What vegetables can be given at 6 months. Features of the diet of a six-month-old child on artificial feeding. How to diversify the child's diet
It is one thing to know about the problems of a child's nutrition "theoretically" and quite another to face them in practice. How to organize? At what time, in what form and in what quantity should they be offered? These questions often confuse moms and dads. We hope that the sample menus for a growing child, which we begin publishing in this issue, will become the model that will help you create an individual menu for your baby.
To 6 months old baby noticeably grown up, became more active and active. He is interested in objects that fall into his field of vision, carefully examines them, more and more often makes guttural, melodious sounds, repeating them with different intonations. The emotional reactions of the child have become much richer: he joyfully smiles at his mother, father, other people whom he often sees, and is alert at the sight of strangers, reacts to the intonation of adults. Of course, you are still breastfeeding your baby, but the composition of breast milk can no longer fully satisfy his needs. And that means it's time to think about complementary foods.
Menu for a 6-month-old baby: new dishes
If a child who is breastfed develops normally, then up to 4-6 months he does not need any additional food, including fruit puree and juices. This also applies to those children who, while on breastfeeding prone to allergies: if the pediatrician does not reveal any deficiency nutrition for a 6 month old baby, then complementary foods are introduced at the usual time, taking into account the individual tolerance of products.
“Artificial” children quickly begin to experience a lack of a number of substances necessary for normal growth and development. Therefore, a little earlier there is a need for additional nutrition in children 6 months. Therefore, new products in the form of juices, and then fruit puree, are introduced into their diet at about 3.5 - 4 months. Children who receive formulas made on the basis of soy protein or protein hydrolyzate (this happens in the case of an allergy to cow's milk proteins) experience a lack of animal protein earlier than others. Therefore, meat puree from twice boiled meat is introduced into their diet already at 5 - 5.5 months. In case of intolerance to beef, veal, whose proteins are similar in composition to cow's milk proteins, it is recommended to use lean pork, horse meat, rabbit, turkey or chicken meat, as well as baby food containing horse meat or pork. However, these products should be administered to children with allergies carefully, always taking into account individual tolerance.
Menu for a 6-month-old child: a new diet
On the 5 month old baby should be fed not 6, but 5 times a day at intervals of 3.5 hours and a 10-hour night break. Complementary foods are best given at lunch (about 13 hours), and if for some reason it is inconvenient, then at any other feeding, except for the first and last. In this case, it will be easier for the child to wean from the first feeding (at 6 o'clock in the morning), and overeating at night is harmful for children as well as for adults.
A non-dairy product should be offered before breastfeeding or formula feeding - while the baby is still hungry and is attracted to the food. Start small (a few drops of juice, half a teaspoon of puree or cereal). Within 10 - 12 days, gradually bring the amount of food to the desired volume (for complementary foods, this volume is about 150 grams). In order for a child to learn to swallow thick food, it is necessary to feed him with a spoon patiently and carefully; it is desirable that the baby's first spoon be soft (for example, silicone).
If the child did not like the dish, do not insist; forced feeding is unacceptable!
Let the child first get used to one dish and only then introduce another. Introducing the new kind complementary foods, try one product first, gradually increasing its amount, and then gradually “dilute” this product with a new one. For example, vegetable complementary foods can be started with half a teaspoon of squash puree. During the week, give the baby only this puree, gradually increasing its volume. After a week, add half a teaspoon of mashed peas to the zucchini puree. Continue to gradually increase the volume of the mixture of squash and peas, etc.
Complementary foods should be started either with porridge or with vegetable puree. In cases where the child has signs of rickets, anemia, food allergies, we advise you to start with vegetable puree. Part puree for kids With food allergies it is necessary to include only green and white vegetables (zucchini, cabbage, green beans, peas, potatoes). Since potatoes have rather high allergenic properties, their amount should not exceed 20% of the total mashed potatoes. For the preparation of puree, both natural (including frozen) vegetables and canned vegetables for baby food from the above light-colored vegetables. Vegetable oil (sunflower, corn, olive) is added to vegetable puree - preferably refined and deodorized.
Baby menu 6 months with insufficient body weight, as well as children who often spit up, porridge can be given as the first complementary food. In the diet of healthy children, porridge is usually introduced after vegetables. It is better to start with gluten-free milk cereals (buckwheat, corn, rice). In this case, preference should be given to cereals for baby food industrial production, which are prepared from environmentally friendly raw materials, are enriched with vitamins, mineral salts (including iron) and do not require cooking. Even if your child is healthy, he does not have signs of an allergic mood and you prefer to cook porridge yourself, it is advisable not to use whole cow's milk for making porridge until 8 months. It can be cooked breast milk, the mixture that the child is fed, if necessary - on the water. Many industrial cereals already contain milk powder in their composition, you can also give them at 5-6 months. In the early days, 5 percent porridge is prepared (5 grams of cereal per 100 grams of liquid): the porridge should be liquid - such that it pours from a spoon. Gradually cook the porridge thicker. Butter can be added to the finished porridge (from 5 months) and 1/4 of a hard-boiled egg yolk (from 6 months).
For children suffering from intolerance to cow's milk proteins, the second complementary food - dairy-free porridge - is introduced from 5 months. It can be buckwheat, corn, rice, oatmeal, barley porridge (the range of cereals is selected individually). When purchasing ready-made porridge, pay attention that it does not contain powdered cow's milk. Porridges are prepared on water or on a specialized mixture that a child receives (based on soy or protein hydrolyzate).
Baby menu 6 months
Option 1. If your child was exclusively breastfed until 5-6 months of age and was growing and developing normally, now is the time to start introducing new foods into his diet. Depending on the individual characteristics of the child, the doctor's recommendations and your personal wishes, it can be juice, fruit or vegetable puree. If the child is prone to allergic reactions as the first, new to baby product in some cases, vegetable puree can be recommended (with half a teaspoon, gradually increase the serving volume to 150 g). After 2-3 weeks after this, the child can be offered another New Product. A month after the baby began to receive new products, his menu may look something like this:
Option 2. If your child has started receiving additional food and nutrition at an earlier date (from 4 - 4.5 months) as prescribed by a doctor, then by 6 months his diet may look something like this:
Option 3. Exemplary daily ration For a 6-month-old formula-fed baby who has been receiving new foods since 4 months:
Option 4. An approximate daily diet for a 6-month-old child with an allergy to cow's milk proteins:
I feeding |
Fermented milk product Soy Blend |
|
II feeding |
8-10% dairy-free porridge with the addition of breast milk, fermented milk product, soy mixture or hydrolyzate Ghee (vegetable) oil Fruit puree (apple, pear, plum) |
3 g (1/2 tsp) |
III feeding |
Vegetable oil Meat puree fruit puree |
3 g (1/2 tsp) 20 - 50 g (4 tsp) 20 g (4 tsp) |
IV feeding |
A dish of cereals and vegetables (zucchini + rice; cauliflower+ buckwheat 1:1) Vegetable oil Meat puree fruit puree |
3 g (1/2 tsp) |
V feeding |
Breast milk Fermented milk product Soy Blend Protein Hydrolyzate Blend |
6 months
Irina Belyaeva
Researcher at the Neonatal Department of the Scientific Center for Children's Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Ph.D.
Magazine "9 months"
Of course, each of the young parents knows that sooner or later the baby will not get enough of one mother's milk and he will need another, more "adult" food. But it is one thing to know about the problems of a child's nutrition "theoretically" and quite another to face them in practice. How to start introducing the crumbs to new products for him? At what time, in what form and in what quantity should they be offered? These questions often confuse moms and dads. We hope that the sample menus for a growing child, which we begin publishing in this issue, will become the model that will help you create an individual menu for your baby.
Your baby is about six months old. He noticeably grew up, became more active and active. He is interested in objects that fall into his field of vision, carefully examines them, more and more often makes guttural, melodious sounds, repeating them with different intonations. The emotional reactions of the child have become much richer: he joyfully smiles at his mother, father, other people whom he often sees, and is alert at the sight of strangers, reacts to the intonation of adults. Of course, you are still breastfeeding your baby, but the composition of breast milk can no longer fully satisfy his needs. And that means it's time to think about complementary foods.
Getting to know new dishes
If a child who is breastfed develops normally, then up to 4-6 months he does not need any additional food, including fruit puree and juices. This also applies to those "natural" children who show a tendency to allergies: if the pediatrician does not reveal any lack of nutrition, then complementary foods are introduced at the usual time, taking into account individual food tolerance.
“Artificial” children quickly begin to experience a lack of a number of substances necessary for normal growth and development, therefore, they need additional nutrition a little earlier. Therefore, new products in the form of juices, and then fruit puree, are introduced into their diet at about 3.5 - 4 months. Children who receive formulas made on the basis of soy protein or protein hydrolyzate (this happens in the case of an allergy to cow's milk proteins) experience a lack of animal protein earlier than others. Therefore, meat puree from twice boiled meat is introduced into their diet already at 5 - 5.5 months. In case of intolerance to beef, veal, whose proteins are similar in composition to cow's milk proteins, it is recommended to use lean pork, horse meat, rabbit, turkey or chicken meat, as well as baby food containing horse meat or pork. However, these products should be administered to children with allergies carefully, always taking into account individual tolerance.
Switching to a new diet
At the fifth month of life, the child should be fed not 6, but 5 times a day at intervals of 3.5 hours and a 10-hour night break. Complementary foods are best given at lunch (about 13 hours), and if for some reason it is inconvenient, then at any other feeding, except for the first and last. In this case, it will be easier for the child to wean from the first feeding (at 6 o'clock in the morning), and overeating at night is harmful for children as well as for adults.
A non-dairy product should be offered before breastfeeding or formula feeding – while the baby is still hungry and is attracted to food. Start small (a few drops of juice, half a teaspoon of puree or cereal). Within 10 - 12 days, gradually bring the amount of food to the desired volume (for complementary foods, this volume is about 150 grams). In order for the baby to learn to swallow thick food, it is necessary to feed him with a spoon patiently and carefully; it is desirable that the baby's first spoon be soft (for example, silicone). If the child did not like the dish, do not insist; forced feeding is unacceptable! Let the child first get used to one dish and only then introduce another into his diet. When introducing a new type of complementary food, first try one product, gradually increasing its amount, and then gradually “dilute” this product with a new one. For example, vegetable complementary foods can be started with half a teaspoon of squash puree. During the week, give the baby only this puree, gradually increasing its volume. After a week, add half a teaspoon of mashed peas to the zucchini puree. Continue to gradually increase the volume of the mixture of squash and peas, etc.
Complementary foods should be started either with porridge or with vegetable puree. In cases where the child has signs of rickets, anemia, food allergies, we advise you to start with vegetable puree. Puree for children with food allergies should include only green and white vegetables (zucchini, cabbage, green beans, peas, potatoes). Since potatoes have rather high allergenic properties, their amount should not exceed 20% of the total mashed potatoes. For the preparation of puree, both natural (including frozen) vegetables and canned vegetables for baby food from the above light-colored vegetables can be used. Vegetable oil (sunflower, corn, olive) is added to vegetable puree - preferably refined and deodorized.
Children with insufficient body weight, as well as babies who often spit up, can be given porridge as the first complementary food. In the diet of healthy babies, porridge is usually introduced after vegetables. It is better to start with gluten-free milk cereals (buckwheat, corn, rice). At the same time, preference should be given to cereals for baby food of industrial production, which are prepared from environmentally friendly raw materials, enriched with vitamins, mineral salts (including iron) and do not require cooking. Even if your child is healthy, he does not have signs of an allergic mood and you prefer to cook porridge yourself, it is advisable not to use whole cow's milk for making porridge until 8 months. It can be prepared with breast milk, the mixture with which the child is fed, if necessary - in water. Many industrial cereals already contain milk powder in their composition, you can also give them at 5-6 months. In the early days, 5 percent porridge is prepared (5 grams of cereal per 100 grams of liquid): the porridge should be liquid - such that it pours from a spoon. Gradually cook the porridge thicker. Butter can be added to the finished porridge (from 5 months) and 1/4 of a hard-boiled egg yolk (from 6 months).
For children suffering from intolerance to cow's milk proteins, the second complementary food - dairy-free porridge - is introduced from 5 months. It can be buckwheat, corn, rice, oatmeal, barley porridge (the range of cereals is selected individually). When purchasing ready-made porridge, pay attention that it does not contain powdered cow's milk. Porridges are prepared on water or on a specialized mixture that a child receives (based on soy or protein hydrolyzate).
Menu for different occasions
Option 1. If your child was exclusively breastfed until 5-6 months of age and was growing and developing normally, now is the time to start introducing new foods into his diet. Depending on the individual characteristics of the child, the doctor's recommendations and your personal wishes, it can be juice, fruit or vegetable puree. If a child is prone to allergic reactions, vegetable puree can be recommended as the first product new for a child in some cases (from half a teaspoon, gradually increase the serving volume to 150 g). After 2 - 3 weeks after this, the child can be offered another new product. A month after the baby began to receive new products, his menu may look something like this:
I feeding
Breast milk
II feeding
fruit puree
Breast milk
III feeding
Vegetable puree or porridge
Vegetable oil
Fruit juice (can be given between feedings)
about 140 - 150 g
3 g (1/2 tsp)
IV feeding
Breast milk
fruit puree
V feeding
Breast milk
Option 2. If your child started receiving additional food and complementary foods at an earlier date (from 4 to 4.5 months) as prescribed by a doctor, then by 6 months his diet may look something like this:
I feeding
Breast milk
II feeding
Milk porridge
Butter
fruit puree
III feeding
vegetable puree
Vegetable oil
Fruit juice
3 g (1/2 tsp)
IV feeding
Breast milk
Fruit juice
V feeding
Breast milk
Option 3. Approximate daily ration for a 6-month-old formula-fed baby receiving new foods from 4 months:
I feeding
180 - 200 ml
II feeding
Milk porridge
Butter
fruit puree
III feeding
vegetable puree
Vegetable oil
Fruit juice
3 g (1/2 tsp)
IV feeding
Adapted milk formula
Fruit juice
V feeding
Adapted fresh or fermented milk formula
180 - 200 ml
Option 4. Approximate daily ration for a 6-month-old baby with an allergy to cow's milk proteins:
I feeding
Breast milk
Fermented milk product
Soy Blend
180 - 200 ml
II feeding
8-10% dairy-free porridge with the addition of breast milk, fermented milk product, soy mixture or hydrolyzate
Ghee (vegetable) oil
Fruit puree (apple, pear, plum)
3 g (1/2 tsp)
III feeding
vegetable puree
Vegetable oil
Meat puree
fruit puree
3 g (1/2 tsp)
20 - 50 g (4 tsp)
20 g (4 tsp)
IV feeding
A dish of cereals and vegetables
(zucchini + rice; cauliflower + buckwheat 1:1)
Vegetable oil
Meat puree
fruit puree
3 g (1/2 tsp)
V feeding
Breast milk
Fermented milk product
Soy Blend
Protein Hydrolyzate Blend
180 - 200 ml
A child who has celebrated the first six months of life can already receive complementary foods. Moreover, some formula-fed babies have already tried several types of vegetables and cereals by this age. How to properly feed a child at this age, what should parents remember? We have collected in our material the recommendations of specialists on the introduction of complementary foods to children at 6 months of age who are breastfed and formula-fed. In addition, they separately described the rules for feeding babies in need of corrective nutrition.
At the age of 6 months, the baby will not have enough breast milk alone and will need other, more adult food.We introduce complementary foods according to the rules
According to pediatricians, complementary foods should be introduced to children for breastfeeding starting from the 24th week, that is, at the 7th month, not earlier. Otherwise, there is a risk of problems with the tummy, since the gastrointestinal tract of the crumbs is not yet ready to receive food other than mother's milk.
However, there are general rules for introducing complementary foods for each baby:
- A new meal should be given before the baby receives the usual portion of milk. It is best if the mother feeds the baby with a spoon. It is important to ensure that the food is warm, because the child is used to such food.
- You should start feeding the crumbs with a minimum portion - from half a teaspoon or even less. The next day, slightly increase the dose and bring it back to normal in a week or two. The next type of product can be introduced in a shorter period of time - in 5-7 days. During this time, it is necessary to monitor the reaction of the child - to control the stool, allergic manifestations. At the slightest suspicion of an allergy, you should immediately stop giving a new food.
- Do not mix several types of products in one serving. First, the child should receive mashed potatoes from one type of vegetable or cereal.
The introduction of any new type of food should begin with one product.
- It is always better to introduce complementary foods in the morning. This will make it possible to better control the reaction of the body to a new product.
- Any new product should be introduced when the baby is healthy.
- The first cereals should be cooked on gluten-free cereals - buckwheat, rice, cornmeal. You should not add milk to the porridge, you can dilute it with a mixture that the baby is used to.
- It is better to choose hypoallergenic vegetables - broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower.
- If the child is underweight, it is best to start feeding him porridge. Vegetables are the optimal food for those children who suffer from constipation.
Differences in complementary foods for children on breastfeeding and IV
Dear reader!
This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!
Breastfed children are ready for complementary foods at 6 months, and babies on artificial or mixed - already at 4. In this regard, by six months the diet of these children has significant differences.
However, today some pediatricians have a different point of view. Dr. Komarovsky believes that the timing of the introduction of complementary foods should not depend on the type of feeding. In his opinion, in those days when baby food was slightly diluted cow's milk, pediatricians tried to introduce other products into the child's menu as early as possible in order to provide him with the necessary amount. useful substances.
Dr. Komarovsky argues that modern infant formula is almost identical in composition to human milk, which negates the need for early complementary foods.
Modern formulas are almost identical in composition to breast milk.Diet when introducing complementary foods for the first time
It is better not to offer bread to babies before 7 monthsNot all products can be offered for testing to a six-month-old baby. Allergens, hard-to-digest foods, and much more are excluded. Do not give crumbs crackers, cookies and dryers until he is 7 months old. In order not to make a mistake in choosing new dishes, study the information provided in the feeding schemes.
It is important to follow a simple rule - to introduce one new product per week. As soon as the baby adapts to it, it is allowed to add the next one. According to pediatricians, the optimal complementary feeding regimen is 2-4 new foods per month.
weekly feeding charts
In the first table, the nutrition plan of a formula-fed child who began to receive complementary foods from 4 months. It is believed that by this age he has already tried cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, zucchini. In addition, the baby is already familiar with rice, buckwheat, corn porridge, apple. During this period, it is time to introduce meat - in our example, it is a rabbit.
Day After sleep Breakfast Dinner Dinner For the night Monday rabbit puree* with rice zucchini puree, apple puree GM/S GM/S Tuesday rabbit with cornmeal Wednesday rabbit with buckwheat broccoli, applesauce Thursday rabbit with rice pumpkin, applesauce Friday rabbit with cornmeal zucchini, applesauce Saturday rabbit with buckwheat cauliflower, apple puree Sunday rabbit with rice broccoli, applesauce *On the first day, the mass of puree is 3 g. The amount is doubled daily until the maximum dosage is reached - 50 g.
The second table contains sample menu formula-fed baby at 6 months who has been receiving complementary foods for four weeks, i.e. from 5 months - we get acquainted with a new cereal - in our example, this is rice, because buckwheat was introduced earlier. By analogy, another cereal can be offered.
Day After sleep Breakfast Dinner Dinner For the night Monday breast milk (GM) or formula (C) buckwheat zucchini puree GM/S GM/S Tuesday rice* and buckwheat cauliflower puree Wednesday rice and buckwheat broccoli puree Thursday rice and buckwheat zucchini puree Friday rice and buckwheat cauliflower puree Saturday rice and buckwheat broccoli puree Sunday rice zucchini puree *On the first day, the volume of rice is 3 grams. Every day, the amount is doubled until the maximum dosage is reached - 170 gr., while the proportion of the previous porridge (buckwheat) decreases proportionally.
Buckwheat great as a complementary food for a six-month-old baby for breakfastThe third table shows an example of a diet for a breastfed baby who is just now ready to receive first complementary foods. Let's make a menu by week 28, that is, when the child has tried 4 different products. AT this example complementary foods began with vegetables, they have all been tried and are now offered to the baby for lunch, and for breakfast we get acquainted with the first porridge - buckwheat.
Day After sleep Breakfast Dinner Dinner For the night Monday breast milk (GM) or formula (C) buckwheat* + supplement GM/S zucchini puree GM/S GM/S Tuesday buckwheat + supplement GM/S cauliflower puree Wednesday buckwheat + supplement GM/S broccoli puree Thursday buckwheat + supplement GM/S zucchini puree Friday buckwheat + supplement GM/S cauliflower puree Saturday buckwheat + supplement GM/S broccoli puree Sunday buckwheat zucchini puree *On the first day, the volume of buckwheat is 3 grams. The amount is doubled daily until the maximum dosage of 170 g is reached, while the proportion of supplementary feeding with formula / breast milk is proportionally reduced.
Recipes for babies
We have prepared several recipes for the proper preparation of dishes for a child from six months. Check if you know the basic ways to process food for crumbs. Our recipes contain general recommendations for preparing vegetable purees, cereals, soups and meats. It is important not to forget that you are cooking the baby, and not to use a lot of salt - it is better to do without it altogether. Instead, it is allowed to flavor the dishes with oil - and the baby will be happy to eat what is offered.
Vegetables
You should start your acquaintance with products with delicious vegetables - cabbage, squash, zucchiniWash, peel and rinse vegetables before cooking. Then they are cut into pieces and steamed for as long as needed until soft. After that, the mass is rubbed through a sieve, or crushed in a blender. The resulting puree can be slightly diluted with vegetable broth, or with a mixture that the baby is used to. It is not recommended to salt the puree, you can only add a couple of drops of vegetable oil.
Kashi
Porridges are ideal for feeding a baby at 6 months. At home, they are prepared in two ways, and you can choose the one that seems more convenient:
- Porridge in a coffee grinder. For this method, you need to take a well-washed cereal and dry it to get rid of moisture. Then grind in a coffee grinder to a powder state. Pour this powder into boiling water, stirring with a spoon. The porridge will turn out to be homogeneous and tender in texture, and it will take quite a bit of time to cook it. To simplify the process, you can grind the cereal in advance and use it as needed.
Porridge for a six-month-old child should be of a homogeneous consistency, without lumps
- The second method involves a long boil. Rinse the groats, add water and cook for about an hour. Then cool, grind - a strainer or blender will help. Add a little water or baby formula to the mass and bring to a boil.
Meat puree
Meat may be present in the crumbs menu if its complementary foods began at 4 months. Otherwise, the meat sample should be postponed until 8-9 months. For starters, you should use rabbit meat, turkey or chicken fillet, and beef are also suitable. Cooking meat for children up to a year is easy. You need to cut it into pieces, pour water and cook until fully cooked. After that, cool, pass through a meat grinder twice. Some people like to grind in a blender. Dilute with vegetable broth or water, bring to a boil. Then pour in a couple of drops of vegetable oil.
Soups
Pediatricians do not recommend giving soup to a 6-month-old baby unless he is an artificial and he has not started complementary foods at 4 months. What soups are allowed to cook crumbs? If you decide to cook soup for a baby, it is worth remembering that you need to cook food on vegetable broth or water. Also, for a 6 month old baby, the soup should contain only a couple of ingredients and a little oil. A little later, you can try adding cereals to the soup - first rice, buckwheat, then barley and corn.
Creamy cauliflower and zucchini soup is a great option for lunch
- Soup puree based on cauliflower and zucchini is quite suitable as a first acquaintance with such dishes. For him, you need to take zucchini and cauliflower in equal parts (50-60 g each), pour a glass of water and cook until tender. After that, wipe the ingredients, add the broth in which they were cooked, bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and add half a teaspoon of butter.
- Rice soup with broccoli (or cauliflower) and zucchini is the next step for feeding babies. To prepare it, you first need to boil 1 tablespoon of rice. Separately, boil 150 g of cauliflower and 50 g of zucchini, drain the vegetable broth into a separate bowl. Wipe rice and vegetables, dilute with broth, put on fire, bring to a boil. Add butter or vegetable oil.
Alternative opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
According to the WHO, nutrition six month old baby in addition to milk and mixture, only cereals and vegetables can be present. It all depends on the characteristics of a particular baby - his weight, health status. However, the famous pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky has a different opinion - he believes that it is best to start with kefir.
The fact is that kefir - close relative milk and baby's digestive system the best way deal with this product. Kefir contains lactic acid bacteria and fungi that positively affect the functioning of the intestines. In addition, this drink does not burden the liver, contributing to high-quality digestion.
Kefir for babies is very usefulKefir should be offered to the baby to drink in the morning, once a day, carefully monitoring the body's reaction to a new product. First, you can offer the baby 2 teaspoons of kefir, increasing the portion day by day. Over time, kefir should replace one of the daily meals. The volume of the drink should be approximately 150 ml.
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.
6 month old baby meal plan
We offer you several options for meal plans for a six-month-old baby.
Meal Plan #1
- Second breakfast - fruit puree and fruit juice
- Snack - breast milk or formula
- Dinner - milk porridge
Meal Plan #2
- Breakfast - breast milk or formula
- Second breakfast - breast milk or formula and fruit juice
- Lunch - vegetable or meat puree (can be alternated every other day) + yolk (2-3 times a week)
- Snack - fruit puree
- Dinner - milk porridge
Diet for a 6 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 stopped breastfeeding, at 6 months the baby should already be offered formula for six months old children (stage 2), replacing it with formula for babies “from 0 to 6 months”. 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 digestive system 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 take advantage of finished product(Please note - mashed potatoes 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!
Only 3 breastfeeds (or bottles) are included in this plan. Often, children at this age eat 4-5 times, so stick to your established regimen. Lunch and dinner can be customized to your liking.
Approximate menu of a child at 6 - 7 months.
The child menu should look something like this:
6.00 –
breastfeeding;
10.00
- vegetable soup in meat broth - 20 g; vegetable puree - 150 g (add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and half a yolk to the puree); meat or liver puree 10-30 g; fruit juices - 5-6 teaspoons;
14.00
- feeding with breast milk, one of the fruit juices - 5-6 teaspoons;
18.00
- oatmeal (buckwheat, rice) - 150 g; cottage cheese - 4 teaspoons; scraped apple or one of the fruit purees - 3 tablespoons;
22.00
- breastfeeding.
As you can see, the child's menu is already quite diverse.
If your child is bottle-fed, his menu looks something like this:
6.00
- milk mixture or kefir - 200 g;
10.00
- oatmeal (buckwheat, rice) - 150 g, cottage cheese - 4 teaspoons, one of the fruit juices - 5-6 teaspoons;
14.00
– vegetable soup cooked in meat broth - 20 g, vegetable puree - 150 g with the addition of 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and half the yolk, meat or liver puree - 40 g, scraped apple or one of the fruit purees - 3 tablespoons;
18.00
- milk mixture or kefir - 200 g; one of the fruit juices - 5-6 teaspoons;
22.00
- milk mixture or kefir - 200g.
As you have noticed, vegetable, fruit and meat dishes are gradually replacing dairy dishes.
In winter, when the child does not get enough sun, give the baby vitamin D. The child receives this vitamin in the form of a drug prescribed by your local pediatrician.
Menu for different occasions
Option 1. If your child was exclusively breastfed until 5-6 months of age and was growing and developing normally, now is the time to start introducing new foods into his diet. Depending on the individual characteristics of the child, the doctor's recommendations and your personal wishes, it can be juice, fruit or vegetable puree. If a child is prone to allergic reactions, vegetable puree can be recommended as the first product new for a child in some cases (from half a teaspoon, gradually increase the serving volume to 150 g). After 2 - 3 weeks after this, the child can be offered another new product. A month after the baby began to receive new products, his menu may look something like this:
- I feeding(6 hours): Breast milk
II feeding(10 hours): Fruit puree, Breast milk 30 g
III feeding(14 hours): Vegetable puree or porridge about 140 - 150 g, Vegetable oil, 3 g (1/2 tsp), Fruit juice 60 ml (can be given between feedings)
IV feeding(18 hours): Breast milk, Fruit puree 30 g
V feeding(22 hours): Breast milk
Option 2. If your child started receiving additional food and complementary foods at an earlier date (from 4 to 4.5 months) as prescribed by a doctor, then by 6 months his diet may look something like this:- I feeding(6 hours): Breast milk
II feeding(10 hours): Milk porridge 150g, Butter 4g, Fruit puree 60g
III feeding
IV feeding(18 hours): Breast milk, Cottage cheese 40mg., Fruit juice 30ml
V feeding(22 hours): Breast milk
Option 3. Approximate daily ration for a 6-month-old formula-fed child receiving new foods from 4 months:- I feeding(6 hours): Adapted fresh or fermented milk formula 180 - 200 ml
II feeding(10 hours): Milk porridge 150 g, Butter 4 g, Fruit puree 60 g
III feeding(14 hours): Vegetable puree 150 g, Vegetable oil 3 g (1/2 tsp), Yolk 0.25 g (1/4), Fruit juice 30 ml
IV feeding(18 hours): Adapted milk formula 150 ml, Cottage cheese 40 g, Fruit juice 30 ml, Cookies 3 g
V feeding(22 hours): Adapted fresh or fermented milk mixture 180 - 200 ml
Option 4. An approximate daily diet for a 6-month-old child with an allergy to cow's milk proteins:- I feeding(6 hours): Breast milk, Soured milk product, Soy formula, Protein hydrolysate formula 180 - 200 ml
II feeding(10 hours): 8-10% dairy-free porridge with the addition of breast milk, fermented milk product, soy mixture or hydrolyzate 170 g, Ghee (vegetable) oil 3 g (1/2 tsp), Fruit puree (apple, pear, plum) 20 g
III feeding(14 hours): Vegetable puree 160 g, Vegetable oil 3 g (1/2 tsp), Meat puree 20-50 g (4 tsp), Fruit puree 20 g (4 tsp)
IV feeding(18 hours): A dish of cereals and vegetables (zucchini rice; buckwheat cauliflower 1:1) 160 ml, Vegetable oil 3 g (1/2 tsp), Meat puree 20 - 30 g, Fruit puree 20 g
V feeding(22 hours): Breast milk, Cultured milk product, Soy formula, Protein hydrolysate formula 180 - 200 ml
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