Buzz
Incorrectly introducing solid foods to your baby can lead to picky eating, nutritional deficiencies, and undesirable consequences.
According to nutrition experts, introducing solid foods is crucial to supplementing your baby with the necessary nutrients for comprehensive physical and mental development. It also supports the weaning process and helps your baby gradually become familiar with the flavors of various foods.
While crucial, many mothers lack the fundamental knowledge needed to prepare a well-rounded menu for their babies. Therefore, every young mother should remember these 8 principles for introducing solid foods to ensure a positive start when entering the phase of introducing supplementary foods beyond milk.
1. Commencement and Conclusion of the Weaning Period
Advice from nutrition experts suggests that babies should start the weaning process at 6 months and conclude it by 24 months.
From 6 months old, the energy from breast milk only provides about 450kcal/day, while a child needs about 700kcal/day. Therefore, supplementary food is essential to compensate for the lacking energy.
After 24 months old, mothers should conclude the weaning period for the baby. Prolonging it can lead to complications such as difficulty in chewing, integration issues when interacting with other children due to a different eating regime.
2. Gradual Increase in Solid Foods
The second rule is to start with small amounts and gradually increase. Mothers can begin introducing porridge with ½ bowl per meal; 1 to 2 meals per day.
Even if the baby enjoys the first meal and finishes half a bowl of porridge, mothers should not try to force more. Adhering to rule 2 (from little to much) is crucial as the baby's digestive system is still delicate. Feeding too much can lead to digestive issues.
3. Progress from Thin to Thick Consistency
As babies are accustomed to the main food being milk, when starting solids, mothers should dilute the baby food. If buying ready-made weaning powder (canned), mothers should follow the instructions on the product packaging. If it's homemade powder, mothers should create a mixture that is thin, smooth, and creamy like ice cream.
Mothers can explore some weaning powder products for their babies below:
4. Gradual Transition from Sweet to Savory
When introducing solids to the baby, mothers should start with sweet weaning powders like rice or oatmeal, cooked with vegetables and fruits, without adding seasoning. After about 2 to 4 weeks, mothers can prepare savory weaning powders with fish, meat, etc., for the baby.
5. Introduce One Type of Food for 3 – 5 Days
This method helps mothers identify if the baby has any allergies to specific weaning foods. After 3 – 5 days, if the baby shows no reaction to a particular food, and there are no digestive issues or skin rashes, then mothers can transition to introducing a different type of food for the baby.
6. Importance of Fat/Oil for Children
Avoiding or providing very little cooking oil in meals deprives the bowl of porridge of sufficient energy for the child. In reality, cooking oil is easily digestible, rich in energy, and aids in the absorption of other nutrients, making it easy for the body to assimilate.
Not only that, fat/oil is also a crucial factor for the child's body to absorb vitamin D and calcium.
Below are some baby cooking oils that mothers can consider:
7. Balancing the 4 Food Groups
When children reach the weaning phase, mothers need to supplement 4 food groups, including:
– Sugar Group, includes: rice, glutinous rice, wheat flour, bread, pho, noodles, rice vermicelli, corn, potatoes.
– Protein Group, includes: animal sources like meat, fish, milk, eggs, shellfish, eel...; or plant sources like soybeans, soy-based products, and various beans.
– Fat Group, includes: oil, fat, butter, oily seeds.
– Vitamins and Minerals Group, such as fruits, various vegetables.
Many mothers have a habit of adding a lot of eggs, meat, fish, etc., thinking it provides enough nutrients. However, excessive protein not only disrupts the child's digestion but may also lead to loss of appetite.
8. Avoid Adding Fish Sauce or Salt to Baby's Weaning Food
If a mother thinks adding a bit of fish sauce or salt to baby's weaning food will enhance the flavor and stimulate the child's taste buds, she is entirely mistaken. Leading experts in child health advise mothers against giving salt to children as their kidneys are still delicate. Adding fish sauce or salt to a child's weaning food puts excessive strain on the child's kidneys.
Hoping that the 8 principles for baby weaning mentioned above will be helpful for mothers in introducing solids to their babies. Wishing all mothers success!
If mothers want to acquire the latest scientific knowledge about weaning, they can join the Weaning Class at Mytour (free of charge) with guidance from experts at the National Institute of Nutrition.
