Feeding a 6 month old baby. Introducing the first complementary foods if the baby is bottle-fed

Many mothers wonder what to feed their 6 month old baby? Which food is preferable and healthier for his health? Six months of a child is a period when he is not yet big, but no longer a baby. Many children already know how to crawl, sit, get carried away with toys, recognize familiar people, and are already beginning to eat food other than mother’s milk or formula. You can select it based on the table. As the baby grows, his body requires more useful components, which are found in cereals and purees. By the age of six months, the baby needs to be fed; it is difficult for him to get enough milk. And if there are problems with weight, then feeding the baby should have started earlier.

When to give your baby solid foods?

By six months, you'll probably start to see signs that your baby is ready to expand his diet. By this time, the baby is already able to hold his head up on his own and, if you pay attention, his sucking reflex has disappeared. This means that he can now begin to learn to eat more solid food. He has also begun to show interest in your food, eyeing your plate and perhaps reaching for it in search of something new to try. Of course, this does not mean that your child is able to sit down at the table with a knife and fork. It starts with soup or puree crushed into porridge.

We start complementary feeding at 6 months

It is worth understanding that complementary feeding is a responsible undertaking. During which parents should supervise the child. It's worth understanding 6 rules which will be described below:

• Don't introduce complementary foods during illness;
• You should feed your baby new foods before mother's milk;
• Need to keep a diary complementary foods;
• One dish is worth giving once a day;
• Exotic products exclude, they are allergens;
• Don't force the child eat, maybe he’s not ready or he didn’t like the product.

With these tips, young parents usually won’t have any questions or disputes about what to feed their 6-month-old baby.

Most often, as a first complementary food for a baby, it is recommended to first eat food fortified with iron, which is easily absorbed by the body and least likely to cause an allergic reaction. To begin, mix a teaspoon of well-cooked and ground rice and 4 teaspoons of breast milk or formula and refrigerate. You can use a baby spoon, but some experts recommend using your clean finger. Simply dip your fingertip in the mixture and apply to your baby's lips. Don't expect him to eat very much at one time - tiny tummies need tiny portions, and he will continue to get most of his food from breast milk or formula for months to come.

Other foods you can start adding to your baby's diet at six months are fruits such as bananas, pears, apples and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin and cauliflower. You can also try starchy vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. Over time, the baby needs to start preparing vegetable soup and gradually begin adding pureed boiled vegetables.

Homemade products are the safest and healthiest. You can prepare a variety of dishes and try different combinations and ingredients to suit your child's taste.

What to feed a baby at 6 months?

If your baby is 6 months old, then it’s time to introduce complementary foods. It’s better to start with vegetables, preferably they have the same taste. The following vegetables are suitable for the first feeding: broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots - they are hypoallergenic. Fruits should be introduced into the diet when the child is already good at eating vegetables; they can irritate his stomach due to their high acid content.

During the first week of complementary feeding, a small amount of new food is recommended for the baby to test the reaction to the product.

Menu for a six-month-old baby at the beginning of complementary feeding it looks like this:

1. Breakfast – whole milk or mixture;
2. Second breakfast – milk + 1 tsp. any vegetable puree;
3. Lunch – 2 tsp. puree + milk;
4. The afternoon snack and all subsequent feedings are milk.

It is necessary to consult with a doctor who can correctly tell you where to start and in what proportions.

It is advisable to introduce complementary foods in the first half of the day, so that if an allergy occurs, it can be identified. If after a couple of weeks one-component purees are digested well, then you can try purees from different vegetables.

If a child spits food, then you should not force feed him. It is better to return to the issue of complementary feeding in a couple of weeks.

A month after the introduction of complementary foods, you can replace one feeding with a jar of fruit puree; children often eat this for lunch. You should not introduce several new foods in one week; the child’s digestive system is not ready for this.

What to feed a 6 month old baby - recipes

Let's look at several recipes for feeding a six-month-old baby. At six months, you should feed your baby vegetables, which you can buy in stores or cook at home. Children eat jarred purees better, and it’s easier for mom, she doesn’t have to stand and cook, and then put it into jars. It’s easier to go to the store and buy everything, especially if your budget allows.

It will be described below several recipes how to make homemade puree.

Carrot puree It's easy to prepare. You just need to follow the steps:

1. Wash and peel the carrots;
2. The vegetable should be finely chopped and filled with water.
3. After this, it is recommended to stew the root vegetable; one large carrot will be enough to prepare the puree;
4. The pan should be covered with a lid.
5. When the water has evaporated, you need to remove the vegetable;
6. The finished product must be pureed using a blender.
7. To make the mixture puree you need to add water and vegetable oil.

Fruit puree can be prepared as follows:

1. Wash the fruit;
2. Pour boiling water over them;
3. Grate on a fine grater, it is better to take pears or apples;
4. If the fruit is sour, you can add a little sugar syrup;

The puree can be prepared from boiled fruits, for this you need:

1. Cut the fruit into medium-sized pieces;
2. Boil the fruit;
3. Place the finished fruits in a blender and beat or crush with a masher;
4. You need to add the water in which they were boiled to the fruit mixture;
5. Place the puree into jars that need to be sterilized in advance.

Can I buy baby food for my baby?

If you want to use packaged or ready-made products, check out these important points at the time of buying:

1. Check that the baby food package is tightly closed and the expiration date on each package.
2. Learn to read labels and check for food coloring, additives and artificial flavors.
3. Avoid purchasing any food from bulging, open or cracked cans as the food may be contaminated.
4. Make sure you buy products from a reputable company.

If you have a girl, then be sure to read, ?

Video about what a six-month-old baby can eat

By 6 months, the child becomes quite active, watches with interest what adults take from the plate and put in their mouths, the first teeth have already appeared, and the weight after birth has doubled. Everything indicates that it’s time to introduce complementary feeding, introducing adult food adapted to the baby’s needs. Having decided on the products that will begin the tasting, experienced mothers create a menu for a child at 6 months. Let's follow their example.

About the power mode

A child's diet at 6 months consists of 5 feedings (not counting night feedings). Breast milk is taken as the basis, but at the second feeding, before the “milk” afternoon snack, a new product is introduced in a small portion, usually vegetables. Preference is given to the first half of the day, since in case of allergic reactions it is easier to cope with them during the day than at night. The portion gradually increases, and after three weeks you can completely replace one feeding with complementary foods in the amount of 140 grams.

For an artificial baby, it is advisable to introduce complementary foods in the 5th month of life, which means that by the time he is six months old, he already knows the taste of some foods. What does the diet of six-month-old children consist of?

Vegetables

The first vegetables to try are zucchini and cauliflower, a little later potatoes, onions, beets, pumpkin and carrots are introduced.

Separately, I would like to say about pumpkin, which contains vitamin D, E, group B, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Its use serves as a prevention of anemia and rickets. Due to the high content of pectin and fiber, there are no problems with constipation.

Vegetables are boiled or steamed, and then beaten until pureed. Although the baby's first teeth have appeared, they are still not enough to transition to solid food, so at the 6th month almost all food is pureed.

Vegetable purees can be very varied

You can feed your baby first courses, meaning soups and borscht. Only they are prepared taking into account the child’s body: without frying, without salt or with a minimum amount of it. After grinding with a blender, such dishes are served as puree soup. Juices from vegetables, such as carrot and pumpkin, will also appeal to the baby.

Porridge

We are starting to serve single-ingredient, gluten-free cereals. Similar types include buckwheat, rice and corn porridge. Those that are commercially available are well prepared for use, crushed to the desired size. You can make your own porridge base by grinding whole grains in a blender. Choose dairy-free varieties first, later you can try milk, but this will not happen earlier than 8 months.

Buckwheat porridge is considered an ideal option for first complementary foods because it is very nutritious, easily digestible, contains many vitamins, is rich in iron and copper, and promotes the accumulation of vitamin C in the body.

For those who tried porridge last month, you can diversify the dish by adding pureed pieces of fruit: apple, peach. Multi-component porridges are also suitable. By the end of the 6th month, you can carefully introduce a hard-boiled yolk. For the first time, stop tasting 1/8 of its volume.

Dairy products

Some include 6 on the menu one month old baby medium fat cottage cheese (9%) and kefir 2.5%. This healthy foods, and their acceptance is quite justified. Intestinal microflora and peristalsis improve. It’s good if you have the opportunity to order similar products from a children’s dairy kitchen. This way you will get the freshest food possible, free of preservatives. Fermented milk products are usually given in the evening.

Fruit purees

Fruits are served to children's table in the first half of the day. Apple, banana, pear - everything is crushed to a puree state or bought in a store ready-made, in jars.

Banana is a suitable product for first complementary foods

What drink?

In addition to water and breast milk, you can use decoctions of rose hips, chamomile, and dill as drinks. Compote from fresh fruits, as well as from dried fruits, can be given from 6 months. Children cannot yet drink tea in the form that adults drink it; you can use instant granulated teas made specifically for children.

Making a menu

It is advisable to adhere to a 5-time feeding regimen and eat at approximately the same time. A full serving is about 150-200 grams. First, the baby is offered complementary foods, after which the baby is supplemented with mother's milk or adapted mixture. Sample menu as follows:

Depending on what stage you are at when it comes to complementary feeding, portions will differ in quantity and variety. At the very beginning, it is enough to try 1 new product per day.

Replenishing the cookbook

Puzzled by what to feed their child so that it is tasty and at the same time healthy, mothers look for recipes on the Internet and in grandma’s cookbooks. We present to your attention several of them.

This porridge should definitely be in your baby’s diet.

Children's porridge, buckwheat

3 tbsp. l. buckwheat + 400 ml water, butter on the tip of a knife.

Pour water at room temperature into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. The cereal is washed, poured into a saucepan and cooked for about 30 minutes, turning on low heat. The water should be absorbed (some of it should boil away), and the buckwheat should be well boiled. Grind the finished porridge further with a blender or grind through a sieve, adding oil.

Rosehip decoction (for multicooker)

300 ml of water, 20 g of rose hips, 5 g of fructose.

The rose hips are sorted out, washed, placed in the bowl of a multicooker-pressure cooker, and filled with water. After adding fructose, mix everything thoroughly. The lid is lowered, the valve is set to the “Closed” position, and the cooking process lasts 25 minutes. After the end signal, the valve is moved to the “Open” position and steam is released. The broth is infused for about 8 hours, then filtered through cheesecloth.

Carrot puree

2 medium carrots are peeled and cut into cubes, placed on the bottom of the pan, and pour boiling water over them. It is stewed under the lid until cooked. The water is drained and the carrots are rubbed through a sieve. If desired, you can add a small portion of mother's milk. Keep on fire for another 2 minutes, then add a piece of butter.

Banana dessert

Half a banana, children's cottage cheese 50 g, children's cookies 3 pcs.

In a blender, beat banana with cottage cheese. The cookies are broken into pieces and filled with the prepared mixture. Let sit for a while until the cookies become soft.

The baby is growing, and every month his body’s need for nutrients increases. What should it be proper nutrition baby at 6 months?

Types of complementary foods. What to choose?

Currently, two methods of introducing complementary foods are popular:

Pediatric

It comes in two types:

• Developed in accordance with WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations. Today it is the most popular and most rational from the point of view of children's physiology. Recommended from 6 months.
• Developed taking into account the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. It is similar to the method proposed by WHO, however, the timing here is shifted: from 6 months it is introduced to babies for breastfeeding, and for artificial babies - from 4 months.

Pedagogical complementary feeding

It is popular due to its ease: there is no need to cook specifically for the child, since the baby receives food from the adult menu in microdoses. However, this method can only take place with natural feeding. It should also be borne in mind that the parent's table should consist exclusively of healthy food. If mom and dad only eat fried potatoes and like spicy and salty foods such as canned cucumbers and smoked fish, pedagogical complementary feeding is impossible.

Maria, mother of 9-month-old Alina: “I heard enough about how good pedagogical complementary feeding is, and decided to feed it that way myself. She gave me a match head of meat and potatoes. But the breast milk was too thin, and the baby did not gain any weight in a month! This complementary food did not suit us, we had to catch up with our peers on porridge.”

It is worth considering that the ideal formula for introducing complementary foods has not yet been identified. However, according to WHO, pediatric complementary feeding is considered the most rational: it takes physiological factors into account to a greater extent.

Complementary feeding is not a replacement for breastfeeding, but an addition to it. Its goal is not to “feed,” but to gradually introduce the baby’s gastrointestinal tract to the food that he will eat in the future.

How to feed correctly?

6 months is the period when the baby is already 24 weeks old. Some mothers mistakenly believe that the beginning of the sixth month is the time to introduce complementary foods. But actually to given date The baby is only 20 weeks old, which is too early to switch to adult food.

What you need to know:

• You need to spoon feed before giving milk (breast or artificial). Food must be warm.
• When starting complementary feeding, you should introduce no more than half a spoonful of the new product in the first days, gradually, over 10 days, increasing the volume to the required norm. Subsequent introduction of other products can be reduced to 5-7 days. This interval between doses is necessary so that you can monitor the child’s body’s reaction to a new product. You need to monitor not only skin rashes, but also your baby’s stool.
• Monocomponent products should be introduced into the child’s diet first.
• It is better to give the product for the first time before lunch. What is important here is not so much the diet as the child’s reaction to new food. Twice a day the same the new kind they don't give complementary foods.
• If the baby is sick or has vaccinations coming up, then the day of introducing complementary foods should be postponed. The same rule applies to each product introduced for the first time.

You need to start introducing complementary foods with vegetable purees or cereals. Among vegetables, zucchini, cabbage and potatoes are best suited as the least allergenic foods. It is better to introduce fruit puree later, because after tasting the sweets, children may then refuse vegetables and cereals.

If your baby has a tendency to constipation, irregular bowel movements, and weight more than normal, then preference should be given to vegetable puree. You can choose either food from jars or home-cooked food.

If a baby is diagnosed with underweight or a risk of developing anemia, then the first complementary food should be porridge. If your baby is prone to allergies, it is better to start with dairy-free and gluten-free cereals (rice, buckwheat, corn).

Irina, mother of Seryozha, 1.5 years old: “Seryozha was born premature, he did not gain weight well, even though he was fed breast milk. From the age of 5 months they started introducing porridge, as the pediatrician advised. But problems with stool appeared: constipation. I had to switch to vegetables, and porridge was postponed until 9 months.”

Meat is an important product children's diet, which should be administered approximately 8-9 weeks after the vegetables. With a standard complementary feeding schedule from 6 months, meat can be introduced into the diet at 8-8.5 months. If the baby has been receiving complementary foods since 4 months, then you can try meat by the middle of the 6th month. You should start with rabbit and turkey.

Soups can be introduced into a child’s diet only after he has become familiar with the individual ingredients of this dish. It is best if they contain only vegetables, and if meat is present, then you should choose dietary meat: rabbit, turkey. Fish should be included in a child’s menu only after a year: the risk of allergies is too great.

Table - scheme for introducing complementary feeding to a child up to one year old

Name of products and dishes	Age (months)
	4	5	6	7	8	9	9-12
Fruit juice, ml.	5-30	40-50	50-60	60	70	80	90-100
Fruit puree, ml (at least 2 weeks after juice)	5-30	40-50	50-60	60	70	80	90-100
Cottage cheese, g			10-30	40	40	40	50
Egg yolk, pcs.				0,25	0,5	0,5	0,5
Vegetable purees, g		5-100	150	150	170	180	200
Kashi, g			50-100	150	150	180	200
Meat purees, g					5-30	50	60-70
Kefir and others dairy products, ml.						100	200
Fish puree, g							30-60
Bread (wheat), g				3-5	5	5	10-15
Cookies, crackers, g				3-5	5	5	10-15
Vegetable oil, g		1-3	3	3	5	5	6
Butter, g			1-4	4	4	5	6

Type of primary feeding and complementary feeding

Depending on what type of feeding the baby is on, the schedule for introducing complementary foods may differ slightly.

For bottle-fed children, pediatricians recommend partially free feeding. With this method, certain hours are added to the daily routine for feeding the baby. The nutrition of a 6-month-old breastfed baby differs from the menu of bottle-fed babies in that complementary foods are introduced later. There is no need to start it with cereal porridges if the mother eats well and the child does not lag behind in physical indicators.

However, today not all pediatricians share a similar point of view: “This misconception about the earlier introduction of complementary foods to artificial children dates back to the old days, when formulas consisted of diluted cow’s milk,” says Dr. Komarovsky. – Today, the composition of infant formula is as close as possible to breast milk. Therefore, when starting complementary feeding, the type of primary feeding of the child is not particularly important.”

With the beginning of the introduction of complementary feeding, the children's daily routine changes: meals become 5 times a day.

If a child stubbornly refuses to accept a new dish, you should not immediately switch to another product. You can offer him this product up to ten more times. After all, it is very important to form the baby’s taste habits now. This will make his stay much easier in the future. kindergarten or school: there, as a rule, the menu includes “tasteless” but healthy products.

Table of feeding regime and menu for a child at 6 months: menu (approximate)

The table contains an approximate feeding schedule, calculated that the daily nutrition of a child for 6 months is artificial feeding includes complementary foods introduced from 4 months:

Feeding time	Products	Food volume
feeding 1st (morning, 6:00 a.m.)	milk mixture 180 - 200 ml	180-200 ml
2nd feeding (morning, 10:00 a.m.)	rice or buckwheat porridge (milk) fruit puree (industrial or home production)	120-150 g, 60 g
feeding 3rd (morning, 14:00)	vegetable puree grated egg yolk with milk (egg is given a maximum of 3 times a week!) juice (preferably homemade fruit or vegetable juice)	about 150 g 1/4 about 30 ml
feeding 4th (morning, 18:00)	formula milk children's cottage cheese (maximum 3 times a week) cookies (can be dissolved in milk)	150 ml 40 g 3 g
feeding 5th (morning, 22:00)	mixture (milk or fermented milk)	up to 200 ml

If the child is fed with mother's milk, then in the morning the second feeding includes porridge without milk, and the third - puree (vegetable or fruit) plus additional feeding with milk; the rest of the meals are made up of breast milk.

Nutrition for a 6 month old baby mixed feeding close to the infant’s diet, only daily intakes of mother’s milk are replaced, if necessary, with infant formula.

Recipes for a six-month-old baby

Cooking your baby's own food gives parents confidence that the baby is receiving quality nutrition. A double boiler, a slow cooker and a blender will be good helpers in this matter.

It is important to remember that the child must be familiar with each component of the dish if it consists of several ingredients.

This applies even to such “simple” products as milk, olive oil, etc.

Vegetables:

1. Cauliflower in a slow cooker

Place washed cabbage (100 grams) on the multicooker rack. Steam for 15 minutes. Next, grind the product in a blender and cool.

2.Pumpkin puree

Cut the pumpkin pulp (the volume depends on how much the baby eats) into cubes and place on the steamer rack. Cook in steam mode for 20 minutes, grind with a blender.

3.Carrot puree

Peel the carrots, cut into slices and place in a double boiler for 20 minutes (you can simply boil them in a saucepan), cook until the fibers are completely softened. Next, chop the carrots in a blender.

4.Carrot puree with added milk

One large carrot; milk – 4 tbsp. spoons; a few drops of oil ( the best option– olive).

Grind the boiled carrots in a blender, add hot milk. Boil for a couple of minutes over low heat, add oil.

5.Mashed potatoes

Soak peeled potatoes in water to remove starch (12-24 hours). Rub the boiled potatoes through a sieve, add milk to the desired consistency, and boil for a couple of minutes.

6.Assorted vegetables (zucchini, carrots, potatoes)

100 g zucchini pulp, half a medium carrot, 1 potato, 1 teaspoon olive oil, half a glass of water.

Cut the peeled vegetables into cubes and place in a steamer bowl. Cook for 20 minutes. Place them in a blender bowl and add boiled water and butter, chop.

Fruits:

1.Applesauce

Scald an apple (sweet and sour, sour, green) with boiling water and remove the peel. Cut into pieces, remove seeds. Grate or grind in a blender. The puree should be prepared immediately before eating, otherwise it will darken.

2.Stewed apple puree

Grate the washed and peeled apple and, adding a couple of tablespoons of water, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

3.Apple-carrot puree

Peel the apples and carrots (one each), and grind in a blender. Add a spoonful of water and boil for a minute or two.

4.Prune puree

Pour boiling water over the prunes and leave with the lid closed for three to four hours. Rub the steamed prunes through a fine-grained sieve, add a spoonful of the water in which they were infused, and boil for a minute.

5.Dried apricot puree

Wash good clean dried apricots and soak in boiling water for several hours. Boil in the same water for 7-10 minutes. Drain the water and rub the dried fruits through a fine-mesh sieve or grind in a blender.

Porridge

1.Dairy-free rice porridge

Grind the rice in a coffee grinder. Add rice flour to boiling water (3 tablespoons per glass of water). Stirring continuously, cook for 10 minutes.

2.Corn porridge (dairy-free)

Corn grits - 3 tablespoons; glass of water.

Pour the cereal into boiling water and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the cereal is completely softened (up to 30 minutes). Grind the finished porridge to a puree consistency in a blender, pour into an enamel bowl and let it boil.

3.Milk porridge (buckwheat, rice or oatmeal)

Rinse the cereal until clear water and place in a saucepan, pouring water 2 fingers above the cereal. Cook over low heat until done. Grind the porridge through a fine-mesh sieve or grind in a blender. Pour hot milk to the desired consistency and boil for a few minutes, you can add a little butter.

Meat

1.Carrot and meat puree

100 g turkey (rabbit, chicken); 1 carrot, 80 g milk.

Cut the meat into cubes and boil until cooked. Separately cook the carrots. Grind the products with a blender, transfer to a saucepan, pour in milk. Bring to a boil over low heat, cool.

2.Meat with rice

Boil the meat and rice (in water) separately. Grind the meat in a meat grinder, mix with rice and puree the mixture with a blender. Place the mixture in a saucepan, add milk and bring to a boil, cool.

Soups

1.Fruit and vegetable soup (in a slow cooker)

2 apples, 1 carrot, water - one and a half glasses.

Cut the carrots into slices, the apple into slices. Place in a slow cooker, add water. Cook in the “stew” mode for about 30 minutes. Grind the cooled soup with a blender.

2.Pumpkin puree soup

A small piece of pumpkin (about 100 g), carrots (1 piece), quail egg yolk, milk 150 ml, salt (small pinch), butter (1 piece by 1 cm).

Cut the pumpkin and carrots into pieces and boil until fully cooked. Grind with a blender, pour in milk, add butter. Boil.

Juices

1.Apple

Peel the juicy apple and grate it on a medium grater (it is better to use a plastic grater to prevent oxidation). Squeeze through cheesecloth. Can be diluted with boiled water.

2.Pumpkin juice with apple

Cut the pumpkin pulp into slices, and the apple without peel and seeds into slices. Prepare juice in a juicer. You can grate and squeeze through cheesecloth (a more labor-intensive process).

Video on the topic

Dear Parents! Your baby has already reached 6 months, this is the first serious date in his life. At this stage, it is very important to choose the right nutrition plan and choose the most balanced diet for your child, which will provide his growing body with all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

Nutrition plan for 6 month old baby

We offer you several options for meal plans for a six-month-old baby.

Meal plan #1

1. Second breakfast - fruit puree and fruit juice
2. Afternoon snack - breast milk or formula
3. Dinner - milk porridge

Meal plan #2

1. Breakfast - breast milk or formula
2. Second breakfast - breast milk or formula and fruit juice
3. Lunch - vegetable or meat puree (can be alternated every other day) + yolk (2-3 times a week)
4. Afternoon snack - fruit puree
5. Dinner - milk porridge

Diet for a 6 month old baby

A child at 6 months actively rolls over, tries to stand up, holding onto a support, tries to sit down - all this requires additional energy. The diet of a six-month-old baby should include fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat.

If you are not breastfeeding or have already given up breastfeeding, at 6 months your child should already be offered formula for six-month-old children (stage 2), replacing it with formula for babies “from 0 to 6 months”. The composition of a mother's breast milk changes on its own, adapting to all the needs of the child, therefore it is recommended to change the formula in order to provide the baby with the necessary set of vitamins and microelements.

By 6 months, many tastes have already become familiar to the baby. Now you can safely experiment with its menu. If you are just starting to give your baby complementary foods, pay attention to the following articles: Nutrition for a 4-month-old baby and Nutrition for a 5-month-old baby.

Fruit and vegetable purees may already consist of 2 or more components. Also, from 6 months you can give your baby fruit purees made from exotic fruits. In the evening feeding, so that the baby sleeps soundly and does not wake up in the middle of the night, milk porridge made from buckwheat, rice or corn is suitable for the baby. They are the least allergenic, nutritious, and easily digestible by the baby. Other cereals contain gluten, so it is best to offer them to your baby from 8-9 months. For more detailed information about the composition of cereals, the content of useful elements and vitamins in them, you can follow the link Nutrition for a 5-month-old child.

At 6 months, pediatricians recommend adding chicken or quail yolk to a child’s diet. Earlier entry of this product not desirable, because, despite the benefits of the yolk, it is poorly absorbed digestive system infant up to 6 months of age. The composition of chicken and quail yolks includes proteins, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, D, H, choline, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus, iodine, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, copper, chromium. The content of nutrients and vitamins in 5 quail eggs (which corresponds in weight to one chicken egg) and one chicken egg is approximately equal. However, it should be noted that since quails never get salmonellosis (unlike chickens), their eggs are safer for a child. Also, quail eggs do not cause allergic reactions, so they are recommended for complementary feeding to children with diathesis. The yolk, due to the large amount of vitamins and other useful elements contained in it, should be given to the baby 2-3 times a week.

From 6 months, the child begins to move a lot, so his diet must include not only vegetables and grains, but also meat. Meat contains proteins, vitamins B1, B2, PP, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Iron is simply necessary for the baby, because... its supply, obtained from mother's milk, is depleted by 6 months. Scientists confirm that daily consumption of meat by a child will help avoid anemia. You should start introducing meat into your child’s diet with 5g of one-component puree, gradually increasing the portion (by 12 months it should be approximately 60g). We do not advise you to cook meat for your baby yourself, because... Achieving a balanced consistency is very difficult even with modern kitchen appliances. It should also be noted that the quality of meat sold these days leaves much to be desired. Therefore, you should not risk the health of your baby and use the finished product (please note - puree should not contain starch, sugar and salt!). To begin with, you can offer your child rabbit, turkey, and veal meat (alone, or in addition to the vegetables your child has already tried). Later, you can add pork, beef and chicken to your baby’s menu (this meat is considered the most allergenic, so it should be introduced last).

Good luck to you and your child!

Feeding a baby in the sixth month

From the sixth month, you can include the following foods in your baby’s diet: an apple, thoroughly mashed banana or mashed banana and apple, mashed boiled carrots, potatoes or mashed carrots and potatoes, rice water, oatmeal. The cereals that you want to use for porridge must first be boiled in water and only then added milk. If your child has had signs of rickets, prepare porridge with vegetable broth.

Cooking porridge If you want to cook 10% milk porridge (oatmeal, buckwheat, rice), rinse the cereal thoroughly and cook it in water over low heat. When the cereal is boiled, it must be rubbed through a sieve. The resulting mass is poured with hot milk and boiled for several minutes. Add sugar syrup, butter, a little salt. For 100 g of porridge you need 10 g of cereal, 50 ml of water, 100 ml of milk, 3-5 ml of sugar syrup, 3 g of butter. Treat your child to milk porridge with pumpkin. It is prepared like this: wash and peel the pumpkin, cut it into cubes, add water, add sugar syrup and simmer for 30 minutes; then add the prepared - sorted and washed - cereal (oatmeal, buckwheat or rice) and simmer for another 30 minutes, until the cereal is boiled; rub the resulting porridge through a sieve, add heated milk and bring to a boil; add a little salt and butter. You can use the same recipe to prepare milk porridge with beets, carrots, turnips, and also with fruits. For 100 g of porridge, 100 g of pumpkin, 10 g of cereal, 75 ml of water, 50 ml of milk, 4-5 ml of sugar syrup, 3 g of butter are required.

Feeding a baby at six to seven months.

At 6.5-7 months, you can include the following dishes in your child’s menu: carrots with potatoes or carrots with rice; cauliflower with potatoes; low-fat meat broth (at 6.5 months) and meat (from 7 months); if the child’s body already copes well enough with complementary foods, use beans, green pea, red beets, broccoli, celery, prepare vegetable soups, porridges (can be with vegetables and fruits), mixed porridges from several types of grains. From 6.5 months, you can slowly give your baby low-fat meat broth. It is best to prepare veal broth, or you can start with chicken broth. Like all other dishes, introduce your child to meat broth gradually, starting with 1-2 teaspoons. Over 7-10 days, increase the volume of broth given to the child to 20-30 ml. Watch your baby's reaction. Some children experience manifestations of exudative diathesis when taking meat broths. If you notice symptoms of diathesis, stop giving the broth, consult your local pediatrician about further tactics regarding meat dishes. Meat broths are usually given before vegetable purees (20-30 ml of broth - no more). Otherwise, you will reduce your child’s appetite, and he will refuse the main dish. With the broth, you can give your child a small cracker of white bread.

The child tastes the meat.

Starting from the age of seven months, the child tries meat. You can add lean meat (for example, veal) to your child in all vegetable dishes. You can also add the yolk of a chicken egg to these blues. You can give your child liver in the form of puree. Beef or pork liver is boiled and rubbed through a sieve. Add a little broth or milk to the resulting mass. This is done so that the dish is not too dry. The liver contains a lot of valuable protein, iron and vitamins. It is especially useful to give liver dishes to children suffering from anemia. At 7 months, you can give your baby meat in the form of minced meat (passed through a meat grinder twice). Minced meat can also be added little by little to vegetable purees. At 5 months, give meat in the form of puree, and at one year, offer the child steamed cutlets. A child can already eat 70-80 g of meat per year. Use all meat dishes that you prepare immediately after preparation, do not store. If your child doesn't eat the whole portion, eat the rest yourself.

Canned meat.

Children of seven months of age (and those suffering from rickets, anemia, lagging behind in physical development and a little earlier) you can give lean beef, lean pork, veal, chicken, and tongue. On sale you have seen canned meat (including chicken) in small metal jars of 100 g. These canned foods are very convenient to use. Don't forget to look at the labels of canned goods. The age of the child for whom the canned food is intended must be clearly indicated. The domestic food industry produces canned meat varying degrees crushed. Homogenized finely ground canned meat is designed for children aged 5-6 months (for example, children suffering from rickets, retarded physical development, anemic); finely ground canned meat is intended for children 7-8 months; and coarsely crushed - for children 9-12 months. When you buy canned meat, consider the age of your baby. If you buy canned meat for future use, you must remember that their shelf life is up to one and a half years. Reheat canned meats before use. You can add them to vegetable purees (for example, potato); This dish turns out to be very tasty, because in addition to the meat itself, the canned food also contains onions, starch, spices, butter or vegetable oil. Your child may not be eating the entire jar yet. Still - 100 grams!.. What to do with the remaining canned food? They should not be stored in an opened tin jar - transfer them to some glassware with lid. And then you can store it in the refrigerator. But no more than a day.

Preparing meat broth.

You can make meat broth for your child from lean beef or veal. Don't give preference to one or the other. It is not recommended to use bones to make broth. This broth contains a lot of fat. You will prepare the bone broth that you find tastier for your child later - when he is already in school. You must finely chop the meat used for the broth or put it through a meat grinder. Cook over low heat for up to two hours. Salt is added at the end of cooking. It is not recommended to add spices. But you can add greens - dill and parsley or celery. When preparing meat broth, you can use carrots and onions. When the broth is ready, strain it through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze and bring to a boil again. You can make chicken broth in the same way. You also need to cook chicken for about 2 hours. For 100 ml of broth you need 40-50 g of lean meat, 150-200 ml of water, 1/4 onion, some carrots, herbs - to taste.

Making meat puree.

Rinse the meat pulp well, remove fat and films. After cutting into small pieces, cover the meat with water and simmer over low heat until cooked. Scroll the cooked meat through a meat grinder several times and then rub through a sieve. You should add a little broth or hot milk to the resulting mass so that the meat puree does not turn out too dry. When the puree reaches the required consistency, bring it to a boil, add a little salt and butter. Do not discard the broth remaining after cooking the meat. By passing it through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze (excess fat remains on the gauze), you can cook a very nutritious vegetable soup for your child using this broth. Per 100 g meat puree you need 100 g of meat pulp, 50 ml of water, 4-5 g of butter. No spices needed. You can use just a little greenery.

Making chicken soufflé.

Preparing this dish is quite simple. First you need to boil the chicken, then separate the meat from the skin and bones. Pass the meat through a meat grinder. Add flour, egg yolk, butter and hot milk to the resulting mass. All this must be thoroughly mixed, placed in a greased form and baked in the oven. To obtain 100 g of soufflé, you need 60 g of chicken meat, 1/2 yolk, 30 ml of milk, 3 g of wheat flour, 4-5 g of butter.

Approximate menu for a child at seven months.

A seven-month-old baby's menu should look something like this:
6.00 - feeding breast milk;
10.00 - vegetable soup with meat broth - 20 g; vegetable puree - 150 g (add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and half a yolk to the puree); meat or liver puree 10-30 g; fruit juices- 5-6 teaspoons;
14.00 - breastfeeding, one of the fruit juices - 5-6 teaspoons;
18.00 - oatmeal (buckwheat, rice) - 150 g; cottage cheese - 4 teaspoons; peeled apple or one of fruit purees- 3 tablespoons;
22.00 - breastfeeding.
As you can see, the child’s menu is already quite varied.
If your baby is bottle-fed, his menu looks something like this:
6.00 - milk mixture or kefir - 200 g;
10.00 - oatmeal (buckwheat, rice) - 150 g, cottage cheese - 4 teaspoons, one of the fruit juices - 5-6 teaspoons;
14.00 - vegetable soup cooked in meat broth - 20 g, vegetable puree - 150 g with the addition of 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and half an yolk, meat or liver puree - 40 g, scraped apple or one of the fruit purees - 3 tablespoons;
18.00 - milk mixture or kefir - 200 g; one of the fruit juices - 5-6 teaspoons;
22.00 - milk mixture or kefir - 200g.
As you noticed, vegetable, fruit and meat dishes are gradually replacing dairy dishes.
IN winter time, when the child does not get enough exposure to the sun, give the baby vitamin D. The child receives this vitamin in the form of a drug prescribed by your local pediatrician.