What nutrition should a baby at 4-6 months of age receive?

If your baby is breastfed, then this is the age when you should introduce complementary foods (corrective products) - fruit and vegetable juices and purees. In this case, you need to remember the principle of gradualness and minimalism. You need to start with half a teaspoon of juice that has a sweet or sour-sweet taste, but without adding sugar. Gradually increase the volume by half a teaspoon to reach the required volume in about ten days. While you are giving one type of complementary food, do not add another. Otherwise, it will not be clear which of them caused the baby to get a rash or why he has diarrhea.

The diet for a breastfed baby looks something like this (age 4.5-5 months):

• 6.00 - breast milk - 200 ml
• 10.00 - breast milk - 180 ml + fruit juice - 20 ml
• 15.00 - breast milk - 200 ml
• 18.00 - breast milk - 170 ml + fruit puree - 30 ml
• 23.00 - breast milk - 200 ml.

If the child is bottle-fed: 6.00 - adapted milk formula - 200 ml

• 10.00 - vegetable puree - 160 g + fruit juice - 20 ml
• 15.00 - adapted milk formula - 200 ml
• 18.00 - adapted milk formula - 180 ml + juice - 20 ml
• 22.00 - adapted milk formula - 200 ml

Considering the significant water loss in small children (they urinate frequently, breathe more intensely and sweat), they must be given at least 300 ml of water to drink per day.

If no allergies, diarrhea or other side effects have occurred after introducing vegetables and fruits, children with anemia and rickets can be given two-component fruit and vegetable purees, which contain a more complete set of various nutrients. Moreover, the child should be given less potatoes, since they contain too much starch, and there is very little calcium, which is so necessary for a growing organism. The puree should consist of pumpkin, beetroot, and squash. Subsequently, they can even replace one feeding.

In addition to vegetables and fruits, cereals should also be included in the diet. Cereals are rich in fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Cereals and vegetables are very useful for children who are overweight or have exudative diathesis.

From 4.5 months, cottage cheese is introduced into the child's diet. But the cottage cheese must be made in a baby milk kitchen.

From 5-6 months, you need to introduce meat and vegetable purees into the diet. They contain about 10% meat (beef, chicken, veal) in combination with various vegetables (carrots, cauliflower; cereals - rice, millet, oatmeal). Vegetable oil can be added to them to saturate them with polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is not recommended to add salt to food for children of this age, since their kidneys are not yet able to fully remove toxins from the body, and there is usually enough sodium chloride in products.

When introducing complementary foods, you should make sure that the child's meals are beautifully served, because for him, any action involving him is a game. And you need to play with interesting "toys".

In order to feed a child with a spoon, he needs to be seated at the table. Furniture stores sell special folding children's tables and chairs. You can use it as a chair, moving it to the common table (this is even preferable - the child eats with adults), or, having unfolded it as a table, you set the table for him at a lower height. However, if the table-chair is close to the common table, you need to make sure that the child does not push off it and tip over together with his chair.

When seating your child at the table, teach him to wash his hands before eating, put an apron or a napkin around his neck. During meals, wipe his lips and cheeks in time - this will also teach him to be clean and neat. After eating, wash his hands and face.