Fish is one of the healthiest foods necessary for the normal growth and development of a child's body. It must be present in the child's diet, but it must be introduced gradually, taking precautions.
Usually, by 10 months, the baby eats not only mother's milk. His diet already contains vegetables, fruits and cereals. It is possible that also meat puree. This age is considered the most favorable for acquaintance with fish dishes.
The protein found in fish and meat is essential for the successful construction of new cells in a rapidly growing body. Yes, this protein is also found in mushrooms, nuts and legumes, but it is too early to give these products to the baby, so meat and fish remain. Moreover, the fish is absorbed better, since it contains amino acids that are not produced in the human body.
Fish is a valuable source of phosphorus, fluorine, iron, magnesium and potassium. It contains a huge amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids that improve brain activity. There are no refractory fats in fish, which the child's body cannot yet digest.
The subtleties of keeping fish in the child's diet
It is advisable to introduce fish after 9 months. It is advisable to start with sea fish, since it is less allergenic and contains more essential trace elements. A good choice would be cod, flounder, haddock, hake. Among river fish, it is worth choosing the one with fewer bones, for example, trout, pike perch, silver carp.
Ideally, it is advisable to cook the fish yourself right before feeding. Moreover, cooking fish takes very little time. In the absence of such an opportunity, use canned fish for children, which are sold in combination with pasta, cereals or vegetables and contain no more than 20% of the side dish. When buying canned products, you need to pay attention to the degree of grinding of mashed potatoes: there are finely chopped (for babies from 9 months), coarsely chopped (for children 11-12 months) and cooked in small pieces (for children after a year). But do-it-yourself fish will always be a priority. You can steam or boil it.
You need to start introducing fish into the diet with a serving of 1/2 teaspoon. Increasing first to 1 teaspoon, and gradually to 100 g. It is advisable to start eating fish 2 times a week. Gradually diversify the dishes, let the child eat fish in different forms - soup, meatballs, casseroles. This is beneficial not only for health, but also for nutritional education.
Fish has only one drawback - it is an allergen. If your child has a tendency to allergies, then you need to introduce fish dishes with greater caution, start from 1 time per week and carefully monitor the body's reaction.
