Young mothers are constantly faced with different opinions on the problem of introducing complementary foods and various products. On the one hand, diligent, caring grandmothers who are ready to give cow's milk and yolk to drink, on the other, no less caring doctors who give more modern recommendations. And the young mother, who has familiarized herself with all modern trends and advice from various doctors, has questions: “How should this be done?” And what if in other countries there are completely different rules on this matter?
Almost all over the world it was agreed to introduce complementary foods at 6 months, and there is comparative unanimity in this. But it is still no secret that each country has its own traditions, including in nutrition, and they are reflected in the children's menu.
- Germany. The first thing they try to give to the baby is carrot or pumpkin mousse. Next came various vegetables. The Germans are pedantic, and they also take seriously the choice of products for the child. Canned food is of the highest quality, its quality is strictly regulated by law.
- France. Real gourmets are grown here, and beans or tomatoes may turn out to be from the first vegetables in complementary foods, but of course, all the traditional complementary vegetables for us are preserved. But there are no cereals, since the French themselves do not eat them. They quickly accustom the child to the common table and even up to one year old can give their baby food from his mother's plate. And they pay attention to spicy herbs, they also appear in the diet so that real connoisseurs of haute cuisine grow up.
- Italy. The basis of complementary foods is vegetable broth, when the child is used to it, they add rice or corn to it, they can later add a little grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil there. Every week they introduce something new, and then they can cook broths with pasta, because this is Italy …
- In Japan, people are in no hurry with complementary foods. Japanese women, of course, introduce it, but up to a year, the main food is breast milk or an adapted formula. The rest of the complementary foods are not for saturation, but for acquaintance with food, tastes and in order to learn how to eat. From exotic for us - okayu (rice porridge), tofu with cod.
- China. The beginning of complementary feeding is early - 4 months, due to the fact that from time immemorial it was believed that after this period breast milk is "empty", useless (although modern Chinese doctors do not support this opinion). Many dishes are familiar to Europeans. One of the typical features of this region is the early introduction of seafood and fish. From exotic, lotus root. The yolk is considered extremely useful.
- India. Colostrum, valuable for Russian women, in India is considered not only useless, but also very harmful, therefore, the first days before the appearance of full-fledged milk, they feed the baby with cow's milk. They also have a strange gender division, girls from 6 months old, boys from 9, since it is believed that the latter have weaker health.
- USA: They don't feed the kids with hamburgers, as many might think. It is quite a traditional complementary food. First, it is customary to give orange vegetables: carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes (sweet potatoes). Then everything is quite traditional for us, only at a more accelerated pace, each new product in 2 days and no restrictions on its introduction, as much as the child wanted and ate (even if he tries it for the first time).
- The "natural shock" for Europeans is Turkey. Already up to 9 months old, the child should try almost everything, so no restrictions. Nobody waits 5 or 6 months and almost immediately gets fed from an adult table. Even in the fatty national food and sweets, the Turks do not put in anything bad.
