The introduction of complementary foods into the infant's diet is not intended to increase body weight. The transition to a new level of nutrition gives a start to progress in the overall development of the toddler. If the child does not eat meat puree, you need to look for the reason for the refusal or select alternative subsidies.
The kid does not want mashed potatoes
Features of the introduction of meat into complementary foods
Rational nature has not accidentally planned the appearance of the first teeth by six months. This is a signal to gradually transfer the baby from dairy food to solid food.
Meat is introduced into the diet in the 2nd complementary food, along with vegetable purees, starting with a dish of lean beef. The product supplements dairy food with vitamins (A, B1, B2), fats, proteins, carbohydrates. It is a source of easily assimilated iron, phosphorus, potassium and other minerals necessary for the child's body.
Meat complementary foods are started with 0.5 tsp so that the child gets used to the new taste. The dose is gradually increased, at 8 months a one-time portion of the baby (it is daily) - 50 g. By the year they bring to 80 g of the product.
For better digestibility by the digestive system, meat is served at first in a puree state. If the toddler likes the product, after a while the fraction is increased, using first chopped meat, then chopped into small pieces. The baby food departments sell canned food with pureed meat, which can be given to a baby from 6 months.
Balanced product for babies
Note! If the mother plans to cook the dish on her own, then it is recommended to dilute the first portions of chopped meat with a small amount of breast milk (mixture).
Why doesn't a child want mashed potatoes
Some older children deliberately refuse meat products - out of pity for the killed animals. In babies under one year old, such an association does not arise. During this period, the child refuses to eat meat for other reasons.
One of them may be hereditary - a vegetarian woman did not consume an animal product during pregnancy. In other cases, external factors influence the failure.
Not hungry
The child does not always give up meat. Some mothers feed their babies haphazardly. If the baby has not had time to get hungry, but he is "stuffed" with meat puree, of course, he will refuse it (as well as from other products).
Force-feeding
There are women who strictly adhere to the WHO recommendations. If the child is supposed to give meat puree every day, such a mother will try to force the baby to feed the product. This approach is capable of provoking gagging, and the baby will have a negative reflex to meat.
Don't force feed
Unpleasant consistency of the dish
New products in the diet of toddlers are judged by taste and smell. For meat, these parameters are neutral. At the same time, the puree does not look very appetizing in appearance. If the dish does not evoke pleasant associations, not every child will swallow it (most likely, spit it out).
Late introduction to complementary foods
Each baby develops individually, so the recommendations on the timing of the introduction to the complementary foods menu are conditional. If the toddler has enough useful components present in lactose or milk formula for development, you can diversify the menu 1-2 months later than the recommended period.
Sometimes the baby does not eat meat puree, because the mother gave it after the main feeding. Although all types of complementary foods are offered to the baby first, and only then they are breastfed. From the 8th month, when milk feeding in the daytime is completely replaced by other products, mashed potatoes are introduced into the menu as a full-fledged dish.
Unsuitable temperature
Inexperienced mothers, pulling out the jar from the refrigerator, immediately give the baby puree. Naturally, the child will spit it out, because the product is cold, and grains of fat have frozen in it, which spoils the taste.
The opposite situation is observed - excessively overheated puree. A hot dish will burn the tongue, causing a lot of trouble to the taste buds.
Too large portion
Compliance with the portion rate is an important point. It may seem that 50 g (three to four teaspoons with a top) is too little. Therefore, some mothers try to give their child more mashed potatoes than they should be in one go.
The baby will eat the first spoons willingly, then he will begin to refuse. This suggests that the little one is full, so you should not force him to finish eating everything that is left in the plate.
What to do
If the child does not eat meat, it is not worth making a problem out of the situation and force-feeding the baby. There are many ways to teach your little one to healthy food.
Diversify the taste
At the first attempts to introduce the baby to a new product, it is recommended to give puree in pure form. If the child does not perceive him well, you can improve the taste of spices and spices by taking them in small quantities:
- from 8 months it is allowed to add chopped onions and garlic to dishes;
- at 9 months - vanillin, dill, celery;
- when cooking meat, bay leaf can be added to the broth.
Meat puree tastes better when slightly diluted with butter.
Start Meat Complementary Feeding Later
Dr. Komarovsky does not recommend introducing an animal product ahead of time if the child does not have a threat of developing anemia. A late shift in complementary foods is permissible if the baby is not ready for a new product.
The child's body knows better what it needs at a particular moment. This is due to the peculiarities of the development of the digestive system, the formation of teeth and chewing reflexes.
Important! The mother's goal is not to force the baby to eat meat, but to patiently wait until the baby is ready to accept the new dish.
Give hungry
A clear feeding schedule should not become a constant. Sometimes it makes sense to make adjustments by shifting your mealtime hours by 30-60 minutes. Meat dishes are usually given to the child for lunch. If you move the time a little, allowing the little one to "work up" his appetite, he will then gladly eat whatever his mother offers.
Make a smooth puree
Factory-made baby food products are well-grated meat that is easily digested by the stomach. When preparing a homemade dish, it is not always possible to achieve such a consistency - pieces of meat flicker in the puree.
It is them that the baby is trying to spit out. Therefore, mom should make the dish a uniform consistency using a hand blender. Gruel is achieved with 1-2 drops of vegetable oil (1 tsp melted butter) or a small amount of vegetable broth.
Add to vegetables
To teach a child to eat meat, it is recommended to combine the first portions of the product with the usual food. To begin with, mashed potatoes are diluted with a small amount of breast milk (adapted formula). The smell will attract the baby, and he will actively taste the new dish.
Complementary foods that precede meat are vegetables. If the baby eats them with pleasure, then mashed potatoes can be mixed with plant foods, as well as introduced into cereals.
Decorate the dish
When a child does not eat vegetables and meat a year, the unpresentability of the food served may be the culprit. Therefore, mom will have to show imagination in order to decorate the dish in an original way:
- lay out mashed potatoes in the form of a fish or a pretty face;
- decorate with bright pieces of vegetables;
- use greens in the design.
Original design
To whet the baby's appetite, he is lured with an original "picture". If you want to eat the proposed dish, the child will not even pay attention to the fact that he was given meat puree.
Pick up a different type of meat
Some children enjoy eating chicken, others - veal or offal. Therefore, mom should study the addictions of the toddler. It happens that your favorite dish is boring. In this case, you need to diversify the diet with different types of meat, alternating veal with chicken, rabbit, game.
Note! Chicken can cause allergies. It is introduced into the diet carefully, using only poultry fillets.
How to improve the taste of mashed potatoes
If the reason why the baby refuses the product is tasting quality offal, the situation can be corrected. True, there are few options with purchased puree: add spices or mix with another dish.
The relish of homemade puree depends entirely on how it is prepared. You can try several recipes, perhaps the child will like one.
Scraping method
The method is simple and starts with grinding raw meat. The whole algorithm looks like this:
- taking a piece of veal, scrape off the required amount of pulp using a spoon or the blunt end of a knife;
- placed in a metal bowl;
- add a little diluted milk mixture;
- put the container in a water bath.
When the red tint on the meat disappears, it's done. It remains to bring the product to a puree state and add spices.
Extinguish
The softer and more airy the puree turns out, the more appetite the little ones absorb it. This can be achieved by following this recipe:
- meat fillet (40 g) is freed from tendons and films;
- cut into small pieces;
- pour in a small amount of water and stew for 1.5-2 hours (you can add a little grated carrot);
- the meat is removed, cooled and twisted 2 times in a meat grinder with a fine-mesh grill;
During cooking
- bring to homogeneity with a blender.
It remains to slightly dilute the puree with vegetable broth and boil. At the end, add 1 tsp. butter and, after cooling, give the baby.
What can replace meat
Understanding why the child's body needs an animal product, mothers complain: what to do when the child does not eat meat. Lack of iron in the body can cause low hemoglobin levels. To avoid anemia, you should not force the baby to eat mashed potatoes. In this case, it is recommended to look for alternative options:
- meat can be replaced with fish, but it is not given every day - a couple of times a week;
- red lentils are rich in iron and protein;
Lentil puree
- a set of minerals and vitamins similar to meat can be found in sorrel and spinach.
The kid's rejection of meat products is not a reason to monotonize the menu. You can always find a replacement for a healthy dish. If the parents are not vegetarians, over time, the child will become addicted to animal foods. Children love to adopt the habits of their relatives.
