We introduce meat puree into the child’s diet. Recommendations for introducing meat into complementary foods When can you give meat

Starting from 4 - 6 months of age (depending on whether the child is on breastfeeding or IV), the child needs additional nutrition, in other words, complementary feeding. Quite often, young and not yet experienced mothers in matters of complementary feeding are lost. This is especially true for the question of when you can start giving your baby not only vegetable, fruit purees and juices, but also when you can start feeding your baby meat. Meat puree for the first complementary feeding must be chosen carefully, or prepared yourself, guided by some rules; meat is the main supplier of protein, calcium, phosphorus for the rapidly growing baby’s body, so when choosing meat (or ready-made baby food made from meat) must be approached with full responsibility.

At what age should meat feeding be introduced?

As for the optimal period for introducing meat complementary foods into a child’s diet, the opinions of experts are divided: some believe that meat can be given starting from 4-6 months; others are convinced that a more favorable period for input is 8-9 months.

According to the Russian national program aimed at optimizing the nutrition of children in the first year of life, meat puree should be administered from 6-8 months of age of the child. It is at this age that the baby’s body needs protein and a number of other microelements contained in meat (potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus). Timely introduction of meat products into children's menu contributes not only to the enrichment of the child’s body with necessary elements, but also to its harmonious development.

However, the introduction of meat into a child’s diet depends on several other factors:

individual characteristics of the baby’s development;
physical development of the baby, indicators of his height and weight;
type of feeding (breastfeeding or artificial feeding).

Thus, children who are on artificial feeding, need earlier introduction of complementary foods, be it juices, fruit, vegetable or meat purees. Breastfed babies receive essential macronutrients through breast milk. Therefore, the introduction of complementary foods for them can be postponed for a couple of months.

Rules for introducing meat into a child’s diet

Meat puree for babies is introduced after vegetable / fruit purees, after juices and cereals.

Before offering meat complementary foods to your baby, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with some rules for first complementary feeding:

Meat (like any other complementary food) should be given only to a healthy child.
It is advisable to refrain from introducing complementary foods in the following cases:
- if the child has been vaccinated or is expected to be vaccinated soon;
- during the summer heat;
- if the baby is unwell or capricious.
A new product should be introduced no earlier than 2 weeks after introducing the previous product into the child’s diet.
The volume of the first complementary food should be 5-10 g (1-2 teaspoons). It is better if the meat puree is added to the vegetable puree the child is already accustomed to. You can also “soften” the meat puree with breast milk or formula.
It is necessary to gradually increase the daily dose of complementary foods so that by 9-12 months the child consumes 60-70 g.
When using canned products, you need to pay attention Special attention on the composition, make sure there are no concentrates, GMOs and other substances harmful to the baby.
For the first feeding, you should choose a single-component product (rabbit, turkey or chicken are best).

How to give pureed meat

Baby meat purees should be given at warm before breastfeeding or formula feeding. Complementary foods should be offered from a spoon. The child should be in a sitting position.

Meat complementary foods, just like any other, are offered at lunchtime in order to observe the baby’s reaction to the food during the remaining half of the day. New Product.

Note to moms!

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Meat puree is given to the child once a day.

Complementary meat products

Making puree at home

Despite the convenience of using canned baby food, preparing meat puree at home is considered more reliable and safe.

To prepare complementary meat, it is recommended to use lean meats (chicken, turkey, rabbit).
Small pieces of meat are freed from veins, bones, fat and boiled for 1-1.5 hours. For cooking, you can use a slow cooker or a double boiler.
After the meat is ready, it is thoroughly chopped using a blender or meat grinder (it is recommended to scroll 2-3 times).
Then the resulting mass is passed through a fine strainer.
To obtain puree, breast milk, formula, porridge or vegetable puree are added to the ground meat.

Important:

When cooking meat (as well as directly into meat puree), you do not need to add salt and spices.
For each complementary food, only freshly prepared meat should be used.

5 mistakes in introducing complementary foods

Ready-made meat purees

Store-bought canned meat purees have the following advantages over purees that you cook yourself:

high quality baby food;
guaranteed composition;
chemical safety (no flavors, dyes, preservatives, antibiotics);
microbiological safety of canned food;
correspondence of consistency to the age needs of the child;
careful quality control.

The selection of ready-made baby food products is quite large. The following manufacturers are especially popular:

"Subject". Children's meat purees from this manufacturer are distinguished by a large selection, high quality, affordable prices. The products are designed for feeding children from 6 months.
"Agusha". Baby food products contain only natural ingredients. Specified trademark has been repeatedly noted by international communities as the best in the production of children's food products.
"Granny's Basket". The manufacturer surprises with the variety of baby purees offered - both single-component and multi-component (including meat and various vegetables).
"FrutoNyanya". A well-known domestic manufacturer of baby food, popular due to its wide range and reasonable pricing policy.
Heinz. The products of this manufacturer include meat, meat and vegetable, fish and vegetable purees. Baby food is developed in accordance with all standards and requirements of GOST.

Parents should take into account that not all children tolerate complementary foods equally, especially vegetable and meat ones. Moreover, each little one has his own preferences: some will like veal puree, others will like tender turkey, and others will like rabbit. Mommies should be completely focused on taste preferences your child.

When introducing meat complementary foods, you need to pay attention to the baby’s reaction and the functioning of his digestive system. If some problems occur as a result of consuming purees (constipation, abdominal pain, regurgitation, vomiting), then you should consult your pediatrician. Perhaps the issue is an unsuitable meat product or an excess amount of complementary foods.

Read on the topic of first feeding:

Video: introducing meat purees

Features of introducing meat puree into a baby’s diet: which meat is hypoallergenic? How much meat puree should be included in the diet?

Elena Zhabinskaya

Hi guys! Lena Zhabinskaya is with you! A baby who has reached 6 months of age already needs complementary feeding. Not because breast milk is no longer beneficial. It’s just that the baby’s need for useful substances ah, which only food can fully satisfy.

The introduction of vegetables and fruits into the children's menu raises virtually no questions, but the selection and preparation of meat products raises a lot. Are they useful, when and how to give them, which ones to choose and, most importantly, how to introduce meat into complementary foods? We will deal with them today.

Attitudes towards this food product have always been ambiguous. Some people love it madly and cannot imagine life without it, while others deliberately exclude it from their diet. Out of principle or personal convictions, in any case, according to doctors, they do this in vain.

Meat is a source of protein. And protein is a building material for the cells of a child’s body. Therefore, the baby needs meat like air. Perhaps someone will answer that vegetables and fruits also contain protein, meanwhile, it is plant-based. Its composition is different. The animal contains:

Amino acids, including essential ones, that is, those that are not found in plant foods. They are necessary for infants to normalize muscle and immune systems, producing enzymes, ensuring food digestion processes.
Valuable micro- and macroelements, including: iron, phosphorus, iodine, copper, zinc. In other words, meat is high level hemoglobin and, as a result, the key to strong immunity, as well as a strong skeletal system.
Vitamins of group B, and also E, H, PP. They are necessary for the child for the normal development of the nervous system.

Moreover, it is interesting that at least a couple of months should pass between the introduction of foods of plant and animal origin into the diet. Pediatricians answer the question in more detail about when meat can be introduced into the infant menu. In their words:

those who started receiving complementary foods at six months should be offered a meat product at 8 months, or at least at 9 months;
those who have tried “adult” food earlier for some reason should introduce it at 7 months.

For full growth and development, he needs very little:

at 6 – 7 months of age – from 5 to 20 g;
at 8 - 9 months - up to 50 g;
at the age of 10 – 12 months – 50 – 70 g;
at the age of 12 - 24 months - approximately 80 grams. per day (in fact, this amount is contained in one cutlet).

According to WHO recommendations, the baby should receive complete proteins daily. This means that every day he needs to prepare meat puree and so on until he reaches 10 months of age and older, when the time comes. Now two days a week the meat will need to be replaced with it.

Introduction rules

How to introduce meat? In fact, the process of introducing a baby to this product is no different from the process of introducing others. Judge for yourself:

According to doctors, at this stage it is important to remember not only how to give meat correctly, but also when it is best to do it. Ideally, it should be part of a full meal, which will allow the baby to gradually form the correct eating regimen and not overload his own digestive system.

What meat to start complementary feeding with?

The process of selecting the right type of meat is not complicated. Everything matters here: from the developmental characteristics of the baby and whether he has allergic reactions, to the availability of the product itself. But when answering the question of which one is better to start with, doctors are unshakable. It should be rabbit, turkey or veal meat.

These are low-fat varieties that practically do not burden digestive tract and are easily digestible. Moreover, they have a lot of advantages over others:

Rabbit does not cause allergic reactions and contains more vitamins and minerals than other types of meat. Moreover, it is a low-fat product, ideal for dietary nutrition. That is why it is recommended to offer it first.
Second on the list is turkey. It is hypoallergenic, low-calorie and very healthy. Regular use improves performance of cardio-vascular system, helps strengthen the immune system, improves appetite. Mothers “don’t want to”, take note!
After rabbit and turkey, you can offer veal. It is an affordable and dietary source of protein and iron. True, it must be administered with caution, and all because some children may have an allergy to cow protein, which will not be slow to manifest itself even after beef enters their body.

Other types of meat: benefits and harms

After we have figured out the order in which we should offer meat to the baby, it’s time to figure out its other varieties.

Why isn't chicken on the list? Its meat is an allergen, so it should be offered after the rest. In addition, the process of raising chickens matters. If they were raised using hormonal drugs and antibiotics, they can persist in meat and negatively affect the child’s health.
Pork is fatty and therefore not suitable for first feeding. Meanwhile, allergists offer lean pork tenderloin to children with atopic dermatitis and diathesis.
Lamb is fatty and tough, so it is not suitable for infants.
Duck is fatty and also contains refractory fats that are poorly tolerated by children under 3 years of age. The same goes for goose meat.
Horse meat is hypoallergenic, healthy, but not accessible to everyone.

In general, all meat is healthy because it is protein. The main thing is to select it according to age and then the baby will be able to appreciate all its advantages.

Which is better: ready-made or jarred?

When asked which is better, pediatricians advise choosing canned baby meat for the first complementary foods, explaining everything by its consistency. It closely resembles the consistency of puree and does not contain fibers, so it is easier to chew for even inexperienced babies. It is difficult to achieve such a mushy state at home.

In addition, it is produced strictly according to GOST standards and saves mom time. Despite the fact that the country exercises strict control over the quality of children's products, you should carefully read the ingredients before purchasing. It is important that there are only natural ingredients.

Canned meat is inferior only to domestic meat, when poultry or animals were raised independently and fed only with proven feed.

Meat recipes for complementary feeding

Initially, the baby should be introduced to meat puree and broth. Which should be introduced first of the two dishes? Of course, mashed potatoes. To prepare it, small pieces without fat and veins are boiled for 60 - 90 minutes without salt and spices, preferably in a double boiler or slow cooker. Then place it in a blender for 7–10 minutes or grind it a couple of times in a meat grinder. The finished mass is passed through a sieve, and then mixture or breast milk, vegetable puree or porridge is added to it.

You can also prepare homemade semi-finished products for your baby in advance. This is done as follows.

Selected raw meat (turkey, rabbit, chicken, veal) is minced twice in a meat grinder. After that, meatballs are formed from the minced meat, laid out on a board, frozen in the freezer, and sent into a bag. Now, at any convenient time, you can remove the meatball and boil it along with vegetables for the baby, which is very convenient and saves time for the mother.

Meat broth is offered from 10 months to artificial babies and from 10.5 months to infants. To prepare, boil the pulp without salt and spices, changing the water twice, since the primary broth is heavy. Give 30 ml for the first time, gradually increasing to 70 ml. Later soups are prepared on it.

Breast milk provides adequate nutrition for the baby in the first months after birth. In order for the child to develop fully, in the future it is necessary to ensure timely input various products on his menu. Meat contains proteins and microelements, without which it will not be able to develop and grow normally. Let's consider what type of meat you should start complementary feeding with, in what time frame, in order to provide all the needs of a growing body.

During the first year of life, the baby's weight increases 2-4 times. All systems are developing and improving. Food is a source of energy for the construction of the body, for the growth of bones, teeth, skin, hematopoiesis.

What are the benefits of meat for infants:

An irreplaceable source of proteins (up to 20% of the composition), amino acids. Most amino acids cannot be obtained from other foods, including dairy.
Animal fats provide energy, promote growth, and accelerate metabolic processes. Polyunsaturated acids help brain function, promote the absorption of B vitamins, and improve blood composition.
Contains vitamins different groups, which stimulate metabolic processes and accelerate tissue growth.
Extractive elements help improve stomach function and accelerate synthesis gastric juice, facilitate digestion, stimulate appetite.
Contains minerals (selenium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium). They are regulators metabolic processes, water and electrolyte balance. The main microelement of meat is iron, which is absorbed more fully and easily than from plant sources.

Meat feeding carried out in right time, promotes proper weight gain, teeth growth, and more late dates teaches you to chew food.

When to introduce meat products to your baby's menu

Recommendations on the age at which complementary foods should be introduced are given by WHO and are determined based on the development of the child’s gastrointestinal tract, his ability to digest new types of food and the body’s needs for nutrients. With the growing need for breastfeeding In babies, milk supply drops, and milk is gradually supplemented with other types of food.

The recommended time frame for introducing meat complementary foods into the diet is 6-8 months. Previously, children are given cereals and vegetables; 1-2 months after the introduction of a new product, complementary feeding should be started next. This period is necessary for the body to adapt to a new source of energy and for digestion to learn to process it.

Advice from a professor at the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences: diet and regimen for children from one to 6 years old. Why does a child eat poorly, how to improve appetite. How much should children aged one year and older drink?

So, your baby is one year old. He has already grown up enough, feels independent and can do much of what the adults he so wants to be like can do. In order to continue to grow and develop well, his mother’s milk and all kinds of purees are no longer enough for him. The baby is already ready for a gradual transition to more serious food, which will be completed by about 5-6 years. This " transition period"requires a particularly responsible attitude of parents. Experts note that it is poor nutrition in early childhood that causes many problems with digestion and metabolism, which manifest themselves in adulthood. To prevent dangerous mistakes, let’s arm ourselves scientific knowledge. The head of the department of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Dr. medical sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist Igor Yakovlevich Kon.

- So how and in what time frame should a child transition to “adult” food correctly?

It is very important that the child receives food of the consistency that is appropriate for his age. Many parents, being too concerned about their child, continue to feed him pureed foods until he is 2-3 years old. But such “care” does not bring any benefit, but rather even harms. Food should stimulate, and not delay, the development of the child’s chewing apparatus and digestive system.

Instead of purees, a one-year-old baby can already be given dishes passed through a meat grinder. By the age of two, a child usually already has 20 baby teeth, he can already chew well, so he can move on to larger pieces. After three years healthy child should already receive a portioned dish in a piece. He is already quite capable of chewing, digesting and assimilating even beef stroganoff.

- How much meat do children 1-6 years old need? And what meat is more suitable for a child?

Answering this question, we should first of all say that there are exactly as many recommendations for meat consumption as there are children. Each child is individual and, accordingly, his needs for meat, fish and other products are individual. Therefore, we can only talk about very approximate norms and recommendations aimed at such an “average” baby. Taking this note into account, we can say that a child from one to one and a half years old needs approximately 60-70 grams of gross meat per day. In this case, the child will receive enough protein, easily digestible iron, as well as a number of B vitamins. It is better if it is minced meat or - if the child already knows how to chew more or less well - meatballs.

At one and a half to two and a half years, the baby should already receive 70-80 g of gross meat per day, 4-5 times a week. At this age, children can already cook steamed cutlets. A child 2.5-5 years old is recommended 120 grams (gross) of meat per day. You can and should offer unground boiled meat, in the form of beef and poultry, goulash, schnitzel. A six-year-old child needs 120 g of meat, including poultry, daily. Precisely meat, and not sausages and other semi-finished products, which, as you know, contain significantly more fat than protein.

As for the type of meat, lean beef or veal, chicken, turkey are preferable for baby food; lean pork and lamb can be used. In addition, the menu must include meat by-products: kidneys, tongue, heart, liver. We must not forget about fish, which, in addition to protein, serves as a valuable source of some essential fatty acids, iron, vitamin B12 and others useful elements. It is better to choose low-fat varieties of sea and river fish, such as pike perch, cod, hake, sea bass, navaga.

After a year, the child already eats a lot of fairly solid food, which means his need for liquid increases. How much should children aged one year and older drink?

For children aged 1 to 3 years, the daily norm is approximately 100 ml of water per kilogram of weight, from 3 to 7 years - approximately 80 ml. Perhaps more. In children, due to their high mobility, water loss is very noticeable, so children should not be sharply limited in drinking.

It is better to drink water - mineral water for children without gas or boiled and cooled to room temperature. Sweet compotes, juices and drinks are undesirable as they discourage appetite. In this case, the bulk of the water should be drunk between meals, and not during meals. The fact is that if a child drinks water during meals, then the water fills the stomach and the child feels full prematurely. It won't be long before he gets hungry, which will lead to a disruption in his diet.

Many parents complain that their child “pecks like a sparrow.” Why does my child eat poorly? How to improve your appetite?

Regarding the first question, children's appetite decreases according to various reasons, but the most common is improper feeding organization. It is advisable that a child over one year old should eat strictly at certain times. When a child constantly “bites”, he simply does not have time to get hungry, and there can be no talk of any good appetite. In addition, if a child overdoses on sweets and drinks, he misses out on many healthier foods.

Another reason may be the monotony of food - the child simply gets tired of eating the same thing. Therefore, there is no need to cook in advance, especially since during storage and heating it decreases the nutritional value products.

Sometimes there are cases when a child does not produce enough saliva, which makes it difficult for him to chew and swallow food. Of course, such a baby eats reluctantly. In this case, you need to prepare more liquid dishes, pour sauces over the second dish, and offer to wash down the food with water.

Although it often happens that the child is simply capricious. In this case, there is no need to rush to prepare “something like that.” It is enough to calmly explain to the child that he may not eat, but the next time he will be invited to the table only in a few hours - during the next feeding. This usually helps.

Frequent walks on the street, outdoor games, and fun help to “work up an appetite.” At the same time, the cause of a decrease in appetite may be the child’s excessive excitement as a result of active games, watching TV, etc. Therefore, it is advisable that before the child is called to the table, he should be in a calm environment and rest. In addition, it is very important for good dream. It is necessary to ensure that it takes place at the same time every day. And under no circumstances should you force-feed a child - this will form a persistent aversion to food in the child. And food intake should always be accompanied only positive emotions, give a satisfaction.

If, on the contrary, the child’s appetite is fine and sometimes he really wants to have a snack between main meals, is it really necessary to strictly refuse?

No, if you really want it, then you don’t have to refuse. Sometimes the child even needs a little extra “recharging” - for example, after the child has run into fresh air. You can give a piece of dried bread, some dried apricots, raisins. But, again, you should not offer to snack on sweets - they will kill the appetite, and when the time comes for a full feeding, the child may refuse to eat. If the baby is really hungry, he will happily snack on a crust of bread.

In general, when a child’s daily diet is compiled correctly, it is undesirable to supplement it with anything without special reasons. One child’s appetite may deteriorate, while another will gladly eat everything that is offered to him, which is also not good. Experts around the world are increasingly inclined to believe that the problem excess weight in adults, which is so relevant today, is associated precisely with the wrong in early childhood.

There can be no universal recommendations in this case. Causes overweight can be very different, including primarily hereditary. Accordingly, the diet should be prepared by a specialist observing the child. But if fat baby is healthy and active, then the reason for his excess weight really lies in poor nutrition.

The main thing you need to pay attention to is the frequency and volume of food intake, the amount of fats and carbohydrates is especially important. There are special norms for daily energy consumption and nutrients for children different ages, and you need to focus on them when preparing your diet. There is no need, of course, to count milligrams very strictly - these norms are average. However, if you notice that your child is eating much more than he needs, then do not rush to immediately deprive him of his favorite foods. The bar should be lowered gradually, slightly reducing portions over and over again, limiting the consumption of certain foods, so as not to injure the child.

It is important that when caloric content is reduced, food does not become less tasty - this will require ingenuity and even cunning from parents. For example, baked potatoes are no less tasty than deep-fried ones. The same can be said about meat and fish. You can increase portions with vegetables (such as cauliflower, spinach, green beans, but not potatoes) so that your child feels full without eating too much.

- And if, on the contrary, the child is too thin, what should I do?

Often parents are unreasonably worried about their child’s excessive thinness - he seems to be eating normally, but is still “skin and bones.” However, if the baby is healthy, mobile, has a good appetite, then there is no need to worry - most likely, it’s just him individual feature. In most cases, weight normalizes with age. Unexpected weight loss requires attention - in this case, the child usually becomes lethargic, gets tired quickly, eats and sleeps poorly. To find out the reasons, you should definitely consult a doctor.

- Perhaps the weight loss is due to a lack of vitamins?

Directly, most likely not. But a lack of micronutrients, including vitamins, is usually accompanied by a decrease in the overall tone of the body, deterioration of appetite and sleep, which can lead to weight loss. Parents should know that even the most complete diet cannot provide the child with the necessary amount of micronutrients. Therefore, it is recommended for children daily intake vitamin and mineral supplements. This is not a ploy by vitamin manufacturers, but a scientifically proven fact.

Vitamins should be used twice a year - in spring and autumn, the course should last 1-2 months.

Research shows that vitamins and minerals are best taken in different time day. This way they are better absorbed and act more efficiently. Also, when choosing multivitamins, be sure to pay special attention to the dosage, especially for imported vitamins. Hypervitaminosis can cause no less harm children's body than a lack of vitamins. Moreover, the child receives some of the nutrients from food.

It is known that many vitamins are lost during food preparation or storage. Are there ways to preserve them?

To save maximum amount useful substances, you need to know what they are “afraid of”. For example, vitamins A and E are not destroyed when heated, but are very sensitive to sunlight and oxygen. Therefore, vegetable and butter Do not leave in light or in open containers. Vitamins B1 and B6 contained in bread do not like light. pasta and soybeans, as well as vitamin K, which spinach and cabbage are rich in.

Very capricious vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Many mothers like to peel potatoes in the evening and leave them in water overnight so they can cook them in the morning. However, in this case, potatoes, like other vegetables, lose most of their vitamin C. For the same reason, it is undesirable to cut and grate vegetables and fruits - the cells are destroyed and the enzyme ascorbate oxidase is released, which quickly destroys ascorbic acid. If the child is already able to chew on his own, it is better to give him whole vegetables and fruits.

Improper heat treatment of foods also leads to loss of vitamins. Frying leads to the greatest destruction of vitamins. And the least amount of them is lost when steaming, baking in foil or in a pot. When cooking in water, vegetables should be immersed not in cold, but in boiling water to neutralize ascorbate oxidase. It is also important not to overcook your food. Potatoes, for example, are cooked for 10-20 minutes, cabbage - 20-25, carrots, onions, zucchini after sautéing - 10-15 minutes. In this case, the pan in which the vegetables are cooked must be tightly closed with a lid and filled to the top.

For better preservation of vitamins, food should be cooked in stainless steel or aluminum containers.

- What kind of dishes is best for a child to eat from?

The best dishes for a child are made from unbreakable porcelain or earthenware. With plastic, which many people prefer precisely because it does not break, parents need to be very careful - plastic products not intended for food purposes can release toxic substances.

It is better to choose cutlery for children from stainless steel, cupronickel, and ideally from silver, which has an antimicrobial effect. Wooden utensils should not be used, as microbes can linger in the pores of the wood. Souvenir wooden spoons and bowls are more suitable for use as toys.

It is advisable that the child has his own set of dishes and cutlery, as well as napkins and kitchen towels. Children's supplies must be stored separately from adults.

Children grow up much faster than we expect. It seems like just yesterday this baby slept almost all day long in his crib, periodically demanding his mother’s breast, but now he is already crawling around the apartment with might and main, learning about the world around him.

As a child ages, he needs new sources of energy. Breast milk is no longer able to meet the needs of a growing body. nutrients, so they begin to introduce the baby to complementary foods. And here the question arises for young parents: when can you give your child meat? Let's figure it out together.

Should you give meat to your child?

The answer to this question is clear: meat must be given, and there are several reasons for this. Namely:

Meat is the main source of protein, which a child (of course, per unit weight) needs more than an adult. In addition, meat contains essential amino acids that are not found in milk;
Meat supplies the body with fats that provide the baby with energy. True, it is important not to overdo it here, since their excess can provoke the development of childhood obesity;
Meat contains about 20 vitamins, in particular vitamins B and PP;
Meat is rich in minerals, including iron, which is necessary for the baby, as well as magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc, selenium, phosphorus and others. If you are still in doubt about whether to give your child meat, please note: “meat” iron is absorbed 30% better than that obtained from plant foods.

When can a child be given meat?

If the first steps in introducing complementary foods have already been taken - the baby eats porridge, vegetable and fruit purees - it’s time to introduce the baby to meat products. The optimal age for introducing meat into complementary feeding for a child is 7-8 months, and at least 1.5 months must pass from the start of complementary feeding. Gastrointestinal tract The baby is already developed enough to digest meat without much difficulty.

To the children who are suffering low hemoglobin, as well as those with signs of rickets, it is recommended to start giving meat earlier than the above period. For babies who are bottle-fed, meat can be introduced into their diet from the age of 6 months, since already at at this stage they often lack nutrients.

What kind of meat to give to a child at an early age

To introduce a child to meat, it is better to choose turkey or rabbit. These types of meat are the least allergenic, easily digestible and contain all the necessary substances. After the baby gets used to such products, you can gradually introduce veal, beef, pork, and chicken into the diet.

It is advisable to start feeding your child meat with canned meat for children. And although many parents have a negative attitude towards food from jars, it is worth noting that meat, which acts as a raw material for baby food, undergoes the necessary control not only for the presence of infections and helminthiasis, but also for the level of pesticides, nitrates, hormones, antibiotics and others harmful substances. Of course, as a result of high-temperature processing, canned meat loses some of its vitamins, but there is no doubt about the quality of such products. But parents should still pay attention to the shelf life of the product and its storage conditions.

If the moment has already arrived when the child can be given meat, this does not mean that it is necessary to feed the baby absolutely all meat products. So, children under one year old should not be offered chicken. Harmless at first glance chicken fillet may contain substances dangerous to the young body (hormones, antibiotics, etc.).

Until the age of two, a child should not be introduced to the following meat dishes:

Meat broths. Immature digestive system babies are sensitive to extractive substances that form in the meat during cooking and end up in the broth;
Grilled meat. When frying meat, compounds are formed that irritate the gastric mucosa;
Sausages, sausages. The composition of semi-finished meat products contains only 30% processed meat, the rest is flavor enhancers, dyes, monosodium glutamate, salt, spices and other additives that will not bring any benefit to the baby;
All varieties of gourmet meat dishes (smoked meats, ham, brisket, bacon, carpaccio, etc.). They contain too much fat and salt, not to mention dyes and preservatives.

How much meat to give a child

First, the baby is given only ½ teaspoon of meat, after which the portion is gradually increased to 20-30 g (by 8-9 months of age). Starting from 9 months, a child can be given 40 g of meat puree per day, and in a year the baby, as a rule, eats from 60 to 80 g of meat products per day. Maximum daily dose meat for a 1.5-year-old toddler is 120 grams.

When answering the question about how much meat to give a child, it is necessary to emphasize that there is no need to overfeed the baby with meat and fish products. Excess protein leads to additional stress on the kidneys and can negatively affect the baby’s well-being. If the child has not yet fallen in love with the new product, there is no need to force it with meat puree.

Methods for preparing meat for a child

Having figured out when you can give your child meat, the young mother thinks: what dishes to prepare for the baby? For children under one year of age, meat is recommended exclusively in the form of puree. From 10-11 months, the baby can be introduced to meatballs or finely chopped boiled meat (provided that he has already learned to chew pieces of food). At 1.5-2 years old, a child is able to eat cutlets, meatballs, and meat goulash.