Introduction of complementary foods at 5 months. Breast milk is the best food

26.07.2019

As a rule, it is at 5 months that the baby begins complementary foods. For babies who are on artificial or mixed feeding, 4-5 months is the optimal age for the introduction of complementary foods.

As a rule, it is at 5 months that the baby begins complementary foods. For babies who are on artificial or mixed feeding, 4-5 months is the optimal age for the introduction of complementary foods. At this stage of development, the child needs nutrients that formula milk cannot fully provide. Yes, and mother's milk is not always nutritious enough for a 5-month-old baby, and sometimes a baby by this age simply does not have enough of it. No wonder, according to the recommendations of the WHO (World Health Organization), complementary foods begin at 6 months. 5 months is already the beginning of your baby's sixth month of life, so now is the time to think about diversifying his diet.

We introduce complementary foods at 5 months

The first thing a young mother should do when deciding to start complementary foods at 5 months is to consult a pediatrician. This can be done by coming to the next scheduled inspection. The doctor will assess the child’s development indicators, help clarify the timing of the start of introducing complementary foods, recommend where to start complementary foods, and write out a scheme for introducing new products.

What complementary foods are recommended for a 5 month old baby? In the diet of a child at 5 months, in addition to milk or milk formula, may already be present: vegetable and fruit purees, fruit juices, compotes, cereals, vegetable and butter. No more new products need to be introduced before 6 months. To clarify the timing of the possible introduction of products for babies of 5 months, the table of complementary foods for children up to a year, which you can find on our website, will help. Referring to the proposed tables and all kinds of introduction schedules and complementary feeding schemes, at 5 months or at any other age, you need to remember that these are only recommendations, and not strict norms. Ultimately, as a result of studying the literature and based on the advice of a doctor, each mother develops her own scheme for the introduction of complementary foods.

Complementary foods at 5 months juices and compotes

Juices, as a rule, are introduced into the diet of infants quite early, often from the age of 4 months. The first baby juice is, of course, green apple juice. They start with a few drops diluted with boiled water, then gradually increase the amount of juice every day (of course, provided that there is no allergic reaction or indigestion). By the end of the 5th month, the daily dose of fruit juice can be increased to 50 ml.

If the baby reacts to the juice with colic in the tummy, or you observe other intolerance reactions, for example, an allergic rash, etc. it is better to prefer juices from fresh or dried apples or prunes.

Complementary foods at 5 months fruit purees

Fruit purees are also often introduced as early as 4 months. For the first acquaintance with fruit puree, as in the case of juices, the green apple is the best suited; it is best absorbed by the child's body, and the risk of allergies is minimal. It is best to start with a baked, rather than raw, apple, this is a more gentle option for the baby's stomach. How to bake an apple for a child, read. For the first time, a teaspoon will be enough, then gradually increase the amount, bringing up to 50 ml per day by the end of the 5th month.

If your 5-month-old baby is already familiar with applesauce, at this age you can start gradually introducing new fruits: pear, banana, apricot, peach. Give each new fruit to the baby first in a very small amount, separately or mixed with mashed potatoes from an already known fruit or vegetable. To correctly assess the reaction of the child's body to a new product, you should not introduce more than one innovation per week.

Complementary foods at 5 months vegetable puree

Vegetable puree is introduced into complementary foods for babies, starting from 5 months. Thanks to their smooth consistency, zucchini, potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli are best suited for the first acquaintance with vegetables. A little later, you can give your child orange vegetables: pumpkin and carrots, but with caution, brightly colored fruits and vegetables often provoke allergies. The scheme for introducing new vegetables is the same as in the case of fruits: we introduce no more than one new vegetable per week, increasing the dose from 1/4-1/2 teaspoon to 100 g per day by the end of the 5th month. If the child does not like this or that vegetable, we do not force it, we try another.

It is up to the parents to feed the child with canned mashed potatoes of industrial production or cook vegetables on their own. Let's just say that it is better to buy jars at a pharmacy, paying attention to expiration dates, and vegetables and fruits are preferable to those that have grown in your region (excluding, of course, bananas and other exotics).

Still, if time permits, it is better to prepare vegetable puree from fresh or frozen vegetables yourself. In fact, it doesn’t take that much time, especially since now almost every kitchen has at least the simplest blender model. If your baby was born in winter or spring, then by the age of 5-6 months you will have a huge selection of seasonal summer-autumn vegetables and fruits at your disposal. Feel free to buy them in the markets and stores and cook delicious and varied purees for your crumbs. But mothers of summer and autumn children will have to take care of supplies for winter and spring in advance: buy zucchini, pumpkin or other vegetables in the market during the season, wash and clean them, cut into pieces and freeze. And in winter or spring, when it's time to introduce complementary foods, take your supplies out of the freezer, boil and cook healthy and safe mashed potatoes.

Add a teaspoon of unrefined olive or sunflower oil to the finished cooled puree.

Complementary foods at 5 months of porridge

Another product that can be introduced into the diet of a child at 5 months is cereals in the form of cereals. They usually start with oatmeal. Then they introduce the baby to buckwheat, rice, corn porridge.

You can cook baby porridge from ordinary cereals or cereals, after grinding them into flour. Cook porridge for 5-month-old children on water, you can add breast milk or milk formula to the finished porridge (cow's milk is contraindicated for 5-month-old children), as well as just a little bit of sugar. But simpler, cleaner and safer are special baby cereals offered by many baby food manufacturers. Such porridges are diluted with boiled water at a temperature of about 40 C, which makes it possible to preserve the beneficial properties of porridge; do not wait for it to cool down; and also adjust the consistency from thick enough (to feed the baby from a spoon) to liquid (to give from a bottle with a special nipple for cereals).

The amount of porridge, like any new product, should be increased gradually, starting with 1-2 teaspoons and bringing it to 50-100 g by the end of the 5th month. You can add a small piece of butter to the finished thick breakfast porridge.

Feeding a 5 month old baby

A 5-month-old baby eats 5-6 times a day. In the second daily feeding, cereals and fruit purees are usually given, in the third vegetable purees and fruit juices. In other feedings, the baby receives breast milk or milk formula.

From 5-6 months, the child's need for additional vitamins and minerals increases. During this period, breast milk and artificial formula no longer fully satisfy the needs of the baby, which is why many introduce fruit puree into the diet.

Why is it administered at 5-6 months? This is due to the fact that before that the body of children is not yet ready for more dense food. If complementary foods are introduced later than six months, they may have problems adapting to "adult" food.

What are fruit purees?

Interestingly, during this period, fruit puree becomes an indispensable element of the children's diet. It is one of the best sources of both nutrients and minerals.

Puree can be of two types:

one-component;
combined.

Complementary foods from mashed potatoes, unlike juices, have a denser consistency. This is due to the increased content of pectin and plant fibers, which are responsible for regulating the motor function of the intestines of the baby. For a slightly older child, complementary foods are mashed potatoes containing rice starch, guar gum or pectins. These thickeners are natural. They are even added to adaptive milk formulas for those children who have problems with the digestive system.

The introduction of thickeners of natural origin into the first purees contributes to the habituation of the baby to thick foods. As a result, the baby will develop chewing and swallowing skills, which becomes an important step in the transition to adult food.

How much fruit puree?

The first complementary foods must be started with one product. Give preference to a pear or apple dessert. Start giving one teaspoon per day, gradually increasing to the required amount. The increase in volume for the baby occurs within a week.

To find out how much puree is needed for a baby, multiply its age in months by 10. As a result, you will get the required volume in milliliters. So, if the child is 5 months old, he will need fruit puree in a volume of 50 ml. If he is 6 months old, the required complementary foods in volume is 60 ml per day.

Remember that you can not immediately give the full amount of mashed potatoes to babies. Introduce it gradually. But fruit will always be just dessert. For this reason, they should only be given after the main feeding.

Choosing a treat in the store

Industrially produced fruit baby food is usually sold in convenient jars. If you plan to start complementary foods with it, you need to take into account the physical abilities of the baby. And they are determined by his age. Fruit puree is packaged in glass jars, the volume of which is from 190 to 360 ml. A whole jar should be given to a child not earlier than a year. A 5-6-month-old child is enough for a couple of spoons.

If the jar is not opened, store it in a dark and cool place. A good place for this would be a closed cabinet in the kitchen. If the child has eaten two spoons, put the open jar in the refrigerator. But you can store it in this way only for a day. If the treat has stood for longer, it is better not to give it to the child. But there are some brands whose products are allowed to be stored for 36 hours.

When buying fruit puree, always read the label carefully. It indicates the age of the baby from which these products are given. Treat this information carefully, because mashed potatoes may contain cereals. And such products are not suitable for babies - they are designed for older children.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the degree of crushing of the fruit. It will be maximum for children aged 5-6 months. And after three months, you can give a puree containing small pieces of fruit.

fruit puree recipes

It is not necessary to buy ready-made puree for complementary foods. You can and you can prepare monocomponent or fruit and berry puree at home in the required quantity. What fruits are suitable? It could be an apple or a pear. They should be steamed. This will preserve the beneficial properties, and complementary foods will turn out to be more saturated and thick.

The following recipe will do. Peel the fruit from the peel and core. Cut into slices, they are laid out on a sieve, which is placed in a pot of boiling water. The pan should be covered for 6-8 minutes. Then the resulting mixture is rubbed. Similarly, you can make peach puree, but the cooking time is limited to 5 minutes.

You can also prepare a multi-component puree at home, which includes the following options.

Dried apricots and apple. The recipe involves the use of 100 g of dried apricots, which fit into a small saucepan. It is filled with water and left overnight. Then you need to peel two apples, remove the core and cut them. Place the apples in a saucepan and bring the water to a boil. They are boiled for 10 minutes, stirring all the time. Rub the resulting mixture.
Papaya and pear. This recipe calls for ripe and soft pears. They need to be cleaned and cut. Then they are laid out in a double boiler for 10 minutes. Take a papaya and cut it in two, removing the seeds. Scoop out the pulp. It should be mixed with pears and rubbed to get a good complementary food.
Bananas with berries. To prepare this fruit and berry puree, you will need 200 g of a berry mixture. You can take strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Use the following recipe - mix the berries with sliced \u200b\u200bripe banana. Then grind the mixture.

For a richer fruit puree, add natural cream or yogurt just before serving. It can also be mixed into porridge if you are making it at home. And remember that not only citrus fruits, but also berries can cause allergies in babies. Therefore, they should be given carefully and the reaction monitored.

Thus, it is better to start complementary foods with fruit puree. The main thing is that the child is already 5 months old.

The main food of the child is still breast milk or formula. On the day the child eats about a kilogram of food, an average of five feedings per day. It is important that the baby receives the necessary minimum of vitamins, the most important of which are D and C.

Complementary foods should be started with half a teaspoon, carefully observing the reaction and gradually increasing the portion as the child gets used to the new taste, and in the absence of allergic reactions. Where to start? And you can start with cereals, juices or purees, at your discretion.

Kashi

Starting complementary foods with porridge is especially good for those children who are slowly gaining weight. The first porridge for your baby can be oatmeal or buckwheat. You can cook at home yourself or buy ready-made porridge in the store. If you decide to cook porridge for your child yourself, you have two options: the first is to boil the cereal and rub it through. The second is to grind the groats into flour and cook. In the second method, the porridge is more homogeneous.

Puree

If your child is not bothered by frequent spitting up, there are no problems with weight and development, one-component purees can also be the first complementary foods. First, offer your child a scraped apple. Take an apple, peel it and scrape the flesh with a teaspoon. In the same way, you can introduce a child to a banana, pear, apricot, and after all these fruits are introduced and there is no allergy, you can mix flavors.

You can also enter vegetable purees from broccoli, pumpkin, zucchini. You can cook it yourself, or you can buy ready-made mashed potatoes at.

Juices

Start giving single-component juices, from half a teaspoon, and preferably dilute with water in a ratio of 2/3, gradually bringing the daily volume to 30 ml. To get started, introduce your baby to apple juice, then plum, apricot, cherry, carrot.

Remember, fruit juice is not a complete substitute for fruit puree: fruit puree contains many more nutrients!

Sample menu for a 5 month old baby

Starting from the second half of the fifth, your child's daily diet may be as follows:
10.00 - vegetable puree (150 g), 1/2 yolk and 3 tablespoons of fruit puree;
14.00 - breastfeeding, 2 teaspoons of cottage cheese, 5-6 teaspoons of juice;
18.00 - breastfeeding; 5-6 teaspoons of juice;

Or you can try this menu:
6.00 - breastfeeding;
10.00 - milk porridge (150 g), a few teaspoons of cottage cheese, 5-6 teaspoons of fruit juice;
14.00 - breastfeeding, fruit puree (50 g);
18.00 - vegetable puree (150 g), 1/2 yolk, 5-6 teaspoons of fruit juice or 3 tablespoons of one of the fruit purees;
22.00 - breastfeeding.

For a child on an artificial one, the following menu is recommended in the fifth month:
6.00 - mixture (200 g) or kefir (200 g);
10.00 - milk porridge (for example, oatmeal or buckwheat) - 150 g, cottage cheese - 2 teaspoons, fruit puree - 3 tablespoons;
14.00 - a mixture (200 g) or kefir (200 g), fruit juice - 5-6 teaspoons;
18.00 - one of the vegetable purees (150 g), 1/2 yolk, fruit juice - 5-6 teaspoons;
22.00 - mixture (200 g) or kefir (200 g).

Remember, eating habits are laid in the first 3 years of a child's life - accustom your baby to "unfamiliar" healthy tastes in time - and he will always love them!

Most importantly, remember that for

When the child is 5 months old, you can gradually introduce additional complementary foods in the form of mashed vegetable puree and nutritious cereals into his diet. Such additives require a child's body, as it begins to grow rapidly at this age.

But what kind of cereals can be given to a child, it is worth understanding in more detail so as not to harm. After all, this issue is quite important for caring parents who strive to provide children with the most valuable nutrients for the full development of the body.

What cereals to choose for the diet of a 5-month-old baby

At present, thanks to the huge selection of food products, it is quite difficult to choose exactly those cereals that will be useful for the child's body. Complementary foods in the form of porridge can be prepared independently or purchased at the store ready-made mixture.

It is worth remembering that it is the introduction of complementary foods into the diet that is an important period, because the gastrointestinal tract of 5-month-old children is just beginning to function normally. Pediatricians advise adding new foods gradually and little by little, so as not to cause allergies or rejection.

What is the value of cereals introduced into the menu

Of course, complementary foods in different forms will benefit the child. However, it is cereals rich in grains that will have a wonderful effect. Since the body develops rapidly at the age of 5 months, it will need additional energy, and it can only be obtained through a high-calorie menu. Kashi are valued because of the presence in them:

trace elements;
vitamins;
carbohydrates;
proteins;
fats.

The percentage of the above elements that a child simply needs is not the same for different types of cereals, therefore, when preparing a new complementary food for children of 5 months, this indicator must be taken into account. Examples can be given here:

Rice groats contain 50-70% carbohydrates.
Oatmeal contains the maximum amount of B1 and B2 vitamins.
Buckwheat cereals contain the dietary fiber necessary for the child, which helps the intestines to function properly.

But dishes prepared with semolina and rice cereals have a minimum amount of valuable dietary fiber necessary for the beneficial functioning of the digestive tract. Of course, these types can be used for cooking, but not often.

When is the best time to introduce complementary foods to a baby?

If we take into account the advice of pediatricians, the first complementary foods in the form of vegetable puree are given to a child at the age of four months, and cereals can be introduced into the children's diet from 5 months. If you cook cereals with sugar and butter, you run the risk of causing children to refuse vegetables. After all, any kind of vegetable puree will be bland and tasteless when compared with sugar. In addition, if high-calorie complementary foods are introduced earlier than 5 months, the baby may gain excess weight, especially if there is already a predisposition to this.

Despite the fact that cereals are quite high in calories, for some children, this complementary food is simply necessary. Early introduction of a new product is recommended for children:

With low weight.
Poorly adding in growth.
With unstable emptying. That is, if parents observe an unstable stool during daily toileting, then the introduction of vegetable complementary foods can only complicate the situation, because such products are a weak natural laxative.

Therefore, in this situation, it is best for a child to give cereals, and limit vegetables.

What cereals should be introduced into the diet of children of 5 months first

The first types of cereals should be easy to digest, which means that the composition does not contain gluten, a protein of plant origin. These cereals include:

barley groats;
oats and rye;
porridge made from wheat base.

Gluten is quite difficult for the children's intestines to digest. As a result, the color of the stool often changes in children, allergic reactions appear, intestinal motility is disturbed, causing contractions (which leads to colic).

You can cook the first porridge in your life from:

rice cereal;
buckwheat base;
processed corn grains.

These types of cereals are classified as gluten-free, they are less high-calorie, easily absorbed by the child's body. If the baby cannot empty himself freely after them, in this case it is advisable to give a 5-month-old child porridge made from buckwheat kupa. With an unstable stool, cereals made from rice should be chosen as complementary foods.

It is best to introduce light complementary foods before the main feeding, which can be either breastfeeding or artificial. They give porridge according to a certain scheme in order to prevent complications:

on the 1st day, complementary foods should be no more than 2 teaspoons;
on the 2nd day, the norm of cereals is increased to 40 grams;
during the week, the norm of complementary foods gradually increases to 140 grams.

For children over one year old, the volume of the dish should be equal to 200-220 grams.

Cooking porridge for children 5 months at home

To prepare a healthy new dish for a child using homemade cereals, it should first be thoroughly washed under running water. Ready-made cereals from oatmeal, buckwheat, rice groats should have only 10% of the products, while the liquid is 90% of the total mass. They are cooked on a slow, almost minimal heat, stirring thoroughly. After the cereal is ready, it must be thoroughly ground. This will require a special sieve with small cells. The strained mass is transferred to another container and poured with milk. As a filling, you can use both regular and expressed breast milk. Next, boil the mass again over low heat for several minutes. At the end of cooking, you can sweeten the porridge with sugar syrup, add a little salt and butter. But don't overdo the sugar.

The approximate ratio of the necessary ingredients for the preparation of new complementary foods for a 5-month-old child:

to get 100-120 grams of boiled porridge, you should take 10-12 grams of cereals;
60 ml of purified water and 120 ml of milk;
4 ml of sugar syrup;
4 grams of butter.

Having prepared cereals taking into account these ratios, you can be sure of the excellent appetite of children. Moreover, there will be no allergic reactions here.

Pediatricians advise following certain recommendations when introducing complementary foods to a child who is 5 months old:

the basis of porridge should be cereal, which rarely causes allergies;
you can give the next new dish only a week after the introduction of the first dish;
if any rash on the skin is found during the introduction of a new product, the porridge should be canceled and immediately consult a doctor for examination;
the introduction of complementary foods is not allowed if the child is unwell, during vaccinations, and also in the heat;
it is best to introduce new cereals before breastfeeding, in which case the child will react positively to the new product;
it is recommended to feed a new dish with a teaspoon; a baby bottle with a nipple should not be used for this purpose.

Adhering to the above tips, the introduction of cereals into the menu will be successful and beneficial for the body, no allergic reactions will be detected in children.

Breastfeeding is very healthy, but sooner or later it's time to introduce the baby to "real" food. A 5-month-old baby's menu may include vegetable and fruit purees, egg yolks, juices, and water. However, this rule does not apply to all children of this age. When introducing complementary foods, there are some nuances that must be taken into account when accustoming a baby to food other than breast milk.

Everything has its time

Some babies at 5 months old already know the taste of vegetable and fruit purees, sip juices with pleasure, while others have not yet tried anything but their mother's milk. Parents of a baby in this case usually begin to worry about whether it is time for their child to get used to food other than breast milk. If the baby has enough breast milk, he eats up, puts on weight and feels great, at 5 months there is no need to introduce complementary foods. According to the World Health Organization, babies should not try any new foods until they are 6 months old. Thus, the menu of a 5-month-old child who is breastfed can consist only of mother's milk.

However, it also happens that the pediatrician may recommend the introduction of complementary foods from the age of five months. Usually the reason for this is a lack of weight. In this case, you can begin to introduce the child to new products, but this should be done gradually. As time passes and the baby gets used to the new food, its menu should approach the classic one, designed for a five-month-old baby. Feeding at 5 months will be described below.

Formula-fed babies most often start trying new foods from 4-4.5 months of age. As a rule, these are juices and mashed potatoes, since adapted milk mixtures cannot provide all the nutrients a child needs for full development. Therefore, upon reaching five months, artificial children eat according to the norms described in the classic menu for a child of this age.

What can you give a baby to eat at 5 months?

At the age of five months, the child eats five times a day. Meals start at 6 am and end at 10 pm. It is worth mentioning that this applies to children who are bottle-fed. Breastfeeding babies eat on demand at any time of the day, unless the mother adheres to the principle of feeding on a schedule.

Allowed products for a child at 5 months, their norms and time of admission:

6:00 - 200 ml of breast milk or formula;
10:00 - 1/2 chicken egg yolk, then supplement with 200 ml of breast milk or formula;
13:00 - 150 grams of vegetable puree, then supplement with 50 ml of breast milk or formula;
18:00 - 50 grams of fruit puree, then supplement with 150 ml of breast milk or formula;
22:00 - 200 ml of breast milk or formula.

Between feedings, give your baby water and fruit juices.

This is a classic menu option for a child who has reached the age of five months. This is the recommended diet for feeding the baby, however, the above does not mean that as soon as the child is 5 months old, you need to change the usual feeding option to the proposed one. It needs to be approached gradually.

How to organize complementary foods for a child at 5 months

The menu described in the previous section includes several different products: egg yolk, vegetable and fruit purees, juices. If up to 5 months the child has not tried anything other than breast milk, it is necessary to introduce new foods into his diet gradually, starting with half a teaspoon. In this case, you should monitor the baby's reaction to a particular product: whether a rash, red spots have appeared, whether the nature of the stool has changed. The date of introduction, the name of the product, its quantity, as well as the reaction of the child to them can be recorded in a notebook or notebook specially created for this purpose.

The interval between new products should be 1-2 weeks. You should start with monocomponent vegetable purees, since if you first introduce fruit purees into complementary foods, the baby may later refuse not so tasty vegetables. Purees should be thoroughly ground, and fruits and vegetables for them are used boiled or steamed. In addition to mashed potatoes, the baby should be given egg yolk. It should be kneaded and add some breast milk or formula there.

Allowed foods at 5 months: zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, apple, pear, egg yolk (Not protein! It is not recommended to give it to children under one year old). If mom prepares mashed potatoes herself, she should not add salt, sugar, or spices to it. Of course, it may seem that the child will be insipid and completely tasteless. However, this is not so: the baby does not know the aroma of spices, the sweetness of sugar and the taste of salt, so he will take any vegetable puree for granted. If mom buys ready-made puree in the store, you need to make sure that the list of ingredients does not contain the seasonings described above.

Be healthy, grow big!

Feeding a baby at 5 months is a preparatory stage for his subsequent weaning. No matter how long the mother feeds the baby with breast milk, every month more and more new products will be introduced into his diet. Starting to feed a child from the age of five months, instill in him a love for healthy and tasty food, proper nutrition. Subsequently, this will play an important role in his diet and gastronomic preferences.