VEGETABLES FOR TODDLERS AT STARTING AGE OF 6TH MONTH

                                                                                                                   (image source Wikipedia)

 When a baby comes at the age of 6th month he is ready with his digestive system and also can sit erect with holding his head and neck properly. Always start with a single food. Either fruits or vegetables or grain. Avoid mixture of all foods. You can start with mashed fruits as I mentioned in my previous article. The presence of digestive enzymes in fruits helps baby to digest them better.

 After a week or two you can start vegetables along with fruits. It is very    important to feed your baby lots of vegetables for nutrition’s and getting them used to all flovours.In starting you may face some problems by feeding different foods and you need to see to the food allergies if your babies have any. There are many ways to introduce vegetables but choose something which tastes good so that babies accept it fast. It’s very exciting time for babies when they get to experience their first tastes of solid foods. There are some good vegetables that baby will surely enjoy eating. Also consult your babies’ child specialist before starting fruits and vegetables.

1.SWEET POTATOES

 One of the best first vegetables to start with is sweet potatoes. As it’s soft and easy to mash and also sweet in taste. They have very high amount of beta carotene and vitamin C which helps babies’ immune system to become strong. Sweet potatoes are full of fibers which helps babies digestion become strong and easy. And as the taste of it is very sweet baby will easily accept it. You can either just boil and mash and feed your baby or can make sabji as normal subji with ghee and feed the baby with rice also.

              2.   CARROTS:

           

              Carrots are other famous first vegetables among new eaters. It’s because carrots also has sweet taste. Carrots are full of vitamins A, B, C and calcium to help make their bones stronger. It also contains potassium. Carrots are good for babies’ eyesight as they are developing all organs. Carrots also make immune system strong. You can either just boil and mash and feed your child, or can make subji with some ghee. Adding carrot in tomatoes soup is also a good option.

            3.   CAULIFLOWER:

Cauliflower is high in vitamin C and K. Steamed or boiled and mashed cauliflower can be feed to babies. Baby will love this taste of boiled cauliflower. Best part is to steam it and feed your baby to retain most of the vitamins.

             4.   GREEN BEANS:

When you feel that your baby is ready to move forward to green vegetables, green beans are good place to start. Green beans can be cooked and make puree and can be mixed with some boiled and mashed rice. Green beans are full of vitamins A and K to help in develop strong immune system of your baby. Make these green beans the first green food to help baby to get used to the taste of green vegetables.

              5.   SPINACH:

Spinach is an amazing source of calcium. Just 1 cup of cooked spinach gives your baby 42 mg of calcium. It also contains vitamins A, and iron. Spinach is truly a wonderful leafy green that packs lot of nutrients. Introducing spinach to babies at the age of 7^th to 8^th month is recommended by doctors. Introducing spinach to babies at 7^th or 8^th month should be homemade and nicely cooked and mashed. You can also add spinach in tomatoes soup, And can feed your baby.

             6.   TOMATOES:

Tomatoes include vitamin A and good source of antioxidants. It also contains vitamins C. It helps in building strong bones, and strengthens immune system. Its right age to introduce to babies is from 8^th month and above. You can make tomatoes soup which babies love the taste.

             7.   BOTTLE GOURD:

Bottle gourd is perhaps one of the first vegetables that can be introduced to babies’ diet. It is easily digestible vegetables. It is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals which are very important for your babies’ growth. It also protects liver of your baby from starting age if you introduce this vegetable. You can either boil and mash and feed your child or make juice of it and also give your baby. Regular subji can also made and feed the baby. Also you can add bottle gourd in tomatoes soup and babies will surly like it.

You can make a soup mixing tomatoes, carrot, spinach, bottle gourd. Just boil it and blend it and strain it and give add some salt and jaggery for taste and feed your baby. It has all vitamins and minerals and is very nutritious for growing babies.

FRUITS FOR TODDLERS AT STARTING AGE OF 6th MONTH

Before starting solid food you should make sure that your baby can sit straight and can control its head and neck.. You can make them to sit with the support of pillows, or in baby chair or in your lap while feeding solid foods..

Starting solid food to toddlers is a big thing and also which includes much fun and worries too. An early start in solid food to toddlers may lead to indigestion and allergies to toddlers. A baby develops its digestive system at the age of 4^th to 6^th month. So no need to rush with the things. Better to wait to till baby develops its digestive system completely and best time to start solid food is in 6^th month… Also baby starts developing control its head and neck muscles at the age of 3 rd to 4^th month and till 6^th month it will be ready for the solid food…

Baby mostly needs milk every 3 hours. So u can feed solid food in between those hours.

Start with any fruit. But always start with one fruit and always see the reaction, whether the baby is fine with that or is he/she getting any allergies. If you find any reaction to any of solid food stop immediately and postpone for some days for that particular food.

Let’s see to some fruits with its nutritious values and how to feed it:::::

 Banana:

 Banana is excellent source of nutrition and can be a prefect solid food to be started with. Mash it with any spoon or can blend it in mixer. Also can opt for banana juice with milk. Mix banana and milk and blend it with blender and make semi liquid juice so that baby can swallow it nicely…This will help babies to feel full there tummy.

Apple:

An apple a day keeps doctor away. This old saying proves that apples are very good for health. Apples are truly a wonderful fruit and also can be your toddler’s first food. Boil apple then removing its skin, and mash it in blender or mixer. Or can also grate finely apple and can feed this apple also.

Chickoo:

            

Chickoo is itself a soft fruit. So you can just peel it and mash it with fork and feed to the babies. Another option with chickoo is same as banana juice. Mix chickoo and milk and blend it in blender and make semi liquid chickoo juice and feed the baby.

Papaya:

 Papaya is very nutritious fruit and is very good for babies. It is very good in vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E, the best source of fiber and folic acid. Just peal it and mash it and feed the kids.

Kiwi:

Kiwi is rich in vitamin c, fiber, and potassium and even foliate. Just peel kiwi and can mash and can feed your baby.

Mango:

            







 Mango is rich in vitamin k, there are all nutrients in this awesome fruit. Baby can easily gain weight with this fruit. You just have to peal it and mash with fork or spoon and can feed it to baby. Also add milk and make mango shake and can give to babies. But it is only available in summer season so make your baby to eat in good quantity, but don’t forget to see the reaction of baby s body…..

Plums:

All varieties of plums are nutritious, and also high in fiber, low in cholesterol, sodium free and high amount in vitamin A and vitamin C. Just peal it and mash it with hands and can feed the baby.

Strawberries:

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It’s very high in vitamins C. With bright red color it contains high amount of plant phenol. Its good option to feed your babies with strawberries.

Orange and Musambi:

        

 Orange and Musambi are also very rich in vitamins C and also high in fiber. You can make orange/ musambi juice for toddlers and after 8 month can give small pieces to babies. Its is very good for babies diet.

Fruits make babies strong and healthy  so if possible start with fruits.

HOW TO FEED SOLID FOOD TO TODDLERS

When your baby is ready for solid food and you have got a signal from your child specialist to start solid food, try it on a day when your baby is in good mood and not cranky. Have your baby sit between your lap or in a higher chair with support all side, as 6 month baby can sit straight then also support is needed while feeding solid food.

Do not make your baby eat if they are crying or turn away when you feed solid food to them. Go back to the breast milk. One of the easy ways to feed solid foods to your baby is to give your baby a little breast milk and then switch to very small amount of solid food and then finish it with more of breast milk. This will prevent your baby from getting frustrated when she is very hungry. For the first time feeding solid food, give 1 to 2 tsp of semi liquid food to babies after breast feeding them. Use soft tipped spoon to feed your baby to avoid injury to their gums and mouth. Take small amount of food in the tip of the spoon and feed them.

Solid food differs for all tradition. Many have tradition to start the solid food with some sweet food like kheer or liquid form of shira. One of the easy ways is to start with light and semi liquid food for toddlers. Start with a small quantity of food. Baby will be unable to consume more food at starting age. As they are not use to it. It’s always said anything needs time. So give time to baby to get use to it.

Food you start must be in very fine paste or puree form so that baby can swallows it easily and can digest easily. As the kid of 6 months are not having teeth for chewing so make puree of any solid food and feed them so that they can accept easily. Always make a fine puree of any food you give to child with the blender or in mixer. Else if they will be uneasy to swallow the solid food for babies which can affects their health or they will have disinterest for solid food and will continue to breast milk as it’s easy for them to accept the breast milk.

After 6th month baby needs more nutrients besides breast milk. As they grow they need more food to develop there all parts, as they play more and start to walk on stomach or may be try to walk on their leg also. All nutritious values should be added in babies’ food, so that they can get all nutrition’s and vitamins which are need after 6 month.

Give different variety of food to child so that they may create an interest in eating solid food. Else getting same taste or same food will get them bored and will discontinue it. A good diet should contain all mineral, vitamins and calcium.

You should start with any one food and have to look at the reactions of child s body, How does body of child react after eating particular food. Do they get vomiting, diarrhea or any other reaction. If child is getting any of this reaction. You must stop that particular food for time being.

As the immune system and digestive system of child is just developing so they may take time to be use to solid food. So feed them in small quantity and then slowly and steadily can increase the quantity as and how required.

Feeding solid food to babies for first few times will make spill on their face and hand and stomach, and they will be full of solid foods on their body, but don’t get upset. It will be fine after some feeding training. So start with 1 to 2 tsp of food so that baby gets time to learn how to swallow the solid foods.

When you are feeding solid food to your baby first time, it’s a great deal. You should record all the things your baby does for a sweet memory. Same way when you first start the solid food that should also be recorded. It helps you to see the reaction and different mood of your baby. In short sit with a camera while feeding the baby so that u can capture each and every moment of babies reaction with the different taste of solid food.

Have a sweet start of solid food and capture all memories for life time.

WHEN TO START SOLID FOOD FOR TODDLERS

     

As a parent we are always worried about our babies to provide right nutrition’s at right time. We would like to give the best food to our growing baby. And if proper food given at right time will help babies to grow naturally and become healthy. Right from day 1 the baby is always preferred the mom’s milk, which is very healthy…Breast milk is the best for babies to grow healthy and is recommended to exclusively for babies for the first 6 months. And for mothers who cannot breast feed their babies due to less milk production or due to job or any reason can opt for outer milk but will some precautions. So breast feeding should be done at right time whenever baby is hungry. In starting babies will be hungry very fast, so you should provide them as and when necessary.

Before starting any solid food it’s very important to take some advice from any child specialist or any elder in your house.

The best time to start solid food is when babies is of 6 and half month. Though there are many foods that are suggested by many from 3 to 4 months, which is very early to start solid food for babies. It can lead in bad digestive system. As babies are still starting to develop their digestive system after 4 to 5 months. So it is always preferable wait at least till 6 months.

A baby is still starting to develop head control at age of 4 to 5 months and gains strong neck muscles by 6 month or 6 and half month. So after that time the baby is able to accept the solid food through his neck and can easily swallow .So in short till 6 to 6 n half month baby has developed his digestive system and good neck control which is very important before starting solid foods.

• Your baby should be able to control his head and neck and should be able to sit nicely before you start any solid food.
• He should be able to open his mouth to take the food.
• He should able to accept the spoon full of solid food.
• Does he/she feel hungry after breast feeding milk? Then it’s the sign that the baby needs solid food.
• Do they show eagerness seeing any solid food or they should show eagerness when you eat.

As long as your baby shows sign of readiness, or your doctors may say to start solids food, you should wait till then. Till then breast milk is the best thing to provide all vitamins, minerals, calories and nourishment to your babies needs which can develop them to grow.