salts contained in them work like small batteries, giving the child a charge of vivacity and Have a good mood. In addition, fruits are rich in vegetable fiber, which stimulates the function of the large intestine and thus prevents constipation.

Another one natural feature fruits in that they are… delicious! It is rare for a baby to refuse fragrant apple, peach or plum puree. Neither vegetables nor cereals can boast of such a number of little fans, and this may well play into the hands of enterprising parents in their desire to feed the baby: adding fruits to other foods dramatically increases their attractiveness in the eyes of the child and improves his appetite.

In a word, so that the baby eats with appetite and receives the necessary nutrients, be sure to introduce various fruits into his diet.

When to introduce fruit foods?

The variety of existing complementary feeding schemes allows different times for the introduction of fruit purees into the baby's menu, in some schemes they even begin to expand the diet, and the grated apple becomes the first "adult" product for many babies.

However, no matter what feeding scheme the mother adheres to, the first fruits offered to the baby in any case should have a low degree of allergenicity - these are, first of all, green apples, as well as white cherries, white currants, gooseberries, plums. When low-allergenic fruits and berries are introduced, you can offer your child peaches, apricots, bananas, cranberries, red currants. And highly allergenic strawberries, raspberries, wild strawberries, black currants, blackberries, grapes, melons and other exotics (pineapple, persimmon, pomegranate, citrus fruits, etc.) are best introduced last.

Most healthy fruits for a child

Apples

Pears

Pears contain a large number of healthy substances: carotene, folic acid, catechins, pectins and minerals - salts of iron, manganese, iodine, potassium, calcium, as well as glucose, fructose and sucrose, vitamins A and C. Just like in apples, there is a lot of pectin in pears, and therefore they also have a beneficial effect on the processes of digestion, improve metabolism, stimulate the liver and kidneys. You just need to keep in mind that pears have a fixing effect due to the tannins they contain, and therefore they should be given with caution to babies suffering from constipation.

plums

Due to the content of B vitamins, plums have positive influence on nervous system child, protect him from overwork and improve mood. Vitamin C, which is also in large numbers present in plums, helps children's body to cope with infections, and provitamin A improves vision. Just keep in mind that plums weaken, and some kids are strong enough, so they should be introduced into the diet with caution. But for babies with constipation, plums will be very useful.

Bananas

Bananas contain a sufficient amount of vitamins E and C, and the content of B6 in just one hundred grams of their pulp is about a quarter daily allowance this vitamin. But most importantly - these fruits are the richest source of potassium, which is necessary for the heart, liver, brain, bones, teeth, but most of all - muscles. Bananas are also rich in natural sugar, which, when digested, quickly enters the bloodstream and gives the little one energy.

After the first solid food with mono-fruits is introduced, you can offer the child a puree-assortment of different fruits. There are a lot of options for such purees, so the little gourmet will always be provided with a new dessert!

How to start fruit feeding?

Complementary foods are introduced, starting with a quarter of a teaspoon once a day, preferably in the morning, so that it is possible to assess the body's reaction to a new product. Gradually, the portion volume increases - each new day the child is offered a portion approximately twice as large as the previous one and is brought to the age norm in 7-10 days.

The child's skin condition, digestive problems are assessed daily, and if any changes appear, the introduction of complementary foods is suspended. In the absence of problems with one fruit, you can move on to the next, but remember to general rule of any complementary foods - introduce no more than one new product per week!

To minimize a possible allergic or other reaction to fruits, you need to introduce fruits (like any other product) as carefully as possible, especially if the baby is prone to diathesis, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, etc.

Offer a new fruit at the end of a feed, mixing it with familiar food if possible ( vegetable puree or porridge). If you are breastfeeding, then let's drink milk to the baby with each new complementary food (at his request, of course) - this will help him better digest and assimilate a new product for his gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is bottle-fed, then it is optimal to give a little familiar mixture after introducing a new product.

All this is done to prepare the baby's gastrointestinal tract for new food: it is easier for the enzymatic systems, intestines and stomach to work, digesting the "familiar" product. By introducing porridge at the end of feeding, you will not "take by surprise" the child's body and do not harm him.

Canned fruit puree

On the shelves of modern children's stores there is a huge variety of baby food products, including canned fruit puree. Of course, having a ready-made product at hand makes life easier for parents to a large extent, but lack of time or fatigue (or even laziness - this opinion is also not completely outlived in our society) is far from the only reasons, according to which many mothers and fathers make a choice in favor of commercially produced complementary foods.

So, for example, the quality of fruits from jars does not depend on the season, which means that the content of vitamins and other useful substances in them is equally high at any time of the year. Modern technology the production of fruit purees preserves almost all valuable nutrients in them, so that the baby can get healthy food both in winter and in summer.

Another plus of canned puree is its delicate texture, which helps the child gradually learn to swallow solid food. At home, grinding fruits so thoroughly is very difficult.

In addition, in the process of growing fruits for baby food, the use of chemicals, pesticides and other chemical substances than purchased fruits, as a rule, cannot boast.

However, when choosing canned food, it does not hurt to be careful and carefully read the information indicated on the label. For example, as acceptable additives in baby purees, there may be ascorbic acid or vitamin C (preservative), pectin, guar gum or locust bean gum (these vegetable extracts are used as thickeners). But to the presence in the puree of starch (potato or rice) or whole rice flour should be treated with caution: starch is a high-molecular carbohydrate that is not easy to digest, so it is better not to use mashed potatoes containing it as “starting” ones and offer them to the baby after he gets acquainted with complementary foods that are simpler in composition.

Sometimes manufacturers add fructose, glucose or sucrose (sugar) to puree to sweeten the product, and this is also not the most preferred ingredient. First, these carbohydrates significantly increase the risk of developing caries, and their excess leads to obesity. Secondly, as you know, you get used to good things quickly. Fruits are already the sweetest food for babies, and if you sweeten them additionally, the baby can quickly get used to the pleasant taste and subsequently begin to refuse other foods (vegetables, unsweetened cereals, cottage cheese, kefir, etc.). Therefore, the later “clean” carbohydrates appear on the baby’s table, the better.

Also, to help parents, almost always on jars of baby food is indicated minimum age, from which manufacturers recommend using it, that is, the indicated figures should be taken as "not earlier ..."!

Homemade fruit puree

Despite the undoubted convenience of feeding from jars, many mothers prefer to prepare fruit puree themselves. However, if parents have the opportunity to use the fruits from their own garden, then missing the chance to offer the baby fresh fruit is a real crime!

The easiest option for the first “homemade” food is to cut an apple into two halves and scrape off some of the pulp with a teaspoon. You can also first bake the fruit in the oven, cool, and only then offer the crumbs for testing.

No less popular is homemade mashed fruit puree, when they are immersed in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, after which they are crushed with a blender, cooled and offered to the crumbs.

In addition to mashed potatoes, it is sometimes useful to give whole pieces of fruit to the grown-up peanut (for a start, to protect the child, you can use a special device - a nibbler). So the baby will learn to chew "adult" food. From time to time, you can prepare freshly squeezed juices for your child, and you need to prepare them immediately before use: then the vitamins will not have time to collapse and the cocktail will bring maximum benefit.

Also fruit menu crumbs can be diversified with various compotes, it will not be superfluous to add fruit puree to cottage cheese and cereals. In general, it is better to make a child’s menu so that every day he receives a variety of fruit dishes - after all, any fruit is good in its own way! And even if your baby loves one thing, for example, bananas, and asks for them day and night, do not follow his lead: you should not limit the capricious diet to only one type of fruit, even if it is very useful. A healthy, balanced diet should be based on the principle of diversity, and the competent introduction of fruit complementary foods is another step towards it!