20 small details that should not be ignored when it comes to baby food supplement

When adding complementary foods to babies who have just been born, special attention must be paid. The baby's body is in the growth stage, and various nutrients are essential, but the body's various defense immune systems are not fully developed. Therefore, mothers should pay attention to these matters when making complementary foods for their babies.

When adding complementary foods to infants, parents should be cautious in choosing foods

1. Choose acidic foods carefully

Acidic foods here do not mean that the food tastes sour but refers to its nature, such as various meats, eggs and sugars. These foods are highly valued by people as "high-nutrition foods" and are often included in the baby's diet as the first choice by parents. However, they can easily consume potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and other elements in the baby's body, causing autism.

2. The delicious dried fish slices are a time bomb

Dried fish slices are made from marine fish and are rich in nutrients such as protein, calcium, phosphorus, etc. They are delicious, so parents are happy to buy them and children are happy to eat them. However, it is important to be aware that dried fish slices often contain too much fluoride. If the content exceeds a certain limit, fluoride will accumulate in the body. Over time, it will cause chronic fluoride poisoning, making the teeth rough and dull.

3. Be cautious when drinking soy milk

For many years, no one has questioned that soy milk is the best alternative for infant feeding. However, in recent years, research reports have pointed out the disadvantages of soy milk for infants. Data show that children who grow up drinking soy milk have a 2-3 times higher risk of breast cancer than ordinary people. Then there are reports that the manganese content in soy milk and soy milk substitutes is 50 times higher than breast milk. Excessive absorption of manganese will affect the brain development of infants under 6 months old, thereby increasing the possibility of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and adolescent violent impulses.

4. Do not use supplements indiscriminately

People's living standards have improved, and we have enough money to buy all kinds of nutritional products for babies, fearing that they will lose at the starting line. Therefore, we buy more supplements that are advertised as making babies smarter. However, babies under 5 years old do not need supplements. Babies over 5 years old can take them according to the doctor's advice if they really need them.

5. Don’t over-pursue a “fine diet”

Nowadays, many families pursue "everything is fine" and regard eating refined rice and white flour as a fashion. Medical experts do not see it this way. They believe that long-term consumption of overly refined food not only reduces the intake of B vitamins and affects the development of the nervous system, but also affects vision due to excessive loss of chromium. It has been confirmed that chromium deficiency is a major cause of myopia.

The addition of baby food is very particular. For the healthy growth of the baby, parents must strictly control the ingredients!

Foods that babies under 1 year old cannot eat

1. Meat

When adding complementary foods, of course, meat is indispensable. However, there are two kinds of food that should be avoided for babies under one year old. One is egg white. The protein molecules in egg white are small and can sometimes pass through the intestinal wall directly into the baby's blood, causing the baby's body to have an allergic reaction to foreign protein molecules. The other is crabs, shrimps and other shelled seafood, which are also foods that are prone to cause allergies.

2. Vegetables

When starting to add complementary foods to babies, mothers usually make some vegetable juice or vegetable puree for their babies. However, not all vegetables are suitable for babies under 1 year old. For example, vegetables such as spinach, leeks, and amaranth contain a lot of oxalic acid, which will hinder the baby's body from absorbing calcium and affect the baby's bone development. In addition, vegetables that are difficult to digest, such as bamboo shoots and burdock, should not appear on the baby's table for the time being.

3. Fruits

Fruits are beneficial and can supplement vitamins for babies. They are sweet and sour and are a good choice for adding complementary foods. However, some fruits are prone to cause allergies in babies and should not be eaten. Mangoes contain some chemical substances, and unripe mangoes also contain aldehyde acid, which have a certain irritating effect on the skin's mucous membranes and cause contact dermatitis of the lips and mouth. Pineapples contain a variety of active substances such as bromelain, which have a certain irritating effect on human skin and blood vessels. Some people experience itchy skin and numbness of the limbs, mouth and tongue soon after eating them. Fruits with fuzz on the surface, such as peaches and kiwis, contain a large number of macromolecular substances. Infants and young children have poor gastrointestinal dialysis ability and cannot digest these substances, which can easily cause allergic reactions.

4. Drinks

Theoretically, babies under 1 year old can only drink boiled water, milk powder, milk, and freshly squeezed juice. Other beverages are not allowed. Don't think that mineral water and purified water are both water, and it is okay for babies to drink them. But in fact, the mineral content in mineral water is high, which will increase the burden on the baby's kidneys. Long-term drinking of purified water will cause the baby to lack certain minerals. Secondly, functional drinks and stimulating drinks such as cola, coffee, and strong tea should not be consumed.

5. Snacks

Strictly speaking, babies should not be given snacks in the early stages of complementary feeding, especially snacks containing additives and pigments. These things have little nutrition and high sugar content, and can easily destroy the taste of infants and young children and cause tooth decay.

6. Seasoning

Shacha sauce, tomato sauce, chili sauce, mustard, MSG and other strong seasonings can easily increase the burden on the baby's kidneys. Babies under one year old should not eat salt, as too much MSG will affect the utilization of zinc in the blood.

20 small details that cannot be ignored when making complementary food for your baby

Choice of ingredients

Make sure it’s fresh

This is very important. Only fresh ingredients can provide children with healthy and safe nutrition. Here we should focus on vegetables. Vegetables for making vegetable juice should be fresh green leafy vegetables, such as rapeseed, spinach, and Chinese cabbage.

Babies need small amounts of complementary food, so it is best to buy and eat it on the same day to avoid buying too much at one time and causing it to become stale after storage. Rotten and spoiled vegetables and fruits must not be given to babies, even if the rotten parts are removed.

Don’t choose vegetables that are too spicy

When you first start adding complementary foods, it is best not to choose vegetables with overly pungent flavors such as onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, and onions, even as ingredients. They can cause great irritation to the baby's gastrointestinal tract, and in severe cases can irritate the mucous membrane and cause damage.

Fish and shrimp are best fresh

Buy fresh fish and shrimp as much as possible. If conditions are limited and you can only buy frozen food, then only take out the amount you need each time to defrost and cook, and avoid putting the thawed ingredients back into the freezer.

Avoid wild vegetables

Don’t assume that wild vegetables are nutritious, natural and pollution-free. Wild vegetables and mushrooms picked from the wild are dangerous foods that may contain pesticides, pollutants, toxins, etc. It is not safe to feed them to babies as complementary foods.

Complementary food production process

Mom should wash her hands when making

Wash your hands with soap before cooking; mothers should not have long nails to prevent bacteria from hiding in the nails and contaminating the food ingredients; when suffering from infectious diseases or hand inflammation, do not cook food for the baby. At this time, you can ask other people in the family to help, or you can eat canned complementary foods.

Washing food (scientific method)

For leafy vegetables, you should first wash the dirt on the surface with water, and then cover them with clean water about 5 cm and soak them for 10 to 20 minutes; for flower vegetables, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables that are difficult to clean, you can put some salt in the clean water to absorb the dirt in the gaps; for root vegetables and fruits with skin, try to peel them before eating.

Pick out fish bones for your baby before eating

Bone spurs are very dangerous for babies, and skin is also difficult for babies to digest. Therefore, when eating fish, meat and other ingredients, you should pay attention to removing the skin and tendons that are difficult to digest, and pick out the broken bones and fish bones.

Use boiling water to scald eating utensils before use

All utensils used to prepare and serve food should be washed in advance and scalded with boiling water.

Complementary food preparation and storage

Controlling food temperature

Ingredients can only be sterilized by heating them to above 75 degrees. Make sure that the food has been fully heated inside and out. Soups and other complementary foods must be heated again to boil after they have cooled before they can be given to the baby.

Cook thoroughly

The noodles must be cooked soft from the inside out; the eggs must be cooked until the yolk and white are solid; the meat must be cooked until there is no pink in the middle.

Cook and eat now

It is best to prepare and eat complementary food immediately. It not only tastes good, has good texture and is nutritious, but is also safe and hygienic. If your baby cannot finish it at one time, try not to leave it for the next meal. At this time, mom and dad can help.

Save correctly

Complementary foods made in advance should be cooled quickly after cooking and then stored in the refrigerator. Baby food that is not eaten within 24 hours must be frozen. (Of course, we do not recommend this step. Complementary foods should be prepared and eaten as soon as possible.)

Do not add any seasoning before 1 year old

Try to use natural food before the age of 1, and it is best not to add seasonings. It is not advisable to use spices, MSG and strong seasonings.

The baby's sense of taste is still in the process of development, and he is more sensitive to the stimulation of external seasonings. Adding seasonings before the age of one can easily cause the baby to be picky about food or have anorexia.

Therefore, when making complementary foods, you should use as little sugar as possible, no salt, and no seasonings, but you can add a small amount of cooking oil.

Disposal of feeding utensils

To avoid cross infection, raw and cooked food must be separated

Containers for complementary foods, such as basins, plates, buckets, knives, cutting boards and other utensils, should be labeled with raw and cooked labels to prevent cross-use. Do not place cooked food in the original containers for raw food.

Baby utensils should be disinfected frequently

Tableware for babies, such as spoons and bowls, should be disinfected frequently. At home, you can often use the boiling method, that is, soak all the items in water and keep them for more than 2 minutes after boiling. You can also use a disinfection cabinet for disinfection. There are many types of disinfection cabinets on the market. It is recommended to buy a well-known brand of baby-specific disinfection cabinet.

The dining table should also be disinfected frequently

Wash your baby's dining chair, bib and eating area with hot soapy water or wipe it carefully with disinfectant.

Never use aluminum products

Do not use aluminum cookware. Aluminum will dissolve in food in an acidic environment. Studies have shown that a certain level of aluminum intake will affect intelligence.

Feeding Correctly

Do not reheat multiple times

After the prepared baby food comes into contact with the saliva in the baby's mouth or on the spoon, the bacteria in the food will multiply rapidly. So try to finish the food once it is prepared and don't leave it for the next meal.

Eat canned complementary foods as soon as possible

The complementary food products on the market can be fed to the baby several times, and each time a clean spoon is used to scoop out some of the complementary food. If the complementary food is still not finished, it should be thrown away and not eaten. The complementary food products that have been opened need to be refrigerated and eaten as soon as possible.

Feeding new foods depends on whether the baby has allergic reactions

Each time you feed your baby a new food, you must pay attention to your baby's digestive ability and allergic reactions, such as diarrhea, vomiting, skin rashes or flushing.

If the above-mentioned adverse reactions occur, you can postpone adding the food and start again with a small amount after the symptoms disappear. If allergies still occur, stop eating and consult a doctor as soon as possible.