The issue of proper nutrition for children is devoted not to one book and not one scientific work. Nevertheless, each child is individual - this manifests itself in his physical and mental development, eating habits. Each mother wants to feed her child the most delicious and useful. And when there are any problems in this matter, parents begin to sound the alarm. In this article you will find the advice of pediatricians who are concerned with eating for children.
Preparing food for children
The best meal of the baby for the first 5 months is mother's milk. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, breastfeeding should continue for up to 2 years. But approximately in 5-6 months when at the kid teeth begin to be cut, in its diet it is necessary to include gradually other products.
Food for children up to a year is significantly different from the diet of older children. Up to a year of children it is recommended to feed simple, natural and easily digestible food: vegetable and fruit purees, porridges, sour-milk products. Young parents can buy ready-made purees and cereals in supermarkets or prepare them themselves.
Recipes of healthy food for children under one year can be found in special culinary books, forums or use your own imagination. The main thing is to use only natural and fresh products.
Preparing meals for children after the year is greatly simplified by the fact that the child already eats the same food as the parents. Soups, vegetable stews, a variety of fruits, meat products - almost any meal of parents is great for children after a year. It is not recommended to give children a spicy, peppery, too salty and spicy food - in a child's body such dishes can disrupt digestion.
Rate of food for the child
The question "Does the child eat enough?" Worries many mothers. When there is any doubt as to whether the baby is eating, it is necessary to carefully look at the child. If he is active, cheerful and cheerful, then there is no reason for experience.
The doctors developed a special meal rate for the child. Some parents prefer to follow this rule:
- food for children from 6 months to a year should contain 800 calories per day;
- food for children after a year and up to three years - 1300-1500 calories per day;
- food for children from 3 to 6 years - 1800-2000 calories per day;
- Food for children from 6 to 10 years - 2200-2400 calories per day.
The child refuses to eat
If a child refuses to eat, this does not mean that he is ill. Depending on the age of the baby, the reluctance to eat can be caused by a number of reasons:
- The attention of the child is attracted by some other process. As a rule, if a TV, computer, or music plays loudly in the room, the child eats extremely reluctantly. Up to the complete refusal of food. Also, the child may be distracted by unpleasant conditions in the room - stuffiness, heat, cold;
- the baby has a diet. This phenomenon is observed after a long vacation or holidays. Also, if a child snacks something between meals, it's no surprise that he refuses the first course or the second;
- the child does not like the dish. Parents should take into account the preferences of the baby, otherwise food intake will be extremely unpleasant for the child. And this, in turn, further provokes the child to refuse to eat.
If a child refuses to eat and there is a general deterioration in his state of health, then perhaps he is ill with something. In such a situation, attention should be paid to the presence of the following symptoms:
- baby tears after eating;
- the child cries while eating;
- the child had fever, an eruption, a cough or a runny nose.
In the presence of the above symptoms, you should call a doctor.
The baby belches food
This phenomenon, as a rule, is observed in infants. If a child spits up after eating, it means that he swallowed the air during feeding. There are often cases when after a meal a baby hiccups - it is also associated with sips of air. To be frightened of this to young mums it is not necessary, if the child looks cheerful and cheerful. If, however, the baby's stomach is swollen, he cries or is naughty, then, perhaps, he has colic. In this case, parents should press the baby to themselves so that his head is on your shoulder, and he took a vertical position. In a few minutes all unpleasant symptoms go away. If during a breastfeeding a child is choked with food, then most likely it is uncomfortable for him, or she incorrectly grasped the nipple.
Immediately consult a doctor if the vomiting of the baby is green. Also, a cause for concern is repeated vomiting after eating a child over the age of.