Choose food for baby weaning

This is an automatically translated article.

1. Choose food for baby to eat weaning

At the weaning stage, the baby's digestive system is almost complete and ready to receive a new nutritional regimen. However, parents should note that at this time, the digestive system is still very immature and is getting used to foods that are not breast milk. Therefore, when preparing baby food for weaning, it is necessary to ensure the principle from dilute to dense, the dose of food from little to more.
When starting out, parents should only feed children for the purpose of getting used to new foods. Only need 1 meal per day, then gradually increase according to the age of the child. Foods for baby weaning need to contain all 4 groups of substances:

1.1. Starch

Starch is the main ingredient in agricultural products such as rice, corn, potatoes, beans... Parents can be flexible in choosing foods for babies to eat weaning on a daily menu for children. However, the mother should not mix the foods for the baby to eat solids together, to avoid the child's allergies or indigestion ... Until the child is older, about 1 year old, parents can give the child more vermicelli, Noodle Soup...

1.2. Fat

Fat is an indispensable baby food in meals, fat is found in many types of butter, oil, fat... Parents should feed their baby full fat alternately between meals. The oil is in pure, unprocessed form, ensuring nutritional value.
There are many types of vegetable oils that the mother can feed her baby in the weaning diet such as: soybean oil, sesame oil, olive oil, gac oil... However, parents should not give their baby too much Gac oil or only use Gac oil for a long time to avoid jaundice due to excess vitamin A (only eat Gac oil 1-2 times/week).

1.3. Protein

Protein is found in many types of meat, fish, eggs, seafood... Food for children to supplement protein in the first stage should give priority to lean meat and eggs. However, one thing to note is that parents should not give their children too much protein at the same time, this is not really good for health because it can cause digestive disorders and increase the risk of anorexia.

1.4. Group of vitamins and fiber

Baby foods that provide a lot of vitamins and fiber, especially vegetables and fruits, this food group does not provide energy, so mothers should note that they cannot completely replace other foods, especially is in the main meals because it can slow down the child's weight gain.
For the beginning stage of giving baby solid foods, parents can add 1 tablespoon of green vegetables and gradually increase to 2-3 spoons in 1 bowl of powdered porridge. In case the baby is constipated, it is possible to increase the amount of green vegetables in each meal, but it is best not to give too much. As for overweight and obese children, parents can give them a diet fortified with fiber to limit excess energy.

2. Other essential baby food groups

2.1. Foods rich in iron

At the beginning of the weaning period, the element iron plays an extremely important role in the baby's brain development. Therefore, mothers need to prioritize choosing foods for babies that are rich in iron such as:
Chicken eggs: This is a very suitable baby food because it is both rich in protein, fat and iron, and easy to eat. processing and helping the baby gain healthy weight; Chicken: This meat contains a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron... Therefore, chicken is a very good baby food, enhances digestion and increases weight effectively. fruit; Red meat: Meat is an abundant source of iron, besides other essential nutrients such as protein, fat... Therefore, red meat (such as pork, beef) is baby foods for weaning appear regularly in the menu every day; Grains: Including whole grains, whole grains... They are an extremely ideal source of iron for the child's body. You can give your baby cereal every morning to provide more iron.

2.2. Foods high in vitamin C

The baby's weaning menu should incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables because they are a rich source of vitamins, both supporting increased resistance and helping the body absorb iron better. .
Baby foods rich in vitamin C such as:
Spinach (spinach, spinach): This is a baby food that provides the top nutrients in green vegetables. Ingredients spinach includes vitamins, minerals, omega 3... so it's good for the baby's development; Broccoli: This vegetable is rich in vitamin C, fiber... Therefore, cauliflower can help children strengthen their eyesight, aid digestion and strengthen their resistance; In addition, foods rich in vitamins for babies include bananas, white radishes, yogurt, tomatoes...

2.3. Omega 3 rich foods

Omega-3 is a fatty acid that is good for the brain, supporting the comprehensive development of the nervous system. Some baby foods rich in omega 3 that mothers can refer to include:
Salmon: This food contains a lot of DHA - one of the omega-3 fatty acids that plays an important role in development. brain and prevent some diseases; Mackerel: Omega 3 in mackerel supports smooth functioning of blood vessels, improves intelligence and contributes to brain development more comprehensively; Shrimp: This is a nutritious food, containing many vitamins, omega-3 and other fatty acids, thus contributing to the stability of the baby's blood vessel walls.

2.4. Baby foods rich in B vitamins

Liver and other organs: Although not common, liver and other organs contain a lot of B vitamins; Beef: B vitamins are abundant in beef, in addition to other nutrients. In 100g of beef, there are about 2.6μg vitamin B12 and 0.4mg vitamin B6; Chickpeas, beans: A very familiar and easy-to-find vitamin B rich food for babies is chickpeas and other beans. Ingredients in chickpeas and some beans include many B vitamins such as B1, B2, B5, B6 and B9 with very rich content. Children who develop normally, are healthy or are malnourished depends greatly on the weaning diet. Parents who give children solid foods in the wrong way can increase the risk of children lacking micro-minerals, causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption, etc. If they notice the above signs, parents should supplementing children with supporting products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.