How to prepare food for 6 month child

How to Make Homemade Baby Food

Contributors: Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

Published: December 17, 2019

Reviewed: November 12, 2019

Wiktory/Thinkstock

Breastfeeding is recommended exclusively until six months of age and along with solid foods until at least one year of age. Talk with your pediatrician about the best time for your baby to start solids and how to introduce them. Monitoring for possible food reactions is especially important, as is providing foods that contribute key nutrients like protein, iron and zinc.

If your little one is ready for solid foods, you have numerous nutritious options at the supermarket, such as iron-fortified cereal, to feed your baby. And, if you prepare homemade baby food, you have even more variety: Not only can you pick from an assortment of fruits and vegetables in the produce section, but you can also use frozen veggies and fruits canned in their own juices.

Making your own food can help expose babies to more flavors, which may help them become more adventurous eaters. Furthermore, by managing added sugars and salt, you're in greater control of your baby's nutrition.

Follow these guidelines if you choose to prepare homemade baby food:

Getting Started

If you are interested in preparing your own baby food but find the idea daunting, start with just a few homemade items. Mashing a very ripe avocado or banana is a good place to begin. After your baby responds well, you can try preparing nutrient-rich foods that might not be as common in the baby food aisle, such as beets, broccoli, turnips, asparagus, spinach, blueberries, kale, mango and papaya. Just be sure to mash or puree the foods for your baby and serve only one new single ingredient food at a time.

Use items that are in season or foods that you’re preparing for the rest of the family, but without the added sugars, salt and seasonings. Everyone in the family will get to enjoy the same nutritious foods, which will save you time and effort.

Preparing Food

Be vigilant about sanitation. Use only well-scrubbed and washed produce, clean hands, utensils, cutting boards and countertops.

Wash and peel produce and remove any seeds or pits. Take special care with fruits and vegetables that are grown close to the ground as they may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum or contain other harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
Cook food until it's very tender. Steaming and microwaving in just a little water are good methods to retain vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables. When cooking meats and fish, remove all gristle, skin and bones before cooking.
Puree or mash fresh fruit or fruit canned in its own juice. Never add honey to foods or drinks for children under 12 months, as it may contain Clostridium botulinum spores. Also avoid adding corn syrup or other sweeteners as they only provide extra calories but not nutrients.
Make sure the texture and temperature are appropriate. Some foods pose a choking risk and are not recommended for infants, such as whole grapes, raisins, and pieces of hot dog. Pureed foods can be thinned, if needed, by adding breastmilk, formula, or water. Cow’s milk and milk alternatives should not be used during the first year. After warming solid foods, be sure to mix thoroughly and recheck the temperature so as not to burn the infant’s mouth.
Cook eggs, meats and poultry until well done. Babies are especially susceptible to food poisoning caused by eating undercooked meats, poultry and eggs. Be certain that all meats and fish are cooked to proper temperatures; 145°F for fish and whole cuts of beef and pork, 160°F for ground beef and egg dishes and 165°F for all types of chicken and poultry or leftovers.
For convenience, freeze prepared baby food for later use. Freeze it in small portions in a clean ice cube tray. Once frozen, put the cubes into clean, airtight, freezer-safe food containers for single-serving portions. As another method, use the "plop and freeze" technique: plop meal-size spoonfuls of pureed food onto a cookie sheet, freeze, then transfer the frozen baby food to clean freezer-safe containers for storage in the freezer.
If you're cooking the same food for the rest of the family, remove the baby's portion before adding salt and seasonings. A baby's taste buds can be very sensitive. As the baby grows and becomes more used to table food, feel free to add seasonings other than salt.

Keeping Baby Safe

Preparing homemade baby food requires extra care to keep baby's food safe and to retain the nutrients from fresh foods. After you've prepared the food, either serve it or refrigerate it right away. Keep homemade baby food in a covered container for one or two days in the refrigerator or one to two months in the freezer with a label and date. Small portions served in separate dishes are ideal because any food that was served, but not eaten, must be thrown out. Bacteria thrive in the mouth, so if a spoon goes into the baby's mouth and then touches the food, that food should not be saved for later.

It's Fine To Buy Store-Bought Baby Food Too

Commercial baby foods are nutritious options for feeding baby, too. Today's commercial baby foods provide balance and variety with carefully controlled and consistent nutrient content, so don’t worry if you supplement your baby's intake with commercial baby foods. Be sure to talk to your baby's health care provider about which foods are best for your baby and if any dietary supplements may be recommended.

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6 months baby food chart with baby food recipes

By Swasthi on August 6, 2022, Comments,

6 months baby food chart with baby food recipes. The best time to start solids for babies is after 6 months. There are many sources suggesting introduction of solids from 3 to 4 months. But an early introduction of solids can lead to more colic, digestive troubles and allergies.

A baby develops digestive enzymes in between 4 to 6 months which are crucial for digestion of foods. It is a good choice to wait until the baby develops these enzymes completely.

A baby typically begins to develop head control from 3 to 4 months and gains strong head to neck muscles by 6 months. A strong head to neck control helps the baby to accept solids well and can easily swallow.

So by 6 months a baby has a better digestive system and a good head control which are needed before the introduction of solids.

Breast milk is the best bet for the overall growth of a baby. It is recommended to exclusively breast feed a baby for the first 6 months.

As an exception, formula milk is an alternate for women who cannot breast feed baby due to professional, personal or medical reasons.

If you have a baby older than 7 months, you can follow this complete
baby food chart for 8 months old and above

How do you know your baby is ready for solids?

1. The baby’s head & neck are stable. This means baby can accept food and swallow.
2. Baby must be able to sit stable with or without support.
3. Shows interest in food when others are eating.
4. Baby must be able to open the mouth when food is offered.
5. Baby is still hungry after breastfeeding or formula feed.

Tips on how to start solids for baby

First consult your pediatrician to confirm if your baby is ready for solids. It is very important to plan well before you introduce any other foods apart from breast milk.

Make your own feeding schedule along with the foods you intend you try and get an approval from your pediatrician. Most clinics and hospitals also provide a diet chart or at least a guide.

I have made this from the guidelines I got from the Clinics here in Singapore. I have followed the same for both my babies.

1. Always start with a single food. Either a fruit, vegetable or grain. Avoid a mixture of foods. You can start with mashed fruit first. The presence of digestive enzymes in fruits helps the baby to digest them better.

2. After a week, while you continue feeding fruit, you can start rice water (kanji), after a week clear dal soup or boiled vegetable broth / water.

3. Always follow the 3 day wait rule for every food you introduce. Wait for the results until the 4th day. Please see the doctor immediately if your baby develops rashes, runny nose, watery eyes, colic etc.

4. Introduce new foods to your baby during breakfast or lunch. Avoid trying new foods during the later time of the day as it is easy to get a control over the problems.

5. A 7 month old baby can eat only a tsp of mashed food initially. Slowly by 4 weeks increase the quantity to a tbsp and then more.

Helpful tips – introducing solids for baby

1. Use stainless steel or glass bowls and cups for preparation of baby foods. Avoid plastic ware even made of any superior material, including virgin plastic or graded as BPA free. Any kind of plastic ware consists of plasticizers that are used to make the containers flexible.

Plasticizers are similar to BPA and are an endocrine disruptor. Even BPA free plastic and virgin plastic ware have chemical plasticizers. Please use google search for more info.

2. Always feed the baby in a calm, quite environment and in a steady place like – on the lap, in a high chair or on the floor.

3. While feeding, refrain the baby from activities like watching a TV show, playing with a hand held gadget like mobile, and tablet or game devices. Some of these emit radiation that is not good for the baby.

4. Meal time has to be a learning for the baby, speaking to your baby about the food – its texture, taste and color helps the baby to develop a liking for the food. Or narrate a good story to the baby, do not encourage the baby to talk while eating. This may seem to be over disciplined but this is the only way i have found to grow fuss free kids. They will begin to love any food that is served.

5. Introduce water from a steel cup or a glass not from a feeding bottle or sipper. A 90 ml cup is best suited. This makes the transition from teat to cup easy when the baby grows up.

6 months baby food chart

To follow this baby chart please ensure your baby has completed 6 months and you have an approval from your pediatrician for the same.

A baby usually consumes milk every 2 to 3 hours. Solids should be served in between the feeds. Use plain boiled and cooled water to puree the fruits if needed. Avoid mixing milk or any other ingredient with fruit.

The combination of fruit and milk products results in indigestion, loss of appetite, no weight gain and accumulation of toxins.

Clear soups can be used to make pureed rice, oats or ragi cereal. Feeding only clear soups regularly is not a good idea as they lack the nutrition that is provided by a semi solid food or milk.

I have shared a sample baby food chart below which shows the quantities of fruits and vegetables. From the chart (day 13 to day 20), you can replace potato with rice porridge (kanji) or dal soup or ragi porridge.

This is an alternate table which you can follow if your baby is in between 6 and 7 months.

Wake up

Breastfeed or formula milk. What ever time your baby wakes up.

breakfast
7.30 to 8 am fruit puree

One of the following: (only after 1½ to 2 hours of milk). You can use boiled cooled water to thin down the puree.
1. Banana- mash with a fork or run in a blender.
2. Apple- peel,core,steam for about 5 to 6 minutes. Puree in a blender
3. Chickoo (sapota)- mash with a fork and spoon
4. Pear- peel and core, steam for 5 to 6 minutes
5. Papaya – mash with a fork or blend
6. Ripe avocado – add it to a blender and puree

lunch
11. 30 to 12.30 pm

After introducing fruits, you can try these. Continue to feed fruits for breakfast.
first 1 week – rice cereal
2nd week apple rice or rice cereal with boiled carrot
3rd week ragi porridge Or apple ragi or oats porridge Or apple oats Or clear moong dal soup
4th week – Repeat the foods mentioned above. You can also introduce soupy khichdi. You will have to make it following the same method I mentioned for rice cereal above.

rest of the day

Breast feed or formula (only after 1.5 to 2 hours of lunch)

Baby food recipes for 6 months old along with ingredients and instructions to prepare

These are the quantities i followed for my kids i got from the Health Promotion Board,Singapore.Use any one
Quantity of fruits for 6 months to 9 months
½ small apple
½ small pear
½ cup sapota
½ cup papaya
½ medium banana

How many times can the same fruit be given in a week?

Including a variety of fruits will provide different kinds of nutrients to the baby.
Banana – 3 to 4 times
Apple – daily
Chickoo- daily
Pear- 3 to 4 times
Papaya – 4 to 5 times
Avocado- 3 to 4 times or daily

Do read the complete post before you attempt any of these recipes
More tips on preparing Lunch

from 3 rd week – Rice, ragi or oats. Clear dal soup with veggie.
first 7 days (from 3rd week) -Single grain with milk (formula or breast milk). You can also use gluten free or baby oats or ragi to make porridge.
next 7 days – Rice with a single veggie or apple. You can use steamed or boiled carrots.

VEGETABLES to prefer
1. carrots
2. pumpkin

LENTIL/ DAL to prefer
1. moong dal
2. toor dal

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.

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diet for a 6-month-old baby with breast and artificial feeding, an approximate menu for a week in the table, a diet for a day

Published: 02/10/2021

Reading time: 4 min.

Number of reads: 194210

Author of the article: Ponomareva Yuliya Vladimirovna

Pediatrician, candidate of medical sciences, allergist-immunologist

Changes in a child in the first year of life are very rapid, and every month is not like another. The 6-month milestone is very important, it is largely evaluative and transitional. By this age, most babies have doubled their birth weight, are about 15 cm tall, and some babies have already erupted their teeth. The age of 6 months is also transitional in terms of nutrition. Breast milk or an adapted formula is still the basis of the diet, but with the beginning of the second half of life, all children, without exception, should begin to receive complementary foods. Despite the general graph of growth and weight gain and indicators of psychomotor development, the status and diet of children at 6 months can be very different. nine0003

Content: Hide

The first feeding of 6 months
The start of complementary foods at 4-5 months
The second half of the life
for a week for a child at 6 months

The first feeding of

If the baby is healthy and breastfed, and his mother eats a full and varied diet, exclusive breastfeeding is possible until this age. Cereal complementary foods in this case are preferable to start. This is due to the high energy and nutritional value of cereals, the ability to significantly enrich the baby's diet with a delayed start of the introduction of complementary foods. nine0003

However, the rate of expansion of the child's diet in this situation will be accelerated. Before the 8th month of life, it is necessary to introduce all basic food groups into the baby’s menu, since in the second half of the year the need for additional intake of nutrients and micronutrients is very high. Another reason explaining the importance of the rapid introduction of complementary foods is the formation of immunity of the immune cells of the intestine to ordinary food. If a child is introduced to these foods at the age of 4-8 months, the risk of developing food allergies has been proven to be reduced. nine0003

Complementary feeding starts at 4-5 months

In today's life, the nutrition of a nursing mother, unfortunately, is not always complete. Therefore, for most breastfed babies, complementary foods already need to be introduced from 5 months in order to prevent deficient conditions.

If a child is bottle-fed, then by the 4th month of life, the baby will not have enough adapted formula alone, and in this group of children, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods usually shifts a month earlier than in breast-fed babies. Accordingly, by 6 months, children will have vegetable puree and gluten-free porridge (buckwheat, corn and rice) in their diet. In the first half of life, monocomponent meals are used (that is, from one type of grain and vegetables), prepared on the basis of water, breast milk or an adapted mixture. nine0003

Fruit puree and juice can be another possible complementary food for children under 6 months of age without allergy symptoms. In a child with a risk of developing or manifesting allergies, the timing of the introduction of fruit complementary foods is shifted to the 8th month.

Second six months of life

Children over 6 months of age can supplement their diet with cereals containing gluten. First of all, these are oatmeal and wheat porridge, and then multi-cereal dishes with the addition of other cereals (millet, barley, rye). If the child does not have any manifestations of allergies, milk porridge can be included in the menu at this age. Bebi Premium industrial baby food products include specially prepared milk that is safe to use in healthy babies in the first year of life. nine0003

From the age of 6 months, the baby's diet is expanded with such important products as meat and cottage cheese. These products are a source of high-quality protein, fats, and are also rich in minerals such as iron, calcium, and phosphorus. Pediatricians and nutritionists recommend introducing meat and cottage cheese as part of combined dishes based on a fruit and vegetable and / or grain component in a ratio of 1 (cottage cheese / meat): 4–5 (fruits / vegetables / cereals).

To enrich the diet with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the second half of the year, the menu includes vegetable oil in the amount of 3–5 grams per day, which can be added to the complementary food dish. The volume of each feeding is approximately 150-170 ml, and the child can already stand up to 3.5 hours between meals. nine0003

In the table below, we offer a menu of 6 months for a week for a child who started receiving complementary foods at the age of 4-5 months, and by the time the second half of life begins, dairy-free gluten-free cereals, vegetable and fruit purees have already been introduced into his diet.

1st day

Seeing

Lunch (12.30)	vegetable soup with beef, olive oil	100/30/3
	compot of drocked 9006, 9006 9
Afternoon snack (16.00)	Plum puree with cottage cheese	60/40
	Breast milk/formula	60 062
food reception	menu	ml/g
Early morning	breast milk/mixture	150

Milki	& Bashas Breakfast (09 cherry Bebi Premium»	100
	0065 Breast milk/mixture	150
	children's soluble cookies "BEBIKI" Classic

		GRUSHERS with rice and Claus	GRUSHIOUS WITH RISE and CRETURE 30
	Bebi Premium Kids Instant Herbal Tea	50

Bedtime 065 Breast milk/formula	150

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10 rules for preparing safe baby food for your baby

About nutrition

Photo: Ibrakovic / iStock / Getty Images

0029

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months, after which complementary foods begin. But it may happen a little earlier or later. Signs of a child's readiness include:

Good head control and sitting with little support.
Baby may turn away, push bottle or breast away to let you know he is full and finished eating. nine0003
The baby is shortening the intervals between feedings and it seems that breast milk or formula is no longer enough for him.
And the most important clue: when you eat, your child looks down at you and seems to be begging for food with his eyes (or maybe even snatching it out of your hands).

2. Don't get hung up on what food to give first

There is no one food to start with - even pediatricians can disagree. Most recommend that parents start with the simple whole fruits and vegetables that the family is accustomed to eating—bananas, apples, peas, zucchini, carrots, or potatoes. nine0003

You can boil or roast your favorite fruits or vegetables until soft, then mix them with enough breast milk, formula or water to get a runny consistency.

It is advisable to follow the rule: give the child one new product for 3-5 days, so that in the event of an allergic reaction, it would be easier to identify the "culprit". As soon as the child begins to eat one food well, you can move on to another, or to new combinations of foods that he has already tried. For example, give your child mashed bananas for 3 days, and then you can switch to baby oatmeal with bananas. nine0003

Photo: blyjak / iStock / Getty Images

3. Avoid certain foods until the baby is 1 year old

Due to the risk of botulism, honey or foods containing honey should not be given to the baby. You should also avoid unpasteurized foods: milk, undercooked meat, eggs, fish or poultry. The child can eat yogurt. However, whole milk should be introduced into the diet after one year, as it is not as nutritious as breast milk or formula and is low in iron. nine0003

4. Don't waste your money on fancy kitchen equipment

There are many gadgets designed to prepare baby food. They are expensive and will only be needed for a short period of time. Instead, just use what you already have on hand—a hand blender, immersion blender, or food processor.

5. Store Food Properly

Strained fruits and vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, and in the freezer for up to one month. Keep vegetable purees in the refrigerator for no more than a day, and in the freezer for a month. The same applies to strained meat, poultry, fish and eggs. nine0003

6. Store food in ice cube trays

It is convenient to freeze puree in ice cube trays. Each cube contains 2 tablespoons of puree—the perfect serving size to start with. After freezing in the tray, you can transfer the cubes to labeled freezer bags and put them in the freezer.

Photo: Getty Images

7. Be sure to include meat in complementary foods

Meat is an excellent source of protein and iron. If you decide to make your own baby food at home, you can mix boiled meat (beef, chicken, or turkey) with breast milk, formula, or another puree (such as mashed potatoes) until it's the consistency of soup, without chunks. Older children can be given pieces of minced meat. It is important to avoid meats with a higher salt content, such as bacon and deli. nine0003

The iron stores with which a child is born are depleted after about 4-6 months. Therefore, iron-fortified baby cereals or mashed meats are an important complementary food for breastfed babies.

8. Don't worry if you don't have time to cook

Homemade baby food can be easy! Make a banana or potato puree. In addition, you can get by with a store option.

9. Don't put off allergenic foods

Pediatricians used to advise to postpone the consumption of highly allergenic foods until the age of one. A new study shows that it is important to give your child such food as early as possible. Pediatricians now recommend doing this when the baby is 6 months old. Recall that highly allergenic foods include milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.