How to introduce new food to babies?

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Breastfeed till 6 months

Kids up to 6 months should be in exclusive breastfeeding. This helps in developing their strong immune system to fight against life threatening illnesses like Pneumonia, diarrhea and other deadly infections. Exclusively breastfeed gives the kids a right proportion of nutrients for proper development. 



The confusion to new moms begin, when they need to introduce new food to the kids, What to be given and how to be given? All veggies, fruits and grains has many types of proteins, vitamins and minerals, but to a baby, there should be a formula and timeline to give them. 


Here is a list of foods for kids(6 months old), and how to introduce them are recommended by our Pediatrician Dr. Arulalan, Vellore. The following guidelines and recipes are framed by Dr.Arulalan and a nutritionist team for Vellore residents. Food and culture are interrelated. They together helps in child development. Only with such understanding, we can avoid food related problems like food allergies, indigestion and constipation. So, If you are residents of Vellore and surrounded places, this is absolutely for you. Also for the people who has rice and raagi to their diet, can follow this to their kids. 

For 6 months old(From 181 days to 210 days): Before introducing a new food to kids, few rules of the Do's and Don’ts have to be understood.

Don’ts 

  1. No new food should be given between 11pm and 5 am.
  2. No Sugar 
  3. No tin foods. 

Do’s 

  1. One new food per week has to be introduced. 
  2. Observe the kids activities, digestion etc after introducing a new food.
  3. Let the kids play after having food. Don’t make them sleep soon after feeding.
  4. Prepare food at home
  5. Cleanliness of vessels and hand while preparing and feeding is a must.
  6. Give warm water along with the food.
1st week 

Rice gruel or Rice porridge (Arisi Kanji in Tamil)

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cups. Par boiled rice is preferable. (புழுங்கல் அரிசி)

Roasted bengal gram 1/2 cup (pottu kadalai)

Ratio 3:1



Wash and fan dry the rice. Dry fry with the bengal gram and grind them together to smooth powder. You can store this powder upto 2 months.

15 minutes before feeding time, boil 1 cup of water with a pinch of salt, then add 1 tbs of this rice powder and stir till it reaches the porridge consistency. Feed warm. Between 11am and 12pm would be the preferable time to feed this food. Can repeat the same around 4 pm. 

2nd week
Same Kanji/ porridge, prepare with cow's milk or packet milk. 

3rd week
Introduce Cow’s milk or packet milk separately. No sugar or a little sugar can be added.


4th week

Raagi Porridge/ Raagi Kanji

Soak 2 cups of Raagi, drain and tie it to a white cotton cloth. Leave it overnight for the sprouts to come out. Then sun dry or fan dry it, Grind it to smooth powder. Store it upto 2 months.

Same as Rice porridge, make this with water or milk and feed it at 11 am.


Don’t feed anything for 2 to 3 hours after giving this semi solid food. Increase or decrease the quantity according to the intake of the kid.

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