When a young mother is just starting to introduce complementary foods to her baby, she often gets lost in the variety of baby purees on the store counter. What kind of puree to choose so that it will only benefit the baby? How do the criteria for choosing puree change with the age of the baby?
Vegetable purees at the beginning of complementary foods
It is better to start complementary foods with one-component vegetable puree, that is, containing one vegetable. It is necessary to carefully read the composition of the puree: it should not contain sugar, salt, flavorings and preservatives. Often on the packaging they write "with vitamin C", under this inscription, manufacturers mean the presence of ascorbic or citric acid in the puree. These acids are considered the safest antioxidants. But if the baby is just getting to know vegetables, then mashed potatoes should be without vitamin C.
The best choices for baby's first purees are cauliflower, broccoli and zucchini purees. After the introduction of these vegetables into the child's diet, it is possible to buy multicomponent puree, that is, in which, for example, all three vegetables will be included.
Fruit purees at the beginning of the feeding
Fruits are introduced into the baby's diet after vegetables, as children eat fruits with pleasure. But the child after them may not want to eat fresh vegetables.
As the first fruit purees in the baby's diet, it is better to choose also one-component from: apple, pear, prune. It can be difficult to find sugar-free fruit purees. However, it is better to try to do it. Sugar is a strong allergen, it is best to avoid it in the baby's diet.
Therefore, the recommendation to carefully read the composition on the packaging of puree remains in force in relation to fruit puree.
Give preference to Russian brands. Domestic manufacturers are less likely to add preservatives and sugar to mashed potatoes, since mashed potatoes get to the consumer faster. These are such brands as "Babushkino Lukoshko", "Spelenok", "Agusha" and others.
Over time, the baby will eat many different fruits. But do not buy him exotic fruit purees, which are not typical for the diet of the parents themselves. For example, mashed mango. Such mashed potatoes were invented by manufacturers to increase profits, and not at all for the health of the child.
Puree with cream
These purees are very tasty, but have a complex composition: fruits, cream, sugar. Such mashed potatoes are, for example, in the brands "FrutoNyanya" and "Spelenok". Choose only those purees, all the components of which are already familiar to the baby. There must already be milk in the baby's diet. Otherwise, there is a risk of a severe allergic reaction to the cream.
Puree with chunks
Some manufacturers not only complicate the composition of the puree, but also introduce a gradation by age (6, 10, 12 months). The older the age at which the puree is focused, the more pieces it contains. This is done in order to gradually teach the child to chew. For example, such mashed potatoes are produced by the Semper brand.
You should not buy such purees if your child has not yet reached the age recommended on the package. It will be too difficult for him to chew and swallow such a puree.
You should also be careful about the composition of these purees, but not about the presence of preservatives. Often, such mashed potatoes are not produced in Russia. In Europe, there are completely different standards and requirements for baby food. Therefore, they often contain spices and other ingredients that pediatricians in our country do not recommend for small children. For example, black pepper and tomatoes.
Meat puree
It is better to give preference to mashed potatoes in metal packaging: in it, the meat does not darken from light, as in glass jars. You should not buy meat with spices at the initial stage. The most suitable brands for starting meat complementary foods are Agusha and Tema. After the baby is good at eating one-component meat with vegetables, you can buy more complex mashed potatoes. Such as pasta with meatballs and sauce, for example.
