There is no sense to even talk about the benefits of meat products for a growing baby’s body - everyone knows this. This protein-enriched product is essential for the child as the main building material. Since the process of formation of the body of the infant is at an accelerated pace, protein substances for the growth of tissues and cells are especially necessary. But not all mothers know how long to introduce meat to the baby and what to choose: canned goods in the department of baby food or self-prepared first dishes for crumbs.
When can I introduce meat to a baby?
It is only necessary to start talking about meat complementary foods when the child has mastered carbohydrate and vegetable foods well enough. As a rule, the first products in their life that babies try within six months of age are fruit and vegetable purees. Almost at the same time, mothers introduced milk cereals into the diet of their beloved children.
About how to introduce meat into lure, you should think about 1.5-2 months after the first feeding the baby with an “adult” product (be it applesauce or buckwheat porridge). In most cases, this occurs closer to the age of eight months. By this period, the gastrointestinal tract of the baby will be developed enough to cope with the digestion of meat. In some cases (but rather, as an exception), the doctor may prescribe mashed meat for the baby even earlier than 7-8 months of age.
In particular, with anemia and severe signs of rickets, this product is recommended to be introduced into complementary foods for six months. Sometimes this also applies to children who are not breast-feeding.
What meat should be the first?
The first meat feeding is an exciting and alarming moment for any mom. Many women are worried, fearing that the baby will not like this product, but it is so necessary for its full growth and development. Therefore, the choice of the main ingredient must be approached responsibly.
At routine examinations, pediatricians usually instruct moms to plan a menu for the baby. They also talk about which meat is best to be added to lure first. The most hypoallergenic alternative is turkey or rabbit meat. This is probably known to many.
If the baby does not like this mashed meat, then in the absence of allergic reactions and other contraindications, you can offer baby beef or veal crumbs.
Beef and chicken for children: use with caution!
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the presence in the history of the baby lactose intolerance in almost 100% of cases leads to an allergy to cow meat. The most important thing is to use only low-fat meats for making baby puree , therefore lamb and pork are recommended for use by the crumbs only after a year.
As for chicken, most experts advise parents to refrain from including this product in the infant's diet. It is even more undesirable to give it to the baby as the first meat feeding. The presence in the chicken of chemical and hormonal substances aimed at the earliest growth and weight gain by the bird will fall into the baby's body with the meat dish.
Serving Size For Infant
How to introduce meat into complementary foods, and in what quantity should it be given crumbs? This issue also deserves attention. Referring again to the recommendations of pediatricians, it is important to note that the optimal amount of meat for babies at first is half a teaspoon.
If during the first week of eating meat no side effects are detected, then from the next week its amount can be doubled. By an average of 8 months, a child should receive about 30 g of meat dishes daily. By 12 months, this volume should be doubled.
However, not all children like protein foods. If the baby did not like the baby, you can try to “trick” it by stirring half a teaspoon of mashed potatoes with vegetables or breast milk. The reaction of the crumbs must be closely monitored in the first couple of weeks. If no allergic manifestations or disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are detected, you can confidently move forward on the further scheme of the introduction of complementary foods.
Methods of cooking meat for crumbs
Recommendations on how to prepare mashed potatoes for babies cannot but arouse interest. There is nothing complicated in this process, and even a mother who does not know the secrets of culinary wisdom will cope with it. At the age of 7 to 23 months, it is advisable to give only boiled meat, mashed in ordinary mashed potatoes. Cooking time takes no more than an hour. A small piece of meat should be cooked for at least 40-50 minutes. Slightly cooled piece should be passed through a meat grinder.
The menu of the child per year may include steam cutlets. It is extremely important to pay attention to the fact that any meat dish prepared with crumbs cannot be stored in the refrigerator. If the baby has not finished eating, you do not need to leave food “for later”.
Cooking meat for the baby as a complementary food should be made according to a variety of recipes. Even if the baby eagerly gobbles up the cooked puree for both cheeks, do not let it get stuck on one thing. You can improvise, including porridge and vegetables in the dish.
Is it possible to give a child canned meat?
Undoubtedly, the best and most useful dish for crumbs will be mashed meat, prepared by caring affectionate mother's hands. However, with all her desire, she may not always have the opportunity and time to cook. Situations are very different: a trip, a disease, and a second baby. In this case, canned meat for baby food will come to the rescue.
Today it is not difficult to purchase such a jar that is saving for many mothers.
The real problem lies in her choice, because there are plenty of manufacturers of canned food, but which of them guarantee the quality of the contents in the package?
How to choose canned foods in the baby food department?
In order not to be mistaken when choosing children's meat puree, it is worth paying attention to such details:
- The degree of grinding of meat: it should be grated, not contain any particles, lumps.
- Ingredients: the ideal solution would be a homogenized puree without any additives. If necessary, mixing with vegetables can be done at home.
- Shelf life: the fresher, the better.
Canned meat storage
In addition, by opening canned goods and using only half a teaspoon, the jar can be refrigerated and stored for no more than a day. Before feeding, it is advisable to heat the mashed potatoes not in the microwave, but in a water bath. Reviews of many mothers indicate that canned meat is great for adding to hot dishes. The broth based on them is hearty and tasty.
Any kind of complementary foods, including meat, should be administered crumbs with caution. The baby should be absolutely healthy, not have problems with stool and digestive organs. In this case, the first meat puree will only benefit him and he will like it.
What to do with the broth, is it useful for the crumbs?
When discussing how to introduce meat into lure, one should not forget about caution. Many doctors agree that the absorption of protein in the body of the child should be preceded by the use of meat broth. Thus, without difficulty, you can prepare the baby's digestive tract for digesting a fairly heavy and unfamiliar product. You need to start with 1-2 spoons, gradually increasing, and after a couple of weeks you can give the child 2-3 tablespoons of meat broth.
However, in this case, you can’t take your eyes off the crumbs. In some cases, the introduction of the broth into the diet of the baby was accompanied by the appearance of diathesis rash on the cheeks. With a similar development of an allergic reaction, meat feeding should be postponed for some time. You can replace the broth with ordinary vegetable soups.
Opposite view of stock for baby
However, there is another, no less justified position regarding the use by the infant of meat broths. In particular, some doctors claim that such a liquid can be given to crumbs only after meat feeding. All trace elements that could be “stuffed” with meat fall into the broth. Veal should also be given carefully to the baby, so the broth is best boiled twice. Boiled meat and peeled broth have a lower risk for the child. Salt the boiled dish is necessary last.
Before introducing meat into complementary foods, it is necessary to observe the condition and behavior of the child. Despite the fact that the nutritional value of meat broth is small, it contains many substances that serve as stimulants of the processes of digestion of food. The baby may wake up an appetite, so it is better to give the broth, for example, in front of vegetable puree.
How to teach your baby to chew food?
The menu of the child per year, in contrast to the nutritional scheme of the 8-month-old peanut, should contain much less grated food. The same applies to meat. The child is especially required to receive a load for the gums and erupting baby teeth. Gradually, puree food should be replaced by more dense dishes.
Meat, of course, belongs to a similar category of products. It will help the baby prepare the chewing muscles.
In conclusion
Meat dishes for the child are an indispensable source of vitamins A and B, proteins, fats and easily digestible iron. As already mentioned, 7-8 months is the best time for the baby to get acquainted with meat dishes. Together with vegetables or porridge, the baby receives a full meal containing the nutritional value necessary for his body.
At the same age, they often begin to give children a liver. If you choose between pork, beef and chicken, you should choose beef liver. It is considered the most useful and enriched with proteins, iron and vitamins. With a low level of hemoglobin in the blood of infants, the liver is an obligatory product for consumption.
If the baby liked the meat, there is no need to rush and delight him with mashed meat every day. For starters, it will be enough to introduce complementary foods 1-2 times during the week. After giving the child to try one of the types of meat, you can then give another. The main thing is to monitor the allergic reaction to a particular dish. Therefore, a lot of meat at a time can not be given to the baby. A one-year-old toddler can eat up to 80 g of meat at a time.