Complementary feeding at 5 months: porridge. Scheme for introducing complementary foods. Homemade dishes or store-bought purees, how not to make a mistake in choosing

Most babies are ready to try something other than breast milk or formula by the age of five months. When the baby has grown to complementary feeding, parents face a bunch of questions that we will try to answer in this article.

Many pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods into a child's diet, starting from 5 months. What can be given to such a small child to taste, and what to avoid like fire - the main question for parents of 5-month-old babies. To see a smiling baby you should provide him with proper nutrition. Let's figure out what kind of diet a child needs at this age.

Baby's diet at 5 months

At 5 months, the child still receives basic nutrition in the form of mother's milk. During this period, you can also add a few spoons of vegetable puree. You need to feed the baby 5 times a day - every 4 hours.

We provide a sample menu that you can use as instructions:

• Second breakfast – puree with fruits or vegetables, half an egg yolk
• Lunch – breastfeeding, 10 g cottage cheese, 30 g natural juice
• Dinner – breastfeeding, 30 g juice

Second menu option could be like this:

• Breakfast - breastfeeding
• Second breakfast - porridge, which needs to be cooked in milk, juice and cottage cheese in a ratio of 3:1
• Lunch – breastfeeding, mashed apples or pears
• Late dinner - breastfeeding
  If the child is on IV, then the diet will be as follows:
• Breakfast – a glass of kefir
• Second breakfast – porridge cooked in milk, cottage cheese and fruit puree 1:1.5
• Lunch – a glass of kefir or mixture, 30 g of juice
• Dinner – vegetable puree, half an yolk, 30 g juice
• Late dinner – a glass of kefir or mixture

At this age, it is time to feed the child milk porridges - buckwheat, semolina or rice. You can also mix these cereals, thus increasing the usefulness of your meal. It will be useful to add vegetables and fruits to cereals. In 2 weeks you will need to increase the initial portion from 30 g to 150 g.

Video: 5 mistakes in introducing complementary foods

How to properly introduce complementary foods at 5 months while breastfeeding?

Complementary foods for a breastfed baby should be from 6 months. But if you think that already at 5 your baby meets the following criteria, then you can introduce complementary foods into the diet a little earlier:

• Baby asks to eat more often
• The baby's weight has doubled since birth
• The baby sits with the help of an adult and holds his head well
• Baby won't push solid food out of mouth
• The child is not sick for more than 14 days

Give complementary foods to your baby during breastfeeding according to these rules:

• Feed your baby only with a teaspoon (not a metal one)
• Do not give your baby large portions and do not force him to eat what is offered if he resists.
• Give a new product very little, because the child may have an allergic reaction. In addition, small portions, with their gradual increase, will allow the baby’s stomach to get used to previously unknown food.
• Write down in a notebook all the foods you give your baby, as well as the body’s reaction to new foods.
• Place your baby in a high chair during feeding
• After a new product, introduce the next one no earlier than 3 days later, so that the child’s stomach gets used to the food gradually
• During complementary feeding, also supplement your baby with breast milk.

How to properly introduce complementary foods at 5 months on artificial feeding?

When IV, introduce complementary foods according to a certain scheme. Doctors advise introducing complementary foods during IV no earlier than at 4.5 months. Let's look at all the nuances of introducing complementary foods:

• The child should not be sick during the introduction of complementary foods
• Start with apple juice, no more than ½ tsp.
• First feed the usual formula, and then a new product.
• The baby should only eat while sitting
• Grind foods until your child can chew well

• After juice, continue feeding with fruit puree, first also with applesauce
• Next, add vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and pumpkin
• A child on IV should drink boiled water
• Give your child boiled or baked fruits and vegetables. At first, give only fruits, after 10-14 days you can add vegetables. Fruits should be given in the morning and evening, vegetables - in the afternoon.

Video: Complementary feeding. Komarovsky E.O.

How much vegetable puree should a 5 month old baby eat?

The best option for feeding your baby first is fruit and vegetable puree, as well as porridge. Fruit puree should be given last, since after a sweet mixture the child is unlikely to want to taste tasteless porridge or vegetables.

Initially, it is necessary to introduce completely a little vegetable puree, literally ½ tsp, gradually increasing the portion. To start with, zucchini puree would be an excellent option; this product should be given to the child for at least 7 days, and only after that you can switch to a new vegetable.

After a week, add 1 tsp of puree to the zucchini. broccoli or cauliflower. The next product could be pumpkin. After the child gets used to each vegetable, the best option would be a combination of three ingredients.

The optimal portion of vegetable puree for a child is 3 tsp 1-2 r. day.

What kind of porridge and how can you give it at 5 months?

For children on breastfeeding, introduce porridge into the diet no earlier than 5 months; for children on IV – 4.5 months. The rules for introducing porridge into complementary feeding are as follows:

• First, introduce porridge gluten free. Firstly, such cereals are better digested, and secondly, there is a very rare disease - gluten allergy. Therefore, first, give rice, corn or buckwheat porridge
• If the child is used to every porridge, then you can start mixing them, after all, rice contains a lot of vegetable protein, buckwheat contains useful mineral salts and iron, and corn porridge contains vitamins and microelements and fiber

• To begin with, do not add any fruits, honey, or other additives to the porridge. This can be done when does a child get used to grains?
• To help your child get used to porridge better, first introduce porridge cooked in water. From the first days, give 1 tsp of porridge, then over 10 days gradually increase the portion to 150 g
• If the child feels well, then increase the amount of porridge to 10 g
• Give porridge in the morning before breastfeeding or formula
• From the first to the fourth day, increase the portion by 5 g, then by 30 g and from the fifth by 50 g. On day 7 you should succeed required 150 g

Porridges can be of three types:

• ordinary cereals, which are ground at home using a coffee grinder. They need to be boiled
• instant porridges that do not require cooking
• ready-made canned cereals containing fruits, vegetables or milk

Diet for a 5 month old baby

If a baby at 5 months does not have enough mother's milk, then you should try introduce complementary foods into the diet. Start with vegetable puree, then add juices with fruit pulp, then try fruit purees.

An excellent option for complementary feeding would also be apple pulp - peel and carefully scrape out some of the pulp with a spoon for the baby.

The next products should be bananas and pears. When the child gets used to each fruit separately, you can combine them.

There is now a huge selection in stores. puree in jars. But still, if you have the opportunity to purchase ripe fruits, then it is better to make the puree yourself using a blender. In this case, there will be more benefits and vitamins in the finished product.

Children under one year old It is not recommended to give grape juice, since he often experiences allergies and intestinal problems. The rest of the fruit juices should be given starting from ½ tsp, gradually increasing the portion up to 4 tsp.

Baby's menu at 5 months: complementary feeding scheme by day

We offer you an approximate optimal option for complementary feeding at 5 months. In the first week start with zucchini:

• Monday – 5 g zucchini and GW
• Tuesday – 10 g zucchini and GV
• Wednesday – 20 g zucchini and GW
• Thursday – 50 g zucchini and GV
• Friday – 80 g zucchini and GW
• Saturday – 120 g zucchini and GW
• Sunday – 150 g zucchini

In the second week, start introduce cauliflower:

• Monday – 5 g zucchini and 140 g cabbage
• Tuesday – 10 g zucchini and 130 g cabbage
• Wednesday – 20 g zucchini and 110 g cabbage
• Thursday – 50 g zucchini and 50 g cabbage
• Friday – 70 g zucchini and 80 g cabbage
• Saturday – 150 g cabbage
• Sunday – 150 g cabbage

From the third week It's time for broccoli:

• Monday – 5 g broccoli 140 g cauliflower
• Tuesday – 130 g zucchini and 10 g broccoli
• Wednesday – 20 g broccoli and 130 g cauliflower
• Thursday – 50 g broccoli and 100 g zucchini
• Friday – 80 g broccoli and 70 g cauliflower
• Saturday – 150 g broccoli
• Sunday – 150 g zucchini

In the last week introduce pumpkin:

• Monday – 5 g pumpkin 140 g broccoli
• Tuesday – 10 g pumpkin and 140 g cauliflower
• Wednesday – 20 g pumpkin and 130 g zucchini
• Thursday – 50 g pumpkin and 100 g broccoli
• Friday – 80 g pumpkin and 70 g cauliflower
• Saturday – 150 g pumpkin
• Sunday – 150 g broccoli

Don't force the child if he refuses to eat broccoli or pumpkin now. Divide meals into several times or try feeding him in a playful way.

Important: Before introducing complementary foods, be sure to consult your pediatrician.

If your child completely ready for feeding at the age of five months, then try to give the child the best, because the safer and healthier the products offered, the Your baby will grow healthier. If your pediatrician insists that you take your time with complementary feeding, then follow his instructions and continue to enjoy your breastfeeding period.

Video: Baby development at 5 months

According to WHO recommendations, at the age of 6 months, a healthy baby is maximally ready for complementary feeding. Although mother's milk continues to be the main source of all substances important for life, the body no longer has enough energy, vitamins and microelements. The baby’s digestive system is physiologically ready to digest coarser foods. Moreover, its use can cause the release of special enzymes that have a positive effect on the motility of the gastrointestinal tract.

Age characteristics - why from six months?

Many mothers mistakenly believe that if their milk is not enough to nourish the baby, then it is time to move on to introducing complementary foods from 2-3 months. Indeed, what harm can a couple of teaspoons of applesauce or “so healthy” carrot juice do? In fact, this is a fundamentally wrong point of view. The baby's digestive system is unable to digest anything other than mother's milk. If there is insufficient lactation, the pediatrician should select a supplement for the child. The introduction of early complementary feeding is fraught with such unpleasant consequences for the baby as:

• indigestion;
• (which can last for many years);
• subsequent development of obesity.

On the other hand, late complementary feeding is also harmful: it will lead to:

• retardation in mental and physical development;
• risk of developing deficiency conditions (malnutrition, anemia, hypovitaminosis);
• protein-calorie deficiency.

A baby's body up to 5-6 months is not adapted to digest any food, with the exception of breast milk and adapted milk formulas, which are used in cases of insufficient lactation. But the age of 6 months is an average value. Accurate information about whether the baby is ready for the introduction of complementary foods can only be provided by a pediatrician who observes its development. Children do not grow according to an exact pattern; each baby is individual: one is ready for complementary feeding at 5 months, another only at 9. The main factors that it is time for your son or daughter to start giving complementary foods are:

• The child is absolutely healthy:
• He shows interest in food from the diet of the adults around him;
• The baby's weight has doubled since birth;
• The baby does not have enough breast milk: he is increasingly put to the breast;
• The baby sits confidently without support;
• The ejection reflex (regurgitation) gradually fades away.

Complementary feeding while breastfeeding - where to start at 6 months

Basic principles to follow when introducing complementary foods to a breastfed baby:

• Complementary feeding can be introduced only if the baby is completely healthy: there is no disorder of the digestive system (constipation, diarrhea), no increase in body temperature, there have not been and will not be vaccinations 5 - 7 days before and after the planned complementary feeding;
• An additional dish should be given to the child when he is hungry, then breastfeed;
• The consistency of the dish should be as homogeneous and liquid as possible, the temperature should be moderately warm. It is especially useful to steam vegetables and then grind them in a blender (or rub through a strainer). With this method of cooking, vitamins and nutrients are better preserved in vegetables;
• The baby should be fed from a spoon and always in a sitting position;
• A new product can be given to a child only once a day. You should start with 0.25 - 0.5 teaspoon. Within two weeks, the portion should be increased to 150 g, which will replace one breastfeeding;
• New dishes are introduced gradually. The next product can be used in the diet after the body adapts to the previous one;
• Constantly monitor the child’s condition and his reaction to new foods;
• Simultaneously with the introduction of complementary foods, accustom the baby to 5 meals a day with intervals of 4 hours between feedings.

Products for the first menu

The choice of first courses for complementary feeding depends on the characteristics of the baby’s body and condition: if there is a problem of underweight, then it is better to start with gluten-free porridges: corn, buckwheat or rice. If a child has a tendency to constipation, then with vegetable and fruit purees.

At the first stages, the dish should consist of one type of product: you should not mix two types of vegetables, fruits or berries in one puree or juice.

The best products for the first vegetable feeding– cabbage of all varieties, the healthiest of which are cauliflower and broccoli, potatoes and zucchini (especially if the baby has constipation). Then you can introduce green peas. Colored fruits and vegetables (red apple, dark grapes, carrots, beets, pumpkin) are offered to the baby a little later.

There is no need to add sugar to fruit purees or salt to vegetable purees. Add half the yolk and vegetable oils (olive or sunflower) to the vegetable puree, starting with 1 drop and increasing to 1 tsp. for a full serving of puree (150 g).

Since a child’s kidneys are not fully formed until they are one year old, under no circumstances should you give your baby meat broths that contain a large amount of purine bases. For soup it is better to use vegetable broth.

The healthiest way to prepare vegetables is to steam them and grind them in a blender or through a strainer. With this heat treatment, a greater amount of vitamins and other useful substances is preserved. The puree must be made liquid; the baby is not yet able to swallow thick food.

Porridge for a 6-month-old baby (we are starting to give one-ingredient, gluten-free cereals. These types include buckwheat, rice and corn porridge) are first cooked from one type of cereal. After three weeks, you can start mixing cereals. It is recommended to first grind them in a coffee grinder and only then cook them. Both water and breast milk are suitable for cooking. It is useful to add melted butter to the finished porridge.

Child's taste preferences

Be very attentive to the desires and taste preferences of the baby himself. If a dish is unpleasant to him and he turns away from the spoon, do not insist on anything. Avoid this product for a while. It can be offered again after 3 or 4 weeks.

Do not force your child to eat the entire portion of complementary foods. In this case, the baby will suck less milk from the breast, which will lead to a decrease in its production and the extinction of lactation. It can also cause aversion to new food and poor appetite in the future.

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It is necessary to supplement the baby with breast milk for as long as possible. It remains the main food for up to a year, a source of growth hormones and antibodies that form the child’s immunity. Remember that the main goal of complementary feeding is not transfer to a common table, but the formation of natural eating behavior. Therefore, it is not so important whether the products and their quantities comply with the recommendations. It is necessary to take into account the desire of the baby. If parents do not pursue the goal of maintaining a quantitative portion of baby food, then an active interest in food will remain and breastfeeding will not be supplanted. In this case, the transition to eating from a common table will be gradual.

For babies who, for one reason or another, are fed with adapted artificial formulas, complementary foods are introduced a little earlier: from 4 to 5 months. This must be done on the preliminary recommendation of the observing pediatrician and taking into account his advice. The introduction of complementary foods at such an early stage is due to the fact that the growing body does not have enough nutrients obtained from mixtures for full development.

The feeding regimen corresponds to the feeding regimen of a breastfed baby. First, vegetable and fruit purees are also introduced into the diet. At 6 months, artificial babies move on to the second stage of complementary feeding - dairy (depending on milk tolerance) and dairy-free cereals with added butter, juices diluted with water, cottage cheese, yolk, meat and fish purees.

Artificial people may be prone to obesity, so do not overuse semolina porridge. Apart from being highly nutritious, it is essentially of no use. With frequent consumption of this cereal, the possibility of developing conditions such as anemia or rickets significantly increases.

When adding meat and fish dishes to the menu, you can use ready-made canned food () intended for children, but mashed potatoes or purees prepared in a blender at home will be healthier. The first meat purees are prepared from rabbit, turkey, veal or chicken. ()

Our complementary feeding history (6 months)

Lure– this is the beginning of the introduction of new types of products to replenish the baby’s energy costs.

Based on WHO research data, general rules for complementary feeding were developed:

• the first product in the baby’s menu is introduced between 4 and 6 months: at six months for natural babies, at 4 - 4.5 months for formula babies;
• great attention is paid to readiness for a new type of food;
• Complementary feeding by month involves the introduction of various types of food: cereals, vegetables, meat, dairy products;
• food should be in pounded form (puree). If you have teeth, you can try kibble food;
• - a guarantee of health, it must be continued until the age of two.

Pediatrician, doctor of the highest category Yakov Yakovlev believes: “You need to treat the number 6 well. This is a great age for adult food."

When complementary foods are introduced after the optimal period, the child will begin to lose weight and experience a lack of microelements. In the worst case scenario, there is a developmental delay.

With the early introduction of new products, the risk of developing allergies increases due to the unavailability of enzymes in the digestive system.

Complementary feeding rules

• you need to give new food from 5 grams, increasing the portions over 2 weeks to 150 grams;
• the child must be healthy;
• the first complementary feeding is undesirable in the summer;
• another product should be introduced only after adaptation to the previous one, approximately every 2 - 3 weeks;
• food should be freshly cooked and warm.
• You need to carefully monitor the child’s condition. If diarrhea occurs, it is better to remove the product from the menu for a while and try again after a week.

Complementary feeding at 6 months

The baby's first dish is vegetable. If you are underweight, eat porridge. We start with hypoallergenic broccoli, zucchini and cauliflower.

Broccoli doesn't have the best flavor, so save it for last.

You can buy vegetable purees in jars or prepare them yourself. When preparing puree, you should take a vegetable, wash it, peel it. It's better to steam it. Then place the finished vegetable in a blender. Grind until pureed.

The most delicious purees are from Gerber, but in terms of price they are much more expensive than “Babushkino Lukoshko”.

Do not add spices, salt, or sugar for up to two years.

In 2 weeks, the child should get used to zucchini. Monitor the condition of your skin and stool.

Cauliflower will be the next step in expanding the diet, but subject to the absence of rashes and other elements on the baby’s skin.

It should be given before breastfeeding, at 12 noon.

You can offer one dish 5-6 times. If the baby has not eaten the entire portion offered to him, perhaps he is simply full.

Some of the latest in vegetable complementary feeding are pumpkin and carrots. They are allergenic products, be careful.

Potatoes are the latest of all vegetables to be introduced into a child’s menu. A very allergenic product, the absorption of which requires a mature enzymatic function of the intestines.

Important information for those parents who are interested.

Complementary feeding at 7 months

Next up are fruits and cereals. We start with green apple and pears. Then offer prunes, apricots, peach or plums. Of course, in the summer there is a much greater choice of fruits.

We introduce fruits, like vegetables, starting with a teaspoon, from one fruit, after a month we move on to another.

Porridge is our nurse

Introducing complementary foods at 7 months should begin with dairy-free cereals. Up to 12 months there is no need for cow's and goat's milk, as grandmothers advise. These dairy products increase the acidity of the stomach and can provoke the development of gastritis or ulcers.

You can add breast milk or formula to the porridge.

Start with gluten-free porridges - corn, buckwheat or rice. For children under one year old, gluten is quite difficult to digest.

Don't be afraid to buy baby cereal in stores. They are already crushed and ready for use, just diluted with water. No additives needed. The Nestle company produces a number of very tasty cereals at reasonable prices.

Porridge is given for breakfast, along with fruit. The quantity is the same as with vegetables. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of butter to the porridge.

8 months - meat time

By this time, the baby already has a full breakfast. Now we will create a menu for lunch. The first meat dishes are rabbit and turkey, as they are hypoallergenic. We start with 5 grams of canned meat puree, either separately or mixed with vegetables. You can prepare the meat dish yourself in the form of minced meat.

After turkey and rabbit, beef, chicken, and veal are given. It is better to avoid pork before 2 years of age.

We do not add vegetable oil to jarred meat puree. But if you cooked it yourself, you should add ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil to vegetables or meat puree.

Yolk is a storehouse of vitamins

We give the yolk 2 times a week, starting with ¼ part. Add to dishes or dilute with milk. Typically given in the morning. Then by the year we increase it to half.

Table for introducing complementary foods for breakfast and lunch while breastfeeding

Don't forget to give breast milk.

Formula-fed complementary foods table

It's time for cottage cheese and kefir

Ukrainian doctor Komarovsky O.E. advises starting complementary feeding with kefir, as it is similar to mother’s milk. But WHO recommends otherwise. It is better to buy kefir for children, from the companies “Nasha Masha” or “Frutonyanya”. Kefir should be unsweetened and without dyes.

We also start according to the “golden rule” - with a teaspoon. We serve kefir for dinner at 20.00. We also choose children's cottage cheese: “Agusha”, “Tyoma”. We start the cottage cheese with a teaspoon and by the age of 1 year we bring it to 50 grams. We serve it in the evening for dinner along with cottage cheese.

10 months - kibble food

The child can be given cookies and dried biscuits, since the baby already has the required number of teeth. Give the fruits in pieces, peeling them.

A child with food should always be supervised!

It is better to make fruit juices yourself. Store-bought ones contain a lot of acids and sugar.

At 10 months, give fish dishes 2 times a week. Start with low-fat varieties - hake, cod, perch.

What should not be given before 1 year of age?

• semolina porridge should not be given frequently, as it interferes with the absorption of iron and can provoke the development of anemia;
• candies, chocolate;
• goat, cow's milk;
• tropical fruits, citrus.

General table for introducing complementary feeding to children

Food in "banks"

Products are prepared only from environmentally friendly, carefully grown fruits and vegetables. This type of nutrition has a guaranteed composition. Lots of checks go through. It is impossible to find low quality baby food on the shelves.

There are no preservatives in this diet. Why do they last so long? Vacuum packaging and aseptic storage conditions do not allow the product to deteriorate.

You can start introducing complementary foods with industrial products. Then, when the child gets used to it, cook on his own. Be sure to check expiration dates.

Complementary feeding for children with atypical reactions

It is very difficult to feed a child if he has allergies. The following rules must be taken into account:

• do not add sugar to prepared foods, especially juices;
• start complementary feeding only with “clean” skin;
• observe monocomponentism. Don't mix multiple vegetables or fruits. This will make it easier to identify what you are allergic to if it appears;
• leave sweet fruit juices, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin for last, by 10-11 months;
• egg, fish are best introduced from 12 months;
• It takes at least 7 days for the baby to get used to each new dish;
• if a rash appears, the new product is canceled;
• If you are allergic to cow's milk, allergic reactions to beef are also likely.

Until the age of one year, the health of the baby is established. Proper balanced nutrition will help avoid many problems in the future. Your child will definitely like new foods if they are prepared with love. Each baby is individual, and only the mother will be able to understand when a new feeding period will begin.

Complementary feeding is food prescribed to infants when they reach a certain age and physiological norms. Such food is intended to complement mother's milk or artificial formula, whose composition and calorie content can no longer satisfy the baby's increased needs.

Since in the first 12 months the foundations for the child’s future lifestyle and health are laid, every parent needs to understand at what age it is best to start feeding their babies, how to properly introduce complementary foods and what food should be given in each month.

The question of how many months can a child be fed worries every new parent. But there is still no definite answer, there are only recommendations.

It should be realized that age alone cannot be a “symptom” of children’s readiness; several important characteristics of child development must be taken into account, for example:

A complex of all signs of readiness appears in different children at their age. As a rule, the introduction of complementary foods occurs between 5 and 8 months (everything is individual).

With natural feeding, when the child’s needs for essential nutrients are fully satisfied by milk, there is no need to rush into introducing complementary feeding. Children who are on are given complementary foods at 5 months.

What are the dangers of early feeding?

Parents should understand that it is better to be a little late with complementary feeding than to introduce it prematurely.

For example, complementary feeding at 4 months is fraught with not the most favorable reactions from the digestive tract, which is not yet ready to accept new foods.

Starting complementary feeding too early leads to the following problems:

1. Due to the lack of necessary digestive enzymes, abdominal pain, intestinal colic, belching, and stool disorders may occur. That is, complementary feeding from 4 months will be useless at best, since the products will not be absorbed.
2. Another serious consequence is allergic conditions, which are caused by increased permeability of the intestinal walls to allergic particles and the immaturity of the child’s defense system. At the same time, the immunity of children suffers, as a result of which they get sick more often and longer.
3. Complementary feeding at 4 months and earlier may even pose some danger for the baby if he does not yet know how to swallow thicker food than milk or formula. An undeveloped swallowing reflex can lead to vomiting and loss of interest in food.
4. The increased load experienced by unformed internal organs (liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract organs) can result in their chronic diseases.

Another likely consequence is that the introduction of complementary foods before 6 months of age leads to a reduction in breastfeeding, which may result in the cessation of lactation.

Of course, this rule does not work if the baby is.

Thus, it is better to start feeding a child at an appropriate age and only after the approval of the doctor who is observing the baby.

To ensure that the first feeding of a baby goes without “accidents” and leaves only pleasant impressions for mother and child, it is worth learning the rules for introducing complementary feeding.

They look like this:

1. A new product should be given to a child who is absolutely healthy and in good spirits. You should not start introducing complementary foods if your children have been vaccinated.
2. The first complementary food should be one-component, that is, consist of only one dish. If the baby is used to a new product, they give the next one and so on. The last thing you should give is porridge with fruit additives, vegetable mixtures with a meat component.
3. Before buying industrial complementary foods, be sure to review the composition to exclude products that include highly allergenic ingredients.
4. It is necessary to feed the baby with an unfamiliar product in the morning in order to track the reaction of the child’s body. During the day, mother needs to pay attention to the condition of the skin, feces and general activity.
5. Offer new foods when your baby is hungry, and then supplement with breast milk (if breastfed) or formula (if bottle-fed).
6. The optimal amount of complementary feeding is half a teaspoon (or 3-5 grams), gradually the volume of complementary feeding increases to age levels.
7. Don’t give up the product, even if your child rejects it once. To get used to a new taste, you need to taste it thoroughly. This should be done at intervals of 3 days. If the toddler continues to refuse the dish, do not insist, but replace the product with a similar one (rice with buckwheat, pear puree with apple puree).
8. Monitor the temperature. This should be done to avoid burns to the oral mucosa (the dish should be warm, not hot).
9. Make sure that the dish is homogeneous (uniform). Lumps cause difficulty in swallowing and the child rejects the product.
10. Avoid feeding your baby directly from an industrial container. The food is placed on a plate, otherwise saliva will get into the jar, as a result of which the dish will become unsuitable for further storage.
11. It is necessary to give the next dish only after the kids are completely accustomed to the previous one. Typically the time period is about 2 weeks.
12. Combine several products. For example, you should not give two liquid (milk and juice) or two thicker (mashed potatoes and porridge) dishes at one meal.

You need to feed children very carefully and with great patience. It will take a long time for your baby to learn to swallow foods that are thicker than breast milk or formula. That's why you shouldn't be nervous and worry if something doesn't go as you would like.

Baby's first products

The first complementary foods should include foods that have a neutral taste. This must be done so that the bright taste does not make the baby reject the new food or, on the contrary, eliminate the preference for one dish over all others.

This is why, for example, experts do not recommend introducing sweet and aromatic juices or fruit purees into the first complementary foods. Of course, they are much more attractive than zucchini or meat products, which is why it is necessary to prevent the formation of incorrect taste preferences at an early age.

It is not so important at what age you start introducing new products - complementary feeding at 5 months with artificial feeding follows the same principles as complementary feeding from six months with breastfeeding.

Infant feeding table by month

This table is for informational purposes only. It is worth understanding that the amount of complementary foods will depend on the type of food.

With natural feeding, milk remains the main product, but with formula feeding, the main “dish” is the formula.

In addition, the table shows how the consistency of complementary foods changes. After six months, the baby’s chewing strength increases, so he can eat various purees (vegetables, fruits). After 7 months, when chewing skills are more perfect, mashed, chopped dishes are given.

And only after 12 months do babies experience stable jaw function; at the same age, chewing becomes more mature. Usually, at one year old, the baby is transferred to the family table with some reservations.

WHO recommends introducing vegetables into the first complementary foods, but if babies are underweight, it is better to give porridge. We will focus on the recommendations of the World Health Organization.

Experts recommend the following order of vegetable feeding:

First of all, you should puree hypoallergenic vegetables. Pumpkin and carrot dishes are among the last to be introduced, since children often experience allergic reactions.

Let us repeat once again, you need to start with one-ingredient dishes. Mixing different vegetables is possible, but when the child enjoys them separately, and you note the absence of allergic reactions. A novelty is given only to a hungry baby.

How to make a vegetable dish yourself? Very simple. Zucchini or broccoli should be washed under running water, peeled and seeds removed.

To understand how to introduce complementary foods at six months, you need to consider an example - the table for introducing vegetables will show all the nuances of proper feeding of babies.

Vegetable introduction table

The table shows that the “introduction” of three fruits into the children's menu will take approximately 21 days. Each dish should be brought up to age specifications carefully, since the indicated grams do not mean that the child should be forced to finish everything.

Complementary feeding at 7 months

Another option for both the second and first feeding is porridge. It must be remembered that cereals must be gluten-free. You should also not cook porridge with cow's or goat's milk, since the bodies of children under one year old are not able to digest this heavy product.

If your child refuses to eat dairy-free porridge, add a little of your milk or formula to it. This will help the baby quickly get used to the new product.

Gluten-free grains include rice, corn and buckwheat. Such an assortment will satisfy the needs of a little gourmet. Porridges containing gluten can cause severe pathological conditions of the intestines.

In pharmacy chains and specialized departments of supermarkets you can purchase the most suitable porridge for babies. Some mothers are afraid to purchase them, but their fears are unfounded.

Manufactured under industrial conditions, they are absolutely safe and enriched with all useful components.

Cereals should be given according to the scheme proposed in the table above. When feeding them, you need to monitor the child’s condition: does the stomach hurt, is bowel movement disrupted, or does a rash appear on the skin. You cannot combine different cereals!

At this age, the introduction of complementary foods becomes more varied. The baby is growing up, which means he is already allowed dishes that are heavier for a child’s stomach:

Potatoes are introduced later than other fruits, since they are hyperallergenic vegetables. The mother should give the child 5 grams first, and by the seventh day increase the volume to 50 grams. Potatoes should not exceed a third of all vegetables in a child's diet.

It is better to feed an eight-month-old baby quail yolk, since it rarely becomes a source of allergies. This product is given twice a week. Moreover, for the first time you should pour a pinch onto a spoon, the next time - half a quail or a quarter of a chicken yolk.

Over the next 7 days, a whole quail yolk or half a regular yolk is given. An important rule is that you need to feed your baby this product in the morning, rubbing it with milk or adding it to porridge.

The most are turkey and rabbit. It is from them that purees are prepared, then veal, beef and chicken meat are given.

Pork meat should not be given to a child under one year old at all. Meat purees should be introduced into the lunch meal, the volume is a teaspoon.

Good to know! If you want to make your own meat puree, make pure minced meat and form small meatballs. Boil them in boiling water for 6 minutes, then freeze. You need to take them out of the freezer and boil them in a double boiler with vegetables, after which this mixture is crushed and given to the child. This method prevents the meatballs from sticking together.

During this age period, children are introduced to fermented milk products, and they are introduced extremely carefully. Of course, you should not feed your kids cottage cheese, which is sold in packs, especially with various additives.

A special baby cottage cheese is suitable for a child - for example, “Agusha”, “Tyoma”. The purchased dish should not contain sugar or fruit pieces.

First, a teaspoon is given, then gradually increased to 30 grams per day. For children of this age - the optimal dose.

Kefir is given in a volume of 1-2 teaspoons. Of course, this drink must also be for the baby, for which the mother should choose a product without fruits, sugars and flavoring additives. Then the volume is increased to 150 milliliters. It is best to offer kefir and cottage cheese in the evening.

Important! Not every child has a positive attitude towards kefir and cottage cheese, but the dish should not be sweetened. Wait 2-3 weeks and offer the product again. Some kids don’t like “sour milk” at all, but they develop and grow up quite normally.

Feeding a 10 month old baby

At 10 months, the baby is pampered with desserts in the form of sweet fruits. The most useful fruits are those that grow in close areas. Exotic fruits are put aside for later.

First of all, puree from apples, pears or prunes is given. By this age, many children acquire teeth, as a result of which they are already able to chew fruit slices. The fruits are introduced from a small volume - about 5 grams of puree or a small slice. The daily “dose” is approximately 100 grams of the product.

Some mothers will be surprised when they read that healthy fruits are given so late. There are many opinions on this matter, but experts are confident that with natural feeding there are enough vitamins in breast milk, and for artificial babies they make formulas enriched with vitamin complexes.

Thus, fruits are not such a significant source of vitamin complexes; the most important elements for a baby are protein and fat ingredients. In addition, sweet apples contain a variety of fruit acids that irritate the mucous membranes of the mouth.

Another introduced product is fish. There should not be a lot of it, and it must be low-fat and low-allergenic - for example, hake, cod or pollock. Experts recommend giving your child a “fish day,” when this dish replaces meat purees. Of course, the initial portion is minimal - less than half a teaspoon.

At this age, the baby is fed homemade soups with fresh herbs. Of course, the ideal option is borscht without frying with sour cream (now it is allowed). Green sprigs of dill or parsley should be grown in your own garden or in a pot on the window.

Bread spread with a piece of butter is ideal for a growing body.

At the end of the 12th month, the child can also eat gluten-free cereals - barley, oatmeal and millet. However, they should be administered carefully to avoid negative reactions.

One-year-old children can already eat many dishes from their parents’ table, but you need to forget about some of the favorite delicacies that some “irresponsible” mothers and grandmothers love to stuff their babies with:

Problems of complementary feeding and mother's fears

Quite often, the start of complementary feeding is accompanied by constipation, diarrhea, allergies, and painful sensations in the abdomen, as a result of which the child begins to worry and cry.

If your baby reacts unconventionally to the appearance of an unknown product in his diet, you should not completely abandon the dish.

Forget about it for 4-8 weeks, and then reintroduce it into the diet, carefully monitoring the baby's well-being. The second time, the product should be administered as slowly as at the very beginning.

Another common difficulty that often arises when complementary feeding begins is the child refusing the food offered. You should not insist, since the baby himself understands what he wants to eat and what foods cause discomfort.

In addition, a certain difficulty arises if you need to make a choice - cook yourself or buy ready-made food. Some parents are categorically against store-bought foods for infants, while others are confident in the quality of store-bought complementary foods.

Experts believe that everyone is right, since cooking at home is much more profitable, especially for an older child who can eat almost any dish. However, food in jars is no worse, it’s just important to adhere to the following rules:

• do not pay attention to the timing of the introduction of products indicated on the jars, focus on age standards;
• choose the freshest products, making sure that they are not expired;
• a children's dish should not contain various unnatural additives, flavorings, flavor enhancers; ideal nutrition is one containing a minimum amount of ingredients.

Children's health largely depends on the correct introduction of complementary feeding and adherence to advice. However, it is important for parents to understand that all the recommendations described are approximate.

Only a local pediatrician can say exactly from how many months a child can be fed. And the joint efforts of the mother and the doctor will significantly facilitate the baby’s transition to adult food.

Hello, I am Nadezhda Plotnikova. Having successfully completed her studies at SUSU as a specialized psychologist, she devoted several years to working with children with developmental problems and consulting parents on issues of raising children. I use the experience gained, among other things, in creating articles of a psychological nature. Of course, I in no way claim to be the ultimate truth, but I hope that my articles will help dear readers deal with any difficulties.

Breast milk is irreplaceable, but gradually the child must be introduced to adult food. It develops chewing reflexes, improves the production of enzymes in the stomach and saturates the body with vitamins necessary for development. When the baby is artificially fed, doctors allow complementary feeding to be offered to a 5-month-old child. It is recommended for infants at this age with poor weight gain, persistent constipation and lack of mother's milk.

In order not to injure the delicate stomach, new food should be introduced carefully, little by little, and carefully monitor how the baby reacts to it.

How should complementary foods be introduced?

Complementary feeding is any food that replaces formula or mother's milk. How is it useful? Because it provides the child with important microelements, it better saturates and stimulates the development of mental abilities.

At five months, a restless baby needs more nutrients to enjoy exploring the world. Take a closer look at it. By behavior you can understand whether he needs additional nutrition.

• A signal that a 5-month-old baby needs complementary feeding is the fact that the baby behaves restlessly between feedings and often requires the breast.
• When the baby firmly holds objects in his hands and looks at the food on the plate with curiosity.
• If he sits confidently on a high chair and does not spit out food that gets into his mouth from a spoon.
• When his first teeth begin to erupt.

Young mothers are interested in how to properly introduce complementary foods at 5 months. The main requirement is that this must be done gradually, starting with 2-3 drops of fruit juice, half a tsp. pureed vegetables or porridge. Do not add sugar to food or mix foods together. To help your baby quickly taste an unfamiliar dish, the food can be diluted with breast milk or formula.

It is advisable to give complementary foods to a 5-month-old baby before lunch in order to have time to observe his reaction. The ideal time is second breakfast. The baby has already played actively and wants to eat. In this state, it is easier to interest him in an unfamiliar dish.

Each baby is individual, so before introducing complementary foods to your baby, consult your pediatrician. Perhaps the digestive system has not yet developed enough, and the baby is not yet able to digest solid food. The doctor will conduct a full examination and give recommendations on how to feed the child.

The specialist insists to wait with the introduction of new dishes if:

• the baby has recently had a cold or infectious disease;
• he was vaccinated a few days ago;
• there is no swallowing reflex;
• The digestive system is not ready to accept new foods.

In other cases, you can gradually diversify the child’s diet without giving up full breastfeeding. Do not forget that starting from 5 months you can introduce complementary foods only with a small spoon. This feeding stimulates the swallowing reflex and does not lead to breast refusal.

Juices and fruit puree

At five months of age, children stop sleeping frequently. They usually wake up at 6 am, eat 5 times a day, play and take two naps. Where to start complementary feeding during this period and how much food can be given at a time? If your baby has previously only drank mother's milk, introduce him to fruit juices. A green apple is best suited for this. The fruit is well digested by a weak stomach and rarely causes allergies.

First, you need to give your baby 2-3 drops of juice to try, diluting them 1:1 with water, and observe his reaction. When there is no stomach upset or redness on the skin until the night, double the amount of such food the next day. At this rate, by the end of the 5th month the baby will be able to drink 50 ml of freshly squeezed juice.

If you are interested in what other drinks are allowed to be prepared for complementary feeding of a child at 5 months, try dried fruit compote. It contains many valuable substances that strengthen the immune system. This drink is useful for children suffering from constipation. It normalizes intestinal function and makes stool easier.

• To prepare it, wash 2 pieces each of dried apricots, raisins, and prunes.
• Pour boiling water over it and add 200 ml of hot water.
• Leave for 2 hours, strain and give the baby something to drink after feeding, starting a little at a time.

Kids love applesauce. You also need to get used to it gradually. To ensure it is well absorbed, bake the fruit in the oven.

• Wash it, cut it in half and remove the core completely.
• Place in the oven and bake over low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Wait until the fruit has cooled, carefully remove the pulp from it with a baby spoon and mash.

This dish contains a lot of pectin, iron, phosphorus, and calcium. It improves digestion, immunity and stabilizes metabolism. To begin, let your child try half a teaspoon. Gradually add the amount of puree and bring it to 100 ml.

Some mothers begin introducing the first complementary foods before 5 months, and the baby is already familiar with the apple. Then try treating him to banana or pear puree. The norm of complementary feeding must be observed. Never introduce several new foods at the same time, so as not to overload your stomach. The minimum break between trying different dishes should be at least a week.

Vegetable dishes

A baby at 5 months can be given vegetable puree. Dilute it with breast milk or boiled water. It is better to start complementary feeding with potatoes, zucchini, and cauliflower. It is preferable to cook carrots or pumpkin from 6 months. Brightly colored vegetables often provoke allergies.

The feeding rate for vegetables is the same as for fruit puree. It is half a tsp. first day. Then gradually increase the amount until it reaches 100 g per feeding.

Children have different taste preferences. When they don't like a particular dish, don't insist. Try to interest them in other foods, and cook the “rejected” vegetables or fruits again in a few weeks. Perhaps this time they will like them.

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to introduce store-bought canned purees into complementary foods for a 5-month-old baby? Parents must make this choice themselves. If you decide to purchase baby food, do it in a special section of a large supermarket or pharmacy, carefully studying the expiration date.

It’s safer and healthier to find time and prepare your child’s vegetable puree yourself than to buy dubious canned food. This is done simply and quickly.

• Take a vegetable, for example, cauliflower, cut a piece from it, wash it and cook under the lid for 15 minutes.
• Then cool slightly and rub through a sieve or beat with a blender. Dilute the finished puree with breast milk so that it becomes a homogeneous liquid consistency.
• Doctors recommend not mixing different vegetables at first, but cooking zucchini, cabbage or carrots separately. This makes it easier for the baby to get used to unfamiliar taste sensations.

When the baby adapts to several types of vegetables, they can be boiled together, blended with a blender and diluted with the broth in which they were boiled. Typically, infants begin to be fed such dishes at six months.

Is it possible to give porridge?

3 weeks after the start of feeding vegetable puree, you can introduce complementary feeding with porridge. They are a rich source of calcium, iron and other essential elements. Most suitable for infants:

• buckwheat;
• rice;
• corn grits.

You can start feeding your baby porridge at 5 months with buckwheat. This product should be boiled in water.

• Inspect the kernels thoroughly, wash and dry completely.
• Pour them into a coffee grinder and grind them into powder.
• Stir a large spoonful of the resulting flour in 100 ml of boiling water for 10 minutes.
• Cool, dilute with breast milk and use.

Baby porridge is easy to prepare in another way. Cook regular buckwheat or rice, beat them with a blender into a fluffy puree, dilute with mother’s milk or water and feed the baby.

Sample menu

Buy a comfortable high chair. If it is not there, you can sit the baby on your lap, but this is not very convenient. Before introducing complementary foods, make sure that the child is absolutely healthy. Porridge, vegetables and fruit purees should be offered before breastfeeding. The introduced product must not be prepared for future use and given twice a day.

The main rule to follow is the sequence of actions. Don't rush, introduce a new product when the baby has fully adapted to the previous one.

During this period, it is important to monitor your stool. If your baby develops a disorder or rash, eliminate the food that caused the unpleasant symptoms from the diet for a month or two.

For a child aged 5 months, a table with an example menu is presented below. It clearly shows what the norm of complementary feeding should be at this age.

The data is given taking into account the fact that the baby gradually got used to the products and tolerates them well.

Before the introduction of cereals, other features of complementary feeding at 5 months - what can be given, the table below will tell you:

Don’t forget to give your baby breastfeeding or water after complementary feeding. Liquid must enter his body in unlimited quantities.

Complementary feeding should be introduced according to all rules. It shapes the child’s future taste preferences. Therefore, it is important to accustom him to healthy food, which will strengthen his immunity, make him strong and resilient.