How to train baby to eat solids?

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1. How to properly feed your baby solids

Weaning is an important stage in a baby's growth cycle, as it is the first step for babies to get used to foods other than breast milk. Therefore, it is extremely important for the mother to introduce the baby to food. Weaning is a slow process that requires a lot of patience and understanding on the part of parents.

1.1. When should baby start weaning?

World Health Organization (WHO) recommends weaning when babies are 6 months old, because breast milk at this time can no longer provide enough daily nutritional needs of babies, their digestive systems have gradually deteriorated. mature, so it can digest foods that are denser than breast milk.
Signs that your baby is ready for solid foods are:
- Baby is 6 months old
- Baby can sit with little or no help
- Baby can control his head good
- Children can hold and put food into their mouths
- Children show signs of chewing when they see adults eating something
- Children are still hungry after being breastfed

1.2. Which food to start with?

Children's meals must have enough 4 main food groups: Starch (plain rice, glutinous rice, corn...); protein (fish, meat, eggs, milk...); fats (including vegetable oils and animal fats); fiber (vegetables, tubers, fruits); vitamins and minerals (green vegetables, tubers). But when you are just starting to introduce foods to your baby, you should give them separate foods instead of mixing them together.
If you choose to feed your baby the traditional method with rice flour or porridge, you should start with whole flour or powdered breast milk, then add protein, then oil and finally vegetables. Do not encourage mothers to choose powdered food for their children. However, if the mother is too busy and has to feed her baby solids, start with a powder containing only one type of cereal, not mixed cereal flour. You can also start with ripe fruits or soft vegetables that are steamed and mashed (such as bananas, avocados, pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.), then introduce them to more meat and vegetables. green vegetables.
If you practice self-directed weaning, focus on a balanced diet. Adults need more fiber than fat to digest complex foods more quickly, while young children need more fat than fiber. Too much fiber in the diet will prevent the absorption of nutrients from other foods needed during this period. In the first stage when starting to introduce solid foods to your baby, you should choose mashed or pureed vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potatoes...; fruit purees such as steamed apples, steamed pears, mashed bananas; Select grains that are gluten-free. Then you can start with meats, pellets, bars...
The choice of weaning method for babies depends entirely on the conditions of each family as well as the needs of the mother and child. little. There is no rule as to which food to start with. Just remember to start with foods that are least likely to cause allergies and are closest to the formula your baby is using. For example, if your baby is used to the taste of breast milk, try starting by mashing a ripe banana mixed with a little breast milk. If your baby is used to the sweeter taste of formula, you can start with a lighter fruit like avocado. However, babies' tastes and needs are very different, so you need to experiment to find the most suitable option for your baby.

2. How do you practice feeding your baby weaning?

2.1. How to start?

Before starting solids, you should let your child play with a plastic spoon to test the baby's reaction. If the child is able to put the spoon in his mouth correctly, the practice can begin. Choose a time when both mother and baby feel comfortable to start introducing solids.
Put the baby to sit upright to avoid choking, so use a high chair to practice the habit of sitting in the chair to start the meal. Use a safe plastic spoon to scoop baby food. You should choose a shallow plastic spoon, with a round and smooth edge, if possible, choose a hot plastic spoon as possible. This type of spoon does not get too hot or cold like metal spoons and does not make a loud noise when dropped or bumped. It is necessary for the baby to get used to a standard meal, which is to sit up straight, eat food given by a spoon, rest between feedings and stop when full. These practices will help your child develop healthy eating habits for life.
Start the meal with 1/2 teaspoon of food or less. While introducing solids, talk to your baby. The first few times, your baby may be confused, wince, push food around his mouth or spit it all out. Those are just normal reactions. To make introducing solids to your baby for the first time less difficult, you can give your baby a little breast milk or formula before giving him solid foods.
One of the problems that makes many young mothers wonder is what time of the day should they practice weaning for their children, morning or afternoon? In principle, in order for weaning to not become a "battle", the mother should choose the time when the baby is happiest and shows signs of wanting to eat. Breastfed babies are often more excited to eat at the end of the day, when breast milk is less abundant. Formula-fed babies are most often hungry in the morning, after a long night of sleep.
When the mother wants to give her child a new food, it should start in the morning because if the baby has an allergic reaction to the food, it will be easier to handle and in the evening, digestive disorders will also occur. end. Starting a new dish in the evening means you risk staying up all night because of your baby.
Normally, a child can take 2 steps forward and 1 step back, which means that one day he can eat a few teaspoons of delicious powder, but the next day he will only eat 1 spoon or even more. not even eat. Today, your baby may be tempted with meat meal, but tomorrow will definitely refuse to eat the same dish. That is also a very common thing.

2.2. Observe the child's reaction

After the first try, if your baby is eager, opens his mouth and happily accepts the food, you can rest assured that he is ready. On the contrary, if the baby closes his mouth tightly, grimaces, turns his face away or spits out food, it is a sign that the child is not ready and the mother should not force him. It's much more important that both mother and baby feel happy during mealtimes than having to stick to a fixed eating schedule.
If it doesn't work the first time, don't be discouraged, try again. It usually takes 6-10 times before a baby accepts a new food and this ability increases dramatically after 12-15 tries. There are babies who open their mouth wide to receive a new spoon of powder but do not know how to close their mouth and let the powder come out. Please give your baby more time to learn how to close his mouth when using his tongue to move food from front to back. The powder being pushed out can also be a sign that the child's tongue thrust reflex has not yet completed, making it impossible for the child to put food behind the mouth and swallow. If after several attempts the child still opens his mouth and cannot swallow food, wait another week or two before trying again.
In case the baby refuses to eat with a spoon, you can try using your fingers to scoop food for the baby. Mother's soft fingers can be more receptive to the baby. But pay attention to wash your hands before feeding your baby. Use your fingers to scoop a bit of the dough, ask your baby to open his mouth wide, and place your fingertip on his or her lips. Have your baby suck on the tip of this finger. Continue to scoop a little bit of food with your fingertips, this time you need to place your fingertips on the tip of the baby's tongue (where the sweet taste buds are located). If your baby swallows or at least doesn't spit it out, continue putting the food between his tongue. Some babies are able to accept solid foods in this particular way.
In terms of anatomical structure, the sweet-tasting papillae are located at the tip of the tongue, the salty taste papillae are located on both sides of the tongue, the bitter taste papillae are located at the base of the tongue, and in the middle part of the tongue the Taste papillae are usually more neutral. Therefore, when introducing a baby to new foods, sweet treats should be put on the tip of the child's tongue. With less sweet foods (such as vegetables) should be placed in the middle of the tongue to increase the chance of the baby swallowing, not spitting out the food.

3. Tips to help you get your kids used to food

Starting at 6 months 6 months is the best time for your baby's health to start the journey to solids. Both physically, mentally and physically.
Start with healthy foods In the past, many parents gave their children cereal as the first food, but this is an outdated recommendation. Instead, start with any fruit or vegetable you like. Pumpkin, sweet potato, peas, avocado, and banana are all good choices because they can easily be blended into a smooth puree.
Reasonable Liquidity Since this is your baby's first time eating something other than milk, make sure the first dish you offer your baby is just the right amount of liquid. You should do the mixing with breast milk or formula. As your baby gets used to it, you can gradually introduce him to thicker, more textured foods.
Start with one meal a day The first few months of solids are getting your baby used to new tastes, textures and habits of eating foods other than milk. So it's best to start slowly, with one meal a day, at a time when your child is in a good mood and a little hungry. An hour or so after breastfeeding/bottle-feeding or when your baby is happy and well-rested.
Continue breastfeeding or bottle-feeding Nearly all of your baby's calories and nutrients will still come from breast milk or formula, so don't cut back on breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Breast milk or formula is still the most nutritious food for your baby, and solid foods won't become a large part of your baby's diet until 1 year of age or even later.
Don't worry if your baby doesn't like something You may feel anxious if your baby refuses broccoli, but it's not necessary. It can take 10 or more exposures to a food for a child to begin to like it, so continue to offer foods that your child doesn't enjoy right away, perhaps even mixed with other foods. other foods the child likes. If you're persistent, most babies will eventually like most foods.
Choose organic food whenever possible Buying organic food is one of the best ways to limit your baby's exposure to harmful, persistent pesticides (as well as antibiotics, growth hormones, etc.) artificial and GMO - neither of which are allowed to produce organic food). Organic food is the purest, healthiest food you can give your children, supporting organic farming also helps ensure a safer food system for future generations . Or mothers can grow vegetables for their children to eat.
Taste your baby's food Since babies are just mini versions of adults, they are likely to like what you like! Baby food won't have sugar or salt, but the food should still taste good and smell good to you. If something doesn't appeal to you, chances are it won't appeal to your baby either.
Be flexible Infants may occasionally enjoy one food but not another, or eat a lot one day but not another - the same is true for adults. When your baby is teething or sick, she may not want to eat solid foods for a few days (this is okay, as long as she continues to breastfeed or bottle feed). Instead of following a strict feeding schedule, be flexible to accommodate your baby's changing needs and moods.
Create a happy eating atmosphere One of the goals of solids is to help your baby experience food in a positive way, so that he or she develops a good relationship with food and enjoys eating a variety of healthy foods. throughout life.
The period of baby eating solid foods is an extremely important period to help children develop comprehensively. Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiencies, causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption, etc. If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with supportive products. The supplement contains 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.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your child. Take care of the baby and the whole family.