How to prepare the first complementary foods correctly. Infant feeding by month

Specialists in dietary nutrition babies are recommended to be used in the children's menu steam omelette. This delicate, nutritious egg dish contains complete protein, vitamins and minerals necessary for the diet of little pranksters. An omelet will be especially helpful for the child of those mothers whose children refuse to eat children's meat dishes.

Bulk apple from old good fairy tale– An excellent addition to the diet of infants from six months of age. Don’t forget the basic rule – fruits that are more aromatic and sweet are introduced into a child’s complementary feeding only after vegetables and cereals, so applesauce(recipe below) - a treat for those kids who already eat them. Apples...


The child's food must meet certain requirements. And first of all, it should be rich in vitamins and microelements that promote the growth and development of the baby. Eggs contain vitamins A, D, C, E, K, B vitamins, calcium, zinc, selenium, iodine, iron and others useful elements. Therefore, such a product as eggs is necessary in the diet...


The older the baby gets, the more new foods he tries. Over time, the diet becomes more interesting. But baby food should always remain not only tasty, but also healthy. There is some debate as to when apple puree should be added to a baby's menu. Some say that you can feed your baby with it until...


The older the baby gets, the more changes occur in his diet. Now, to be full, breast milk is not enough for him. The child gradually begins to try new foods. The first new type of drink for a child is compote. It is easily digestible and kids really like it. But preparing children's compte has some nuances. When can...

Pumpkin is a unique fruit that can be eaten from the very beginning. early age. It has the necessary micro- and macroelements and vitamins, without which the full development of a child is impossible. Pediatricians recommend pumpkin puree as a tasty complementary food. Why is pumpkin useful? Pumpkin has large number beneficial properties: — Due to its fibrous structure, the vegetable is easily digested...


Corn porridge is one of the healthiest for babies. It is gluten-free, which means that the porridge will not cause an allergic reaction in your baby. Corn porridge is also a source useful microelements and vitamins. The benefits of corn porridge Porridge from corn grits has a lot positive qualities: - It is characterized by a rich content of vitamins - group...


Potatoes are the boss of everything! It’s no wonder that mothers rush to feed their children from an early age with dishes based on tasty and healthy root vegetables. When to start If you decide to diversify your baby’s diet with mashed potatoes, you should consult a pediatrician before introducing complementary foods. Infants will most likely be able to try potatoes at 7-8 months, and babies on artificial...


Freshly prepared vegetable puree will provide more benefits to the body than fruit puree. Vegetable puree improves the digestion process and is absorbed fairly quickly. In addition, it does not cause allergies in the baby. To prepare the first complementary foods, it is better to use hypoallergenic vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini or cauliflower. After a couple of months you can try giving your baby...


Rice porridge is good for first feeding. Children who are on artificial nutrition can be offered porridge from 6 months, and those who are fed exclusively breast milk at 7-8 months. Consult with your pediatrician at what age to introduce it to your baby, because everyone’s physiology develops differently. Feeding cereals has a beneficial effect...

And our selection of recipes for the best vegetable purees for first feeding, which you can easily prepare at home.

Most often, a baby's first complementary feeding starts with zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli. These are the most hypoallergenic vegetables, that is, those to which children usually do not have an allergic reaction. You should start with a monocomponent puree (a puree prepared from one vegetable), and then, when you have already introduced several different vegetables one at a time, and there is no allergic reaction to them, you can prepare vegetable purees from two or more proven vegetables.

In our selection you will find 12 of the best mono- and multi-component vegetable purees for baby’s first complementary foods, many of which can be prepared in just 15 minutes.

12 best recipes for vegetable purees for first feeding

Vegetable puree from potatoes for first feeding

Potatoes have a lot of useful properties: they have a positive effect on the state of the digestive system, stabilize metabolism and strengthen cardiovascular system. In addition, it is simply delicious, nutritious and easy to prepare according to our recipe, which you will find at the link:.

3 recipes for vegetable puree from cauliflower for complementary feeding

The best way to cook cauliflower for baby food- do not boil it, but steam it. In our selection at the link you will find instructions on how to prepare cauliflower for the first feeding, cauliflower and broccoli puree, as well as cauliflower, potato and zucchini puree.

3 recipes for vegetable puree from fresh green peas for complementary feeding

By amount of protein green peas comparable to beef, while it is well digestible. It also contains a large amount of vitamin C and selenium, and is recommended to be introduced into children's diet for the prevention of anemia. Follow the link for information on when to introduce green peas to your baby's complementary foods, as well as how to make fresh green pea puree, a recipe for green pea, spinach and apple puree, and a recipe for green pea, fennel and peach puree.

Vegetable puree from carrots and broccoli and cheese for complementary feeding

The combination of broccoli with mashed potatoes and cheese is a great recipe for vegetable complementary foods, because thanks to it the child will eat more healthy greens. A fairly strong aroma of broccoli will complement the mild taste well. mashed potatoes. Moreover, you remember that broccoli is a super vegetable: it is an excellent source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid, iron and potassium. You can find the full recipe at the link: .

Vegetable puree from pumpkin with prunes and yogurt for complementary feeding

The main advantage of this pumpkin puree for babies is that it is rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, protein and iron. And by mixing pumpkin with yogurt and prunes, your child will not only receive a large dose beneficial bacteria, which will improve digestion, but also a lot of fiber that will help to easily cleanse the intestines, which is especially important for children who suffer from constipation. Recipe from the link: .

Vegetable puree from carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers with chicken for complementary feeding

If your child has already tried monocomponent vegetable and meat purees as first complementary foods, you can offer him this bright, tasty, and most importantly healthy food, the recipe for which you will find in the link.

Hello dear readers! Many questions arise on the topic of which product to introduce first and when. In this article I will give answers to these questions. You will learn which puree should be added first to your baby's complementary foods, when it should be done, what portions to start with and how to prepare this dish.

Complementary feeding – when to start?

There comes a time when the baby’s mother’s milk or formula is no longer enough. He doesn’t eat enough, becomes restless, and doesn’t gain weight. At this moment it is worth starting to introduce additional products. As a rule, this time occurs for infants at 6 months, and for artificial children - at 4. There are exceptions when the baby’s condition worsens, and on the advice of a doctor, the mother will have to introduce complementary foods earlier than the generally accepted dates.

You need to know that until the baby is one year old, prepared foods are introduced into the baby’s diet, not raw ones. And the first dish should be puree, and it must have a homogeneous mass and contain only one product.

It is important that the puree does not differ much in consistency from mother’s milk or formula. This is necessary to make it easier for the baby to switch from one type of product to another. Over time it will be possible to make it thicker.

It is advised to immediately accustom your baby to a spoon. Give the first complementary foods in this way, and not from a bottle.

I gave my baby puree for the first time when he was 6 months old. Since this was the first time for me, I miscalculated a little, and the consistency turned out to be too liquid. I had to pour it into a bottle. But then I got the hang of it, and we switched to a spoon.

Which puree is best for first feeding?

We have already figured out which dish should be the first for the baby. But the question arises, what puree to start complementary feeding with? Grandmothers may advise you to give fruit or meat puree first. But the most correct thing would be to start complementary feeding with vegetables. Meat products are heavy on the baby's tummy; it is better to introduce them last. Why I don’t recommend starting with fruits - they have a natural sweetness. And this can affect the baby’s taste preferences and hygiene. oral cavity(after fruit, the child will not want to eat tasteless vegetables and risks getting caries).

Vegetable puree should be entered first. These products have a high content of vitamins, microelements, fiber (promotes rapid absorption of products), pectin substances (normalize intestinal motility). In addition, vegetables are the most hypoallergenic foods.

I was the first to introduce vegetable puree to my baby, namely zucchini puree.

  1. The first foods to be included in a baby’s complementary feeding are purees, which contain only one component.
  2. We start complementary feeding with vegetable puree.
  3. The first vegetables for your baby should be zucchini and broccoli, the last should be potatoes.
  4. We start giving puree with one teaspoon. If there is no negative reaction within two days, we gradually increase the portion. In a month we reach 50 grams per day. By the age of one year, the portion of puree for the baby should be 150 grams.
  5. If a child is allergic to a certain product, then we stop giving it and postpone such complementary foods until he is one year old. This is the reason that we first give our children puree from one vegetable or fruit, so that it is easy to track what the body has developed an allergy to.
  6. When cooking, do not add salt or sugar. It is extremely necessary for the baby to try the natural taste of the product. In addition, sugar and salt are harmful to his health. And the later he tries them, the better.
  7. Try to use quality products, preferably brought from the village from people in whom you are confident.
  8. If you buy vegetables in the supermarket, it is better to play it safe and soak them in salted water for at least 2 hours to get rid of possible nitrates.
  9. In winter, it is better to use pre-prepared, frozen foods rather than buying imported ones in the store.
  10. Fruits and vegetables native to your climate zone should be introduced first into complementary foods.
  11. If you decide to save time and purchase ready-made puree, carefully study the composition indicated on the jar. The product should not contain anything other than vegetables and water.

How to make puree for complementary feeding

Before you start preparing this dish, you need to know a number of features: how to choose the right products, how to prepare them, how long to cook. To answer this question correctly, it is necessary to consider methods for preparing purees for different products.

Vegetable puree

When preparing, you should adhere to following instructions and for the first complementary feeding, use only one type of vegetable.

  1. We choose fresh and young specimens.
  2. Before cooking, soak vegetables in salted water to remove nitrates.
  3. Wash thoroughly and remove the peel.
  4. Cut into cubes. This should be done immediately before cooking.
  5. Place a pan of water on the fire. After boiling, add vegetables there. No need to add salt.
  6. Cook for an average of 20 minutes, there may be differences depending on the type of vegetable.
  7. The finished product needs to be crushed. Nowadays a blender is used for this. If you don’t have such a device, you can, for example, use a strainer. But with this method, it is necessary to wipe the vegetables that have not yet cooled down.
  8. The puree should be homogeneous.
  9. You can add a little mother’s milk or formula to the finished dish, this will make it more familiar to the baby.

You can also cook it by steaming or in the oven. At the same time, vegetables will retain more nutrients.

Fruit puree

Just as with vegetables, the first complementary food should include puree from only one type of fruit.

How to prepare it:

  1. We choose high-quality, ripe fruits. Give preference not ideal samples, and for those who have non-ideal forms, there are irregularities and wormholes. This is an indicator of the absence of nitrates.
  2. Wash thoroughly, you can even use soda.
  3. We clean the peel, core or pit.
  4. Cut into cubes.
  5. Put the water on the fire, after boiling, add the fruit. No need to sugar.
  6. Cook until fully cooked. Depending on the type of fruit and the degree of ripeness, this time may vary, on average 20 minutes.
  7. We chop the cooked fruit using the equipment available to you. We get a homogeneous mass.
  8. Let it cool and give it to the baby.

Now you know where to start expanding your baby’s diet. I wish you to easily overcome all the steps on the way to one year old. It will be easier later. And now the main thing is to do everything correctly and on time. So, be responsible parents and before giving your baby something new, thoroughly study this issue, so as not only not to harm, but also to benefit your child.

Complementary feeding is one of the most crucial moments in the life of a child and his parents, on which the development and health of the baby as a whole largely depends. You should approach this moment with extreme caution and it is especially important to correctly determine the product with which you should introduce your child to adult food. IN lately More and more pediatricians agree that this product should be porridge, but not fruit and vegetable purees. We will tell you in our article what kind of porridge to start complementary feeding with and how to introduce it correctly. Here we will tell you how to prepare porridge for complementary feeding at home and how to choose it correctly in the store.

When to introduce complementary foods?

The timing of the start of complementary feeding for different children is set individually and depends on several factors.

  • Nature of nutrition. Children who are breastfed, as a rule, are introduced to complementary feeding later than formula-fed children, at about 6 months. Moreover, if the child does not show any interest in adult food and he still has enough breast milk, introduction to cereals can be postponed for another 1-2 months. Children who are on artificial feeding, complementary foods can be introduced faster because their digestive system is more prepared, but not earlier than 4 months - this critical point countdown.
  • Baby's activity and weight gain norms. By the time complementary feeding is introduced, the baby should double its weight. If this does not happen, the pediatrician recommends introducing complementary foods earlier and starting with cereals. A similar decision can be made for active children who usually gain weight poorly.
  • Teething and concomitant diseases also influence decision-making regarding the introduction of complementary foods.

That is why you first need to find out whether the child is ready to get acquainted with new food for him, and only then decide which porridge to start complementary feeding with. There is no need to rush things, and then the introduction of complementary foods will not cause any trouble or disappointment to either mother or baby.

How should you start complementary feeding?

Regardless of which product is chosen to start complementary feeding, there are some rules for its introduction, which all pediatricians agree with without exception.

  • Firstly, complementary foods should be introduced gradually, starting with half a teaspoon, increasing the volume daily to age norm for a child. Next product introduce no earlier than the third week of starting complementary feeding.
  • Secondly, with each new product, parents should monitor the baby’s reaction, and if any warning signs, such as constipation or allergies, the introduction of this dish should be discontinued.
  • Thirdly, the consistency of all baby foods for complementary feeding should resemble breast milk. When the baby gets acquainted with new food, the consistency can be made thicker.
  • Fourthly, complementary feeding should start with dairy-free cereals such as rice or buckwheat. And only after the baby has mastered them well, you can begin to get acquainted with milk porridges.

Porridge: homemade or store-bought?

When the product from which complementary feeding is introduced has already been determined, parents will see new problem: Is it better to buy ready-made porridge in a pack or cook it yourself? Each parent must decide this question for themselves, taking into account the advantages of each option. If you listen to the opinion of the pediatrician, then the question here is clear - doctors advocate the use of ready-made instant cereals.

Advantages of store-bought cereals:

  • the consistency of store-bought porridges is homogeneous, tender and uniform, which is ideal for the children's digestive system;
  • their composition is balanced, they are hypoallergenic and designed for a specific age;
  • The cooking speed of packaged porridges is much higher; they are convenient to cook even in small portions.

When porridge can replace one feeding of a child, he can be switched to homemade cereals. However, doing this at an early age is not advisable.

Which porridge should I introduce complementary foods with?

Even if the family, and the child in particular, has no predisposition to allergic reactions, complementary feeding should be introduced with gluten-free cereals. Thus, grains that contain gluten should be excluded (rye, wheat, oats, barley). Then the question arises: what porridge to start complementary feeding with?

There are three types of gluten-free cereals that are safest for children:

  • buckwheat;
  • corn porridge.

Buckwheat is considered an ideal grain for first complementary feeding. It has valuable proteins, vitamins and amino acids. In addition, the cereal has low level hypoallergenic, saturates the body with iron, increasing the level of hemoglobin in the blood, improves intestinal motility, and relieves constipation.

Rice should be introduced into the baby’s diet after buckwheat. This is the only cereal that contains all 8 amino acids. It is hypoallergenic and helps cope with diarrhea. The only drawback is rice porridge. Complementary feeding with it should absolutely not be started for children suffering from constipation.

Corn grits are introduced into the diet no earlier than 7-8 months, after buckwheat and rice. It has a rich vitamin and mineral composition and helps get rid of constipation. Gradually you can add to the porridge healthy fruits and berries.

Dairy-free porridge: benefits

It is believed that dairy-free, one-ingredient, gluten-free cereals are most suitable for complementary feeding. Why dairy-free porridge? There are certain advantages to this:

  • they do not contain whole milk powder, which means they are suitable for children with lactose intolerance;
  • they are hypoallergenic;
  • such cereals are easier to digest and improve intestinal motility;
  • do not cause bloating and colic, due to the absence of milk in their composition.

If parents still choose porridge to introduce complementary foods homemade, then you should prepare in advance for the cooking process and make flour from the cereal.

How to prepare porridge for the first feeding?

  1. The cereal is washed several times until the water is completely transparent.
  2. Then the cereal is dried in a natural way on a napkin or in the oven and grind into flour.
  3. Heat water (100 ml) in a small saucepan on the stove.
  4. A teaspoon of cereal flour is added to the water and, with thorough stirring, is cooked for 15 minutes.
  5. Transfer the remaining flour into a glass jar with an airtight lid and store in a dark place.

Before feeding your baby, you should learn in advance how to introduce porridge into complementary foods. For this purpose, entire schemes have been developed that must be adhered to.

Complementary feeding scheme

First of all, these schemes were developed in order to avoid a negative reaction from the use of a new product on children's body. Digestive problems, constipation or diarrhea, flatulence and allergies are just a small part of the troubles that can happen to a child due to improper introduction of complementary foods.

So, how to introduce porridge into complementary foods? Rules and introduction scheme:

  1. A new product should be introduced into the diet only when the child is completely healthy and is not teething.
  2. How to prepare the first complementary food? Buckwheat porridge (this is the cereal you should start with) is diluted to the consistency of breast milk.
  3. The first portion of porridge is 0.5 teaspoon, the next day - 1 teaspoon, then 3 spoons. Gradually, over 7 days, the volume should be increased to 150 ml.
  4. After 3-4 weeks, if the child does not have any negative reactions for this product, you should start introducing a new porridge into your diet.

How to choose porridge in a store

Most parents are of the opinion that it is better to buy porridge for complementary feeding in the store. It is optimized for a child’s body, and it saves a lot of time on cooking. All that remains is to figure out how to choose porridge for complementary feeding in the store.

  • First of all, you should choose dairy-free, one-ingredient cereals that do not contain gluten. This protein plant origin is not absorbed by the child’s body, which can lead to serious disruptions in its functioning.
  • Pay attention to the composition; it should not contain flavorings, sugar, fructose and other sweeteners and additives.
  • The porridge must be appropriate for the age of the child for whom it is purchased.
  • Check expiration dates, compliance with storage conditions, and integrity of packaging.

Your child's first porridge should not contain any additional components in the form of an apple or berries. They need to be introduced into the baby’s diet a little later. If you have already decided which porridge to start complementary feeding with, it is enough to buy one package of this product. Perhaps the child will not like the porridge from this manufacturer, and it will urgently need to be replaced with a new one.

Rating of baby cereals

Parents who are faced with the need to introduce complementary foods to their child for the first time are often lost in the store when they see the assortment. Do right choice The following rating of complementary feeding cereals will help in favor of one packaging or another. For several years in a row, the top three have included products from the Nestle, Gerber and Heinz brands. Among Russian brands, the most popular among buyers are Malyutka and Spelenok porridges.

Despite the rating, it is important to familiarize yourself with the ingredients on the packaging right in the store. Because even famous manufacturers sometimes add components to porridge that should not even be present. This is the only way to protect your child from poor-quality complementary foods.

In conclusion

How healthy a child will grow up depends, among other things, on the correct introduction of complementary foods. Therefore, parents should take this step in the baby’s development responsibly and make the right choice in favor of one or another porridge and the timing of the introduction of complementary foods. It is important to buy or prepare the right and safe cereals that will not lead to disruptions in the functioning of the body.

Modern pediatricians recommend starting to introduce complementary foods after 5-6 months; porridge, according to many experts, is ideal for this. Expanding a child’s diet is a crucial moment. Failure to comply with its terms and rules can harm the baby’s health. Porridge has a beneficial effect on digestive system crumbs, is an additional source of vitamins, microelements and energy.

At what age should you start feeding cereals? Which of them are more suitable - ready-made or prepared by mom? About what the first porridge for complementary feeding should be, we'll talk from our article.

Breast milk is the source of everything needed for growth and normal development newborn substances. But as the baby grows, it needs more vitamins and microelements. The child begins to sit, crawl, and walk. Such active movements require a lot of energy.

Complementary feeding is primarily needed to provide for the baby essential vitamins And nutrients, the need for which increases as it grows. It allows you to form a taste and teach him to chew, satisfies the baby’s curiosity and interest in the contents of the plates. In this way the child learns the world around us. This is the second purpose of extra food.

Compared to previous years, a delay in the introduction of complementary foods can be noted. If earlier pediatricians believed that it was time to introduce it after 3 months, today WHO recommends starting no earlier than 6 months, provided. For children eating, additional food begins to be given earlier, from 5 months.

Before this age, foods other than milk or formula will not benefit the baby as the baby's digestive system matures at around five to six months.

Features of introducing porridge to children under one year old

How to start feeding porridge?

The algorithm boils down to observing the following rules:

  1. Porridges for first feeding should consist of one component and not contain milk, sugar, fructose, flavorings and other artificial additives.
  2. The first cereal dishes should be gluten-free. Gluten is vegetable protein, which tends to be poorly digested by most children under 6 months of age. As the digestive system matures, difficulties with its absorption pass, but in rare cases the problem can persist for life. The best porridge for the first feeding - buckwheat and rice. Corn is also gluten-free. But you will have to wait a bit with wheat and oatmeal porridge. Complementary feeding will be useful if the pediatrician determines which porridge is best to start complementary feeding with. It is important to choose the first complementary food based on the characteristics physical development baby.
  3. Cereal dishes introduced into a child’s diet can correct existing digestive problems in the baby. For example, corn porridge will benefit children with a tendency to... great content it contains fiber.
  4. When the child digests one-ingredient gluten-free cereals well, then after 1-1.5 months, gluten-free milk can be introduced.
  5. Semolina is not recommended for children under one year of age. Kids like its taste, and many parents start giving this dish quite early. But you shouldn't do this. Semolina reduces the baby's body's ability to absorb calcium.
  6. Whole porridge cow's milk Can be cooked for children over one year old.

Feeding porridge at 4 months is recommended only for formula-fed babies who are not gaining weight well. Before this, a consultation with a pediatrician is required. The introduction of new products into the menu of a baby at such an early age without special recommendations from a doctor can cause allergic reaction or digestive problems. Porridge for complementary feeding of infants is recommended no earlier than 6 months.

How to introduce porridge into complementary foods? The first tasting of this dish should take place with the morning meal. You need to start with one teaspoon, and after it offer the baby breast or formula.

Proper introduction of porridge into complementary foods involves cooking it in water. Gradually, over 7-10 days, the daily amount is increased, bringing it to the full portion of one feeding.

First, prepare the dish at the rate of 5 grams of cereal per 100 grams of water. If the new food is well tolerated by the baby, then after a few weeks you can increase the cereal content to 10%. Later you are allowed to try another cereal. IN month period It is planned to introduce several types of cereals into complementary foods.

Approximate scheme for introducing complementary foods:

Types of cereals for complementary feeding

To understand which porridge to start complementary feeding with, you need to study their range.

Today you can:

  • Buy a ready-made instant product in a box.
  • Prepare porridge for the first feeding with your own hands.
  • Buy ready-to-eat canned food in a jar. It can be without milk with the addition of fruit, or with milk. This option is very convenient for use on the road.

As a type of liquid porridge for the first complementary feeding, we can note such a novelty for the Russian buyer as wellings. This traditional Scandinavian food is a cross between a milkshake and a very thin porridge. You can start giving Welling to your baby no earlier than 5 months.

Porridges can be dairy-free and made with milk. It is better to start complementary foods with dairy-free ones. Their main advantage is the absence of sugar, milk, starch and other components that create additional stress on the baby’s still immature digestive system. Among the dairy-free cereals recommended for starting complementary feeding for a child, we can recommend buckwheat, rice and corn.

Which porridge to choose for the first feeding? It's better to start with buckwheat. It is rich in protein, iron, B vitamins and magnesium. That is why buckwheat porridge for the first feeding is the most suitable option.

Rice porridge for the first complementary feeding is especially recommended for babies with insufficient nutrition. This product contains a lot of healthy dietary fiber. Many mothers are afraid to give rice porridge for the first feeding, considering that it can cause constipation in the child. This is a misconception. Eating broken rice can cause constipation. But a product made from rice flour is like this side effect cannot provide.

Corn porridge as a complementary food is no less valuable than rice porridge. It is rich in proteins, fiber and microelements. But it is recommended to introduce it after buckwheat and rice.

Despite the high protein content, minerals and vitamins, oatmeal as complementary feeding is recommended at a later age.

There are single-component (consisting of one grain) and multi-component (several grains) porridges. The first porridge must be gluten-free, dairy-free and consist of one type of cereal.

Store-bought or prepared?

Which cereals are better for the first feeding - purchased in boxes or homemade from cereals? If we talk about recommendations, WHO advises using the finished product in boxes for these purposes.

This is due to the fact that he:

  • enriched with iron, potassium, zinc and other important trace elements;
  • has a homogeneous consistency necessary for easy absorption;
  • does not contain salt, dyes, artificial components;
  • has a safe composition, does not contain impurities of heavy metals and chemicals;
  • undergoes careful control.

When starting complementary foods with a product in a box, you can be sure that it is made from high quality raw materials. Often the decisive argument in its favor is the speed and ease of preparation.

However, from an economic point of view, it is more profitable to cook such food at home. The product in the package has a short shelf life, and at first the baby consumes a very small amount of complementary foods. Some mothers simply don't trust the contents of the box and prefer to cook on their own.

In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of hygiene and proportions of cereals. Easiest to prepare buckwheat porridge. In any case, it’s up to mom to decide which porridge to choose.

How to properly prepare porridge for first feeding

Inexperienced mothers may have a question about how to prepare porridge for the first feeding. This is not difficult at all if it comes out of the box. In this case, you just need to carefully read the instructions on the package. Usually the contents of the package should be filled with warm boiled water or mixture and mix well. Mom doesn’t even have to think about how to cook porridge. The only rule is that you need to cook this product immediately before eating.

If it is decided to introduce complementary foods in the form of porridges from home-cooked food, then the preparation scheme will be as follows:

  • Before cooking porridge for the first feeding, the cereal is sorted, washed and dried. Then it is ground in a coffee grinder into flour.
  • When it comes to porridges for the first feeding, it is important to observe the proportions - 5 grams of cereal per 100 grams of water.
  • After cooking, adjust the consistency to the required consistency by adding water, formula or breast milk.
  • No salt or sugar is added.

After 8 months, you can add a little to the finished dish butter and diluted baby milk. Whole milk can only be used after a year.

Review of baby cereals

Modern food industry produces so much baby food that it is not easy for an ignorant person to figure out which cereals are best. Let's consider the composition of the products most famous manufacturers and make a rating of cereals for the first feeding.

So, which brand of porridge is best for first feeding?

Nestle

Nestlé products occupy a leading position in our ranking. It is loved by children for its good taste and is in demand among mothers due to its wide range. Nestlé produces milk and dairy-free cereals for first feeding. The raw materials for their production undergo strict control.

Nestlé porridges for first feeding are completely safe and easy to use. But the products of this company have one drawback - the presence of lecithin in the composition, which is rare, but still capable of causing an allergic reaction in the baby.

Gerber

Many pediatricians recommend adding Gerber porridge to complementary foods. The products of this manufacturer are labeled “organic”. This means that the highest quality raw materials are used for its production. It does not contain sugar, dissolves very well, and has a pleasant consistency and taste.

Heinz

The line of porridges from this manufacturer includes four areas:

  • low-allergenic;
  • dairy-free;
  • dairy;
  • with flavoring additives.

Heinz cereals for the first feeding are not suitable for everyone. Yes, the product range of this company is varied, the food is tasty, and it is well diluted with water. But the products contain many additives that are not suitable for every baby.

Hipp

You can safely start feeding porridge at 5 months with the Hipp brand. The products of this manufacturer are distinguished by the addition of herbal decoctions that soothe the baby and a hypoallergenic milk component.

When thinking about what kind of porridge to start complementary feeding with, you can trust the products of this manufacturer. “Hipp” produces both dairy and dairy-free porridges, as well as the “ Good night" After 8 months, babies can enjoy meals with cookies, cocoa and fruit.

Friso

The products of this brand are of high quality and varied assortment. But we do not recommend it for the first complementary feeding, since it contains sugar and vanillin. It is recommended to use this brand of cereal from 6 months, or even better, after the baby reaches one year of age.

"Baby"

You can safely start feeding “Malyutka” cereals from 5 months. The products of the Nutricia company are varied, including dairy and non-dairy, mono-cereal and multi-cereal porridges, with various additives.

The advantages of Malyutka products are their low price and good range. Among the disadvantages, it can be noted that sometimes lumps form when preparing complementary foods.

"Spelenok"

Among domestic manufacturers of baby food, I would like to note the products of the Spelenok brand. Among the advantages - a wide range, high quality ingredients. The disadvantages include the presence of sugar in the composition. Therefore, it is better to start complementary feeding with Spelenok porridge at 6 months, even if an earlier age is indicated on the box.

The introduction of complementary foods in the form of cereals can begin at 6 months; for artificial babies, the period of its introduction may be pushed back a month earlier. For the first experiment, it is best to prepare buckwheat porridge. Later, the toddler’s menu can be diversified. Regardless of whether the mother uses ready-made porridge or cooks it herself, if all the rules are followed, this food will benefit the baby.

Useful video about introducing complementary foods

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