The weaning stage is an important milestone to help children get used to new food and develop the digestive system. However, many mothers fall into the situation of cooking porridge in all sorts of ways, but their children still shake their heads, hold it for a long time without swallowing, even eat while crying. In fact, the cause sometimes does not lie in the baby's anorexia, but in the inappropriate way of cooking porridge.
According to the NHS (British National Health Service), young children need to be weaning at the right age, in the right crudeness and ensure nutritional balance. Meanwhile, HealthyChildren.org (official website of the American Pediatrician Association) recommends that parents prioritize simple, easy-to-digest foods and gradually increase the consistency at each stage to make the baby more interested.
Below are 5 tips for cooking weaning porridge to help babies eat well, eat evenly and "eat quickly" every meal.
1. Cook porridge to the right thickness according to each month of age
A common mistake is cooking porridge that is too thick, making it difficult for the baby to swallow, or too thin, causing the baby to get bored quickly. For babies who are new to weaning, porridge should be smooth and moderately thin. When the baby grows older, the mother gradually increases the thickness and roughness so that the baby can practice chewing, avoiding the situation of just being used to eating ground porridge.
2. Do not add sweet and salty spices to porridge
Many mothers are afraid that if the porridge is bland, the baby will not eat it, so they add fish sauce, seasoning powder or sugar. However, pediatric experts recommend that children under 1 year old should not eat salt or sugar too early because it can easily affect the kidneys and form a habit of eating salty food.
Instead, mothers should use natural sweetness from vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes to make porridge fragrant and easier to eat.
3. Always have enough 4 groups of substances in one meal
A standard bowl of weaning porridge should contain starch, protein, vegetables and fat. Many mothers only cook white porridge and add meat, lack vegetables and cooking oil, so babies are prone to constipation, indigestion and lack enough energy.
Good fats such as olive oil, salmon oil, and sesame oil help children absorb vitamins better and gain weight effectively.
4. Cooking porridge with bone broth too often is a mistake
Many mothers think that the sweeter the bone broth, the more nutritious it is, but if used regularly, it can make the porridge fatty, difficult to digest, and even make the baby bored.
Dairy porridge should prioritize the natural flavor of fresh food. If you want to increase the aroma, mothers can use vegetable broth or meat and fish steamed water to maintain a refreshing taste.
5. Change dishes continuously but must be in accordance with principles
Baby weaning is very easy to get bored if you give your baby the same minced meat porridge or fish porridge every day. However, changing dishes also needs to follow the principle of trying each type one by one, avoiding mixing too many strange ingredients at the same time, making it difficult for the baby to adapt and easily allergic.
Mothers can alternate chicken, pork, salmon, shrimp, combined with green vegetables to create an attractive aroma.
Delicious weaning porridge does not lie in the elaborate cooking but in the compatibility with age, nutritional balance and smart menu changes. Just apply the 5 secrets above, many mothers will be surprised because their children eat quickly, gain weight steadily and are less picky eaters.
