The optimal age for acquaintance with meat products is considered to be 7 months. Complementary foods are introduced like other new foods, with 1/2 teaspoon or less to prevent digestive upset. Pasty meat puree from turkey or rabbit is replaced by meatballs, steam cutlets closer to the year, but the boundaries of the transition from one dish to another are very conditional, as is the time of the feeding itself.
Meat products must necessarily appear in the baby's diet, because it is meat protein that is saturated with almost all valuable amino acids that are in the correct ratio. Meat will help to make up for the deficiency of a growing organism in B vitamins, and a child can get B12 only from meat. It is important that meat contains all the macronutrients, and of the 14 most essential microelements for humans, it contains 10. And phosphorus and iron are also in an easily digestible form. Unlike fruits and cereals, from which iron is absorbed only by 2-3%, the percentage of digestibility from meat can vary within 17-30%, depending on the variety.
The optimal period for the introduction of meat complementary foods
There is no single day or hour for all children when they should start giving a particular complementary food. It all depends on the condition of the child at birth, the intensity of his development, taste preferences. Perhaps, if the baby is allergic to dairy products, the pediatrician will recommend an earlier introduction of meat, excluding beef and veal, so as not to cause cross-reactions. The same decision can be made if the baby is born prematurely or is underweight.
According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization, meat complementary foods should appear in the baby's menu in the interval of 5, 5-9 months, where 5, 5 is rather an exception. The optimal age for complementary meat is considered to be 7-8 months.
You should not rush and dramatically increase the amount of meat food, even if the doctor recommended giving it. Firstly, if a child recently began to receive another complementary food: vegetable puree or milk porridge, then after their introduction, at least a month, or even one and a half, should pass. Secondly, during the period of preventive vaccinations, immediately after the illness, it is also not recommended to change the diet of the crumbs. It is better to push the date of the meat complementary food two weeks back.
What types of meat and how to give a child up to a year
Familiarity with mashed potatoes begins with a few grams at the tip of a teaspoon. They can be given separately or mixed with a familiar dish: vegetable puree, porridge, or even diluted with breast milk. In a word, with what the child already knows to taste. The amount eaten should be increased every 3 days, carefully observing the baby's reaction. If complementary foods did not entail a violation of the stool, skin rash, then the rate can be increased. Only by the year it is brought to 50-70 grams.
The industry produces special baby purees, which are either partially present or are the basis of meat. But it is quite possible to cook mashed potatoes at home. To do this, a small amount of meat is boiled until tender and chopped to a pasty state in a blender.
If the child normally perceives coarse food, then you can limit yourself to chopping twice in a meat grinder. Closer to the year, it is already enough to crank the meat once in a meat grinder, and then cook a steamed cutlet, meatballs or meat soufflé for the baby.
At the very beginning, preference should be given to white meat: turkey, chicken, rabbit. Turkey and chicken meat have the most complete and easily digestible proteins. Despite the fact that the rabbit has white meat, it will compete with beef in the amount of iron.
Although veal meat is more tender, it should be given to children under one year old with extreme caution. The immature proteins in this meat are in an immature state, sandwiched between the proteins of cow's milk and beef. This is especially dangerous for children with allergies. When the child has already tasted the meat of the aforementioned varieties, you can also offer lean pork, horse meat.
Lamb is the last in line because it contains a lot of fat. Waterfowl meat is healthy, but due to its high lipid content, it is not suitable for baby food. As for the liver, for all its value up to a year, it is given only for special indications.
