When is the best time to add complementary foods to babies? The time and order of adding complementary foods to babies

Newborn babies usually rely on their mother's breast milk as their main food, and then they are gradually given complementary foods as they grow up. However, babies' stomachs are very fragile, so many issues need to be taken into consideration when adding complementary foods. So when is the best time to add complementary foods to babies? What is the time and order for adding complementary foods to babies?

The window period for adding complementary foods to babies is 4-6 months, that is, no earlier than four months and no later than six months. The specific time for adding complementary foods needs to be selected according to the specific situation of the child. If the baby is exclusively breastfed, it is recommended to add complementary foods after six months. If the baby is allergic to milk protein, it is also recommended to try to add complementary foods after six months, so as to avoid food protein allergies during the process of adding complementary foods, and also cause intestinal damage. If the baby is breast milk diarrhea or lactose intolerance, in this case, complementary foods can be added a little earlier, for example, you can try to add complementary foods to the baby after four months. If the baby is formula-fed, the baby shows an interest in adding complementary foods. When the baby sees adults eating food, he also wants to eat. You can add complementary foods a little earlier. For complementary food addition, it is recommended to start with iron-fortified rice noodles, try to add a single variety and small doses gradually, from fine to coarse, from less to more. In the process of adding complementary foods, you should also pay attention to observe whether the baby has rash allergies and whether there is nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, constipation. If there is, stop adding complementary foods in time.

From the perspective of types, complementary foods should be added to babies in the order of "starch (grains) - vegetables - fruits - animals". Cereals should be added first and iron-containing nutrients can be added appropriately, such as infant iron-containing rice cereal); then vegetable juice/pure, then fruit juice/pure; finally, animal foods should be added, such as egg custard, fish, poultry, livestock meat puree or meat floss. The order of adding animal foods is: egg custard puree, fish puree (without bones and thorns), whole eggs (such as steamed egg custard), minced meat.

In terms of quantity, you should follow the order from small to large. At the beginning, you can just let your baby try and taste it. Later, you can feed your baby some complementary food in addition to breastfeeding. Then, you can gradually increase the amount of complementary food after the baby adapts.

From the perspective of texture, when adding complementary foods to babies, you should first add liquids (such as rice paste, vegetable juice, fruit juice, etc.), then pastes (such as thick rice paste, vegetable puree, meat puree, fish puree, egg yolk, etc.), and then solids (such as soft rice, soft noodles, small steamed bread slices, etc.).

From a time perspective, babies from 0 to 3 years old need to add different complementary foods. After 6 months of age, start adding liquid food, such as milk powder, rice paste, vegetable puree, etc.; after 6 months of age, add semi-solid food, such as fruit puree, egg yolk puree, fish puree, etc.; at 7 to 9 months of age, you can gradually transition from semi-solid food to chewable soft solid food, such as noodle porridge and chopped vegetable porridge; when you are 1 to 12 months old, most babies can gradually switch to solid food as the main complementary food.

The principle of adding complementary food to infants is to let the child eat less first, and then add some other foods appropriately after the child slowly adapts. The diet must be diversified. You can give the child some millet porridge, eight-treasure porridge, yam porridge, or some fruit and vegetable purees to increase nutrition. Be sure to avoid eating too much food when feeding, so as not to cause gastrointestinal load. When adding complementary food to infants, you should usually pay attention to eating small meals frequently. When eating, you must pay attention to the timing and quantity. When adding complementary food, you must control the temperature of the food to avoid being too hot or too cold. You can give the child some egg custard or vegetable puree. You must eat more easily digestible liquid or semi-liquid food, avoid wolfing down, and pay more attention to rest.

Generally, babies start to add complementary foods from four to six months, but breastfeeding is still the main method. If breast milk is not enough, formula milk powder can be used appropriately. First, iron-fortified rice flour and rice paste can be added. Eat a little at first, not too much, so as not to cause indigestion. At six months, two or three kinds of complementary foods can be added. Generally, babies will eat rice flour with egg yolk or some vegetable and fruit purees. You can also add some meat purees, such as lean meat purees, fish purees, apple purees and liver purees. Mud noodles, tofu, millet porridge, pumpkin porridge are all OK. You can also eat bananas, fruit juice, etc., but don't eat a lot at one time.