Which fish should I start feeding my baby with? How to cook fish for a child

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Maternal instinct always leads a new mother to do everything possible for the he alth and well-being of her child. Establishing proper nutrition that will benefit a growing body is the main task for every parent. Fish is one of the most important and nutritious foods in the diet. But when and with what kind of fish to start feeding a child, not every mother knows. There are many subtleties in this issue that should be understood. The consequences of improper feeding of this highly allergenic product can be the most serious, up to hospitalization.

Benefits and harms

The usefulness of seafood lies in the abundance of macro and microelements, amino acids, vitamins in the composition. Fish is rich in valuable fats, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, iodine, fluorine, zinc. Its meat is tender, without hard fibers, which contributes to the easy absorption of valuable protein by the still unformed gastrointestinal tract of the baby.

The harm is that the fishcan cause a rather strong allergic reaction, especially its marine species, of which cod is the most dangerous. It is important to know that unlike protein, fish oil is not considered allergenic. Even during cooking, allergens are released through steam and can harm a particularly sensitive body through the respiratory tract.

Marine

Of the benefits of marine fish, the following can be noted:

• Contains a large amount of omega polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• Maximum iodine content.
• Inhabitants of the sea are less infected with parasites and chemical poisons, which cannot be said about the freshwater fauna. This is a significant factor in deciding which fish to start feeding your baby with.
• Easy to debone. In some species they are large, while in others they are very few.
• Wide price range allows you to choose a fish for your pocket.

Unfortunately, freshly caught fish is rare in stores. It is usually supplied frozen.

Freshwater

Dignity of river and lake fish:

• Rarely causes allergies.
• On sale there is fresh chilled, or even live.
• Much cheaper than the marine counterpart.

Cons:

• Due to the poor ecology of water bodies and toxic emissions, it can be contaminated with harmful substances and many types of parasites.
• Very stocksmall and sharp bones require careful handling.

When to start?

According to the Research Institute of Pediatrics and Baby Nutrition, fish for the first complementary foods is offered to a child no earlier than 9-10 months. For children with food allergies, tasting a new and he althy dish is postponed to a later date.

Also, you should not serve fish to a baby during infectious and colds, during the period of vaccination. A weakened body can react to the delicacy with rashes, redness, hives, swelling of the mucous membrane, diarrhea, vomiting, complaints of abdominal pain, although at other times everything could go smoothly.

How to get started?

You need to start treating your baby with 5 grams, gradually increasing the portion until the maximum 50-60 grams are reached. It is advisable to do this before lunch, in order to observe the reaction of the body for the whole day. Then feed the baby with light familiar foods. Zucchini, cauliflower, carrots are fine. Fish days are arranged no more than 2 times a week.

Fat content is the indicator by which you need to determine which fish is the first to be introduced into complementary foods for a child. Species such as salmon, mackerel, herring contain a lot of fat, they can cause digestive problems. Hake, pollock, freshwater and sea bass contain up to 4% fat, so they are more suitable for a baby.

Where to buy?

Official representatives from a chain of seafood stores are the best place tobuying sea fish. There the product is always of high quality, there are documents and licenses about the manufacturer and suppliers. Not every locality has one. In this case, it is worth visiting one of the popular supermarkets. As a rule, frozen fish is delivered there. If it is possible to find out where the supplies come from, then fish farms should prefer open water fish.

Usually, live freshwater fish are traded in the markets first-hand after being caught, which is without a doubt the ideal option.

Selection Tips

Fish for complementary foods for a 9-month-old baby must be guaranteed fresh. Therefore, before heading to the store, you should arm yourself with a few tips:

• When pressed, there should be no dents, the meat on the carcass should be elastic, and the surface should be shiny.
• Fresh fish have clear and transparent eyes, while stale fish have cloudy and dry eyes.
• Don't rely on your sense of smell. An unscrupulous seller is well versed in a number of tricks and tricks to remove a rotten smell. Although, sometimes the fish is so spoiled that there is nothing to hide the ambre.
• Fresh fish have bright red gills.
• It is worth paying attention to the fins. If not damaged and shiny - a good sign.

Cooking Tips

How to prepare fish for baby's first feeding, the following recommendations will suggest:

• In no case should you fry fish in oil. Only boil in water, steam orin a slow cooker.
• Water in which the product has boiled for several minutes should be drained and pure water added. This technique will help get rid of harmful substances, if any, are present in it.
• No need for s alt and spices. But, if the child has already managed to appreciate the taste enhancers, then you will have to use them. Otherwise, he simply won't eat.
• Fish dishes tend to have a specific taste. If the baby did not like it, then how to cook fish for a child? You can try using parsley or lemon during cooking. They will help change the taste and smell of the dish.
• It is necessary to carefully clean the finished meat from the bones, and then break the pieces into mashed potatoes with a blender.
• Undercooked fish is dangerous due to surviving parasites that did not die due to inadequate heat treatment.
• It is recommended to serve only freshly prepared fish food.

How much to cook?

How much to cook fish for feeding a child depends both on the type and size of the pieces or carcass. For example, pollock or hake will be ready in 15 minutes, but pieces of sturgeon of the same size will be cooked only in half an hour. Cooking in the oven will double the cooking time.

Fish meatballs

It doesn't matter what kind of fish you start with when it comes to meatballs. Such a dish will appeal to kids indifferent to fish. Even adults have a hard time guessing which type of seafood was used.

Ingredients per serving:

1. Any fish fillet - 1 piece.
2. Egg - 1/4 pieces.
3. Flesh of a sweet loaf, mashed in milk (for milk intolerance, in water) - 1 handful.
4. Ghee - ½ tablespoon.
5. Pinch of s alt.

Place all ingredients in a blender, break. Form meatballs, roll in flour and dip in boiling water. Cook for 15 minutes until done. They can also be steamed and in a slow cooker. But it will take twice as long.

Oven baked mackerel in foil (recipe with vegetables)

Wash the mackerel, dry it with a paper towel. Form a foil boat so that the carcass fits freely into it. Brush the fish with olive oil, rub with a pinch of s alt. Put two slices of lemon in the belly. Diced potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli inflorescences spread around the carcass in an arbitrary ratio. Since mackerel is quite a fatty product, it is not recommended to add additional oil. Pinch the edges of the foil so that only small holes remain for the steam to escape.

Put in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees for 45 minutes. Mackerel with vegetables is ready.

Lazy Mackerel

Another recipe for mackerel baked in foil in the oven. Many lovers of this he althy fish believe that it is self-sufficient and does not need supplements.

The peeled carcass is placed in a foil boat without s alt and other ingredients commonly used in recipes. Wrap up andplaced in an oven heated to 180 degrees. Bake for about 45 minutes. Fish prepared in this way is suitable not only for babies, but also for people on special diets.

All about canned fish

You don't have to puzzle over which fish to start feeding your baby with if you trust the professionals.

Increasingly, young mothers periodically visit stores with baby food and make a menu for the baby, based on the assortment on the shelves, completely freed from the burden of worries about the nutrition of their child. Considering this topic, we can highlight the advantages of canned fish dishes in jars:

• This option saves the strength and time of the newly-made mom.
• The product has passed all checks, tests and is completely safe for the baby.
• Combination with other nutritional ingredients such as cereals, vegetables is a clear advantage in favor of canned food.
• Jars always indicate the age at which this or that dish should be included in the diet.

Cons of prepared food from the store:

• High cost.
• During feeding, most of the product is not used and wasted, because it cannot be left until the next time.
• Judging by the reviews, kids are not too fond of canned food. They like homemade food more.
• Small variety of meat and fish dishes.

Obviously, the ideal combination for a child is a competent combination of specialized foods and homemadedelicacies prepared with the care of a loving mother.