Breastfeeding at 8 months How to introduce the first complementary foods correctly

Introducing new foods to your baby's diet is milestone its healthy growth and development. Therefore, complementary foods at 8 months should also be introduced, guided by certain rules and recommendations.

At the age of 8 months, the diet of the crumbs is already quite diverse, but this does not diminish the importance of getting to know new foods. If you have any questions regarding the diet of the baby, you should seek help from the local pediatrician. If the child is healthy, then new dishes will only benefit him and will positively affect the development of all organs and systems. As with introducing new foods for more early dates, try to choose exclusively high-quality and healthy products for the baby.

How to introduce the third complementary foods correctly

At eight months, a healthy baby should begin to introduce a third complementary food. In this age digestive system already mature enough to get acquainted with a variety of more adult food. During the first two complementary foods, the child expanded the diet with vegetable purees and cereals.

Also, up to eight months, it is desirable that he try the following products:

• At 7 months, low-fat meat broth should be present in the baby's diet.
• From 7 months, you can give your baby vegetable cream soup.
• If your baby is already six months old, then you can gradually give him crackers and cookies (at first 3-5 grams, and at the end of the first year of life 10-15 grams).

• In the diet of seven month old baby should be wheat bread (initial serving 5 grams). For convenience, flour products can be soaked in broth.
• Minced meat should be given to a child no earlier than he is 7 months old. For minced meat, it is better to use lean meat of chicken, pork or beef. Start with small portions (about 5 grams) and bring up to 20-30 grams.

At 8 or 9 months you can give the baby a taste of minced fish(1-2 times a week instead of a meat dish). It is important to ensure that minced meat or fish is homogeneous and does not contain lumps. With age, it will be possible to cook more dense meat and fish dishes. If the baby is breastfed, then upon reaching the age of eight months, he no longer has enough mother's milk and products introduced into the diet earlier.

Also during this period, the amount of milk in the mother significantly decreases, which justifies the introduction of the third complementary foods.

At breastfeeding 8 month old baby receives the third complementary food at 18:00, and receives the second complementary food in the form of lunch at 14:00. The same scheme should be followed with artificial feeding. The third complementary food can be soft low-fat cheese or cheese 9%, 20% fat, kefir, cracker, biscuit or bun, filled with hot cow's milk. Therefore, whole cow's milk is allowed to be consumed by a baby from 7-8 months.

Indicative menu for an 8 month old baby

A very convenient solution for mom will be to make sample menu for feeding an 8 month old baby. It is desirable that the baby receives mother's milk or formula for artificial feeding twice a day. With a five-time milk diet, it is better to feed the baby at 6 o'clock in the morning and at 10 o'clock in the evening. This routine provides a good rest for mother and baby in the evening and morning. At 10 o'clock in the morning, offer the baby porridge, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon the child should receive a full meal (for example, soup with meat broth, vegetable puree, minced meat and cookies). At 6 pm, give the crumbs the products recommended for the third complementary foods. Such a diet fully satisfies the child's need for nutrients, vitamins and trace elements.

Complementary foods for an 8-month-old baby on breastfeeding (as well as on artificial) should be introduced gradually. Do not give several new products at once(cheese and kefir or whole cow's milk). You should carefully monitor the well-being of the baby after he tries a new food.

Pay attention to the condition of the skin, the nature of the stool.

If any warning symptoms appear, stop giving New Product and consult a pediatrician. It is important to give your baby only high-quality products and observe all hygiene standards in the cooking process. Remember that high-quality and complete complementary foods at 8 months is the key to health and active image life of your crumbs, and also forms the habit of the right lifestyle from the very early age.

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Lure- this is the beginning of the introduction of new types of products to replenish the energy costs of the baby.

Based on data from WHO studies, general rules complementary foods:

• the first product in the baby's menu is introduced between 4 and 6 months: at six months for natural scientists, at 4 - 4.5 months for babies on mixtures;
• great attention is paid to readiness for a new kind of food;
• complementary foods for months provides for the introduction various kinds food: cereals, vegetables, meat, dairy products;
• food should be in a mashed form (mashed potatoes). If you have teeth, you can try lump food;
• - a pledge of health, it must be continued until the age of two.

Pediatrician, doctor of the highest category Yakov Yakovlev believes: “The number 6 should be treated well. This is a great age for adult food."

With the introduction of complementary foods after the optimal period, the child will begin to lose weight, lack micronutrients. In the worst case scenario, developmental delay threatens.

With the early introduction of new foods, the risk of developing allergies increases due to the unavailability of digestive enzymes.

Complementary feeding rules

• you need to give new food from 5 grams, increasing portions in 2 weeks to 150 grams;
• the child must be healthy;
• the first feeding is undesirable in the summer season;
• another product should be introduced only after adaptation to the previous one, approximately every 2 to 3 weeks;
• food should be freshly cooked, warm.
• you need to carefully monitor the condition of the child. If diarrhea occurs, it is better to remove the product from the menu for a while and try again after a week.

Complementary foods at 6 months

The baby's first dish is vegetable. With a lack of weight - porridge. We start with hypoallergenic broccoli, zucchini and cauliflower.

Broccoli is not the most pleasant taste, so save it for last.

You can buy vegetable purees in jars or cook them yourself. When preparing mashed potatoes, you should take a vegetable, wash, peel. Steam cooking is best. Then place the finished vegetable in a blender. Grind until puree.

Most delicious purees from Gerber, but according to the price criterion, they are much more expensive than the "Grandmother's Basket".

Do not add spices, salt, sugar until two years old.

For 2 weeks, the child should get used to zucchini. Monitor the condition of the skin and stool.

Cauliflower will be the next step in expanding the diet, but subject to the absence of rashes and other elements on the baby's skin.

It should be given before breastfeeding, at 12 noon.

You can offer 5 - 6 times one dish. If the baby has not eaten the entire portion offered to him, perhaps he is just full.

Some of the latest in vegetable complementary foods are pumpkin and carrots. They are allergenic, be careful.

Potatoes are the latest of all vegetables to be introduced to the child's menu. A very allergenic product, for the assimilation of which an already mature enzymatic function of the intestine is needed.

Important information for those parents who are interested,.

Complementary foods at 7 months

Next in line are fruits and cereals. We start with a green apple and pears. Then offer prunes, apricots, peaches or plums. Of course, in the summer, the choice of fruits is much larger.

We introduce fruits, like vegetables, starting with a teaspoon, from one fruit, after a month we switch to another.

Porridge is our breadwinner

The introduction of complementary foods at 7 months should begin with dairy-free cereals. Up to 12 months there is no need for cow and goat milk, as advised by grandmothers. These dairy products increase the acidity of the stomach, can provoke the development of gastritis or ulcers.

You can add breast milk or formula to the porridge.

Start with gluten-free cereals - corn, buckwheat or rice. For children under one year old, gluten is quite difficult to digest.

Do not be afraid to buy baby cereals in stores. They are already crushed and ready for use, only diluted with water. No additives are needed. Nestle produces a range of very tasty cereals at affordable prices.

Porridges are given for breakfast, it is possible together with fruits. Same amount as with vegetables. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of butter to the porridge.

8 months - meat time

By this time, the baby already has a full breakfast. Now let's create a menu for lunch. The first meat dishes are rabbit and turkey, as they are hypoallergenic. We start with 5 grams of canned meat puree, both separately and mixed with vegetables. Meat dish can be prepared independently in the form of minced meat.

After the turkey and rabbit, beef, chicken, and veal are given. It is better to refuse pork before 2 years.

Do not add vegetable oil to canned meat puree. But if you cooked it yourself, then you should add ½ teaspoon vegetable oil in vegetables or meat puree.

The yolk is a storehouse of vitamins

We give the yolk 2 times a week, starting with ¼ part. Add to dishes or dilute with milk. Usually given in the morning. Then by the year we increase to half.

Table of introduction of complementary foods for breakfast and lunch while breastfeeding

Don't forget to breastfeed.

Complementary food table artificial feeding

It's time for cottage cheese and kefir

Ukrainian doctor Komarovsky O.E. advises starting complementary foods with kefir, as it is similar to mother's milk. But WHO recommends otherwise. It is better to buy kefir for children, from Nasha Masha or Frutonyanya. Kefir should be unsweetened and without dyes.

We also start according to the "golden rule" - with a teaspoon. We give kefir for dinner at 20.00. We also choose cottage cheese for children: “Agusha”, “Tyoma”. We start cottage cheese with a teaspoon and bring it up to 50 grams by 1 year. We give in the evening for dinner with cottage cheese.

10 months - lump food

The child can be given cookies, drying, as the baby already has required amount teeth. Give fruits in pieces, peeled.

A child with food should always be supervised!

Fruit juices are best made by yourself. Store-bought ones contain a lot of acids and sugar.

At 10 months, give fish dishes 2 times a week. Start with low-fat varieties - hake, cod, perch.

What can not be given before 1 year?

• semolina should not be given often, as it interferes with the absorption of iron and can provoke the development of anemia;
• sweets, chocolate;
• goat, cow milk;
• tropical fruits, citrus.

General table for the introduction of complementary foods for children

Meals in "banks"

Products are prepared only from environmentally friendly, carefully grown fruits and vegetables. This type of food has a guaranteed composition. Lots of checks going on. Can't be found on shelves children food Low quality.

There are no preservatives in this diet. Why are they kept for so long? Vacuum packaging and aseptic storage conditions do not allow the product to deteriorate.

You can start complementary foods with industrial products. Then, when the child gets used to it, cook it yourself. Be sure to check the expiration dates.

Complementary foods for children with atypical reactions

It is very difficult to feed a child if he has manifestations of allergies. The following rules must be observed:

• do not add sugar to ready meals, especially juices;
• start complementary foods only with “clean” skin;
• keep monocomponent. Don't mix multiple vegetables or fruits. So it will be easier to identify what the allergy is, if it appears;
• sweet fruit juices, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, leave in the end, by 10-11 months;
• egg, fish is better to enter from 12 months;
• the baby gets used to each new dish for at least 7 days;
• if a rash appears, the new product is canceled;
• if you are allergic to cow's milk, allergic reactions to beef are also likely.

Up to a year, the health of the baby is laid. Proper balanced nutrition will help to avoid many problems in the future. New food products Your kids will love it if they are made with love. Each baby is individual, and only the mother will be able to understand when a new feeding period will begin.

Complementary foods at 8 months is a period of independence, when the child shows a desire to feed himself! This article provides information on complementary foods for children from 8 months of age.

Probably an 8 month old baby weighs about 8.3 kg and is now able to eat some small solid foods. A couple of months ago, the child got rid of tongue thrust reflex, food is no longer pushed out of the mouth by the tongue. The child can sit independently in a high chair, so you can feed the baby at the common table. Breast milk continues to be the main source of infant nutrition. However, at the same time, the baby can eat adult food 2-3 times a day. he needs complementary foods as an additional source of energy and nutrients, since motor and mental activity baby at 8 months has increased significantly.

It should be borne in mind that the feeding regimen with HB can change, since during the day the baby is busy exploring the world around him, so he can simply forget about breast milk, but at the same time, night feedings can increase up to 6 times. With IV, there can be up to 4 feedings with milk formula, not counting complementary foods.

Complementary foods at 8 months. Independence

At this age, the baby begins to show a lot of independence, he wants to drink from a cup without his mother's help, while holding it with both hands. Most children at 8 months like to study food slowly and thoroughly, and they are interested in food not only on their plate, but also on the next . Their cognitive interest can lead to rubbing applesauce on the table or throwing food on the floor, as well as mothers remember that the spreading liquid is a very interesting sight for a little inquisitive baby. And to treat mom with an apple is another exciting activity. The child has just learned to take small pieces of vegetables between the large and index finger, and transfer them to your mouth, and then chew it all. Sometimes all this can be annoying, because the actions of a child bring disorder and dirt to our measured adult life. However, this is an important step in the development of the baby, which allows them to learn and fills them with energy. It is best at this stage for the child to eat with all family members so that he clearly remembers the rules of cultural behavior at the table, remember that your behavior will be copied and shown in all its glory a little later.

Most likely, at 8 months, the baby has about 4 teeth, but perhaps not one or more, do not be discouraged if they are not there, this is normal. If there are teeth, the baby can eat finely chopped food, as we wrote earlier, pureed food is offered to babies at 7-9 months. However, already at 8 months they can be offered pieces of soft baby biscuits, apples or boiled carrots, on which the baby learns to chew and bite. You can read more about finger food.

Complementary foods at 8 months: What to feed???

- this is good time to continue introducing new foods in addition to breast milk or formula. As a finger food, you can enter soft baby biscuits, drying or crackers. At 8 months, you can cook vegetable soups from potatoes, zucchini, carrots, etc. You can add onion, garlic, dill or parsley to the soup, we remind you, only after the gradual introduction of these products into the baby's diet (the waiting rule is 4-7 days).

We continue to feed the child in the morning with dairy-free cereals, there is already a large selection - buckwheat, rice, corn, oatmeal, quinoa is possible. Closer to 7-8 months, if all these cereals are introduced into the baby's diet, you can cook multi-cereal cereals, mix 2-3 types of cereals and offer the child. Perhaps he has already formed his own taste and favorite porridge.

Please note that you should not go on about the crumbs, if he refuses to eat this or that product. You should offer a new product more than 20 times, with short breaks, i.e. offered - refusal, after 10-14 days we offer again and so on up to 20 times. Yes, the child’s addiction to new foods may take longer, but he will eat everything.

Most pediatricians advise introducing meat into baby food at eight months. But do not rush into this, it is considered the norm to introduce meat into the diet of a child of 8-10 months. So it is not necessary to enter meat products the day the baby is 8 months old. Usually, meat supplements at 8 months start with rabbit or turkey, but you can start with lean beef. The main thing for making meat puree is not to use the meat broth in which the meat was cooked. And also remember that the secondary broth is always used, do not worry, the baby will receive all the elements he needs, which will remain in the meat puree.

Meat puree is usually offered with vegetables or porridge. The first meat complementary foods will be equal to 1 teaspoon, then every day we increase the meat complementary foods and reduce the vegetable ones, we wrote here about replacing the first complementary foods with the second. We bring the meat to 30 grams, if the baby eats less, do not be discouraged, this happens.

Sour-milk complementary foods at 8 months

Also, complementary foods at 8 months are supplemented with kefir, but most pediatricians are on this moment It is advised to wait up to 12 months with its introduction. However, if you decide to introduce kefir into your diet, then we remind you that it does not belong to complementary foods, as it is rather a drink, because it is not thick. They offer kefir to the baby, as usual we introduce a new product, gradually bring it up to 200 ml. Many mothers with children on IV replace the last feeding with kefir or another fermented milk product. However, it must be warned that fermented milk products adversely affect tooth enamel, I do not discourage you from feeding your child with kefir or yogurt, they are very useful, just after this meal, the child needs to be given water to drink or brush his teeth. And of course, it is best to replace nightly dairy (for example, milk) and sour-milk feedings with water. I understand it is difficult, but in 2-3 weeks of your stoic “no”, the child will get used to not eating at night. Again, I am writing about children who have completely switched to complementary foods. If you are formula feeding or breastfeeding, then feed for health at night.

Fruit food at 8 months

From fruits, you can add banana, peaches, apricots and blueberries. At first, we give a boiled banana, then after the child has adapted, you can give it fresh. With banana gently so that the child Do not leave the child unattended when eating new food.

You can also use canned puree, and many parents choose the option of meat puree from a can, since it can be difficult to make such a puree like in a store at home, the meat has fibers and a blender sometimes does not help much to achieve a uniform consistency. And banana puree can be offered canned for the first time, so as not to suffer with its preparation.

Feeding a baby at 8 months: Mode

Usually for GV and IV, the feeding regimen is the same, the number of feedings is only 5, and the interval between feedings is 4 hours. The approximate amount of food for one feeding is 230 grams, but it all depends on the child. Complementary foods at 8 months are given 2-3 times a day.

Feeding a baby at 8 months: Norms

The table shows the approximate norms of food consumption at one meal. Your child is a special person, so you should not equate him with the framework. The baby can eat more than the following norms, or vice versa, much less. Sometimes they eat a lot one day, and the next day they don’t eat at all, they only drink water. Therefore, you should not force the child, this table offers the mother the option of cooking in a given amount, although, most likely, by 8 months, parents already know approximately how much their baby eats. We also draw your attention to the fact that children on breastfeeding can eat less than the indicated norms, as they know for sure that later they will receive tasty and healthy mother's milk. So my son ate only 100 grams of vegetable puree with 30 grams of meat and washed it all down perfectly. breast milk, he was satisfied with such a dinner.

Feeding a baby at 8 months: Table manners

By the age of 8 months, the child's intelligence is growing rapidly, so it is necessary to teach him to follow certain rules at the table. We gave the baby a spoon, but he played with it more than he used it, but there are already results, right? At 8 months, you can wash your hands before eating, laying the foundations of etiquette. Be sure to monitor the cleanliness of children's dishes so that the baby gets used to cleanliness from an early age. And we also make sure that the baby eats in a calm environment without books and toys. He should separate play and feeding times. Accordingly, no watching TV or the Internet while feeding the baby. The attention of the family at the table completely belongs to the food on the plate, we teach the child to eat with the family, in a quiet conversation, to enjoy delicious food and communication.

We remind you that food for a baby at 8 months is an additional source of energy and nutrients, so be careful not to make food a cure for baby crying. If a child has acquired this habit from the first months of his life, then this can lead to excess body weight, which is very difficult to remove later.

: Water

By 8 months, the child is consciously interested in water, if earlier he could still refuse water, now, most likely, he reaches for a cup on his own, but not in an attempt to get drunk with water, he simply copies his mother's actions. A child on breastfeeding practically does not drink water, as he receives enough liquid from breast milk, but still, water is offered in a cup between feedings. During hot periods, breastfeed your baby more often if he categorically refuses to drink water. A child on IV drinks water almost from birth, so we continue to offer to drink from a cup. There are no norms for the volume of water, a child can drink from 100 to 300 ml of water per day, the main thing is not to force him to drink water, often offer, set a positive example.

Feeding Your Baby at 8 Months: Ideas

Complementary foods at 8 months are very diverse, since a huge number of new products have been introduced into his diet, you can combine them, combine and give the baby a lot of unforgettable taste experiences. Below are examples of children's recipes. We continue to feed the baby with his favorite dishes, and add new recipes to our piggy bank.

1. Kashi:

• Rice porridge with banana (porridge 100 grams, fruit 80 grams)
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with peach
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with apricot
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with blueberries
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with peach and apricot
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with peach and apricot and blueberries
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with blueberries and peach
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with rabbit and/or
• Rice (and/or buckwheat, corn) porridge with rabbit (and/or turkey, lean beef) with onions and carrots
• etc.

1. Fruit:

1. Meat:

• Turkey puree (5-30 grams)
• Rabbit puree
• Lean beef puree
• Apple with turkey / Bread sticks

1. Vegetables:

We are not afraid and add me to

The diet of a child at 8 months is noticeably enriched with new products. Previously unknown fruits and vegetables, dairy products and even cookies appear. What to cook for a baby at 8 months to diversify his diet? In our article, we will draw up a sample menu for an eight-month-old baby and talk about allowed foods.

So, babies definitely continue to receive breast milk or adapted mixture at least twice a day: in the morning before breakfast and in the evening at night. We will immediately answer the question of whether it is possible to give milk to a child at 8 months. In its pure form, milk is not offered to the baby, with the exception of cereals on the water in half with milk. At the same time, make sure that there are no allergic reactions.

During the day, children have three main meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, the intervals between which are four hours. The amount of food for one complementary food usually reaches 200 ml, unless, of course, your baby is able to eat that much. Already at this age, teach children that they eat porridge for breakfast and soup for lunch - later it will be easier for them to adapt to kindergarten.

What a child should eat at 8 months for breakfast depends on the time of introduction of complementary foods. All children at this age can be offered corn, rice and buckwheat porridge, dairy or dairy-free. It is allowed to feed with oatmeal and barley porridge, if there are no contraindications. In addition, breakfast can be varied with fruit puree, cottage cheese (about 40 g) or half an egg yolk. You can offer drinks such as yogurt, kefir or juice.

Now we list what foods a child can have at 8 months for lunch. Offer the baby a soup with potatoes and cauliflower (not in meat broth) or vegetables, adding about 50 g of mashed meat to them. As a drink, juice or compote is good. For an afternoon snack, you can give your baby a cracker or a cookie. Many parents worry about how to give cookies to an 8-month-old baby if he does not yet have teeth. To do this, take special children's cookies that melt in your mouth. So the baby will not be able to choke.

For dinner, children at this age can be offered children's cottage cheese with fruits, porridge or vegetables if they were not eaten at lunch. Add meat or fish to vegetables. Fish is introduced into the diet only if complementary foods were started from 4 to 5 months. Most of the time it's about artificers. What kind of fish can a child at 8 months: preferably sea varieties with white meat (cod, pollock, hake). So far, these dishes are allowed once or twice a week instead of meat.

What fruits can a child at 8 months

For the first fruit food at this age, a green apple or pear is suitable. If you have already introduced these fruits into your diet, it's time to diversify the menu. The baby can be offered prunes puree, fresh plums, peaches, apricots. Artificers who are already familiar with many products are gradually introduced blackcurrant, blueberry, cherry and even raspberry. Is it possible for a child at 8 months of banana and persimmon, many mothers are interested. It is quite possible to try a banana for children already familiar with other fruits, but in small quantities. But it is better to postpone the persimmon for a month or two.

Any fruit, especially red, start with one teaspoon per day, as there is a high risk of developing an allergic reaction. Also, prioritize the seasonal fruits of your stripe. If it is late autumn or winter outside, it is better to buy ready-made canned purees than fresh fruit of dubious quality in the store.

Vegetables and vegetable purees in the baby's diet

Vegetable puree for an 8 month old baby is still one of the key dishes. Almost all children at this age already eat mashed zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower. Now you can add pumpkin and carrots to your diet. At the same time, enter them very slowly, as there is a high risk of developing allergies. These vegetables go well with an apple - this way you can diversify the taste range of the crumbs.
Mashed potatoes for a child of 8 months in their pure form are rarely used and in small quantities. This is due to the high content of starch in the vegetable. But you can already add a little potatoes to other vegetables, the same applies to soup. If you cook your own food, we recommend soaking the potatoes in water for several hours to remove the starch from them. You can add a little dill to the vegetables for taste.

What kind of meat to give a child at 8 months

Meat products at this age must be present in the children's menu. Their choice depends on when this product was introduced into the diet. For the first feeding and for babies receiving meat from 7 months, turkey, rabbit and horse meat are relevant. For a child who began to be fed from 4 to 5 months, veal, beef, poultry are acceptable, and offal - liver, tongue and heart are also introduced for the first time. Be sure to introduce new dishes gradually, starting with the 1st teaspoon. It is important to know how much meat to give a child at 8 months: no more than 50 g per day. It is advisable to combine it with vegetable dish for better digestibility.

How many eggs can you give an eight month old baby

For artificial babies, eggs begin to be introduced from 4 to 5 months, while for babies after 8 months. In this case, strictly chicken yolk from a hard-boiled egg is used. It is necessary to start introducing this product very gradually, literally with a few crumbs, since it is an allergen. Gradually increase the amount of chicken yolk by adding it to vegetables during lunch or dinner, and also by offering it for breakfast with porridge. Pay attention to how much yolk to give to an 8-month-old baby: no more than half a chicken yolk, provided that the product has been introduced for a long time and has not caused an allergic reaction.

Kefir and other dairy products

After the baby reaches the age of eight months, fermented milk products can be introduced into his diet: yogurt, biokefir, kefir, biolact. To do this, it is recommended to buy a specialized children's product in stores and introduce it gradually, starting with one spoon per day. Kefir improves the intestinal microflora, stabilizes the child's stool, enriches the body with calcium. Gradually, you can bring the volume of fermented milk products to 150 - 200 ml per day.

At 8 months, the baby's complementary foods consist of cereals, vegetable purees and fermented milk products. Them daily allowance you will find in the table. However, there is also a new product - meat. Introduce it into complementary foods carefully, in accordance with the rules. Be sure to find out what kind of meat to choose and in what quantity to offer the baby. After all, his well-being depends on it.

At 8 months, the child consumes a variety of foods as complementary foods, including meat.

With each month of life, the child approaches the moment when he can go to the common table. Moms are looking forward to this moment - cooking separately is quite tiring. But do not rush - at eight months it is still too early for a baby to eat "adult" borscht or fried cutlets.

The basic principles of complementary feeding at this age have not changed.

• Breast milk or formula must be included in the diet. Night feedings are mandatory. After feeding, offer your baby to drink food. A breastfed baby does not need to dose breast milk, but artificial mothers need to reduce the amount of formula offered after complementary foods to avoid overeating.
• Feed three times a day. The nutrition of an 8-month-old child remains five times a day, but in the morning and in the evening he receives formula or breast milk.
• Introduce new foods in the morning. So you can see how the baby reacts to a new dish.

Refusal of new products is not a tragedy. Don't force your baby to eat. If the child refuses to eat a new product, do not insist. Take a break and offer this ingredient to your baby again after a week. Perhaps now he will like him.

If the child does not want to eat a new product, do not insist on it.

Complementary foods for babies and artificial babies

At eight months, the difference between breastfeeding and artificial feeding is practically erased. Babies fed on mother's milk start complementary foods 2 months later. However, the rate of introduction of complementary foods in breast-fed children is higher. They are much easier to get used to new products, the taste of which is partially transmitted to them with their mother's milk.

For babies, at least one nightly feeding remains, because at night the mother's body produces prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. For formula-fed babies, night feedings are optional. If the baby does not wake up, then he is not hungry.

Formula-fed babies do not need to be fed at night if they are full.

Permitted products and their norms

An eight-month-old baby can cook dishes from a wider variety of ingredients. When preparing food for the crumbs, be guided by the daily norm of products. However, you do not need to strictly monitor the dosage. The baby will eat as much as he needs - no more, no less.

Cook vegetables and cereals until completely softened. Now you can not grind food, but knead it with a fork. Gradually increase the size of the pieces that fall on the plate crumbs. So he will quickly learn to chew food.

• Vegetable puree. Possible components are zucchini, carrots, cabbage (cauliflower, broccoli, white cabbage), potatoes, a small amount of onions. Do not abuse potatoes. Its amount should not exceed 1/5 of the serving.
• Porridge . It is preferable to give gluten-free cereals - corn, rice and buckwheat. Sometimes gluten is introduced at 8 months oatmeal but give it to your child no more than once a week. Porridges can be dairy and dairy-free. If you are preparing porridge from whole grains, wait for it to boil, then grind it with a blender or meat grinder. Moms also pre-grind grits with a coffee grinder. In this case, it is enough to cook porridge in water or milk in a ratio of 1: 3. And, of course, you can buy baby cereals that are prepared according to the instructions on the box.
• Vegetable oil. Add to vegetable puree for better absorption of vegetables.
• Butter . It is used as an additive to dairy-free cereals for better saturation and better taste.
• Egg yolk . If your child is trying the yolk for the first time, start with a small amount. The product is highly allergenic, so even one crumb is enough to determine the effect on the child's body. Children rarely like the yolk, so add it to porridge or vegetable puree.
• Fruit . Prepare one-component purees or mix different ingredients. Apples, pears, peaches, bananas, apricots are suitable for cooking. Give red fruits and berries only if the baby is not prone to allergies.
• Cottage cheese . The recommended daily amount is small - only 10 - 15 mg, so you can give cottage cheese 2 times a week for 40 - 50 g. To improve the taste, mix it with kefir or fruit puree.
• Kefir . A fermented milk product that improves digestion and is a source of protein. It is preferable to give it in the evening instead of porridge, so as not to overload the stomach at night.

Children at 8 months eat vegetable and fruit purees, cereals, vegetable and butter, eggs and meat perfectly.

Meat - rules for introducing complementary foods

As complementary foods, choose lean meats - veal, beef, chicken, rabbit, turkey. Save the pork for later. Grind the boiled meat thoroughly with a blender. As an independent dish, it is rarely popular with kids. Meat goes well with vegetables, the fiber of which helps it to be digested. But it is not recommended to add it to porridge in order to avoid deterioration of digestion.

Meat broth is too heavy a food for an eight month old baby. Cook the meat separately from the vegetables, adding it to the puree at the last moment. After a year, you will be able to cook classic broth soup for crumbs, it remains to wait just a little bit.

Introduce meat to the menu in small portions. A third of a teaspoon is enough to start. So you can carefully track the reaction of the child to a new product. Gradually bring the serving to 30 g - this is about one tablespoon of mashed meat.

You can also use canned meat for children as complementary foods. Carefully check the date of manufacture and shelf life of the product. Give preference to a one-component puree, which does not contain salt and starch.

Meat in the diet of the child must be introduced very carefully.

Recipes

An eight-month-old child receives a full breakfast, lunch and dinner. So that the crumbs do not get bored with the same type of food, experiment with products. Indeed, by this age, their list is quite wide. You can also use recipes that mothers have tested on their children.

1. Breakfast: rice porrige with raisins. Pour 100 ml of cow's milk and 100 ml of water into a saucepan, bring to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of cereal and ½ tablespoon of raisins. Cook until done. Grind the porridge with a blender. No need to add sugar, raisins will add sweetness. Cool and offer to the child.
2. Lunch: vegetable puree with rabbit. Prepare rabbit meat (50 - 100 g) in advance, as its cooking time is longer than that of vegetables. Pour the meat with water, bring to a boil and cook for 1 - 2 hours. Peel one potato, half a medium carrot, 3-4 circles of zucchini, cut and boil in water until softened. Using a blender, puree the meat and vegetables to a puree consistency. Add a small amount of vegetable broth so that the gruel can drip off the spoon. Too thick puree is hard for a baby to swallow. Cool the dish and add a teaspoon of unrefined olive oil.
3. Dinner: cottage cheese casserole with an apple. Mix 50 g of low-fat cottage cheese with 50 g of applesauce, add one teaspoon of sugar, 30 ml of milk and 1/2 tablespoon of semolina. Put the mixture in a ceramic pot and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. Cool the casserole and crush with a fork.

Experiment with products. Sometimes a combination of seemingly incongruous gives an extraordinary taste.

Summary

Remember that each child is individual and the complementary feeding scheme depends on his characteristics. Often ill children can get acquainted with "adult" products much later. Before introducing this or that product to the menu, consult a pediatrician who knows the characteristics of your child. And do not be upset if the baby refuses the cooked dish. If he refuses, feed him breast milk or formula, which remains his main food for now.