When the baby begins with complementary feeding after six months, the best option is to prepare the porridge at home. Let's see some tips for preparing baby porridge, which will make it a healthy and safe food.
Although there are baby food jars on the market that have to pass quality controls (and these can sometimes take us out of some trouble), the best is the homemade food made by the parents.
The first days of complementary feeding are a big change in the routine of the baby and his parents, and it is not always easy. You have to be patient during the process, look for different formulas, and each baby will be a world, and we hope these tips help you.
Some babies are better off eating uncrushed foods themselves, which is known as "baby led weaning", but that is another issue and today we want to focus on porridge.
The baby will take fruit porridge, cereal (can be mixed), meat and fish with vegetables, of legumes, according to the pediatrician's instructions, introducing the new foods one by one to rule out intolerances.
The best thing to make these foods is to choose fresh seasonal products, natural (better than cut than packaged) and even organic.
Fish is probably the most expensive ingredient, you can choose frozen fish and thaw it properly for its preparation. It will probably change its texture and the taste is not exactly the same as with fresh fish, but the nutritional properties do not vary. Remember that white fish is the first that is introduced into the children's diet (before blue).
When cooking we have to take into account hygiene at all times of the process: hand washing before and after each food handling, washing fruits and vegetables, washing the knives we have used to cut before cutting another type of food ... Of course, you also have to take care of the hygiene of the surfaces and the battery with which we cook or crush the food.
To cook comes very well steam cooking, since the properties of food are better preserved. We can also boil them. To crush them, you have to add water of the same cooking to acquire the right texture.
Babies at first are only accustomed to milk, so it is very likely that they find it easier to accept food that is not very solid, without tripping ... although we will have to be very patient when it comes to the first tablespoons. The texture of the food can make the little ones feel rejection or attraction for them, but it will be different with each one at different stages of growth.
It is not advisable to put salt in the porridge, remember that foods already include sodium and the baby's system still cannot handle large amounts of this mineral. Add half teaspoon raw olive oil When it comes to taking porridge, it will give it a smooth consistency and helps prevent constipation.
If we make porridge for the baby, it is best to prepare them at the time, before mealtime. Start with a small amount, the baby needs a period of adaptation, and milk will remain its main food. They need very little at the beginning, and little by little, as the months go by, you will see that it claims more. You will know immediately what the fair ration is (although there are days that, for whatever reason, the baby wants less).
For comfort and lack of time, if we make a large amount of porridge We can distribute them in suitable containers and freeze next portions once they have cooled. Then you just have to defrost and heat these portions in the microwave or in a bowl slowly over the fire.
If food is left over, it should not be re-frozen, and it is better not to reuse it later with the baby, since it is easier to cool harmful bacteria when it cools, and the baby's defense system is still fragile.
The porridge, a complement
He thinks that in these moments in which the baby is changing his diet it is not necessary to do it radically but little by little, without abandoning the breast milk, that will continue being the base of his feeding and contributing multiple benefits.
In this way we prevent constipation of the baby with the first porridge, since they suppose a great change in their feeding. However, we also reduce the risk if we are generous in fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich foods, or add the teaspoon of raw olive oil to the porridge, as we said earlier.
From the twelve months of the child it can be a good time to use the food eaten by the whole family, taking away meat, fish, vegetables ... and make your porridge less crushed, with more pieces, adding broth.
Of course, we will do it if the family meal follows the premises to be healthy, nothing fried, low salt, low fat food ... Here we leave you the decalogue of tips for healthy infant feeding, to follow both at the time of the porridge as later.
The time has come to say goodbye to the porridge. At first you thought it was going to be eternal, but time passes quickly and the child will start eating with a fork, he alone! Meanwhile, we hope that these tips for preparing baby's papillae Help you enjoy them together.
Photos | cu rr y y jenny cu in Flickr-CC In Babies and more | Supplementary feeding: the first few days, Supplementary feeding: the preferences of babies, have babies always been given porridge?
