Six months of age is an important milestone that separates a breastfed baby from the introduction of adult food. For artificial children, this is also an important period, as new products will be introduced to the menu, and their volume will gradually begin to displace the usual milk formula from the diet.
At this age, the child's body has already managed to adapt to the environment. The intestines learned to block the molecules that cause food allergies, and all internal organs began to function in full. In addition, the baby is distinguished by curiosity and is happy to try any new dishes - it's time to offer him the right complementary foods.
The list of foods that can be given to a six-month-old baby is quite diverse. It includes:
It is always better to start acquaintance with new food with vegetables. Then cereals and fruits are introduced. A little later, all other products from the list. You need to finish with meat and dairy dishes.
For normally developing babies who do not suffer from food allergies, this is the most suitable menu at six months.
To exclude the occurrence of allergic reactions, it is necessary to adhere to some rules for the consistent introduction of complementary foods.
It is important to choose vegetables and fruits without a sharp taste. Children do not like an unpleasant smell, sour or tart taste, excess salt or sugar.
Orange and red vegetables can also cause allergies. Therefore, they are introduced after green foods. And carrots are given only twice a week.
One daily serving for vegetables - no more than 100, and for fruits - no more than 50 milliliters. You need to supplement these dishes with cereals and protein foods.
At first, porridges are prepared from only one cereal - buckwheat or rice. The cereals can then be mixed in during cooking. When a small organism gets used to this type of food, other cereals can be used, introducing them one at a time and gradually. For example, oatmeal and corn grits will perfectly expand the diet.
You can prepare a suitable cereal yourself using a coffee grinder. First, the cereal is mixed in a one-to-one ratio with water, and then during cooking, you can add up to 100-120 ml of water. The main thing is to constantly stir and prevent the formation of lumps. However, a blender will help get rid of this shortcoming - it will turn the porridge into a homogeneous, tender mass.
The meat should first have a liquid, and then a puree-like consistency. It is difficult for children to swallow such a product. Therefore, homemade meat should be thoroughly beaten with a blender.
Salt and sugar must be excluded from the menu or introduced in limited quantities.
Acquaintance with a new dish is best done in the morning or in the afternoon. So the mother will have the opportunity to observe the reaction of a small organism to complementary foods.
Before introducing new products, you should consult a pediatrician and get all the necessary recommendations. They may differ depending on the characteristics of the development of the crumbs.
Allowed combinations of products in dishes:
Do not force your child to eat. It is better to observe his behavior and find out which dishes he likes more, and which should be abandoned or changed in the recipe. All children have individual tastes and preferences that parents should consider.
At the first sign of an allergic reaction, you should remove the allergen from the menu and contact your pediatrician immediately. Irregularly identified food allergies can lead to diathesis, and in especially advanced cases, to eczema.
The demand for food in a baby who is 6 months old is increasing literally before our eyes. The little ones who are breastfed are already receiving their first complementary foods, and the artificial ones have even gotten used to it and need more variety. In the first case, there is no urgent need to keep track of how much and what the baby needs, he should still receive the main components from mother's milk.
In the second, you will have to try hard so that the child is provided with everything necessary and at the same time does not suffer from colic, gas, regurgitation and other unpleasant consequences of an improperly organized eating process.
Children at the age of 6 months are already able to withstand fairly long breaks between meals, and at night there is no need to feed at all. If the baby develops according to plan, then at six months he should receive food about 5-6 times a day. Specialists have even developed an approximate diet for babies. But do not forget about the individual characteristics of babies, which can make minor adjustments to the routine:
Tip: It is only useful for adults not to eat at night. A child at the age of 6 months, having a hearty dinner before going to bed, will sleep soundly and calmly until the morning, without needing nightly “snacks”. The main thing is to understand how much a baby can eat so that his stomach is not full. Otherwise, he will quickly fall asleep, but may wake up from colic.
The duration of feeding is individual for each baby. If one child can easily cope with a plate of mashed potatoes, cookies and fruit dessert in 20-30 minutes, then another is able to stretch a meal consisting of porridge for an hour. Don't push the baby. Eating should be associated with him only with positive emotions.
Despite the fact that today there are several approaches to calculating the daily volume of food intake by a child under the age of one year (based on the weight or height of the baby, his calorie needs), the simplest of the formulas is most often used. According to her, a child aged 6 months and older should eat food per day, in the amount of 1/9 to 1/8 of his weight. Based on how much macronutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber will be, nutritionists derive the following important numbers:
A child at the age of 6 months, taking into account all the features of development, should receive about 115 calories per day. And you need to cover this indicator by eating cereals, meat, vegetable or fruit purees. No sweets, even homemade from natural products. In addition, the following points must be taken into account:
Before making any adjustments to your baby's usual diet, it is better to consult a pediatrician. The specialist will assess the speed and correctness of the development of the child, give useful advice.
You need not only to know how much the baby should eat in one meal or per day, but also how to properly combine dishes, combine and alternate components. As a basis for compiling the menu, you can take one of the following options for the daily diet:
Option 1:
Option 2:
After some time, you can begin to gradually introduce butter into cereals, and vegetable oil into vegetables. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the fat content of dishes will increase, albeit slightly. Parents during such experiments should monitor the condition of the baby even more carefully than usual.
Pediatricians and nutritionists recommend that nursing mothers start complementary foods from six months. By six months, the baby can already sit, the first teeth appear, and often he himself reaches for new food. The body, strengthened and adapted during this time, is ready for adult products.
You need to be very careful when starting to introduce adult food into the baby’s menu while breastfeeding and follow the recommendations of the expert. Otherwise, the child develops allergies, colic or diarrhea. Let's take a closer look at how to properly introduce complementary foods.
As we have determined, the first complementary foods can be started from the age of six months. But what foods to give the baby while breastfeeding? Most experts are sure that you should start with mashed vegetables. For the dish, choose one type of light-colored vegetable. It can be pumpkin, zucchini, potatoes, broccoli, etc. If the child does not have allergies, then carrots can also be used.
However, the well-known pediatrician and TV presenter Komarovsky recommends starting complementary foods with dairy products. For the first time, he advises giving children's low-fat kefir at a dosage of 10-20 grams. Portions are increased every day.
On the fourth or fifth day, 30 grams of cottage cheese with a fat content of up to 3-5% can be added to kefir. Cottage cheese must be crushed and mixed with kefir until smooth.
Vegetable puree is very different from the composition of breast milk. Therefore, according to Komarovsky, a sharp change in habitual nutrition can lead to severe indigestion. Dairy products are the most suitable in consistency. More details with the recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky can be found in the article “”.
However, keep in mind that cottage cheese is a heavy product for the body of an infant. Therefore, only low-fat cottage cheese should be given in small doses. By one year, the baby should consume no more than 50 grams of the product!
From the age of seven months, start giving fruit puree to the baby. For the dish, one type of soft-colored fruit is also chosen. Do not use citrus fruits, as they contain a strong allergen. Green apples are best. Well, if they are from their own garden. Such fruits do not contain pesticides and other chemicals.
Vegetable and fruit puree can also be bought at the store. Such jars are convenient in that the product is already ready for use. The composition of the puree is balanced and intended for a child of a certain age.
However, a dish prepared at home is more useful. You will be confident in the quality of the products and the date of manufacture. After the baby gets used to various vegetables and fruits, the types in mashed potatoes can be mixed.
It is up to each mother to choose which product to start introducing complementary foods with. If a child suddenly has an allergy or other ailment, the dish can always be replaced with another one. If you feel worse, stop increasing the dosage. With severe disorders, complementary foods need to be returned to the usual feeding for a while.
How and when to correctly introduce foods into the baby's menu while breastfeeding, will tell.
To prepare puree for the first feeding, take a vegetable of one type. Rinse thoroughly and chop finely. Pour in a small amount of water so that it slightly covers the vegetables. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.
After the baby is used to new vegetables, you can mix several types. What vegetables can be eaten by the baby at the first dose, the table will tell.
Vegetable | Useful elements | Action | Peculiarities |
Potato | Thiamine, potassium and phosphorus, beneficial amino acids | Removes excess fluid and salt from the body, improves metabolism | High-calorie product - contains 2-3 times more calories than other vegetables. |
Cauliflower and broccoli | Vitamins C and group B, folic acid, a complete set of macronutrients (iron, zinc, etc.) | Ensures normal growth and development, prevents cancer, protects against viruses | The hypoallergenic product, unlike fresh cabbage, is easier to digest and does not cause bloating in the baby. |
Pumpkin | Vitamins B, C and PP; potassium and copper | Ensures the work of the intestines and digestion, removes excess fluid from the body | Low-calorie product, but the keratins in the composition can cause allergies! |
vegetable marrow | Vitamins B, C and E; sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc | Normalizes the work of the intestines, cleanses the body and removes toxins, activates the growth of the newborn | A dietary and hypoallergenic product, it will be an excellent substitute for beets in case of allergies to the latter. |
Carrot | Vitamins A, B, C, E and PP | Improves the condition of the skin and hair, maintains visual acuity, strengthens the immune system, promotes bone growth | Beta-keratin in the composition can cause allergies! |
When preparing mashed potatoes for six-month-old children, it is not recommended to use onions, beets, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers and white cabbage. Such vegetables can be introduced into the menu after 10-12 months.
Puree is started with ½ teaspoon and supplemented with breast milk or high-quality formula. The dose is gradually increased to 150-200 grams. This corresponds to the standard portion of one feeding. Double each dose as compared to the previous one. Do not forget to monitor the reaction of the baby!
From six months, babies are given porridge without milk. For cooking, use buckwheat or rice groats, which are more easily absorbed by the body and do not cause an allergic reaction.
To cook porridge on water for feeding, rice or buckwheat groats must be carefully sorted and ground. The crushed cereals are poured with cold water and boiled over low heat until tender.
For children under one year old, doctors do not recommend putting pure sugar and salt in dishes. To enhance the taste, you can use saline or sugar syrup. How to prepare a solution and syrup, read in. Many nursing mothers add breast milk to porridge.
Porridges on cow's milk begin to cook after eight months. Cow protein is a strong allergen that causes rashes, redness, and other negative reactions. Milk porridges are also cooked from buckwheat or rice groats. Sometimes they give oatmeal with good tolerance.
Semolina, millet and barley porridge are best given to babies from one year old. These cereals contain gluten. This vegetable protein is long and hard to digest in the body. It can lead to intestinal problems and allergies.
From seven months, butter can be added to porridge. Start with ⅛ teaspoon and gradually increase to 10-20 grams. Also, after one year, you can give multi-cereal cereals.
Pediatricians did not agree on whether or not to give cottage cheese as complementary foods for children at the age of six months. Many talk about an excess of calcium in the composition of the product and difficult absorption in the child's body. Therefore, it is recommended to use the product no earlier than 7-8 months.
Komarovsky argues that the amount of calcium in cottage cheese is only slightly greater in the composition of breast milk. In addition, the curd mass in small quantities will not harm the body. Therefore, he advises adding cottage cheese to kefir already in the first week of complementary foods.
Cottage cheese is a useful product for a child. It has a beneficial effect on the body and performs a number of important functions:
Thus, in small quantities, cottage cheese can be added to kefir from six to seven months. In its pure form, it is better to introduce complementary foods after eight months. If you buy cottage cheese in a store, choose a fat content of less than 5%. but it's better to cook at home. Moreover, it will not be difficult. And with additives in the form of fruit after a year.
To cook cottage cheese at home, you need to heat the milk over low heat and add four tablespoons of sour cream. The mixture is thoroughly mixed, wrapped and left overnight.
The next day, the resulting mass is brought to a boil and then filtered through a sieve with gauze. By the way, the remaining whey is used to make delicious and satisfying pancakes.
When preparing meals for children, especially at the first feeding and under the age of one, certain principles must be followed. Then you can provide the baby with proper and tasty nutrition.
For more information on what foods and when you can use a baby while breastfeeding, the table in the article will tell. In addition, from the article you will learn recipes for delicious and healthy dishes for a child.
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.
We offer you several options for meal plans for a six-month-old baby.
A child at 6 months actively rolls over, tries to stand up, holding on to a support, tries to sit down - all this requires additional energy. A six-month-old baby's diet should include fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat.
If you are not breastfeeding or have already given up breastfeeding, at 6 months the baby should already be offered 6-month-old formula (stage 2), replacing it with 0 to 6-month-old formula. The composition of mother's breast milk changes itself, adjusting to all the needs of the child, therefore it is recommended to change the mixture in order to provide the baby with the set of vitamins and microelements he needs.
By 6 months, many tastes for the baby have already become familiar. 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: Feeding a 4-month-old baby and Feeding a 5-month-old baby.
Fruit and vegetable purees can already consist of 2 or more components. Also, from 6 months you can give your baby fruit purees 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 from buckwheat, rice or corn is suitable for the child. They are the least allergic, nutritious, and easily absorbed by the baby. The rest of the cereals contain gluten, so it is better 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 baby.
At 6 months, pediatricians recommend adding yolk, chicken or quail to the child's diet. Earlier introduction of this product is not desirable, because, despite the benefits of the yolk, it is poorly absorbed by the digestive system of an infant under the age of 6 months. 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 useful substances and vitamins in 5 quail eggs (which correspond to one chicken in mass) and one chicken is approximately equal. However, it should be noted that since quails never get sick with salmonellosis (unlike chickens), their eggs are safer for the baby. Also, quail eggs do not cause allergic reactions, so they are recommended for feeding children with diathesis. The yolk, due to the large amount of vitamins and other useful elements 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 should 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 with mother's milk, is depleted by 6 months. Scientists confirm that the daily consumption of meat by a child will help to avoid anemia. You should start introducing meat into the child's diet with 5 g of one-component puree, gradually increasing the portion (by 12 months it should be about 60 g). We do not advise you to cook meat for the baby yourself, because. it is very difficult to achieve a balanced consistency even with the use of modern kitchen appliances. It should also be noted that the quality of the meat sold these days leaves much to be desired. Therefore, you should not risk the health of your baby and use the finished product (pay attention - puree should not contain starch, sugar and salt!). To begin with, you can offer your child meat of a rabbit, turkey, veal (alone, or in addition to vegetables already tested by your child). Later, you can add pork, beef and chicken to the menu for your baby (this meat is considered the most allergenic, so it should be introduced last).
Good luck to you and your child!
The first food that a newborn tries in his life is breast milk. However, despite the storehouse of vitamins and useful trace elements that not only help the baby grow, but also improve its immunity, mother's milk can replace "adult food" only until the child is six months old. Feeding a baby at 6 months is often a problem for new parents. In order to benefit your child and develop good taste preferences for food, you should definitely seek the help of a specialist who will tell you where to start complementary foods.
Do not be afraid to diversify the feeding of a 6-month-old baby. Reaching this particular age, the baby becomes more active, inquisitive and interesting. He is able to distinguish mom and dad from strangers. Now the baby expresses joy or disappointment (smiles or violently expresses his protest), tries to make some sounds and pick up toys. Such signs of normal development indicate that it is time to immediately develop a new menu.
A child who eats only mother's milk and does not lag behind in development can be breastfed for up to 6 months. It should be remembered that in this case there is no need to offer the baby fruit, vegetable purees or juices. Before introducing a new product into the usual feeding regimen for a child at 6 months, you should consult a pediatrician. It is the doctor who will tell you which of the allergenic fruits and vegetables should be postponed for several months, and which can be given now.
The situation is quite different with artificial children. Being on such a diet, the child should learn about the existence of juices and fruit puree from 3.5 or 4 months, that is, traditional complementary foods begin a little earlier. Allergic children are often forced to use mixtures made not with cow's milk, but with soy protein. Such babies feel a lack of animal protein, which helps to fill in mashed potatoes. It should be given at 5 or 5.5 months. The only condition for the correct preparation of such a dish is that the meat must be cooked in the second broth and carefully chopped.
Feeding a baby at 6 months may include mashed beef or veal. With individual intolerance to these proteins, they can be replaced with lean pork, chicken, turkey, rabbit or horse meat. You can prepare such puree yourself or buy it ready-made in a pharmacy. Making the baby’s menu more diverse, monitor every reaction of his body in order to prevent the occurrence of future allergies.
A child who is 5 months old should get used to eating not 6, but 5 times a day. The break between meals should be a maximum of 3-4 hours. You should also maintain a 10-hour break at night. It is best to introduce a new product into the feeding of a 6-month-old baby at lunchtime (approximately at 13 o'clock) in order to track its tolerance. It is not recommended to give complementary foods early in the morning or late in the evening. Adhering to this rule, the baby will get used to an unusual dish more easily and will not overeat at night.
To accustom the child to non-dairy products, it is necessary to give them when the baby is hungry (just before breast milk). Feeding a baby at 6 months should not start with large portions of juice or fruit puree. Limit yourself to half a teaspoon, gradually increasing the amount of new food over 10-12 days to 150 g.
Feeding a 6-month-old baby will start with success if mom and dad are patient and attentive to their baby. We must not forget that at this age the baby still does not know how to swallow thick and solid food. For convenience, buy a silicone spoon that will not injure the baby's gums and cause him discomfort while eating. Do not offer your child several foods at once. Stop at one first, and then gradually mix in other components. So, over time, zucchini can be supplemented with peas, onions, potatoes, etc. If the baby refuses any ingredient, do not force him to it, as this can cause a deliberate protest for a long time.
Feeding a child at 6 months is best to start with vegetable puree (in the case when there are signs of rickets or anemia) or porridge. If the baby has an allergy, complementary foods should not include brightly colored vegetables. It should be limited to cabbage, zucchini, peas, potatoes and green beans. It will be possible to avoid an allergy to potatoes if its amount from the total mass of vegetables does not exceed 20%. Sunflower, olive or corn oil will help make the dish more healthy and tasty.
You can start feeding a child with porridge at 6 months when the baby has a lack of weight or frequent and profuse regurgitation. It is recommended to purchase special gluten-free cereals (rice, corn, buckwheat) enriched with vitamins and microelements in pharmacies. To prepare such cereals, it is enough to pour them with hot water and do not bring to a boil. When introducing it into the feeding regimen of a 6-month-old baby, it must be taken into account that the porridge should be very liquid (5 g of cereal per 100 ml of liquid). Up to 8 months, you should not cook porridge in cow's milk. It is better to replace it with breast milk or a suitable formula. Children with severe allergies may receive porridge boiled with water or dairy-free formula. Butter or a piece of egg yolk will help to make such a dish very useful.
The feeding regimen of a child at 6 months can be very diverse, depending on the characteristics of the body of each baby. Consider an approximate 6 month old baby feeding menu that is suitable for breastfed babies. It includes 5 meals:
Babies who are receiving formula can gradually transition to a 5-meal feeding schedule:
Feeding a 6-month-old baby with bovine protein allergy may consist of these 5 meals: