Adequate nutrition is essential for the proper mental and physical development of every baby. But many parents believe that after a year, a child does not need a special menu.
In their opinion, the main thing is to feed on time and in sufficient quantity. This erroneous opinion and illiteracy of parents often only harm the baby. It is not yet desirable to feed a child at this age from a common table. A special diet is necessary not only for an infant, but also for children from one to three years old. The child's digestive system is not yet developed enough to digest fatty, spicy, salty, fried foods. The stomach at this age does not produce all the enzymes necessary for full digestion. Of course, this does not mean that the food should remain the same as it was before the year. Indeed, after a year, the baby already has a considerable number of teeth, a more developed stomach, a wide perception of tastes and has its own preferences in food. Therefore, it is important for parents to know how to feed a child after a year and correctly compose a daily menu. Gradually, you need to switch from liquid food to a more solid one, rich in vitamins and minerals. Thus, the child will get used to chewing faster and will receive enough nutrients. It is necessary to switch to food of solid texture gradually, alternating it with vegetable, meat purees, instant cereals. For example, you can combine steamed meatballs with pumpkin or broccoli puree. Or offer pieces of fruit for dessert after oatmeal. The main thing, as already mentioned, is not to forget that food is saturated with vitamins. The diet at this age is quite varied. The child still needs dairy products as before. These are kefir, milk, yoghurts, cottage cheese. Be sure to have meat or fish on the menu. These foods are rich in protein that your baby needs for normal growth and development. After a year, instead of chicken yolk, you can give a whole egg. You also need to expand the range of vegetables. You can include radishes, radishes, green onions, sorrel, lettuce, dill, parsley in the menu. Do not forget about fruits and juices, which are necessary in the diet every day. Among the cereals, the most useful are oatmeal and buckwheat. Pasta can be offered, but not often, it contains a large amount of carbohydrates.
After a year, you need to feed a child five times a day. But some children themselves switch to four meals a day, refusing the last feeding. In this case, the intervals between meals should be increased from 3 to 4 hours.
In food, as in everything, interest is important. Combine your meal with feeding your baby. Show him how delicious everything that can be on the plate is. When getting up from the table, make sure that your child is full. But you shouldn't overfeed him either. Everything should be in moderation. Remember that nutritional quality will affect your baby's quality of life. Eat right and stay healthy!
