When your baby is 4 months old, you can start giving him supplementary food. These are really still practice snacks. Milk (breast or artificial) remains the most important source of nutrition for your baby. Starting with practice snacks is an exciting new step in your child’s development, but what should you keep in mind? Which types of fruit and vegetables are most suitable to start with and how can you best prepare the snacks?
Is my baby ready?
The advice is to start supplementary feeding at 4 months. It has been found that if you start supplementary feeding between the ages of 4 and 6 months, the risk of a food allergy decreases. Not all babies need supplementary feeding at 4 months. To find out whether your baby is ready, pay attention to the following signs:
- Your child is interested in what you eat and what is on your plate
- Your child puts things in his mouth
- Your child smacks and makes bite movements
Your child may experience more cramps and flatulence after eating supplementary food. The intestinal tract is probably not yet ready for supplementary feeding. It is then better to stop and try again after a week or 2.
Which vegetables are suitable to start with and which are not?
Easily digestible organically grown vegetables with mild neutral flavors are best to start with. Examples of this are;
- Cauliflower
- Carrot
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
- Tomato
Vegetables that you should wait with are: cabbage, onion, leek and radish. These vegetables are more difficult to digest. This means your child is more likely to suffer from flatulence and cramps.
Preparation
You can boil or steam the vegetables. Steaming is preferable because it preserves most of the nutrients.
Place small pieces of thoroughly washed vegetables in a (steam) basket. Hang the basket over a pan of boiling water and wait until the vegetables are cooked. You can then puree the vegetables with a hand blender. If it is too dry, you can add some moisture. The whole will then become a bit smoother. The practice snacks consist of just a few teaspoons of puree. It is therefore useful to make several portions at the same time and freeze them, for example. In any case, it is good to give your child the same thing for a few days in a row. This way he/she can get used to the taste.
Which fruits are suitable to start with?
Start with the soft and ripe organically grown fruits. Good fruits to start with are:
- Apple
- Pear
- Melon
- Mango
- Peaches
- Plums
If this goes well, you can also try other types of fruit.
Preparation
You can offer most types of fruit raw. All you have to do is peel the fruit, deseed it and then puree it. Some harder fruits such as apple or pear are suitable for making puree. Place a few pieces of apple or pear in a pan with a little water and bring to the boil. After a few minutes of cooking, the fruit is wonderfully soft and easy to puree.
Vegetables first or fruit first?
It is often advised to start with vegetable snacks and only give fruit snacks later. This way your child can first get used to the taste of vegetables.
Fresh or jars?
The supermarket is full of jars of food that are suitable from 4 months. Easy if you don’t have time or are on the road. However, jars often contain too much sugar and salt. This is despite the strict requirements imposed on baby food. An occasional potty won’t hurt, but it’s still better to prepare your baby’s food fresh. After all, you don’t always eat ready-made meals yourself.
Keep the camera ready
Whether you start with a fruit snack or a vegetable snack. The face your child makes with the first bites is unforgettably funny. So make sure you capture this moment on photo or film.
