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The long-awaited time has come to introduce baby food and baby food. Amid so many tips from friends, relatives and notes from pediatricians, many mothers carry some doubts about the food routine from 6 months.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that the insertion of food at this stage of life is essential to meet nutritional needs that only breast milk can not meet. Presenting in the baby’s menu options rich in zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and other nutrients, is essential for the healthy development of the child.
The presentation of food to the baby occurs gradually, so there are doubts regarding the first foods that can be offered to the baby. Here are some suggestions:
Fruits
These are always the first options experienced by the baby. At first, fruits of a more solid consistency will be served mashed and in small quantities. Offer the child the same fruit for two days, see his reaction to the food and only then present alternatives.
When experiencing different flavors the child awakens the palate and over time will have greater acceptance about different types of food. Options of fruits to introduce in the diet: banana, papaya, grated apple, watermelon (without the seed) .
IMPORTANT: avoid replacing the natural fruit with juices, even if they are also natural. Juices can hamper the child’s experience with food and delay chewing.
Respect the baby’s appetite
Food when first inserted into the child’s palate can cause both positive reactions and rejection. This is due to the different texture, but over time the baby gets used to the new options.
The tip is if the child rejects the food after insisting three times, allowing it to interact, touch, get dirty and have a tactile experience.
What Foods Should I Insert in Baby Food?
After presenting the first fruits on the menu it is time to offer the appetizing baby food. Children, like us, like to taste the food, taste it and the more it is neat, the greater the chances of accepting the dish.
Use natural spices: baby’s food doesn’t have to be boring, after all, we don’t like tasteless dishes either. Therefore, bet on natural spices, such as parsley, chives, onions, coriander, olive oil and salt. All in small and dosed quantities. Other benefactors are:
- Vegetables: cassava, carrots, potatoes, beets and broccoli;
- Leaves: cabbage, watercress, endive, spinach and arugula;
- Meat: red meat (lean cuts), chicken, fish (without bones), beef liver.
Preparation Tips
- Sauté the meat of your choice in olive oil
- Add spices, such as onion, chives, parsley and garlic (if desired)
- After braising the meat well and acquiring the flavor add water and two or three types of vegetables . Example: cabbage, carrots and zucchini.
- Wait to cook until the broth is dry
- Serve on the plate and offer the child. Offer a dessert instead of juice, a fruit. It’s nice to wait a bit for digestion, at least about 30 minutes to offer.
- Do not give milk to a child after lunch. Food hinders the absorption of iron, an essential nutrient for the baby.
Foods I Should Avoid In The Early Years
Honey: the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) warns that children up to 12 months of age should not consume honey . The food consists of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which causes intestinal botulism infection. The alert is valid mainly in the first year of life, when the child still has the developing intestinal flora.
Refined sugar: prefer to sweeten foods with brown sugar. Refined sugar, in addition to being highly caloric, is low in nutrients and related to several diseases.
IMPORTANT: There are foods with a lot of sugar and are disguised on supermarket shelves , such as chocolate and some yogurt options. Today there are a number of these options that are healthier, keep an eye on the labels.
Coffee: many children love coffee, but avoid offering it to your baby as much as possible, even with milk. It is important to note that coffee is a natural stimulant that directly excites the nervous system, causing anxiety and stress reactions in the baby.
Caffeine directly impairs the absorption of vitamins and nutrients , such as iron thanks to the high concentration of tannins. Other foods that also have the substance: cola type soft drink, mate tea, green tea and chocolate.
Oilseeds: although they have health benefits, options such as almonds, chestnuts, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts and pistachios should remain off the babies’ menu, especially until one year of age.
As an example of the complications caused by oilseeds in the United States, peanuts have been the biggest cause of allergies in children for the past 11 years.
It is important to note that new foods should be inserted in small quantities, about one (coffee spoon) and observe whether the child will experience any type of reaction in the last 48 hours.
See Also: Vegetarian Diet for Children – Healthy or Risky?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
