Food incorporation calendar: when should the baby start eating each

Since birth, baby feeding is one of the parents' biggest concerns. The first months with breastfeeding, whether maternal, artificial or mixed, and after six months with complementary feeding, when the baby begins to eat solid foods that complement breastfeeding.

The Public Health Agency of the Generalitat of Catalonia has developed a comprehensive guide to Recommendations for early childhood feeding from 0-3 years in which it includes an orientation calendar for food incorporation We share and explain.

Why from six months?

Until six months of age, exclusive breast milk is the best food for the baby. You don't need anything else, not even water, since breast milk provides all the minerals and nutrients the child needs. If this is not possible, breastfeeding is supplemented with artificial milk, but the recommendation is the same, that of Do not offer solid food before six months.

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Some guides recommend starting before, between 4 and 6 months, but never before the fourth month, however the general recommendation of WHO and UNICEF is to start complementary feeding after six months, when they can start eating practically everything, with some exceptions that we will discuss later.

What happens after this age? That the energy and nutrient needs of the infant begin to be higher than what breast milk can provide, so it is necessary to introduce a complementary diet.

Several studies carried out in recent years indicate that the introduction of complementary feeding beyond the sixth month not only does not prevent the occurrence of allergic diseases but can even predispose their appearance.

At the time, we offered you a complete guide to complementary feeding with all the details of how, when and why to start complementary feeding and now we also share the calendar prepared by the Public Health Agency of Catalonia.

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Food Incorporation Calendar

Some observations:

Vegetables and vegetables:

From six months on, the baby you can start eating practically all the vegetables, except for some that can begin to be offered after 12 months such as chard, beet, turnip and spinach that accumulate more nitrates. If taken before 12 months, they should not exceed 20% of the total content of the dish, and from one year to three years, no more than one serving per day.

Fruits

Can be entered from six months. Before potentially allergens such as peaches, strawberries or kiwi were delayed, but since there is no scientific reason to justify that delaying them could reduce the risk of allergy, the recommendation is to offer any fruit. Always attentive to possible allergic reactions, but with both fruits and any other food.

Meat

Can eat any meat from six months of age. It is best to start with chicken, turkey and rabbit, because they are small and less fatty animals, as well as lamb. Then beef and pork, which being more fat and may be more indigestible.

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Fish

Because of its mercury content, in children under 3 years of age, you have to avoid eating larger fish such as swordfish or emperor, dogfish, dry cleaners and tuna (in children aged 3 to 12 years, limit it to 50 g / week or 100 g / 2 weeks and do not consume any more of the same category the same week). In addition, because of the presence of cadmium, children should avoid the usual consumption of shrimp heads, prawns and crayfish or the body of crab-like crustaceans.

Egg

Before it was delayed by the risk of allergy, but now it was found that delaying food does not reduce the risk of its appearance, and even increases it. So, babies can start eating eggs after six months.

When a child has a higher risk of allergy, it is better to offer the food for five days, without offering any other new food at that time, to be clear that an allergic reaction does not occur.

In addition, it is advised that the egg is very well boiled (that the yolk is hard) and that the yolk be separated from the egg. It is clear that part of the white can remain in the yolk even separating them, but it will always be safer to offer less of the white at the beginning, which is considered more allergenic than the yolk.

When in tortillas or scrambled eggs, make sure they are well cooked for the risk of salmonellosis.

Whole milk and its derivatives

Because of the excess of proteins and minerals they contain and that can be harmful to the kidneys of a baby and therefore its incorporation is delayed until 12 months. Breast milk has about 1 gr. of proteins per 100 ml. (formula one more), while cow's milk has 3.3 gr. per 100 ml.

Babies are not able to digest it completely because their kidneys are not able to filter all the excess nutrients they are receiving. In addition, it can cause anemia because iron absorption decreases.

Nuts

It is recommended to give chafados or ground from six months. Never offer them whole before five years because of the risk of choking.

Honey

Do not offer it before 12 months because of the risk of food poisoning due to botulism.

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