General guidelines Breast milk is the best food for the baby in the first 6 months of life; The introduction of gluten must be made between 4 and 12 months of age; There is no scientific evidence for the delay in introducing potentially allergenic foods; Varied foods with a diversity of flavors and textures must be introduced by the end of the first year of life, ensuring that the combination of milk and complementary foods ensures the baby nutritional needs; Baby signs of hunger and satiety must be respected. If the baby shows that he is satiated (move the spoon away, turn his head) when he has already eaten a portion of food, you should not continue to insist on the meal; There is a “window of opportunity” between 8 and 10 months for training the acceptance of solid foods, textures and flavors; Often the child does not accept a certain food the first few times it is offered, which does not mean that he does not like it. It is necessary to return to offer more times and not to give up; Do not offer more than one new food each day; Avoid fruit juices before one year of age. When do you start to diversify your baby diet? Between 4 and 6 months of life Adequate intake of breast milk or formula for infants (when breastfeeding is not possible or is not desired) ensures the coverage of nutritional needs in the first 6 months of life. After 6 months of life, milk becomes insufficient to meet the needs for energy, protein, iron, zinc, and some fat-soluble vitamins. The ideal time to start diversifying should respect the physiological needs and neurodevelopment of each child and should be done only when the baby is able to sit with support and has good control of the head and neck. How to start offering food? Food should be offered in puree form, and the consistency should be progressively increased according to the baby development. Food should be given with a spoon. The bottle should not be used to offer food other than milk or water. Some families prefer to use the baby led weaning method, offering solid foods handled by the baby from the beginning (see below). What is the order to introduce each food? Although the way in which food is introduced can be variable, the order described below is suggested. From the beginning of food diversification, water should be offered to the baby. Initially by the bottle or the cup (without forcing or compelling) and later, at around 6-8 months, by the cup with a spout so that the baby can drink alone. The consumption of milk - breast or formula - must be maintained with the introduction of solid foods. At 4-6 months Start with one spoon meal, for example lunch. When the child is well adapted and eating well, increase the number of meals (snack, dinner). 1. Vegetables in the form of puree (“soup”) First soup: potato, carrot, pumpkin, onion, without salt, with a little olive oil at the end; Gradually start adding green vegetables to the soup: lettuce, watercress, turnip, leek, green beans, courgette... After 2 weeks: introduction of meat in the soup: turkey, chicken, lamb, veal. 2. Fruit For example, dessert, snack; Start with pear (cooked, grated, roasted), apple (cooked, grated, roasted), banana (crushed) and then diversify fruits. 3. Porridge At the beginning, prefer with simple cereal porridge (“without fruit”); Start with gluten-free porridge; Progressively introduce gluten into the diet; Milk porridge (with milk in its composition) must be prepared with water; Non-milk porridge (without milk in its composition) should be prepared with baby milk. 4. Other foods with gluten-free cereals Bread; Wafer (attention to sugar); Pancakes (with cereals, without sugar). 5. Yogurt Natural with fresh fruit. 6. Milk 2 From 6 months for babies on formula. 7. Fish First introduce white fish: hake, sole, plaice, among others; Then fish with more fat, for example salmon. 8. Egg First the yolk: start with half a yolk and then move on to an entire yolk; After: enter the clear. 9. Legumes Beans, beans, peas, broad beans, among others. 10. Tomato At 9 months Second meal, including rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, among others. Goal at 12 months Family diet; Little salt; Low fat; Without sugar; Avoid pork, seafood. What about baby led weaning? As the name implies, this method assumes that the baby conducts he own food changes; Signs of the baby preparation for independent feeding must be respected - ability to sit alone, hand-eye coordination required to grab, manipulate and release food, as well as the ability to chew (even in the absence of teeth) food against the palate; Food must be cut into sticks, which can be grasped with the baby hand, must be of adequate consistency so that the baby can knead them with the tongue against the palate and must be easily dissolved; Attention: avoid foods that can cause choking, such as nuts, grapes, raw carrots, popcorn, etc. What about vegetarian food? It is possible to make a baby food diversification for a vegetarian diet. Bearing in mind that children during the first year of life have a great need for iron for their growth, meat is very important due to its concentration in bioavailable iron. According to international recommendations, vegetarian food should be monitored to ensure adequate intake of nutrients, including protein, vitamin B12 (if a vegan diet), vitamin D, iron, zinc, folate, and calcium. In children on a vegetarian diet, preference should be given to other sources of iron, although with much less bioavailability: legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas), nuts, green vegetables and nuts. In addition, there are some commercial iron-fortified foods, such as some porridges. Facilitate the absorption of iron: breast milk, citrus fruits; Inhibit iron absorption: cocoa, dietary fiber, calcium and cow milk. Homemade porridge and purchase porridge The porridge used in feeding the baby can be homemade or purchased. However, homemade porridge should not be used exclusively since they are not enriched with minerals (namely iron) and vitamins. On the other hand, most porridges on the market do not contain added sugar. What foods to avoid in the first year of life? Fruit juices; Vegetable drinks, as a substitute for breast milk or formula; Cow milk in nature before 12 months of age; Foods with choking potential, such as dried fruits, raw carrots, whole grapes, among others; Honey; Sweets, chocolates, among others. Author : Cristina Campos Gonçalves Meet the pediatrics team from Hospital da Luz network The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
