Nutrition for children after weaning

When weaning a baby, the mother needs to pay attention to taking each step at the same time as increasing supplementary foods, reducing the number of breastfeeding times and breastfeeding time to avoid the baby feeling disappointed and uncomfortable due to craving for breast milk.

Normally, during the period from 4 to 6 months old, children do not need to eat anything more because breast milk has enough nutrients for children to develop, besides, breast milk also contains important factors to protect the body that no other food can replace. When children are over 6 months old, they can be weaned with powdered food, porridge (must have meat, fish, eggs, oil, fat, fresh vegetables and fruits to have enough nutrition). When children are 12 months old, the digestive function of the stomach and intestines gradually improves, they can be weaned, but to make the best use of breast milk, children should be weaned when they are 18 to 24 months old.

Weaning should be done gradually, do not wean the baby suddenly as it can cause mental trauma and make the baby fussy and lose appetite. Gradually increase the number of meals the baby eats instead of reducing the number of breastfeeding sessions. You can replace breast milk with a bottle of cow's milk, sweet powder, salty powder, meat porridge until you stop completely.

Children's menus need to have enough fiber, vitamins, starch, protein, fat and other essential micronutrients, especially protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, etc.), fat (oil, grease) and vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins.

When you first wean your baby, you should not force him to eat too much, as this will make him feel uncomfortable, easily vomit, and have a fear of eating. To help your baby eat well, divide the meals into many meals a day and change the menu regularly. Pay attention to preparing food to suit your baby's taste and change the dishes regularly so that your baby can eat all the food.

Food for children should be cooked soft and easy to digest. Photo: TL

Most children at weaning age, although they have teeth, have not fully developed chewing muscles and are still weak. Their digestive system is not as complete as that of adults, so food for children needs to be cooked well, thoroughly cooked or pureed so that children do not choke, absorb well and are easy to digest.

Please note:Do not wean your child when he is sick, especially when he has diarrhea because the replacement food will not be suitable for him, causing digestive disorders, which can easily lead to malnutrition. Pay attention to your child's weight gain during weaning. If you see that your child is gaining weight slowly, you should pay attention to reviewing his diet and absorption capacity and seek advice from a nutritionist. If possible, you should give your child formula milk to increase his nutrition.

According to suckhoevadoisong