Menus for children under one year of age

When planning menus for very young children, we must comply more rigorously with the basic principles of healthy eating, especially because nutritional disorders in these early stages of life are difficult to resolve and generally leave sequelae that can affect health in childhood or later in life.

Children under one year of age are a population group very prone to suffer stomach disorders, mainly associated to the uncontrolled introduction of new foods and inadequate hygienic practices, so all the indicated measures must be taken to avoid the occurrence of certain digestive disorders, which can cause nutritional deficits during the first year of life, because the body does not yet have sufficient reserves to allow it to face certain deficiencies.

General information on complementary feeding

Around the sixth month of life, the nutritional requirements of children increase, and exclusive breastfeeding or artificial feeding does not meet the demand, so the gradual introduction of other foods becomes necessary. The start of feeding can be brought forward to four months, but never before, since the little ones are not sufficiently mature.

It is up to the pediatrician to establish the order of introduction of foods, depending on the baby's nutritional conditions and taking into account regional and family traditions.

It is generally recommended to start with infant cereals, because of their iron content, and then include home-made cereals, vegetables, vegetables and fruits. Packaged purees or porridges are recommended only for special situations.

Each new food should be introduced in isolation, offered daily for a week without combining it with another new food, in order to detect possible allergic reactions. Foods that the baby rejects, you should not insist that he/she accepts them at that moment, you should withdraw it and offer it after a few days. You should continue to offer it until it is accepted; sometimes it takes up to ten times after the first attempt. You should never insist or force them to ingest it.

Recommended times for the introduction of the different food groups

Cereals: gluten-free cereals such as rice and corn can be introduced from the age of four months in the form of porridge, either mixed with water, breast milk or adapted milk. It is recommended to give them with a spoon instead of a bottle, thus avoiding overeating and reducing the risk of obesity. Cereals containing gluten, such as wheat, barley, oats and rye, should be introduced in small amounts between four and seven months, neither before nor after, to reduce the chances of celiac disease.

Fruits: they should be introduced between the fourth and sixth month of life, in the form of porridge or juice, with a spoon, without adding sugar or honey. It is recommended to start with fresh fruits such as pears, apples, bananas and oranges. Peaches, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and kiwis cannot be introduced until after two years of age, as they can cause allergic reactions.

Vegetables and greens: they can be introduced at around six months of age, cooked, without adding salt, mashed and mashed, it is recommended to add a drizzle of virgin olive oil. Potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, green beans and onions should be offered first. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and chard, and tubers such as beets and turnips should not be introduced until after one year of age because of their high nitrate content. It is also recommended to delay the introduction of vegetables that produce flatulence such as cauliflower or cabbage.

Meat: small portions of approximately 15 or 20 grams can be introduced from the age of six months, incorporated into porridges or vegetable and vegetable puree. They should start with milder tasting meats, such as chicken, turkey, rabbit and veal. Viscera should not be offered.

Fish: should be introduced from the sixth month, in very small portions. At this stage, only the less fatty ones, such as hake, megrim and sole, should be offered. Small blue or fatty fish, such as sardines or anchovies, should not be introduced until after one year of age. Large blue fish, such as swordfish, tuna, pike and shark, should not be offered until after three years of age, due to their mercury content.

Dairy: after the introduction of complementary feeding, milk continues to represent a considerable contribution of nutrients. Between 500 and 700 milliliters per day of breast milk or adapted milk should be guaranteed. The introduction of other dairy products derived from cow's milk, such as yogurt and cheese, should be offered in small portions starting at nine months of age, to avoid possible allergic reactions.

Eggs: it is recommended to introduce the yolk from nine or ten months of age, and the white from one year of age. There are also opinions that def