You can start giving only from six months. Until this time, the baby should be fed mother's milk or liquid substitute formulas. However, experts from the International Health Organization believe that complementary feeding is indicated for infants from an early age, but it can lead to iron deficiency and affect the baby's growth.

General principles of nutrition

Every caring mother asks questions about what can be given to a child at 3 months of age and in what volume. The norm for a baby at this age is an amount of food equal to 1/6 of his weight. In any case, the baby should eat at least 1/7 of it per day. The weight of one serving directly depends on Therefore, the daily norm is approximately 1 kilogram (1 liter of milk/formula).

By 3 months, babies should weigh from 4.5 to 8 kg (with a height of 55 to 65 cm). At this age, you can gradually remove the sixth feeding. Then one serving will be about 200 g. In the case of breastfeeding, the mother must ensure that her child sucks out the milk completely.

What additional foods can you give to a 3-month-old baby? At the first stage, you can introduce the boiled yolk of a homemade chicken egg into complementary foods, but this should be done gradually. It's better to start with 1/8 part (at the tip of a teaspoon). If an allergic reaction does not occur within 24 hours, you can give your baby a quarter of the yolk, and then half. However, it is not recommended to do this too often (up to 3 times a week). at 3 months is given only as prescribed by a doctor.

It is important at this stage to create a feeding schedule. The baby should have his first breakfast at 6.00, then every 3.5 hours until 20.00.

When to start complementary feeding

Most experts agree that it is advisable to introduce additional food products into the baby’s menu only from 4 months, however, all controversial issues should be resolved by the pediatrician. If the baby is developing well, has a strong stomach and is not prone to allergies, you can safely switch to complementary feeding at an earlier age.

When expanding a baby's diet, it is important to monitor his condition and appetite. It is worth understanding that not all foods are suitable for a small child (3 months). Komarovsky, a famous Russian pediatrician and blogger, believes that complementary foods should only be given from a spoon, even though they are in a semi-liquid state. This also applies to boiled egg yolk diluted in milk, vegetable purees, and grated fruit.

You cannot give your baby two new complementary foods at once. To begin with, the baby’s stomach and body must get used to one, and only then to the other. After introducing complementary foods, you need to pay attention to the child’s behavior, his desire to take new food, the shape and color of his stool, changes in gas formation, and the presence of allergic reactions.

In the case of artificial feeding, additional foods can be tried from the beginning of the third month of life. If the only source of nutrition for the baby is still the breast, then it is worth expanding the menu closer to the 15th week. It is important that each complementary food is subjected to heat treatment and then thoroughly crushed. A 3-month-old baby will not be able to handle food that is too thick, so it should be semi-liquid in consistency.

How to start complementary feeding

Towards the end of the 3rd month of life, the child can be given the most low-allergenic vegetables to try. Infants whose diet is limited to milk will like any expansion of the menu.

At first, the baby may push food out with his tongue, visibly wrinkling his face. However, after the new dish is tried, the baby’s appetite will improve immediately. What is the first thing you can give your baby at 3 months? Of course, only vegetables in small quantities. For the first 2-3 weeks, the portion should be up to 3 teaspoons per day. New dishes should be introduced closer to lunch, before the main feeding.
It is recommended to start with carrots or potatoes. Vegetables should be chopped until semi-liquid. Steam them only.

Carrot puree

Before cooking, the vegetable must be thoroughly washed and peeled. The next step is to cut the carrots into small pieces so that they are completely cooked and all the beneficial substances are not extracted into the water. For steaming, the cubes should be about 1 cm in size. The vegetable pieces should be heat treated until most of the water has evaporated (25-30 minutes).

As soon as the carrots acquire a soft consistency, they should be pureed on a sieve or in a blender. It is recommended to mix the puree with warm milk without adding salt. You are allowed to add a drop of olive oil to the dish.

Mashed potatoes

This dish can be prepared in two ways. Unlike other vegetables (steamed only), potatoes can be boiled. To do this, it should be peeled and cut into large pieces, then placed in an enamel pan and simmered over low heat. You should not overcook the potatoes, as all the nutrients will be released into the water. Next, the vegetable is kneaded to a puree and mixed with milk until semi-liquid.

To steam potatoes, you should chop them into small pieces so that the core does not end up remaining hard.

You can add a third of a teaspoon of olive oil to vegetable purees for children (3 months).

Mixed complementary foods

If the child responds well to each vegetable separately, then you can start combining them. First, you can give your baby mixed mashed potatoes and carrots. Then gradually include cauliflower, pumpkin, broccoli, and zucchini in your diet. Many doctors even allow infants to be given turnips and greens, but these foods are not recommended for complementary feeding at such an early age.

It is better to cook vegetables separately, since one of them may already be cooked while the other is just beginning to reach a soft consistency. It is important to give the mixture to the child only in the form of a liquid puree. It is worth noting that potatoes contain a lot of starch, so they should not make up more than half of the serving.

What should I feed my 3 month old baby if he is allergic to colored vegetables such as carrots and pumpkin? In this case, broccoli is ideal, since it contains more nutrients than any other product approved for infant nutrition.

Canned puree

Many people do not have the opportunity to prepare complementary foods from fresh products in winter, but do not despair. You can also expand the menu for a child (3 months) with the help of canned vegetables. They are sold ready-made and rolled into portioned jars.

When choosing such complementary foods, you should pay attention not only to the expiration date, but also to the composition of the puree. It should include only the vegetables themselves and vegetable oil (salt is allowed). If the composition contains starch or any additives, it is not recommended for complementary feeding until six months, until the child’s digestive system is fully formed.

Today in stores you can see jars of fruit puree, on the label of which there is the inscription “3+”, that is, “allowed for children from 3 months.” This often misleads parents, as if a child at this age should already be eating pears, apples, and peaches. It is important to understand that fruits can be very harmful to a baby’s stomach. Before purchasing such purees, you should always consult a pediatrician and allergist.

Vegetable soup

Closer to the 4th month, you can switch to a new type of combined menu. Vegetable soup is very easy to prepare. To do this, you need to wash and chop the potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli, and carrots. On the recommendation of a doctor, you can include beets, parsley and a little salt in the composition.

The soup should cook for about one and a half hours. Prepared vegetables are thoroughly kneaded to a thick puree. After this, a little broth is added to make the mixture thin. But what can you give a child at 3 months if he has potato intolerance? In this case, the vegetable in the soup can be replaced with semolina. However, it should be prepared separately from the other ingredients.

Be sure to add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to the soup. A small pinch of salt is allowed.

Eating problems at 3 months

Many children by this age experience a decrease in appetite. This is most often associated with the introduction of a new nutritious dish into the diet. In this case, you should not force the child to eat. It's better to leave him alone and feed him earlier next time. It’s another matter if the baby is significantly undernourished throughout the day. Perhaps he has problems with the digestive system, so it is worth changing his diet.

Also, many mothers ask the question when their child is 3 months old: “What to feed if the baby has diathesis on the face from all the new foods?” In this case, a special diet and proper treatment are required, which are prescribed by the attending physician.

If he starts sucking it with gusto, it means that he most likely has ear pain (otitis media).

A child’s diet is a real headache for many parents. What should I feed my baby so that it is both nutritious and healthy at the same time? What can you eat, and what should you avoid? Feeding a child at 3 years old is a process that requires a lot of attention and great responsibility.

General rules for feeding children three years old

A three-year-old child is active, emotional, he learns about the world around him, everything is important and interesting to him. How much should a 3-year-old child eat to replenish lost energy, and most importantly, what to feed the baby to benefit his health?

The presence of about twenty milk teeth does not imply the rubbing of food or the predominance of cereals and purees in his diet. The child can chew solid food; this is simply necessary for his full development.

On the other hand, the gastrointestinal tract of a three-year-old is still different from the digestive system of an adult; this must be taken into account when creating a menu for a child at 3 years old.

The digestion time for such babies lasts about four hours, so the break between meals should be about the same.

Three-year-old children can already eat the dishes offered on their own, practically without needing the help of adults.

It is useful for caring parents to periodically recall the saying of Anselm Brillat-Savarin: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.”

The diet of a three-year-old child should be a balanced complex of vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Protein food

Protein for 3-year-old children is needed like cement in the construction of buildings. It is he who is entrusted with such functions as the “construction” of new cells, the transport of useful substances to all organs, and the formation of immunity responsible for the health of the child.

A three-year-old child should consume a sufficient amount of meat, liver, eggs, milk and fish. These products will help saturate the child's body with proteins and the growth of muscle tissue.

Meat

Which meat to choose

Boiled meat (about 80 grams per day) can be consumed in first and second courses. Small pieces that are easy to chew can be offered to your baby in borscht, cabbage soup, soups, and stews with vegetables. Dishes in which meat is presented in the form of minced meat (stuffed cabbage rolls, meatballs, steamed cutlets, meatballs) are very convenient.

The only indicator that is important when choosing meat is its fat content. You should not feed your child fatty goose or duck or pork with fatty layers. It is better to choose boiled chicken or veal.

Cooking method

Cooking method: boiling or stewing. It is very convenient to use a double boiler or multicooker - food will never burn in them. Frying or baking is contraindicated at this age.

Eggs

Amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals will pass into the child's body along with the consumption of eggs. Under no circumstances should you offer your child raw eggs, only boiled eggs or in the form of an omelet. 3 egg dishes per week is enough.

Dairy

Milk, as in infancy, continues to be one of the main sources of protein entering the child’s body. A healthy child of three years old can drink about half a liter of milk per day. Don’t forget about pre-boiling or pasteurizing this product, beloved by kids.

Fermented milk dishes should also occupy a worthy place when compiling a child’s menu at 3 years old: cottage cheese, yoghurts, kefir and others. When choosing these foods, you don't have to choose the fattiest foods. You can gradually include not too salty and spicy varieties of cheese into your diet.

Fish

Fish should become a familiar product for a three-year-old child, because it contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which directly affect the development of the baby’s nervous system, the formation and improvement of his speech and mental activity.

The health of the musculoskeletal system depends on vitamin D, which helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are so rich in fish dishes. Boiled, baked or stewed fish should be included in the menu of a child aged 3 years twice a week.

Fats

About 50 grams is the daily fat intake for 3-year-old children.

Fats are one of the main sources of energy in the body and play a large role in metabolism, dissolving fat-soluble vitamins A, E and D. In addition, fats are involved in the transport of nutrients. Therefore, a lack of fat can lead to slow growth, poor immunity, and poor physical activity.

But not all fats are healthy. Preference should be given to vegetable and animal fats containing polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 3, 6 and 9, found in fish, nuts, flaxseed, olive, sesame and almond oils.

You can also use the following vegetable oils:

• sunflower (unrefined);
• corn;
• olive;
• soy.

Even if you don’t like the taste of, for example, olive or flaxseed oil, this is not a reason not to give it to your child.

Vika, mother of 3-year-old Egor: “I added flaxseed oil to Egor’s porridge from the beginning of introducing complementary foods. I started with a drop, now it’s a teaspoon per serving. Egor eats with pleasure, because... I'm used to it, but just the smell makes me sick. But I know that it is healthier than, for example, creamy.”

A certain proportion of fat comes with milk, meat, cheese, cottage cheese and other products. A drop of vegetable oil can be added to salad, porridge or pasta.

Carbohydrates

It is impossible to imagine the nutrition of a 3-year-old child without carbohydrate foods (cereals, pasta, bakery products). Young children, with their unusually high mobility, need energy supplements like no other - foods with large amounts of carbohydrates.

Porridge

Porridge is the basis of food for children; they can be prepared from various cereals, on different bases - milk, water, vegetable or fruit broth. Children eat with great pleasure various cereals, which are easily absorbed by the child’s body without causing any discomfort in the digestive tract.

Flour products

At this age, the diet is updated with some flour products - dumplings, pancakes, pancakes. It is better to choose pasta from durum wheat.

Sweets

Sweets, beloved by all children, are easily digestible fast carbohydrates; they are allowed in small quantities at this age. They are best included in the menu during breakfast.

Too much sweets should not be in the diet of children - they are addictive, drowsy, reduce activity and can lead to the development of serious diseases such as diabetes, obesity or eczema.

Vitamins

The main suppliers of vitamins for three-year-olds are fruits and vegetables in any form. These can be casseroles, juices, jelly, compotes, stewed vegetables, mashed potatoes, salads - you just can’t list everything!

It is preferable to consume fresh vegetables and fruits.

Vegetables and fruits for children of three years old should not be grated or processed in a blender - they must be consumed in solid form. This will help ensure that there is enough stress on your teeth and digestive tract.

Beautifully decorated dishes of vegetables and fruits cut into small slices will help. The little fidget will not remain indifferent to the sight of edible animals, cars, etc.

Diet

The daily regimen of a 3-year-old child should correspond to this age and include four or five meals a day.

In kindergartens, they try to strictly adhere to routine moments, and mothers who care for their babies at home should do the same. Deviations from the established daily routine should not exceed half an hour; only in such an established schedule will the baby release gastric juice on time. This will be beneficial for the child's digestion.

If your child is very active, do not refuse him when he asks for food, but instead of sweets or fast food, offer fruit or plain water.

This will not spoil the baby’s tastes and food preferences and will help him “hold on” to the upcoming meal.

Standards

All people on the planet are very individual, children are also all different, both in their appearance and in their internal content. But there are certain average indicators in height, weight, and regimen that adults must adhere to.

How much should a child weigh at 3 years old? - a question that worries many parents who are prone to obesity. The parameters of this indicator vary depending on the gender of the baby:

Girls at three years old they should weigh 13.9 kg with a height of 94.8 cm.

Boys on average they can reach 14.3 kg and 95.7 cm.

Having heard this, many of the people whose children do not fit into the average standards may formulate another question: “How much should a child eat at 3 years old?”

A nutrition table with an approximate description of the dishes in the diet of a three-year-old child will come to the rescue.

Another important question that worries parents is how much a child should drink per day.

The average daily dose of liquid consumed at this age is 1.5 liters, but this is together with the liquid components in cereals, soups, fruits and other dishes. A 3-year-old child can drink about 700 grams of pure water per day.

You should not give your baby caffeine-containing and carbonated drinks - tea, coffee, cola, Pepsi, etc.

Freshly squeezed juices, jelly, compotes, fruit drinks - this is what should be included in the drinking diet of a three-year-old child.

Recipes

You can prepare many dishes yourself; the baby will happily eat everything if you make the culinary process creative and fill it with love for the child.

Pumpkin soup with chicken

Ingredients: 350 grams of pumpkin, 200 g of chicken fillet, 100 g of potatoes, 60 g of carrots, 50 g of leeks, 20 g of hard cheese, 5 ml of olive oil, a clove of garlic, 0.5 liters of vegetable broth.

• Boil the chicken fillet with the spices until cooked.
• Pour some water into a saucepan with a non-stick bottom and gradually add chopped onions (leeks or onions), carrots, and pumpkin. Simmer everything until half cooked and pour in broth. You can take the remaining and strained chicken fillet or any vegetable after cooking. Cook for another 20 minutes.
• When serving, add butter, salt, grated cheese, pressed garlic (just a little), sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Offer your child this soup with croutons prepared in advance from a stale loaf.

Vegetable and meat cutlets

To prepare this healthy dish you need to take: lean meat (600 g), white cabbage (200 g), zucchini (150 g), medium carrot and onion, garlic clove, 2 eggs, salt (to taste).

• Grind all prepared ingredients (washed and chopped) in a meat grinder twice, add salt and add eggs.
• Knead the minced meat and form small cutlets, roll in flour or breading.
• Fry in vegetable oil until slightly crusty or simmer in a small amount of water.

Fish and cabbage cutlets

To please your child with this dish, stock up in advance with 50 g of fish fillet and five cauliflower florets, one yolk, half an onion and two tablespoons of pre-cooked rice.

• If you do not have boiled rice, then cook it directly while preparing the dish. You will have 7-10 minutes, during which you will need to cook the washed and sorted cabbage inflorescences.
• Fish fillet, boiled rice and cabbage will need to be mixed using a blender, adding onion and salt.
• Beat the yolk of one egg into the resulting mass and form into cutlets. A steamer is a great place to finish cooking this dish.

Apples baked with curd filling

Such a tasty and healthy dessert will appeal not only to your baby, but also to all other family members. It's very easy to prepare.

Take six non-sour apples, 150 grams of cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons of fine sugar (or powdered sugar), one egg yolk and one teaspoon each of vanilla sugar and potato starch.

• Wash the apples thoroughly, cut off the top part in the shape of a lid. Remove the middle with a knife or spoon, trying to leave thick walls of the apples.
• Turn cottage cheese, yolk, sugar, starch and vanilla sugar into a homogeneous mass using a food processor or blender.
• Stuff the apples with the curd mixture and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Before serving, cool and decorate the dish (for this you can use ready-made whipped cream or cream).

"Milk-banana pleasure"

If you don’t know what to prepare for an afternoon snack for a three-year-old child, then be sure to try this dessert - nutritious and tasty.

You will need: 1 banana, a glass of milk (boiled, but not hot), 2 cookies (“Creamy”, “Yubileinoe”, etc.), 2-3 hazelnuts.

• Grind the cookie pieces and nuts in a coffee grinder. Place the peeled and chopped banana in a container, pour in the milk and beat with a blender. Add the mixture of nuts and cookies and beat again.
• Pour into a glass, garnish with a mint leaf or banana slices.

Video: Feeding a 3 year old child

More and more mothers are deciding on the timing of breastfeeding in favor of prolongation. However, is this decision in favor of the baby? We asked mothers what motivates them to breastfeed their child after 1.5 years, and asked a pediatrician for comments.

Anna, 38 years old,
breastfed until age 3

“The decision to breastfeed was made during pregnancy. Unfortunately, the eldest daughter was an artificial child. For me, there was no question of how long I would feed my second child, I just decided for myself that the healthiest thing for his health was mother’s milk. Therefore, I decided, I will stop feeding when my daughter refuses to breastfeed herself. A big misconception among many parents is that weaning is painful for mother and baby. It’s just that the time has not come for the child to lose this connection, but the mother’s body feels this and also resists. Hence the problems with the breasts. Everything came naturally to us. One day my daughter said that “there are no macaques,” and they stopped there. She didn't ask for the breast anymore and I didn't even have to do anything. So in one evening our bodies put an end to it. There were many advantages. Yes, at least the fact that during illnesses we did not take medications at all, but only made do with breast milk. At the same time, she briefly refused all other food. And what about the statement of doctors that after a year breast milk does not contain anything useful for the child? It seems to me that all this was invented either by stupid and lazy people, or by mixture manufacturers. And our bite is fine. And my daughter is very independent.”

Olga, 31 years old
breastfed until 2 years old

“From my observations, I can say that mothers quit breastfeeding within a year, or even much earlier, due to their own reluctance, fatigue, or under pressure from “advisers.” We are doing well with our bite. The value of breast milk after one year is not in vitamins, but in immunoglobulins. A strong connection between mother and child promotes self-confidence, and therefore, individual independence in the future. It's my opinion".

Maria, 26 years old
breastfed until 2 years old

“It’s sad to see that children are becoming a means of profit: from the screens, impressionable mothers receive a stream of information with idealized images of happy children who have a whole bunch of newfangled gadgets in their mouths: bottles, tubes, pacifiers, etc. Feeding formulas are perceived as natural nutrition for babies. Young parents feed their children while running, “fly” style. Is this why we give birth to children? Take a closer look at your baby. He needs you! In your attention, care and love. His entire future life will be based on what you give him in the first years of his life. No one but you will give him what his own mother can give her child: a mother’s milk consists of components that her baby needs.”

Yulia, 27 years old
breastfeeding, child 3 years old

“My daughter will be three in two weeks, and I still breastfeed her. But feeding is only at lunchtime and once at night. I feed for so long because I myself think it’s important and right. If there is milk, why take it away from the child? If the child and I enjoy it, then why stop it? The excommunication will come on its own, it is already close, and it even makes me sad. Sometimes mothers who take away the most precious things from their children so early do not think about how important this is for their children. My daughter already speaks very well, in the evenings she kisses my breasts and says that this is the sweetest and favorite milk. How can I deprive her of this? No way. Never. In three years, she was sick only a couple of times, while her peers were bottle-fed several times in three months. I don’t trust anyone about the bite. Even to our pediatrician, who always grumbles and says: “Well, are you still feeding? The bite will be ruined!”
I myself breastfed up to 2.8, and I have a healthy bite and straight teeth. Regarding children who are not independent, those who can’t do anything without their mother’s presence and breasts and are always there. That's also not true. My daughter stays with her husband when I have to leave for business or work, she doesn’t ask for the breast, she doesn’t remember. She just can’t sleep without me, but that’s because dad didn’t have the opportunity to fall asleep with her. I even heard that there are mothers who go to work and continue to feed, and some feed only on weekends. In general, if nature gave a woman breasts, then the mother’s purpose is to feed as long as possible, without depriving either herself or the child of this happiness. By the way, the milk supply has become much less, only in one breast; it is enough to enjoy it only once at lunchtime and at night. Everything is so interestingly thought out.”

Irina Troyanovskaya,
pediatrician

In the modern world, a woman is not only a mother, but also a social person, and this simply does not allow for the “cult of breastfeeding,” because she needs to go shopping, to clinics and, after a maximum of three years, go to work. In fact, you can feed for as long as the mother wants, even before school and even at school, but is it worth it? Imagine the picture: an adult three-year-old in a store or in a park begins to tear off his mother’s T-shirt, demanding her breasts. Or there are guests in the house - and the baby, getting agitated in an unfamiliar company, does not let go of his mother. Not the most pleasant moments for both parents and others.
It is important for any mother to remember:

• The baby receives all the most beneficial benefits from breast milk in the first 6 months. Later, it changes its composition (this can be seen even by color and consistency) and can no longer provide the baby’s body with everything necessary, which is why the introduction of complementary foods begins at this age. If a child remains exclusively breastfed, he may experience developmental delay and malnutrition.
• With milk, the baby receives the mother's immunoglobulins and antibodies until the end of breastfeeding. Thanks to them, the child gets sick less often and recovers mostly without medications. But another problem arises: his own immune system slows down his development, and his mother’s body does all the work for it. When the baby is left alone with the virus, a common cold can cause many serious complications.
• For the correct formation of the maxillofacial skeleton and bite, the child must receive solid food. Most children who are breastfed for a long time have a very specific bite. Perhaps, if the baby is breastfed once a day before bed, nothing bad will happen, but if mother's milk takes up most of the food received, the child may have problems in the future.
• Many breastfed children refuse other food, because in order to eat puree with a spoon or chew something, you have to put in much more effort than to get mother's milk.
• At about a year old, the child moves to a new stage of development, begins to recognize himself as an individual, and it is at this moment that breastfeeding turns into an addiction. The baby cannot fall asleep without breastfeeding; he latches on when he is upset, scared or unsure of himself. In most cases, weaning is much more difficult if feeding has become an addiction.
• Most often, mothers do not stop breastfeeding for fear of losing some special connection with their children. But a person who already walks, speaks, and clearly expresses his emotions has completely different criteria for connecting with the outside world. It is much more important for a mother to help the baby develop emotionally and physically, to support him in his endeavors, to allow him to show independence in difficult situations, and not to detain him in infancy.
• With prolonged breastfeeding, the mother's body becomes exhausted and wears out. Many women notice that their skin, hair, nails are deteriorating, and note chronic fatigue.
• In families where the mother breastfeeds the child for a long time, the situation is more tense and misunderstandings between husband and wife occur more often. Women often forget that they are not only mothers, but also wives. It is unlikely that a man will be delighted when for 2-3 years a woman is exclusively a dairy farmer and sleeps with the baby.

It is impossible to say unequivocally that feeding after a year is harmful, but still the optimal age for weaning is considered to be 1-1.4 years. If you do everything correctly, introduce complementary foods on time and gradually stop breastfeeding starting from 6 months, then the complete cessation of breastfeeding will go unnoticed and painlessly for both the mother and her baby.

Your baby has just celebrated his first “anniversary” - he turned one year old. He has learned a lot this year. Should his eating style now change?

Perhaps we can say that your baby has entered a transitional stage in nutrition. He is now no longer baby. The baby will become more and more familiar with the “food environment” and will become closer in his eating habits and preferences to adults. But it takes some time for the baby to gradually adapt to a new style of eating.

By this age, great changes have also occurred in the baby’s digestive system. Firstly, he has already acquired his own teeth. As a rule, by the age of 1 year, children have 6-10 milk teeth. The baby's chewing skills are rapidly improving. In this process, an important role is played by the interest in chewing food, which “gets” to the baby in coarsely crushed or even uncrushed form. Secondly, the activity of digestive enzymes produced in various parts of the baby’s digestive tract has increased significantly. This means that he is already ready to digest and assimilate much more complex foods than six months ago. Thirdly, the child has already become acquainted with many tastes of dishes; it is likely that he has already formed certain taste preferences. Further modification of nutrition should be associated not only with an increase in the nutritional value of the diet, but also with the expansion of the baby’s taste knowledge.

As a rule, breastfeeding after 1 year occurs early in the morning and late in the evening, before bedtime. Night feedings often continue at this age. There is nothing wrong with this: it is impossible to overfeed with breast milk. In addition, recent studies allow us to say with confidence that night breastfeeding not only does not increase the risk of developing caries, but, on the contrary, prevents its development. Antibodies contained in breast milk inhibit the growth of staphylococcus, which is the main cause of caries.

If the baby has already stopped receiving breast milk, but continues to “latch on” to a bottle of formula or even juice at night, then this needs to be stopped. Unfortunately, formulas differ in properties from breast milk. Therefore, their consumption, especially at night, significantly increases the risk of developing caries. The fact is that after them, as after any meal, the acid-base balance in the oral cavity strongly shifts to the acidic side, which creates the preconditions for the destruction of tooth enamel. And in general, by the age of one and a half years, a baby should be weaned from eating at night (this does not apply to breastfeeding), as this disrupts sleep, worsens appetite during the day and does not allow parents to eat.

When and how much to feed your baby?

Up to 1.5 years old, you can leave your baby five meals a day, but if you notice that the child refuses the last (fifth) feeding, then it’s time to transfer him to the “adult” four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. In this case, the intervals between feedings are 3.5-4 hours. It is during this period, according to research, that the food eaten is evacuated from the baby’s stomach, that is, it is ready for the next meal. You should strictly follow the established diet: try not to deviate from the “schedule” for more than 15-30 minutes. If the feeding regime is observed, the entire digestive system operates more clearly: the food reflex determines the formation of a good appetite, digestive juices are produced in a timely manner and in sufficient quantities, which allows food to be well digested and absorbed. With disordered eating, such a reflex is almost not developed, the secretion of enzymes and juices is reduced, and food is processed worse. Try not to give your baby anything between feedings - fruits, juices, dairy products, and especially sweets. This especially applies to children with decreased appetite. Such “snacks” reduce the baby’s appetite, disrupt the established mechanism for the production of digestive juices, so during main meals he may refuse certain healthy foods.

The calorie content of a child's daily diet at 12-18 months is approximately 1300 kcal, the volume of food is 1000-1200 ml. The distribution of this amount throughout the day is quite even: breakfast and dinner - 25% each, lunch - 35%, afternoon snack - 15%. It is estimated that for every kilogram of body weight, a one-year-old child needs about 4 g of protein, 4 g of fat and 16 g of carbohydrates per day. In this case, proteins of animal origin should make up at least 70% of their total daily amount, vegetable fats - approximately 13% of the total amount of fat.

What to serve?

By the age of 1, your baby has most likely become familiar with almost all types of foods. After 1 year, modifying the diet involves both turning to new products and gradually changing the method of their preparation and the degree of grinding.

Breast or not breast?
Despite the fact that the baby has formally already left the ranks of infants, it is perhaps still too early to wean him, especially in the hot season (the latter circumstance significantly increases the risk of catching an intestinal infection). Many pediatricians believe that breastfeeding is worth it until about 20-24 months. After all, sucking the breast not only gives the baby the opportunity to receive tasty milk, but also allows you to feel maternal warmth and care, providing psychological comfort. We must also not forget that milk remains extremely useful at this age: it contains special substances that stimulate development, in particular the brain, many vitamins, antibodies, and is easily and completely absorbed.

Dairy products in child nutrition

Dairy products still occupy a large place in the diet. They are a source of valuable calcium, B vitamins, as well as a supplier of protein and milk fat. After 1 year, the baby can be offered kefir (up to 200 ml per day), yogurt (200-300 ml). It is better not to exceed the recommended amount, since lactic acid products are rich in acidic compounds, which can overload both the baby’s digestive and excretory systems. It is better that the yogurt is made specifically for. If you give your baby “adult” yogurts, make sure that they are low-fat (milk, not creamy) and contain as little sucrose, preservatives, flavors and other artificial additives as possible. Of course, it is better to prefer “live” yoghurts - they allow you to maintain healthy intestinal flora. Such yoghurts have a limited shelf life (usually no more than 2 weeks), and they can only be stored in the refrigerator, at a temperature of 2-8°C. If the yogurt packaging indicates that the shelf life exceeds 1 month, then this product has been heat-treated and does not contain live lactic acid cultures. Also relevant are milk formulas - the so-called “follow-up formulas”, that is, those intended for feeding children after 6 months. Why is it worth offering them to your baby even after 1 year? The fact is that nutritionists increasingly agree on postponing a baby’s introduction to whole cow’s milk until at least 2-2.5 years of age, which is associated with a high frequency of allergic reactions to cow’s milk protein.

Other important dairy products are cottage cheese and cheese. The daily dose of cottage cheese can be increased to 70 g per day after 1 year. Some parents prefer to give it to their children every other day, but in a dose of about 140 g. Cottage cheese can be given in its “pure” form, or you can make pudding, casserole from it, or make cheesecakes when closer to a year and a half. Cheese is more often used in grated form as an additive to pasta. But some kids love to chew cheese with their teeth. In this case, this product will also contribute to the development of chewing skills.

Butter is most often used as an additive to cereals or spread on bread. The recommended dose is about 12 g per day. It is better not to heat-treat butter (that is, add it to ready-made dishes).

After 1 year, you can use low-fat sour cream and cream in small quantities. Sour cream is best suited for seasoning first courses, cream is best for preparing sauces for second courses.

Fruits and vegetables in a child's diet

Fruits and vegetables should also be widely represented on the baby’s table. After 1 year, you can slowly introduce the baby to new types of fruits and berries: strawberries, cherries, sweet cherries, kiwis, apricots, peaches, currants, gooseberries, chokeberries, sea buckthorn, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, blueberries, lingonberries and even citrus fruits. Of course, such introductions should be well thought out, and the mother will have to carefully monitor the baby’s reaction to each new product introduced. In children with allergic reactions, it is better not to take new steps without consulting an allergist or pediatrician. Berries that have a fairly dense peel are best crushed into puree, while soft, juicy fruits (apricots, peaches, kiwi) can be offered to the baby in slices. Even if your beloved little one tolerates exotic fruits (citrus fruits, kiwi) well, do not give them a lot: these fruits contain quite a lot of plant acids, which in large quantities can irritate the delicate mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. Grapes enhance fermentation processes in the intestines and overload the child’s diet with carbohydrates. However, it is relatively poor in vitamins. That is why nutritionists recommend starting to use it at a later age - closer to three years. Fruits can be given to the baby at the end of main meals; they can also be added to porridge or mixed with dairy products. The recommended dose of fruit is about 200-250 g per day. You can add another 100 ml of fruit juice to this amount. If before 1 year you should prefer clarified juices, then after 1 year it is quite possible to give the baby juices and nectars with pulp.

The baby’s vegetable menu can be enriched with beets, turnips, tomatoes, green peas, and beans. Legumes should be given to children in small quantities and only in a well-cooked and thoroughly crushed form, since these products are rich in coarse fiber, which causes increased gas formation in the intestines and increases peristalsis, which can lead to abdominal pain and diluted stools. Vegetables are mainly used in soups and side dishes for meat and fish dishes. They can not only be boiled, but also stewed. At the age of 1 year, they are given in the form of purees; closer to one and a half years, you can begin to offer your baby soft boiled or stewed vegetables in pieces. Closer to one and a half years, you can sometimes start offering your baby garden greens - dill, parsley, cilantro, wild garlic, spinach, lettuce, green onions. Finely chopped greens can be added to soups and main courses before serving.

It is better to add vegetable oils at the final stage of cooking vegetables in order to expose them to heat as little as possible, since in the process of heating any fats, carcinogens are formed that are harmful to the health of not only infants, but even adults.

Meat, fish, eggs in child nutrition

Meat products are given in the form of steam cutlets, meatballs, meatballs, meat soufflé and pudding in the amount of 100 g daily. Towards the middle of the second year, you can offer your baby stewed meat in small pieces, but at the same time be careful that he does not choke. Many types of meat are still used in the diet: beef, veal, lean pork, rabbit, turkey, chicken, as well as offal - liver, tongue, heart, brains. Waterfowl meat (duck, goose) and lamb are rich in refractory fats, which complicates the digestion and absorption of these types of meat, so they can be given only from time to time.

Fish should be offered once or twice a week, 30-40 g per meal, as a replacement for meat dishes. You can prepare fish cutlets (steamed) or meatballs, or stew fish fillets.

Eggs are also of great importance after 1 year, as they are rich in valuable nutrients - easily digestible protein, valuable amino acids, vitamins (A, D, E), phospholipids, minerals, micro- and macroelements. Egg whites are absorbed almost completely - 96-97%, fats - about 95%. Only chicken and quail eggs are used to feed babies. Waterfowl eggs are excluded due to the high risk of transmitting dangerous infections. Quail eggs differ from chicken eggs not only in their higher protein content (with a large amount of the essential amino acid tryptophan), but also in their higher fat and cholesterol content. Children under 1.5 years old should only be offered eggs boiled (hard-boiled) or in the form of omelettes with milk (they can also contain various vegetables). In their raw form (and in addition, “soft-boiled” and “in a bag”, eggs are less digestible, since they contain undenatured protein, and are also dangerous from the point of view of transmitting infections. It is convenient to cook an omelet in the microwave. Then it will not be fried, as in frying pan, and baked, without crust. The omelet mass is poured into a bowl designed for microwave ovens (without using oil) and placed in the oven for 2-3 minutes. In addition, eggs are added to other products during the preparation of various dishes (cheesecakes, pancakes etc.). Since eggs are a product with high allergenic properties (quail eggs are still much less allergenic than chicken eggs), they should not be given to children daily, it is better to do this 3 times a week or every other day. The recommended dose of eggs is % chicken eggs per day or whole eggs every other day.For quail eggs, the dose is approximately doubled.

Cereals, flour and bakery products in a child’s diet

Cereals are widely used in baby food. Oatmeal and buckwheat are especially useful for babies; you can also use corn, rice, millet and other types of cereals. It will be easier for a one-year-old baby to chew and swallow if the porridge has a uniform consistency, which is why instant porridges are often used. Closer to one and a half years, you can give well-cooked cereals without additional grinding.

From time to time, pasta can be used in children's meals. They can be given as a side dish or seasoned with soup. However, they should not be abused, as they are rich in easily digestible carbohydrates. It is recommended to offer them to your baby once or twice a week.

Bread is also used in the nutrition of children of this age. Up to 1.5 years, it is better to offer babies only white bread: it is easier to digest. The total amount of bread per day should not exceed 100 g. Starting from 1.5 years, you can include a little rye bread in the diet of crumbs (up to 50 g per day). Children under 1.5 years old are not offered rye bread, since the sour dough from which it is made causes fermentation in the intestines.

Other products

Drinks can be represented by clean water (preferably not boiled, but bottled “for baby food”), dairy products, fruit and vegetable juices, compotes (it is advisable that they be cooked without any sweetener at all or with the addition of a small amount of fructose), weakly brewed tea, herbal infusions (chamomile, fennel, mint, etc.). It is not recommended to give carbonated drinks (even mineral water) to children under 3 years of age, since the carbon dioxide contained in these drinks irritates the gastrointestinal mucosa. Let the baby regulate the amount of liquid consumed. It will, of course, depend on the time of year, the ambient temperature and the physical activity of the baby.

Table salt is used in small quantities - about 0.5-1 g per day.

Grapes enhance fermentation processes, so they are recommended to be given to children no earlier than three years of age.

Sweets. You can add a little sugar to sweeten some foods that your baby doesn't particularly like. It is better to prefer fructose: it is absorbed and absorbed by the body more slowly and evenly (which almost eliminates sudden changes in blood glucose levels), does not require insulin to penetrate the body’s cells (that is, it does not create overloads in the pancreas), and less disrupts the acid-base balance oral cavity (and therefore less conducive to the development of caries). In addition, when properly prepared, it is almost 1.75 times sweeter than sucrose, allowing it to be consumed in small quantities. To add flavor to porridge and cottage cheese, you can use fresh fruits and berries, as well as dried fruits. In addition, from time to time, children can be pampered with sweets (ideally, they can also be made with fructose - you can find such products on the shelves of medical nutrition stores) - marshmallows, marshmallows, jam, jam and, of course, honey (provided that the baby carries it). The total dose of sugars per day is 30-40 g for children 1-1.5 years old.

not so long ago they wrote that their baby doesn’t eat so much, but it was written with such an indignant accent, it even made me smile a little :) I want to say that children are all different, even adults have different appetites. And children are the same people as adults, mothers, there is no need to panic. How much a child eats means how much he needs. He will not leave himself hungry, he has developed a protective reflex from birth, and he announces hunger by crying (if he cannot yet speak). The most important thing is that you gain a few grams of weight. But if, on the contrary, he loses a kilogram, then you need to sound the alarm. And if he’s completely lethargic, he doesn’t play. Otherwise, everything is fine with your children! Let's use reason, not emotions:) well, on topic: our son eats well, he doesn’t refuse anything, he eats 200 grams, and even 300 for breakfast (porridge 200 and cottage cheese 100). Now he is 1.4 years old and has begun to have snacks between meals more often. Today, before the last feeding, an hour before, I begged for a steering wheel. I think this is due to his increased activity (he walks more outside).