Download from 6 month

When? At 6months
At this age the infant:
Is ready and mature with the functions to take most of the
food consumed by adults
He needs a variety of food ensuring adequate intake of iron,
trace elements and vitamins
Has to learn to chew: from liquid to semi-solid food and then
to small pieces of solid food, to educate and favor swallow
and then chewing
Develops the Salty and Umami taste
Gets acquainted to the adult’s table, making a crucial step
in the path towards his/her autonomy
Salty or Sweet?
SALT: Essential !
The infants, need salt, but milk and other foods may
contain salt in sufficient quantity, therefore there is little
need to add salt to baby food (100-200mg/day)
SUGAR: Fuel for the Brain !
Too sweet : no other tastes ! Restricted diet and risk of
imprinting a choice with negative effects on health
(Caries, Obesity etc). Never use sweet to give other
foods.
HOW TO WEAN?
Food consistency.
From semisolid to small pieces of solid food in order to
educate and favor swallowing and chewing.
Cereals: rice, semolina, maize flour, small size pasta
Second course: meat and fish may be cooked and
smashed to be added to the cereals. Later on, fish has to
be cut in small pieces with a fork and meat minced.
Vegetables : gradually, legumes and all others
Fat: olive oil is the best : use a full size soup spoon.
Fruit: season-fresh, mixed, smashed, grated .
Introduce gradually all types of fruit, with a delayed in time
consumption of apricots, cherries and strawberries. No
added sugar.
Fruit juice? Not too much, thanks!
They contain many calories
They do not have fiber, which are important for
the sense of satiety and the right functioning of
the intestine
They lack vitamins, which are lost with the
conservation
Industrial juices contain preservatives
*Squashed oranges are better than juice, whole
oranges are better than squashed
At 6 months at the family table!
Food is not only nourishment, but also
socialization. It is useful to let the infant
acquainted with the table with family as
soon as he is able to stay seated.
We should remember that all that is good
for us is good for him and the other way
round. Therefore, do adopt a healthy life
style for the whole family.
Did you know that…
•When an infant does not like a certain type of
food, 9 daily attempts are needed to win
neophobia. Therefore do not get discouraged!
Go on to propose the rejected food to the
infant, possibly together with something that
he/she really likes.
•A healthy weaning requires the respect for the
infant and the confidence in his ability to selfregulate. Do not worry if he does not eat all the
food: 2-3 spoons may be sufficient to make the
infant satiated
The infant is able to self-regulate
Fear?...What for?
Do not be afraid of allergy
If we introduce a teaspoon in the mouth of a 4-6 month infant, the
tongue lowers and what is deposed on the teaspoon is
swallowed. At 6 months, even without teeth, infants are able to
smash and crumble small pieces of food. It is important to
educate chewing, so please do not provide liquid food but smallcrumbled food.
Do not be afraid of gluten
Any delay in introduction of gluten does not prevent CD.
Do not be afraid of choking
Infants are more efficient than adults in spitting out any undesired
particle !
Something NOT to do
Do not wean too early and under pressure
Do not force the infant to end the proposed food
Do not eat, nor let the infant eating in front of a
TV set
Do not add sugar to milk or fruit (in general to all
type of foods)
Wean this way!
To start:
Substitute a breast-feeding with a full meal.
30 grams (about 2 spoonful) of rice cream or small size
pasta, or semolina both in vegetable broth or in water.
1 spoon of olive oil
30 grams of meat (chicken, rabbit, veal) or fish,
adequately crumbled, or grated cheese
1 serving of season fresh fruit, smashed or
shacked
After some weeks:
A vegetable soup (1 potato, 1 tomato, 1 carrot,
etc) + 30 grams of meat or fish + 1 spoon of olive
oil, followed by fruit
Or alternatively
A legume soup, that is beans, chick peas, peas,
lentils (+ 1 potato) + 1 spoon of olive oil + 1
teaspoon of grated cheese, followed by fruit
Milk is still important!
The other 2 or 3 feeds are mother or bottle milk
(200-250 ml, according to the total number of
feeds)
It is important to have good dietary habits
Also after the first year of life
After weaning, we need to keep giving much attention to child nutrition
because:
WE ARE WHAT WE EAT
Food given to child builds his health. A healthy eating protects from
future severe diseases; obesity, diabetes, hypertension, myocardial
infarction, cancer.
ADULTS AND CHILDREN SHOULD EAT WELL
Children learn looking at their parents. It is important that the whole
family have correct dietary habits
TASTE IS EDUCATED SINCE THE FIRST YEARS OF LIFE
Around 18 months of age many children reject new food. Do not be
discouraged: sometimes 15 attempts (in different days) are needed to
overcome the first rejection; therefore keep going to propose the
rejected food together with something already liked.
Breakfast: charge for the day!
Those who have a satisfactory breakfast eat less
during the day, eat healthier and are protected
from obesity.
An optimal breakfast has to provide 20% of the
daily calories, which is the energy sufficient for
the morning hours.
Let’s prepare the table, so that the child learns
that breakfast is as important as lunch or dinner.
What a nice lunch!
Take care of both quantity and quality.
A child is able to self-regulate: in most cases 2-3
spoons are enough to satisfy his hunger. Therefore do
not force him/her. If the child is a “good eater”
remember that he needs less quantities than an adult.
A good quality lunch:
First course: 40-50 grams of cereals (pasta, rice,
polenta, etc.) with tomato or vegetable sauce.
Second course: 50-60 grams of fish or 40 grams of
meat or 1 egg or 20 grams of cheese or 30 grams of
dairy products, (alternatively 25 grams of legumes).
Side course: 50-100 grams of vegetables (even more
if the child likes it).
Single complete course
(if we want to unify first and second course):
Pasta or rice (but also spelt, pearl barley, etc) with
legumes (at least twice a week).
Pasta or rice with fish (squid, octopus, sea fruit, etc.).
Pasta with tomato sauce and 20 grams of grated
parmesan cheese.
Rice salad with tuna and vegetables.
Pasta with 1 egg.
Pasta with meat sauce.
Polenta and cheese.
After this feed remember that vegetables and some fruit
should be eaten.
An optimal snack!
a snack in the morning or in in the afternoon:
1 piece of fruit; or 1 portion of yogurt, or 30 grams of
bread with 1 teaspoon of marmalade, o with some
small tomatoes.
NO JUNK FOOD!
Chips, industrial snacks and sweets are often rich of
unhealthy fat or additives. Go with home-made
snacks!|
FRUIT JUICE: NO THANKS!
They contain little fruit, no fiber and vitamins, a lot of
sugar and never satiate. Prefer season fresh fruit!
All together for dinner!
Prepare always a nice table for the dinner and eat all
together, switching TV off.
A good dinner:
1 dish with legumes, vegetables and a slice of bread (3050 grams), or
30-40 grams of meat or fish, with vegetables and 1 slice of
bread (30-50 grams), or
15-20 grams of cheese with vegetables and 1 slice of
bread (30-50 grams).
ADD
1 spoon of olive oil for each meal is advised; olive oil is
better. It is rich of monounsaturated fat, which fights “bad
cholesterol” and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Do you know that….
Fish is important!
It provide best proteins, poli- and mono-unsaturated fats,
calcium, vitamin D and several complex elements able to
stimulate the psycho-motor development.
Tomato is good for health!
It contains lycopene, anti-oxidant which protects from aging.
Use basil, oregano,sage, parsley and mint!
They contain antibiotics and antioxidants. They are quite
protective to maintain young the cells. They also are an
important experience of taste! They are really healthy drugs!
The seven golden rules:
The child at the table with adults
TV off during meals
Food common for everybody – common meal
Do not force the child to assume all that is proposed
Vary as much as possible the types of food
Regular times for meals
Everybody has to take care of the table and the diet