Hello Moms!
If you are a new mom, chances are you are quite caught up with
day-to-day motherhood chores that you haven’t had a chance to think about
preparations for the next day, let alone next week. The little bundles of joy
in your hands are simple and complicated at the same time. Simple as their
needs are mostly food and sleep; complicated as their needs are mostly food and
sleep! At 6 months, your baby gets ready for an entry into the grand culinary
circuit. That’s when life is bound to get a little more complicated for moms.
Nutritional Requirement of a 6-Month Old Baby!
Here are the nutritional components in baby food for 6
months old:
- Calcium: Calcium
in food is essential for their bone and teeth development.
- Iron: Iron
helps carry oxygenated blood to all the developing parts of the body.
- Zinc: Zinc
helps cell repair and growth.
- Fat: Fat
insulates the baby and helps in brain development.
- Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the primary source of
energy and fuels their day-to-day activities.
- Protein: These
are a must for growth as
they act as building blocks for cells.
- Vitamins: Deficiencies
in certain type of Vitamins (Eg: Vitamin D, Vitamin E etc) can lead to
white spots on face and other parts of the body. These serve as a reminder
to feed your baby a healthy, balanced meal. The white spots on the face
will gradually disappear when the body receives adequate nutrition.
- Minerals: Minerals
like sodium and potassium directly influence the growth of the baby.
Amount of food Your Baby should eat?
A six-month-old baby is actually breastfed. You can start
with servings of 5-10 ml or one teaspoon and increase the amount gradually. Do
not force feed her as she may eat just half a spoon initially. Apart from this,
solid food can be introduced either during the breakfast or lunch. Now, one
should introduce only one food and observe the baby by continuously feeding the
same food for at least three days. If the baby is happy and shows no sign of
any allergy, then you can try other food varieties.
Best foods for a 6-Month Old Baby?
Before going on with the list,
please avoid salt and sugar for the baby until the age of one, as it puts
unwanted stress on their kidneys.
So, here is the list of healthy
food items for a 6-month old baby:
- Fruits puree: Fruits can be steamed and mashed or pureed to be given
as their first solid food. The popular fruits that are given as baby foods
are apple, banana, pear, avocado, chikoo, and peach.
- Vegetable puree: Vegetables such a sweet
potato, potato, carrot, sweet pumpkin, french beans etc. can be steamed
and given either as finger food or as a puree.
- Pulses Soup: Variety of pulses, especially dals can be boiled with
water and the soup of the dal, which contains the nutrient extract of it,
can be given as a source of proteins to babies.
- Rice porridge: Rice is a good source of carbohydrates and vitamins for
babies. Broken rice can be given as porridge, made in breast milk.
- Cereal porridge: It can also be made from a variety of single grain
cereals like wheat, millets, barley, oats, etc. in breast milk or formula
milk. These cereals can be dried and powdered together or separately, to
make a mix for the gruel.
- Vegetable soup: A variety of vegetables can be boiled in water, and the
stock can be used for making soup.
- Yogurt: Although cow’ milk is not allowed until the age of one for
babies, unsweetened yogurt can be given in moderate amount as an
alternative to purees.
Here
is a glimpse of the 6 Month Baby Food Chart!
What if Your Baby is allergic to particular food?
A baby being allergic to any food may result in the form
of vomiting, rashes, pain in the stomach etc. So, if you find there is an
allergic reaction, immediately stop the food that you have been giving your
baby. And go the best doctor available. Do not compromise on that! You can
avoid the allergy-causing food and retry it after few months.
Coming to the topic, what food groups to start with – is
a question that crosses every mother’s mind. While there is a wide range of
options to choose from, it remains pertinent to remember that not all food
ingredients suit all babies.
Every baby is unique and may develop unique tastes. This
may also be true amongst 2 babies in the same family. Further, the ability of
the baby to effectively digest newly introduced food groups will determine the
pace of introduction of food items.
So if we told you there are ready-to-use food chart for 6
months+ babies, with authentic Indian food ingredients that have been developed
with the experience of generations of Indian mothers, would you believe us?
It’s true!
The 6 Month Baby Food Chart is a
magic tool in your hands, allowing you the power to plan a perfect food chart
for your precious baby.
What Do You Get From This
Baby Food Chart?
- Ingredients that are
nutritious and easy to digest such as plain rice, ragi, sweet potato
roasted gram, carrots, and apples.
- Ready-to-use, a
day-wise format that defines the food group for each meal of the day.
- Meals that can be
served in porridge and pureed forms to allow babies to experiment with
different food textures.
- Ingredients that are
easily available in Indian markets.
Feeding Tips, Anyone?
Feeding babies can be a daunting task for mothers. Here are some
tips to make your mealtime happy and stress-free.
- Always start slowly, with just one or
two spoons and proceed to give more if the baby likes the taste of the new
food.
- Introduce only one new food at a time
and wait for the baby to respond to it, before starting another new food.
- Follow the 3-day wait rule and note down
all the new dishes that the baby takes for troubleshooting when there is
an allergic reaction.
- Do not give lumps in food or finger
foods for babies as small as six months, as it sometimes causes gagging
and even choking.
- Dedicate a calm and quiet place for
feeding every single day to establish a feeding routine.
- Avoid distraction feeding.
- Prepare and store the baby food in
sterilized steel or glass bowls instead of plastic containers.
- Give only homemade food for 6 months
baby as their digestive system is still immature.
What’s more?
The first time you introduce solids, you need to ensure
the baby is physically developed to sit upright on a high-seat unassisted and
is able to move food to the back of the mouth using up and down jaw movements.
As the food is generally in pureed/ porridge form, it is expected to slide
safely down the throat. A common method of feeding is using a baby spoon, which
is available in different sizes.
With Baby Food Chart, keeping track of your baby’s diet is so easy now!
Make the right choice. The smart choice. Happy
feeding!
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