A newborn baby only eats formula or breast milk. With age, everything changes, at about six months it is time for him to get acquainted with the "adult" food. Parents need to know many nuances: for example, with what meat to start complementary foods, when to introduce it into the diet and how much.
The child eats complementary foods
The benefits of meat for a child
Recently, the number of vegetarians has increased. These are people who, for personal reasons, do not eat meat products. If a child is born to such a couple, most likely they will not be fed meat either.
Disputes about the way of feeding children flare up serious. Vegetarian parents ardently defend their positions, believing that animal protein can be replaced with vegetable protein. Doctors have a different point of view. In their opinion, meat for a child is necessary in any case, since meat protein cannot be 100% replaced, and, in addition to protein, it contains a special complex of vitamins and minerals.
Composition and nutritional value
To understand why meat is so important, you need to familiarize yourself with its composition:
- B vitamins. They are needed primarily to support the brain and nervous system.
- Zinc;
- Calcium;
- Phosphorus;
- Iron, and it is contained here in an easily assimilable form, that is, it is perceived by the body better than from plant products;
- Valuable amino acids that are not produced by the human body;
- Balanced protein, necessary for human growth, and for strengthening immunity, and for the proper development of the child's hormonal system.
Note! Vegetarians believe that meat can be substituted for plant-based foods. This cannot be done completely. It is quite possible to choose a complex of vitamins and minerals. Together with vegetarian protein, it will be similar in composition to meat. Moreover, all useful elements will be absorbed by the body worse. For an adult it is not fatal, but it is dangerous for a child.
How to choose the right meat
Meat should be introduced into complementary foods correctly, following all the recommendations. The baby's digestive tract is not yet ready to immediately accept such heavy food in large quantities. Therefore, you need to introduce him to her gradually and correctly choose which meat product to give to the baby.
Varieties of meat
Meat complementary foods can be started with these types of meat:
- Beef. It is red meat that contains a lot of iron.
- Veal. It is more tender than beef, therefore it is more often it is introduced into the complementary foods for children first. There are three types of veal: bacon, meat, fat. Babies are allowed to give only the first two types.
- Rabbit meat. It has more protein than beef. It is also dietary meat, lean and easily digestible.
- Chicken and turkey. This meat is slightly more fatty than rabbit meat (moreover, chicken to a greater extent). At the same time, it contains the correct unsaturated fatty acids, so it is also easily absorbed by the digestive tract.
Rabbit carcass
- The liver (beef, poultry, pork, veal) contains the maximum iron among all types of meat. It is very important to choose the right piece of it. It should be light, bright and smooth.
- A heart that is also rich in iron.
- Tongue (beef or pork) is a fairly light meat dish.
It is better not to give pork (except for the liver) to a child until a year. This meat is more fatty than all of the above. This means that it is heavy food for the baby.
On a note. With the introduction of pork into the diet, it is better to wait up to a year.
Parts of mascara
Kidneys, lungs, brains, udders - something that is not suitable for feeding a baby under one year old. They can only be digested by the stomach of an adult, not a baby. It is forbidden to give a small person aspic, especially made on bone broth or on pork legs. Meat is needed without fat, for example, pulp, tenderloin. It is better to choose those parts that move less in a living animal - they are the most tender.
When meat is introduced into complementary foods
According to WHO standards, a child can be given meat when:
- His complementary foods include at least vegetables, and even cereals;
- The baby is 7-8 months old.
Before the specified period, meat can be given to babies only in the case of a direct prescription from a doctor. This is sometimes done with anemia in children, sometimes a medical recommendation prescribes starting meat complementary foods as early as 5-6 months. You should not rush to enter meat on your own.
Puree for complementary foods
Bottle-fed babies can start getting to know meat a little earlier, in consultation with the doctor. You can introduce meat into complementary foods for a child as soon as he gets acquainted with vegetables and cereals. Since infants on IV more often begin to feed at 4 months ("naturalists" - closer to six months, according to the WHO recommendation), they will get acquainted with meat earlier.
Meat recipes for babies
Most often, children are introduced to meat in a grated state. Meat puree for complementary foods can be bought at the store, it is given out in the dairy kitchen. It's easier for parents - you don't have to cook anything yourself. The composition of such a jar may be poor. For example, many brands of baby food sin by adding starch there to reduce the cost of production. Therefore, some mothers prefer homemade complementary foods to the store.
Puree
Making meat puree for your baby's first feeding is not difficult. Below is a step-by-step instruction on how to make it. For him you will need:
- Just a piece of meat. Beef, veal, turkey or rabbit are best for the first feeding. Chicken and acceptable offal are allowed only after them.
Meat puree
Cooking method:
- Skin, veins, cartilage, fat, films are removed from the selected meat. The piece is washed under running water. It is cut into smaller pieces - about 10 cm long each. You need to start complementary foods with one spoon, gradually increasing the portion to 70-80 grams. Therefore, it is not necessary to cook from the whole piece at once, because meat puree for children's first complementary foods is stored for no more than a day. One small piece is left, the rest are laid out in portioned bags and frozen next time.
- Boil beef, veal, turkey or rabbit meat. Moreover, be sure to change the water after the first boil - substances harmful to the child will be released into it. Next, the turkey and veal should be cooked for an hour and a half, beef or rabbit meat - up to two. Neither salt, let alone spices, can be added to the water.
- When the meat has boiled for the right amount of time, it is taken out and cut into small pieces. Next, you need to grind them with a blender. To achieve a uniform consistency, you can add a couple of tablespoons of a mixture familiar to your baby or vegetable broth to the mixture (meat is prohibited).
Cold-pressed olive oil can be added to the meat. The product will be better digested with it.
Souffle
Another form of baby meat dish is baby meat soufflé. This is a light, juicy and tender dish that can be given to babies after they have become acquainted with mashed potatoes and dairy products, that is, not earlier than 10 months. Making it a little more difficult so that there are definitely no problems, just follow the description of the recipe below.
To prepare a meat soufflé for a baby of the first year of life, you need:
- Lean beef - 500 gr.;
- Three eggs;
- A glass of milk;
- Half a glass of cream;
- A little vegetable oil;
- Salt.
Meat soufflé
Prepare beef soufflé for a child as follows:
- First, they clean and wash the meat. Films, veins, excess fat and bones should not remain on it. Then a large piece is cut into smaller pieces.
- To make the soufflé very tender, the meat is steamed for it. For these purposes, a multicooker or double boiler is suitable. Beef is simmered there for about 40 minutes. When cooking in a double boiler, the container is covered with foil so that the meat floats in its juice.
- When the beef is done, it is put into a blender. If this is not the case, a meat grinder will do. After grinding, you should get a medium-sized minced meat. Eggs, milk, cream and a small pinch of salt are added to it. Then the whole mixture is whipped again until smooth.
- After whipping, the future soufflé needs to be baked in the oven. The form is greased with oil, the whipped mixture is transferred there. All this is baked at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
The finished soufflé should cool slightly, then it is transferred to a common plate.
Norms of meat complementary foods by month
Giving too much meat to your child is dangerous. The gastrointestinal tract must get used to this type of food. Therefore, the introduction of complementary foods requires adherence to the principles of timeliness and moderation.
What to combine with
Since most often meat is not the first product in a child's diet, it can be combined with other ingredients, such as vegetables or cereals. This combination is the best option for lunch.
Child is having lunch
How often to give
Meat in the children's diet is required. It is better if it will be present in it every day, during lunch. If the child does not like meat, then it can be given once every two days.
Number
On average, the meat rate for a child under one year old is as follows:
- 7-8 months - gradual introduction until a serving of 30-40 grams;
- 8-9 months - 50 grams serving;
- from 9 months and up to one year of age - a portion of up to 70-80 grams.
Important! There is no clear norm. It all depends on the individual needs of the body. Someone needs 700 grams per week. meat, others have enough and 150-200. Both options are normal, provided that the child is healthy and ready to eat meat.
Possible problems with meat feeding
The child may react badly to the introduction of meat into the diet. This happens more often if the parents are in a hurry. Symptoms that something has gone wrong:
- Bloating;
- Increased gas formation;
- Oily, pasty stools;
- Stomach ache;
- Allergy (often to chicken).
If any of the signs appear, you should consult a doctor with a sick child.
Meat is essential for the normal growth and development of an infant. It must be entered correctly. Then it will turn out to get the maximum benefit from complementary foods and avoid unnecessary problems.
