Vegetables and time for first spoon – how, when and how much

Edie will soon reach his 6th month and this is the time for fully breastfeeded babies to start with some mre common food such as vegetable, fruit, meat, cereals………..but where to start exactly? I decided to find our more info about this topic before I will give him something incorrectly, so if you wanna learn with me, here we go

Little in czech

• vegetables since 5th month

So the first spoon is very important time. Fully breasfed babies start at 6 month age and formula babies at 4 month age. Because in that time they are ready to try new things except milk.

There are some basic rules which are good to be followed:

1. serve vegetables by spoon. Start with 1-2 spoon per day and they increase the amount to 150-200g per food as full amount. You can feed him before a little or after as drink. Do not force your baby to eat. It has to be fun and pleasure. Do not reach the full amount further than in 2-4 weeks! Although Edie was quite fast he was able to eat full amount in few days.
2. Try to put the vegetable in the time when baby is in the good mood, you are not rushing and his experience is positive. Try to choose lunch time or dinner time.
3. We should not mix the food, rather smash with spoon. Little pieces are not bad and it will enable your baby get used to them. From my experience I had to food because Edie was choking himself while having pieces. So I will wait with big pieces till he will have some teeth.
4. Babies which does not sit, you can feed in car seat on or your lap. Baby should see food which you are giving him. So let him sit streight and not lying. Choose position which would be comfortable for you while eating.
5. If the baby is refusing some vegetable do not force him. You could create negative experience till the rest of his life. Try to serve him particular type in some time, few days later and try something else. Try to do jokes and make it fun. Talk to your baby and smile at him.
6. Let your baby to tell you how much he would like to eat. Do not force him to eat full amount immediately, it takes some time to get used to him.
7. Do not tell him something like “you have to eat this because it is healthy” othwerwise your baby could get aversion against “healthy food” in the future. Baby will be following fist 2 years his own taste and than after it will start to recognise what means healthy and what parents and siblings like to eat.
8. We can serve bought vegetable in the cans and jars which are specially designed for kids and strictly controlled. But try to prepare food at home also or your kid can get used to only vegetable from store and can refuse home made food in future.

What not to do and what to avoid:

• Do not sweeten food, babies like sweet and later they will have problem to eat other things. And they can suffer from obesity.
• Do not put the salt and other spices till the age of 1. Also do not add things like mayonnese, ketchup or mustard.
• Try to avoid any sweet things such as cookies, lolly pops, chocolate, cream or ice cream.
• fish can be given after 1 year age same as curd, cow milk or milk products in general also white from milk.
• drinks: if you are fully breastfeeding than your baby does not need any other drinks, just let him drink when he needs, if you use formula then prepare tea or simple nursing boiled water. Babies needs to have baby water boiled till the age of 1 at least.
• Do not serve low fat products to babies under the age of 2! They need that.
• Keep your baby safe. Do not let him alone with food. Never knows when he starts to choke.

If you have some more things to add I will be happy to share here with you. These are just basic rules to follow and I will post more post about specific dietary in coming age.

I have also more concrete document in my files, so if you want that jsut write me here and I will send it to you. Although it is only in Czech 🙂

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