Which porridge to start complementary foods and at what age?

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

When a new person appears in the family, new parents have many questions. They care about everything related to the baby. Not the last place is occupied by the diet of the baby. For example, moms and dads are interested in when and with what porridge to start complementary foods. And this moment is really very important: the baby is growing, and food rich in vitamins and microelements is simply necessary for its development. In this article, we will look at what age is best to start introducing new foods into a child’s diet, and also find out what are the best cereals for complementary foods.

How to understand that the baby is ready for adult food

Basically, it doesn't really matter if your baby is breastfed or bottle-fed. You need to introduce complementary foods, only being sure that at this moment the baby is not sick. A he althy baby sleeps and eats well, is not naughty, and does not throw unreasonable tantrums while awake.

For the first feeding, it is best to take dairy-free rice or buckwheatporridge. They contain no s alt, no milk, no sugar, no flavorings. It may seem to you that this is not tasty, but in fact the child does not yet know what sweet or s alty food means, and for him any new taste, even fresh, will seem unusual, but interesting. Dairy-free porridge for the first complementary foods is ideal. It is she who at first can become your baby's favorite treat.

You need to start introducing porridge into the child's diet no earlier than four months of age, but you should not delay it either. It is during the period from 4 to 6 months that it is easiest to form the chewing skills of the baby. Also at this age, the baby's body learns to cope with food that is harder for him than breast milk or an adapted formula.

But you must understand that all these terms are conditional. Every child is different, and if in doubt, check with your pediatrician. The norm for breastfed children is considered to be closer to six months, for artificial ones, the start of complementary foods from porridge is a month or two earlier.

How much to give the first time?

So, the question of which porridge to start complementary foods with has been resolved. Now let's find out how much to give the baby food. Many moms and dads, out of inexperience, replace one meal with 50-100 grams of porridge from the very first day, considering this the right introduction. But in no case should you do this, because the first few weeks the baby and his body are only getting to know the new food.

You need to start with a minimum amount - 5-10 gramsenough for the first few times. Give the child half a small spoon, look at his reaction, whether he liked the taste. Then observe the body's reaction: did the innovation affect the baby's tummy, did rashes appear. And only if everything is in order and the child calmly reacted to food that was unusual for him, you can bring complementary foods to the age-appropriate norm, adding 5-10 grams daily.

Perfect time to feed

Any new food, be it porridge or mashed potatoes, must be given in the morning. In no case should you introduce uncharted food between feedings. Dairy-free porridge for the first feeding is given before the main meal, when the child is hungry. This way you can understand if the baby liked the food. You can also watch the reaction of the child throughout the day. If you give the baby porridge after the main meal, he can simply spit it out, and you will think that the baby did not like the innovation, when in fact the reason for the refusal was the satiety of the child.

With what kind of porridge to start complementary foods: buckwheat or rice - it's up to parents to decide. And do not be upset if the child does not like the new food. Set it aside for a couple of days. Also, don't try new flavors if it hasn't even been a week since your first entry.

Complementary foods and baby weight

Pediatricians advise giving porridge to an infant if he is underweight or of average body weight. In such cases, introduce the baby to a newfood as early as possible. If the child is overweight, then you should not lean on cereals, limit yourself to the introduction of fruits and vegetables.

Which porridge do you prefer: store-bought or homemade?

Each parent is free to decide for himself whether to cook porridge for him on his own or buy ready-made, which only need to be diluted with water, baby porridge. Parents' comments about this often say the opposite. People of the old school believe that there is only “chemistry” in purchased cereals, the new generation is sure that baby food undergoes strict control before sale and therefore such food is completely safe for a child.

How to cook porridge yourself?

If you have already decided which porridge to start with, and prefer food not from the box, a few tips will help you prepare porridge for your baby quickly and tasty:

1. Boil buckwheat or rice groats in the usual way for you. The only thing you need to consider: sugar, s alt and butter should not be put in the baby's porridge. Cooking cereals is best in water, because the child is not yet ready to eat dairy products. Put the prepared food into the blender bowl and chop. You can also use a regular sieve.
2. If you need to speed up the cooking process, boil grated grits. At first you will have to work hard, but then you will save a lot of time on cooking. So, you need to thoroughly rinse the cereal first, dry it and grind it in a coffee grinder, put it in a special sealed jar. All that remains ispour the required amount of prepared cereals with water and, after boiling, hold on low heat for no more than five minutes. So your rice or buckwheat porridge is ready. Complementary foods for a baby in this way are much easier to prepare than the first.
3. The third way is even less laborious. All you have to do is purchase baby cereals made without additives. Feedback from parents who have already tested the finished product is mostly positive. According to the mothers, there is no difference in taste, and the cooking process is as easy as shelling pears.

Which cereal to choose?

Many parents believe that oatmeal is the most useful, and they introduce the child to it first, but this is not entirely correct. Still, it is better to start with buckwheat or rice groats, because they are absorbed much more easily by the still fragile body of the baby. Introduce oatmeal no earlier than a couple of months after the above.

Never add butter when cooking - such food will be too fatty for a child.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is rich in iron and vitamins, it contains a colossal amount of trace elements, and with all this it has a minimum amount of carbohydrates. But buckwheat is a strong allergen. This is perhaps her only drawback. Try to give it to your baby literally on the tip of a spoon and watch the reaction. If there were no consequences, feel free to bring complementary foods to the age-appropriate norm throughout the week.

Rice groats

Rice is just as he althy as buckwheat. In herthe composition includes the eight most active amino acids and complex carbohydrates. This porridge can be safely given to children from the age of four months. You should start the same way - with a small amount, gradually bringing complementary foods to normal.

What about other cereals?

Do not enter immediately after buckwheat and rice cereal millet, barley, oatmeal or other types of cereals. It is better to start giving new components by eight months, when the child is already used to the first cereals, vegetables and fruits.

Everyone's favorite semolina porridge should also be excluded for the time being - this is a rather heavy food, not rich in useful substances. Due to the huge amount of carbohydrates included in its composition, pediatricians recommend semolina to children with low body weight.

Now you know what cereal to start with, but don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask your supervising pediatrician questions about your baby's nutrition and he alth. Knowing the individual characteristics of the crumbs, the doctor will guide you on the right path, explaining all the possible nuances.

You will be able to deal with the needs of your baby very soon, watching him, his preferences, the reaction of the body. And just a few months after the first introduction of complementary foods, you will be able to delight your child with new culinary dishes for him, which, of course, he will also like.

The most important thing is a he althy baby. Starting with a few grams of easily digestible cereals, you yourself will not notice how your baby will gobble up everything that you offer him on both cheeks. Be he althy andhappy.