Every baby has the right to a healthy and balanced diet according to the 'Convention on the Rights of the Child'.
The best food for babies in the first 6 months is only breast milk. If breast milk is insufficient or unavailable in quantity, appropriate formula should be given instead. Babies receiving breast milk or formula do not need extra water.
In the first 6 months, water needs are met from breast milk or formula. Breast milk meets 100% of the baby's needs in the first 6 months, 50% of the baby's needs in 6-12 months, and 30% from the 12th month. After the sixth month, complementary feeding is started as breast milk is partially insufficient to meet the baby's nutritional needs.
Complementary nutrition is the addition of other foods in addition to breast milk. Complementary nutrition is divided into two: transitional foods specially prepared for infants and family meals. Breastfeeding is continued along with complementary foods from the 6th month to the age of 2. A baby who has started to sit with or without support, holds his head comfortably, has developed hand, mouth and eye coordination, and can swallow solid foods should be introduced to complementary foods.
All the tastes encountered in the prenatal and early postnatal periods can affect the baby's sense of taste, and even This situation may continue throughout childhood and adolescence. Therefore, the diet of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers is important for the baby's nutritional habits. In short, consume whatever you want your baby to eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
6-7. Complementary feeding in the first month
In this period, transitional foods specially prepared for the baby are preferred. Purees are preferred in consistency. The baby needs extra water when he starts complementary foods.
The water used should be drinking water, boiled or warm, and should be given between meals. This month is the best time to start supplementary feeding. The baby has started to sit without or with support, he is at a level to direct the food from the spoon to the pharynx with his tongue movements, he can take the objects he catches to his mouth, the stomach acidity has decreased, which digests the food more easily and kills microorganisms. In this month, the baby is introduced to 4 food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains and yoghurt).
Supplementary foods are added to each of them. It can be consumed, but to increase adaptation, the first food group we choose as a starter is vegetables. As a rule, nutrients are started one by one and in small amounts, and the amount is gradually increased. Noon hours are preferred when starting supplementary foods. A new food is added every 3 days. For example, supplementary foods start with mashed potatoes. The potatoes are peeled, cut into cubes, cooked in a small amount of drinking water or in steam, then a soft puree is made and 1 teaspoon of olive oil is added.
Remember, salt is not added until the 10th month. On the first day, 1 tablespoon of this puree is given and then the meal is completed by breastfeeding. On the second day, 2 tablespoons are given and the feeding is completed by breastfeeding. On the third day, 3 tablespoons are given. The reason we chose potatoes as the first vegetable is that it is easy to digest and has a low risk of allergy. Potatoes are rich in starch. It is poor in protein, but the protein it contains has high biological value. It contains significant amounts of vitamin C and thiamine. While preparing mashed potatoes on the fourth day, approximately 25% carrots are added, and the next day the amount of carrots is increased to an equal amount. On the seventh day, pumpkin is added to the vegetable puree if it is winter, and pumpkin if it is summer.
It should not be forgotten that we determine the ingredients and our baby determines the amount, so when signs of satiety begin to be observed, feeding is stopped. The stomach capacity of a 6-month-old baby is approximately 150-180 ml, that is, about the size of a tea glass. The first vegetables we give to our baby between the sixth and seventh months are potatoes, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli, celery, spinach, chard, Jerusalem artichoke, artichoke and peas. The baby who is accustomed to three types of vegetables (potatoes, carrots, zucchini) has the right to switch to the second group of complementary foods.
We prefer fruit as the second food group. When choosing fruits, care should be taken to ensure that they are fresh and seasonal. The first fruits should be apples, pears, peaches, apricots, bananas. Our first fruit in summer should be peaches, and in winter it should be apples. After washing it well and peeling it, we grate it on a glass grater and puree it. Again, as we do with vegetables, start with a small amount and increase the dose according to the 3-day rule. Fruit is given as a second meal, if the baby wants to breastfeed, he is breastfed afterwards. Meanwhile, continue with vegetable puree for lunch. 3 with 3 days apart After trying a variety of fruits, you can switch to cereals
Cereals should be started before the 7th month. All grains are rich in B group vitamins (except vit B12). First, start with rice and semolina, which are easy to digest and have low allergy potential. Unprocessed grains are preferred, such as brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Cereals can be given in 3 ways according to desire. It can be added to vegetable purees, prepared as pudding, or given to babies as a special cereal spoon food. Grain foods are preferred more in the evening to keep you full at night and wake up less.
It is preferred to give yoghurt by fermenting it at home from fresh cow's milk. Yoghurts prepared from raw milk are not used because there is a risk of chemical and microbiological contamination. If the baby uses formula, yoghurt can also be prepared with the baby's formula. It would be appropriate to start with kefir this month.
Vegetable puree
- 1 glass of drinking water
- 1 small sized potato
- 1/2 medium sized carrot
- 1/4 medium sized zucchini
- 1 teaspoon of rice
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Preparation: All ingredients are cooked in a pot, covered, over low heat. It is passed through a wire strainer or crushed. Olive oil is added after the vegetables are cooked.
Custard
- 200 ml drinking water
- 2 teaspoons of rice flour or semolina
- 6 scoops of follow-on milk
Preparation: Cook with 2 teaspoons of rice flour in 200 ml of water. When it cools down, add 6 scoops of follow-on milk.
Yogurt
- 100 ml of warm boiled water
- 6 scoops of follow-on milk
- 1 teaspoon of yoghurt
Preparation: Add 6 scoops of follow-on milk to 100 ml of water and pour the prepared milk into a small bowl or jar. Add 1 teaspoon of yoghurt and mix gently. It is left to ferment in a warm environment for 6 hours. After keeping it in the refrigerator for 1 night, it is given at room temperature.
7-8. Complementary feeding per month
6-7 days this month. We continue to eat 2-3 meals per month and increase the variety of vegetables and fruits. Se We can prepare dishes with marrow bone broth. Now it's time to start having breakfast. The most important food for breakfast is egg yolk. Hard-boiled eggs (5 minutes of boiling is enough when the water starts to boil) and given as much as ¼ every other day, after taking quarters 2 times, half is given 2 times, then after taking 2 whole eggs every other day, 1 egg yolk is given every day. In this way, you can switch to 1 egg yolk daily in 12 days. 4 days after starting eggs, a quarter of a matchbox of white cheese is started. It is left in drinking water overnight to remove its salt. The amount is given as half a matchbox on the 2nd day, and as much as a full matchbox on the 3rd day.
First, 1 teaspoon of natural molasses is added, and then 2 teaspoons of natural molasses are added. Baby bread, grated walnuts and butter are also added. After getting used to breakfast, switch to red meat. Red meat, double-chopped lamb mince, is added to vegetable purees the size of a baby's fist every other day. After getting used to minced lamb, ground beef is also given, and chicken and turkey meat are given as white meat. Since it is difficult to find organic chicken nowadays, our preference is to give it once a week. Red meat is a very high-quality source of protein and iron for babies.
8-9. Complementary nutrition in the first month
In this month, legumes are given in addition to the foods we gave before. Legumes such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans are added to the menu. It is an important source of nutrients when consumed with grains. It contains protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals with high biological value. During this period, in order to reinforce chewing, foods are given in rough form by crushing them with a fork, rather than in puree form.
9-10. Complementary nutrition in the month
Fish is added to the menu in this month. Fish is a source of protein and essential amino acids with high biological value. It contains high amounts of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and is important for neuromotor development. It is also rich in iron and zinc. Saltwater fish are a good source of iodine. Fish is served steamed, baked or prepared as soup. Fish such as salmon, bluefish, sardine, anchovy, sea bream and sea bass are given. It is appropriate to give it once a week initially, then twice a week. Not always the same type of fish but different types of fish and also It is more appropriate to give sea and cultured fish alternately.
Fish soup
- 50 g of fish (such as sole, sea bass filet)
- ½ small sized potato
- ½ small sized carrot
- White part of 1 small leek
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 clove shallot
- 1-2 sprigs of parsley
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 1-2 sprigs of lemon juice
- 1 glass of water
Cook the vegetables and fish in 1 glass of water for 20 minutes, after cooking, remove the leek, add olive oil and 1-2 drops of lemon
10-12. month of complementary nutrition
Switch to home-cooked meals, and if there is a rejection of additional foods as the sense of taste develops in this month, light rock salt can be added to the meals. Homemade meals include stuffed chard with minced meat, stuffed zucchini and peppers, stews with meat and vegetables, juicy meatballs, stuffed potatoes, spinach with minced meat, celery with olive oil, green beans with minced meat, stew fish, kidney beans with olive oil, beans, lentils, and soups. Tomatoes and red pepper can be added to summer meals. Adding onion, garlic, parsley and dill to meals enriches both their taste and nutritional value.
During this period, foods are given by crushing them with a fork. Giving foods in puree form may cause obesity and nutritional problems if continued after the 10th month.
Dr. from England. The 'Baby led weaning (BLW)' approach, which was initiated by Gill Rapley in the 2000s, has resulted in "finger foods" that the child can choose instead of being fed with puree, in children who can sit in the high chair, grasp the food and bring the food to their mouth to chew. It is an alternative form of nutrition that has been discussed recently and recommends feeding people with foods that they can grasp with their fingers. In this way, babies can consume the food they want, in the amount they want. As a result of the research, it is seen that the anxiety caused by feeding decreases in mothers, they are fed healthier foods than babies who are fed classically, and the duration of breastfeeding in this group is longer than those who are fed classically.
Vegetable and fruit options according to the season.
Vegetable options in spring and summer -
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