What kind of complementary foods can a six-month-old baby eat?
Six months is when the baby starts to be exposed to complementary foods. How to match nutritionally balanced complementary foods to the baby? The following are four aspects that nutritionists will explain to you in detail:
1. What kind of complementary food can be given to a six-month-old baby?
Six-month-old babies begin to enter a critical period of growth and development. When choosing complementary foods, the first choice should be those with small particles, easy to chew, and easy to digest, such as rice soup, rice cereal, noodle paste, etc. When adding complementary foods, it is necessary to gradually increase the type and taste of complementary foods, such as soft vegetable purees, fruit purees, meat purees, etc.
1.1 Rice soup/rice paste/noodle paste
Breast milk or formula milk is still the baby\’s main source of food, and complementary foods only serve to supplement the diet. Rice soup, rice cereal, and noodle paste are the most basic complementary foods. These foods have high nutritional value, are easy to digest and absorb, and can moisturize the intestines. It is recommended to use rice or millet.
1.2 Vegetable puree
Among baby\’s complementary foods, vegetable puree is a good type. It contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, and can also help babies strengthen their immunity. Suitable vegetable purees include broccoli, pumpkin, carrots, beans, etc., but be careful not to add salt or seasonings.
1.3 Fruit Puree
Appropriate addition of fruit puree is beneficial to the balance of baby nutrition and can help supplement vitamins and antioxidants. More suitable ones include bananas, apples, kiwis, etc. You can add an appropriate amount of water to dilute them.
2. How to carry out nutritional matching?
When adding complementary foods, it is necessary to avoid adding too much and too much miscellaneous food as much as possible, and no more salt and sugar can be added. Calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin C are elements that babies need more, so you need to pay attention to food combinations. The recommended food combinations are as follows:
2.1 Typical combination 1: pureed meat + pureed vegetables
Meat puree can provide the baby with rich protein, and can help the baby develop chewing and swallowing abilities. At the same time, vegetable puree can also help your baby absorb nutrients.
2.2 Typical combination 2: Egg puree + broccoli puree
In the nutritional mix, egg puree can provide a large amount of protein, while broccoli puree can enhance the baby\’s immunity and also provide rich fiber.
2.3 Typical combination 3: rice soup + small yellow croaker paste
The combination of rice soup and small yellow croaker puree can guide the baby to learn to chew and swallow, and promote the baby\’s growth and development.
3. How to change the taste?
As the baby ages, his taste also changes. Therefore, when adding complementary foods, the taste should be changed in a timely manner so that the baby can gradually taste different textures.
3.1 From thin to thick
At the beginning, the baby can only accept light complementary food. As the taste gradually changes, it can be gradually changed to thicker complementary food.
3.2 Hot and cold combination
The taste of complementary foods can also be determined by temperature.Changes are like ingredients, which can be transformed into different flavors. For example, hot zucchini puree paired with cold milk can create a new taste.
4. Time and frequency of adding complementary foods
The time and frequency of adding complementary foods need to be gradually increased. At first, only once a day is added, and later it can be gradually increased to two or three times, and complementary foods with various tastes can be added. At the same time, you need to pay attention to the baby\’s appetite and condition. If the baby does not respond well, you need to temporarily stop adding it.
4.1 Add time
You can choose the time when your baby is in the best condition to add it, such as one hour after feeding or when he wakes up.
4.2 Add frequency
Start by adding it only once a day, then gradually add it to breakfast, lunch or dinner.
4.3 Pay attention to the amount of food you eat
The baby\’s gastrointestinal function is not fully developed, so the amount of complementary food should be gradually increased. At the beginning, test the baby\’s appetite appropriately, adding only one spoonful at a time, and gradually increase the amount according to the reaction.
Conclusion: When adding complementary foods to your baby, you should adapt to current conditions, pay attention to taste changes, mix them reasonably, and gradually increase the time and frequency of addition. We hope that every parent can provide their babies with adequate and nutritious food so that their babies can grow up healthily.
