Up to four months, the baby does not need complementary feeding - breast milk is a complete nutrition. Then you can diversify the diet of the crumbs with tasty and healthy mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, meat and kefir.
When to start complementary foods?
Introducing new foods that are more nutritious than breast milk into the baby's diet is called complementary foods. At the initial stages, they are not replaced, but supplemented by attachment to the breast. Up to four months, the child is not ready to eat solid food; it is simply reflexively pushed out by the tongue due to the age-related characteristics of the oral cavity. Moreover, the enzyme that breaks down starch and carbohydrates is contained in the crumbs in a limited amount for up to 4-6 months. However, at the same time, the child has a fairly high level of disaccharidase, which is responsible for the breakdown of lactose - the basis of breast milk. Therefore, it is not recommended to introduce complementary foods earlier than four months.
It is necessary to introduce products into the menu of the crumbs very carefully so as not to cause an allergic reaction in him. If the child's stool turns green, or a rash appears on the body, you need to immediately review the diet.
First feeding
Vegetable puree is the best thing that you can think of for the first acquaintance of a baby with adult food. Vegetables are rich in iron, potassium, plant fiber and organic acids, and are easy to digest and rarely cause allergies. The introduction of such complementary foods should start with one product, for example, broccoli or zucchini. Then you can gradually add pumpkin, cabbage and potatoes.
Cottage cheese and kefir
Children's cottage cheese is introduced into the child's diet no earlier than six months. You should start giving it from 0.5 teaspoon, after a month you can increase the portion to 30 g, and after a year - up to 60 g per day. If the child has just begun to receive his first complementary food by six months, the introduction of cottage cheese should be delayed up to 8 months. Kefir is a very important product that prevents allergic reactions and dysbiosis. It also contributes to the correct development of intestinal microbiocenosis and increases immunity. It should be introduced into complementary foods from 8 months, it can be combined with cottage cheese.
The use of industrial food is the main rule of complementary feeding. This is the safest option for babies in an unfavorable environmental situation.
Meat puree
This complementary food is very important as it contains vitamins A and B 12, protein, niacin and iron. It is recommended to introduce meat into the baby's diet no earlier than 7 months 1-2 times a week, and from 9 months you can try a spoonful of fish puree.
Yolk
Egg yolk is introduced into the baby's menu from 7 months. Start with its fourth part, and then gradually bring it to half. Children prone to allergic reactions should be protected from the use of this product or given in smaller quantities. It will take about 10 minutes to prepare this complementary food. The egg must be boiled, allowed to cool, and then kneaded and given to the crumbs. The yolk can be combined with breast milk or vegetable puree.
