When and how to introduce cottage cheese into complementary foods? How to make homemade cottage cheese?

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

He althy nutrition is one of the main growth factors for a child in the first year of life. In order for the baby to fully develop, sit confidently, actively crawl and walk with the correct setting of the feet, he needs strong bones. The main source of calcium for babies is breast milk, and after 6 months - cottage cheese. This product must be present in the diet of children, regardless of their age. About when and how to introduce cottage cheese into complementary foods, and how to cook it yourself, we will tell in our article.

How do you know if your baby is ready to feed?

At the beginning of his life, the baby gets acquainted with the environment, an important element of which is food. That is why it is important to properly organize the feeding process. Children usually become interested in food at the age of 6 months. This is indicated by the following signs:

1. Child sits confidently and opens his mouth at the sight of a spoon. Force-feeding can only lead to food refusal.
2. He has erupted his first pair of teeth, helping him develop chewing skills while weaning.
3. At this time, there is a period of active growth and development of the child. The body of the crumbs needs vitamins and minerals, and in order to make up for their deficiency, along with breastfeeding, it is advisable to introduce complementary foods.
4. By the age of six months, the gastrointestinal tract of the child is completely ready to receive new food.

The first products that start the baby's acquaintance with the adult table are vegetables and cereals. In the first few weeks, it is recommended to give them separately, starting with a teaspoon, and not mix with each other. Cottage cheese is introduced into complementary foods a little later. Otherwise, it can put extra stress on the kidneys and interfere with iron absorption.

Useful properties of cottage cheese

This fermented milk product can rightfully be called one of the most important in complementary foods. Cottage cheese contains calcium and phosphorus, folic acid and vitamin B2. It is necessary for the body not only for the formation of bones and teeth. Cottage cheese has a beneficial effect on the state of internal organs and the nervous system, speeds up the metabolism in the body. But the useful properties of the product do not end there:

1. In addition to calcium and phosphorus, cottage cheese contains milk protein concentrate - the main material for the formation of immune bodies, cells and enzymes.
2. This fermented milk product has a high nutritional value. In himcontains proteins, fats, carbohydrates in a balanced amount.
3. Albumin is present in large quantities in cottage cheese. This special protein helps children produce their own antibodies, as well as the amino acids tryptophan and methionine.
4. Regular use of this product is an excellent prevention of rickets.

From all of the above, it is easy to guess why cottage cheese is one of the first foods to be added to complementary foods.

Harm and contraindications

Cottage cheese will not benefit the body in the following cases:

• For lactose intolerance.
• For kidney disease.
• If an early overgrowth of the fontanel occurred, which is associated with an increased concentration of calcium in the body.
• If a breastfed baby gains weight quickly.
• If more than 72 hours have passed since opening the package, resulting in a sharp increase in the risk of developing an intestinal infection.

When should I introduce cottage cheese to my baby?

You can often see the "6+" mark on the packaging of this fermented milk product offered in the store. But these manufacturers' recommendations apply, rather, to children who are bottle-fed. Most often, mothers introduce earlier complementary foods to such babies: not at 6, but at 4 months. Accordingly, by the age of six months, an artificial person is usually already familiar with vegetables, fruits and cereals. Therefore, his digestive system perceives cottage cheese quite well.

Exceptartificial feeding indications for the introduction of dairy products into the diet at 6-7 months are:

• insufficient weight gain;
• rickets or predisposition to it;
• iron deficiency anemia;
• lack of calcium in the body.

As for the question of when to introduce cottage cheese into complementary foods for a child while breastfeeding, here the terms vary within 8-9 months. But don't insist. If the child did not like the product, you can offer it to him in 2-3 weeks or replace the homemade version with Agusha cottage cheese. Perhaps the baby will like it more.

Pediatricians strongly recommend not to give fermented milk products to children before 6 months, because earlier the pancreas cannot provide the digestive system with the necessary enzymes.

How to introduce cottage cheese into the diet?

First of all, complementary foods should only be started if the baby is perfectly he althy. It is not necessary to introduce a new product into the diet immediately after the transferred vaccination or on the eve of vaccination, as well as during teething. If there are no obstacles, you can begin to get acquainted with a new product. In this case, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

1. Introducing cottage cheese, like other foods, is recommended in the morning.
2. The first portion of the new dish is equal to 1 teaspoon.
3. On the first day after the introduction of the product, you should monitor the conditioncrumbs.
4. If no changes have occurred (abdominal pain, bloating, allergic skin rashes), the next day the portion increases exactly 2 times. Gradually, within 5-7 days, the volume of the dish should be brought to the daily norm.
5. Cheese in complementary foods for children in the first year of life is introduced in its pure, natural form without flavorings. After 12 months, fruits in the form of puree or pieces and other fillers are added to the product if desired.

Norms

The correct answer to the question of when to introduce cottage cheese into complementary foods for a child will depend on the type of feeding of the baby (breast or artificial). The World He alth Organization has developed certain standards. So, when breastfeeding, children should receive the following amount of cottage cheese per day:

• 6 months - 10g;
• 7 months - 30g;
• 8-9 months - 40g;
• 10-12 months - 50g

It is worth recalling that according to most pediatricians, 8 months of age is considered optimal for the introduction of fermented milk products.

Artificers should receive the following amount of cottage cheese per day:

• 6-9 months - 40g;
• 10-12 months - 50g

Cottage cheese should be given 2 times a week. For children with rickets or who are underweight, this fermented milk product should be offered daily.

Which cottage cheese is better?

Which product to prefer: storeor homemade? In the first year of life, it is better for children to give special cottage cheese of industrial production. Such a product has a soft texture, pleasant taste, it is easily digested and does not cause allergic reactions. Children's cottage cheese for complementary foods should have a natural composition and not contain flavoring additives. When choosing a product, special attention should be paid to the production date and shelf life (no more than 48 hours). Curd "Agusha" meets these conditions.

Many mothers are dismissive of industrial products for children. They believe that at home they can cook fresher and he althier cottage cheese. In fact, it is quite difficult to comply with all the quality standards involved in production in your own kitchen. But the final decision about which cottage cheese is better for complementary foods, of course, is made by the mother. She is fully responsible for the he alth of her baby.

How to make homemade cottage cheese from kefir?

As already noted, you can prepare fermented milk foods yourself. At the exit from 250 ml of kefir, it is possible to obtain 50 g of cottage cheese, which corresponds to the daily portion volume of a one-year-old baby.

You can learn how to cook cottage cheese for complementary foods from the following step-by-step instructions:

1. Pour special baby kefir or regular (fat content 1%) into a clean glass jar. Put the container in a pot of cold water directly on a cotton towel, after laying it on the bottom.
2. Heat kefir in a water bath forslow fire. Approximately 10 minutes after boiling water in the pot, the temperature of the fermented milk drink will reach 40°, and clots will begin to form in the jar.
3. Remove the fermented milk mixture from the water bath, cool and strain through 3 layers of gauze to separate the whey. To speed up the process, the gauze bag can be hung up or placed under a press.
4. When the liquid drains, the product will be ready to use.

Calcium-enriched cottage cheese

This product is recommended primarily for children with signs of rickets, as well as those born prematurely. Calcined cottage cheese will also be useful for nursing mothers who do not receive enough calcium and phosphorus s alts with food. It is made from cow's milk with the addition of 10% calcium chloride solution.

How to make homemade cottage cheese this way?

1. Pour milk (1 l) into a saucepan and add 20 ml of solution.
2. Put the container on the stove and bring to a boil over low heat (but do not boil). The milk should curdle.
3. Remove the pot from the stove. Cool the separated cottage cheese and strain through gauze folded in 2-3 layers.
4. Finished product can be consumed.

Children's cottage cheese dishes

If the child is already 1 year old, he can be offered the following dishes from cottage cheese:

1. Casery. Cottage cheese grated through a sieve (75 g) is combined with an apple grated on a fine grater, sugar (1 tsp) and an egg beaten with a fork. The mass is laid out in a greased form andgoes into the preheated oven. The casserole is cooked for 30 minutes at a temperature of 180 °.
2. Lazy dumplings. When the child is 12 months old and cottage cheese has already been introduced into complementary foods, you can offer the baby the following dish. Boil water in a saucepan. Beat cottage cheese (200 g) with an egg with a blender. Add 100 g flour and a pinch of s alt. Form a sausage from the kneaded dough and cut it into pieces. Throw lazy dumplings into boiling water and cook until they float.

Opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

A well-known pediatrician recommends starting complementary foods with fermented milk products. He makes the following arguments:

1. Sour-milk and dairy products do not fundamentally differ in composition.
2. Kefir and cottage cheese contain lactic acid bacteria that improve digestion and reduce stress on the liver.
3. The above products are well absorbed by the children's body.

Dr. Komarovsky claims that it does not matter whether homemade or store-bought cottage cheese is used for the first complementary foods. The most important thing is that it be of high quality and fresh.