It happened - our baby is not so small anymore and it's time to expand the diet! But how to do it so that introducing new foods is smooth and pleasant? The issue of expanding the diet raises many doubts: parents wonder when to start expanding the baby's diet, which method to choose and what to give the child to eat. The myths about expanding a baby's diet and the use of old medical recommendations also do not help, which makes it easy to get lost in this topic.
From the article below: "Expanding your baby's diet" you will learn:
- that expanding an infant's diet is a long-term process and focused on learning how to eat, not eating everything at the very beginning
- when to start expanding the baby's diet - specialists recommend expanding the baby's diet after 6 months of age, between 17 and 26 weeks of age
- that the child is ready for an adventure with eating if he sits steadily, holds his head, controls neck and head movements, does not push food out of his mouth and is interested in it
- that proper preparation for expanding the diet means not only collecting feeding accessories, but also knowledge of first aid and the right attitude
- what is the traditional method and what is BLW
- what to give your child to eat at the beginning - preferably a root vegetable or other seasonal vegetable that can be cooked soft
- what are products prohibited in a baby's diet and how important it is to avoid them
- that there are three stages of expanding the diet, in which we slowly introduce more and more meals
- what should worry a parent when expanding the diet.
Extending the baby's diet - when to start expanding the diet?
How to prepare for expanding your child's diet?
Diet expansion methods - traditional method and BLW
What to give your child at the beginning of expanding the diet?
Expanding your baby's diet step by step
Stages of expanding your child's diet
Expanding infants' diet - what should we worry about?
Expanding the baby's diet - when to start expanding the diet?
The most common dilemma for parents of young children is when to start expanding their diet. Old recommendations regarding expanding the diet and myths that have arisen around this topic over the years are still alive in our social consciousness.
Parents of infants often repeat the knowledge that their mothers or grandmothers gave them - and this information is not always consistent with current medical knowledge. But it is not only from the family that we hear incorrect recommendations regarding expanding the diet: it happens that even pediatricians stick to the knowledge from the previous decade.
Recommendations for expanding the baby's diet
So: expanding the baby's diet after the 4th month or after the 6th month? Current recommendations dispel all doubts.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends feeding exclusively with milk - breast milk or formula - until the child is 6 months of age. Between 17 and 26 weeks of age, your child should be introduced to complementary food - this is the time when most children are ready to expand their diet. However, not all babies will be ready to explore new flavors already at 6 months of age - in such a situation, we wait until the child shows signs of readiness and remember that we expand the diet primarily when the baby is ready.
Expanding the diet - signs of your child's readiness
But what does it mean that a child is ready to expand its diet?
First and foremost is that he shows all or most of the signs of being ready. They give us the green light to offer our child new foods.
The child is ready to expand the diet if:
- can sit stably (with or without support)
- controls head and neck movements
- holds head steadily
- has developed hand-eye coordination, i.e. can eat with a spoon and put food in the mouth
- does not push food out of mouth
- is interested in food, willingly grabs it and tries to put it in the mouth.
Let us remember, however, that each child develops at his or her own pace. Not all babies will show signs of readiness at the same time. Very often there is a situation in which we see that the toddler is ready to expand his diet and is interested in eating, but he is still not sitting stably - and this is completely normal, because many children master the art of sitting independently only in the 7th or even 8th month of life. What then?
For a child who does not yet sit independently and shows other signs of readiness, we can start expanding the diet as much as possible. What parents should focus on in such a case is the correct way of feeding.
How to feed a baby who can't sit yet? It's best to sit on the parent's lap: we sit the baby slightly diagonally, with the head placed high and resting on our elbow, and we place the baby's legs higher than the buttocks. This position supports the child's physical development and ensures the correct position of the pelvis, and is also safe during feeding. It is easier for a toddler who sits like this to learn to swallow properly and to cough freely in the event of choking.
How to prepare for expanding your child's diet?
It's time to prepare for expanding your diet. Yes, parents should also prepare for this. How to do it? The most important thing is the right attitude.
What is important when expanding the diet is learning how to properly grasp food, putting it into the mouth, learning how to chew, bite, swallow and expectorate - not eating the entire meal. This is not crucial at all, and at the very beginning of the expansion process you cannot count on it. So let's not expect our toddler to eat everything we offer him. He is not supposed to eat it, but to discover new flavors and textures.
Also be prepared for mess - the child will certainly get dirty, transfer food from hand to hand, and perhaps crush it. This is normal, because this is how he learns and gets used to new things.
Useful accessories for expanding your diet
With the right attitude and a toddler ready for an adventure with food, we can start collecting useful accessories. Not all of them are necessary, but they will certainly make the process of expanding the diet and feeding the baby easier.
Feeding chair
A high chair is a must-have - we can't do without it. It provides the child with safety and stable support. It is also something that we will need for the longest time, so it is a good idea to invest in a good and functional chair whose structure will support the child's physical development.
Talking about high chairs, it is impossible not to recommend the Tripp Trapp chair from Stokke. Absolutely amazing and worth the price, because it grows with the child - it is a chair that will last for years, not to say for life.
The Tripp Trapp highchair has been designed to provide the child with a comfortable and correct position for learning to eat, as well as to bring the child closer to the family table. Design Tripp Trapp is extremely ergonomic - the seat and footrest are adjustable in depth and height, thanks to which the chair will last for years - and at the same time incredibly aesthetic and original. This is a good piece of wooden furniture that will be loved not only by a toddler, but also by every fan of unique interior design solutions.
You can buy a Baby Set, a Baby Cushion stabilizing pillow and a tray for the Tripp Trapp highchair.
Dishes for expanding the baby's diet
When it comes to dishes for expanding the child's diet, it is worth investing in ergonomic ones, with a comfortable shape and made of safe materials - this is very important, because they come into contact with the food we give to the baby.
Those with suction cups are fantastic - especially when expanding your diet using the BLW method. We attach such a dish to a tray or table and we are sure that it will stay in place and the child will be able to eat comfortably without fear that uncoordinated hand movements will slide the dish down. When using the BLW method, plates with compartments are also extremely helpful, thanks to which we can separate the toddler's food and allow him to choose.
For children fed using the traditional method, all you need to start with is a good quality bowl that can accommodate all kinds of mash.
Cutlery
At the beginning of expanding the diet, teaspoons are the most important - both during BLW and the traditional method. What should the first teaspoon be? First of all, it is flat and made of safe materials. Additionally, if we expand the diet using the BLW method, the spoon should also be small and handy.
NumNum's introductory spoons are worth mentioning - they are a unique product designed to teach a child to eat independently without imposing rules on him. It is flat, which makes using it simple and practical, and also allows you to collect the right amount of food for your baby. NumNum spoons will be a great choice for the BLW method.
At a later stage of expanding the diet, cutlery from Nana's Manners will be perfect - they are appropriately shaped and fit perfectly into little hands. They will be a fantastic introduction to learning to eat independently with a spoon and fork, and at the same time support children's motor development.
Bibs
A good bib is essential. Your little one will definitely get dirty - and not only on his face or hands. The beginnings of expanding your diet also involve playing with food, which often ends up getting dirty in places you wouldn't even expect.
If we choose the traditional method, a traditional bib will be enough, although it is worth choosing one with a pocket that will collect what does not end up in the mouth. When using the BLW method, however, we must be prepared for children's unpredictability and choose a bib with long sleeves that is as full as possible - it will cover the child's entire torso and protect the clothes from getting dirty.
Cups and water bottles
Learning to drink is an important element of expanding your child's diet. It is at this stage that we should teach our toddler how important it is to hydrate the body and drink water - and with practical accessories it will be easier.
The iconic non-spill bottle from B.box will be perfect as the first water bottle for a child. Many parents and children around the world love it, making it an obvious choice for many. B.box is not only an ergonomic and comfortable shape, but also an innovative straw that moves with the liquid regardless of the angle of inclination - the toddler can drink water until the last drop. The bottle itself is also very light and handy, making it comfortable for babies to use.
When it comes to learning to drink independently from a cup, Doidy Cup will be reliable. Its tilted shape makes it easier for the baby to learn to drink and resembles the natural way of taking in food, which is developed while sucking the breast. The Doida cup is also a great way to train to support development - by drinking from it, the child exercises the muscles of the face, jaw and tongue.
Accessories for expanding your diet
What else can be useful at the beginning of expanding your diet? In addition to a lot of patience and peace of mind, floor protection will definitely come in handy. Let's face it: no one has the strength to wash it several times a day, but at the beginning there will be a need for it. The solution is Everleigh mat & Me – just place it under the feeding chair, and then collect pieces of food from it or wipe it with a wet cloth. The mat is easy to clean and its non-slip base ensures stability. This is not only a convenient way to clean the floor, but also a charming addition to the room.
To make preparing meals for babies easier, it is worth using the Babycook device from the Beaba brand. Thanks to it, we can cook healthy dishes using steam, blend the meal to any consistency, defrost food and heat it. This is a food processor that every mother will love - it is handy and ergonomic, easy to use, even with a child in your arms.
Beaba also has other extremely useful accessories. Silicone freezing containers will allow you to save food for later in up to 6 portions - thanks to them we can cook more and store the dish in the freezer for a rainy day. The containers also have a big advantage - we can heat them in the microwave or even in the oven.
It's perfect for a trip or a long walk dinner thermos -it is large, handy, light, made made of stainless steel and maintains the temperature of meals for a long time. The toddler hasn't eaten dinner and we have to leave the house? No problem - we take the dish with us.
First aid when expanding your diet
Preparing to expand your child's diet means not only purchasing appropriate accessories, but also acquiring appropriate knowledge that will help us - parents - remain calm and ensure the child's safety. Many caregivers are afraid of choking for the first time. There is one way to do this: know first aid.
Knowing how to help a child in the event ofchoking, i.e. a piece of food blocking the airway, will help us stay calm and cool. It's worth watching a video on first aid for choking to know what to do.
Methods of expanding the diet - traditional method and BLW
Before we start our adventure with food, we must decide on the method of expanding our diet. Traditional method or BLW? Both have their supporters, so it is best to make the decision in accordance with yourself and in the spirit of following the child and his needs. Not every baby will be ready for BLW, while children who are more interested in eating may get bored when feeding using the traditional method. The choice of method is of course important, but remember that what we offer to the child is more important. If these are valuable, seasonal meals that teach your toddler healthy eating habits, it does not matter in what form we serve them.
Extending the baby's diet - traditional method
What is dietary expansion using the traditional method? It is nothing more than feeding the child with a spoon, most often in the form of blended mash. The traditional method involves slowly introducing other consistencies into the child's diet: from smooth mass to pieces of food. What we will need for the traditional method is only a bowl, a flat spoon and a bib.
Expanding the baby's diet - BLW method
The mysterious-sounding BLW - Baby Led Weaning in English, and Bobas Lubi Choice in Polish - is a method hat has revolutionized the expansion of the diet and has stolen the hearts of children and parents. BLW involves children eating meals on their own, which are offered in their natural form, most often in pieces. This method assumes that through independence and the possibility of choice, children become more accustomed to eating. BLW allows the child to decide which product to reach for and how much to eat, and also teaches the child how to properly grasp food in his hand and put it in his mouth. It is a method whose idea is to learn by independently discovering the tastes, textures and consistencies of food. What do we need for BLW? A plate, preferably with compartments, a flat spoon, a long-sleeved bib and a sea of patience.
How to start your adventure with BLW? The best way is to give the selected vegetable cut into sticks and observe what the toddler does with them. He may not put it in his mouth right away, but he will hold it in his hand, look at it, and over time he will get a taste of it - he will learn new things at his own pace. Let us remember that what is most important is not just eating the product by the child, but the process of learning to eat and becoming familiar with it.
At BLW, the most important thing is proper cutting of products. We cut whatever we can into long sticks that the child can easily grab in his hand. If the food is round, cut it into quarters, and especially small and round products - such as blueberries, grapes or cherry tomatoes - cut them in half.
What to give your child at the beginning of expanding the diet?
Now it's a matter of what to actually give this little one. It's best to start expanding your diet by offering a vegetable - one that is easy to boil in water or steam and which will be soft and easy to chew. Pumpkin, broccoli, carrots and all other root vegetables are great as the first product.
What fruit should you offer your child? For starters, such a toddler will cope best with a banana, avocado or apple. It is important to offer a different product every day - this way the child will have a varied diet, and if an allergic reaction occurs, we will know what caused it.
When it comes to comprehensive dishes, oatmeal or millet porridge, banana pancakes in various combinations or all cream soups are great when expanding your diet.
Products prohibited in the baby's diet
However, products prohibited in a baby's diet are much more important - and there are many of them. The following foods are prohibited in an infant's diet:
- Raw meat
- Raw fish
- Raw eggs
- Forest mushrooms (prohibited until the age of 12)
- Sugar (up to 1 year)
- Honey (up to 1 year)
- Salt (up to 1 year)
- Unpasteurized milk products
- Cow's milk as a drink (up to 1 year)
- Highly processed products
- Rice milk
- Goat milk
- Fennel
- Juices (up to 2 years)
- Meats (up to 1 year)
- Cheese (up to 1 year)
- Sausages
- Sausages
- Offal
In the spirit of caring for healthy eating, we should completely exclude them from the baby's diet. When it comes to salt and sugar, it is best to avoid them for as long as possible, although they can be introduced in small amounts after the age of 1. It is important that the baby gets to know the real taste of food - no salt, no sugar, no preservatives or flavor enhancers. However, this does not apply to spices - oregano, basil and Provençal herbs are completely safe for children and we can successfully use them to enhance the taste of dishes.
Allergenic products
What about allergens? Cow's milk, eggs, fish, soy, nuts, wheat - these are the ones that most often cause allergies. Experts believe that they should be introduced at the beginning of the diet. Introducing potential allergens as early as possible reduces the risk of their occurrence, so there is no point in delaying exposure to allergenic products. If a child is prone to allergies, allergens can be administered less frequently and, most importantly, one at a time.
Expanding your baby's diet step by step
It's time for specifics - how to expand this diet? First of all, you should follow a few rules:
- We offer food when the child is full - about half an hour after breastfeeding or formula feeding.
- We still feed the baby on demandwith breast milk or formula.
- We do not replace milk with new foods - so we give it between feedings.
- We decide what and when the child will eat, and the child decides how much and whether he will eat at all - this is an important rule that should be ingrained in your mind. Let's trust the child and follow his needs: he knows when he is hungry and whether he wants to try food.
- The child does not have to eat new meals - he only has to try. The new food is only a supplement to the diet, the basis of which is milk until the age of 1 year.
- When feeding with a spoon, we wait until the baby opens his mouth and eats - we do not force the spoon in and do not pull it towards the upper lip.
- Remember about safety - do not leave your baby alone in a feeding chair.
Stages of expanding your child's diet
The stages of expanding the diet can be divided into three parts. At the beginning - after 6 months of life - we start our adventure with food. We offer the child one product a day, or two. The amount depends on the child - he or she will eat as much as he or she wants.
In the 7th and 8th month of life, we offer the child 2 or 3 complementary meals. It can be breakfast and lunch or, if your child wants, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After the 9th month, your baby should be fed 3 main meals and one or two snacks between meals (this could be a fruit or vegetable, a sandwich, yogurt or another small but healthy thing).
Expanding the diet of infants - what should we worry about?
A new stage in a child's life is also a chance to observe its development. When expanding the diet, we may notice new skills that the child develops, but also irregularities in its development. There are things that should worry us and prompt us to consult a specialist.
Pay attention if your child:
- is reluctant to touch or put specific consistencies or textures in the mouth
- does not want to eat for a long time, has a clear lack of appetite - in such a situation it is worth checking the level of iron and ferritin, because it may be a sign of anemia
- has problems with chewing, swallowing or biting
- has rashes on the body and/or digestive problems - this may be a sign of a food allergy.
Expanding the diet is a long-term process - so do not expect your toddler to master the art of eating right from the very beginning. Let your child slowly get to know the products and remember that each person develops at his or her own pace - some children will eat everything at the first stage of expanding the diet, others a little later. A temporary lack of appetite may also result from feeling worse, lack of desire for this particular product or upcoming teething. What parents of infants should do is be patient and follow their child's lead. For him, expanding the diet is, above all, fun - and the best learning takes place through play.
