Complementary food introduction: the first porridge

and Sabine Schrör, medical journalist Updated on

Nicole Wendler holds a PhD in biology in the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and proofreader, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.

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Sabine Schrör is a freelance writer for the medical team. She studied business administration and public relations in Cologne. As a freelance editor, she has been at home in a wide variety of industries for more than 15 years. Health is one of her favorite subjects.

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With complementary food, your baby's diet expands considerably. By the sixth month at the latest, your child needs more than what is in the milk. How do you know that your child is ready for the first porridge? Is self-prepared complementary food better than ready-made baby food from a jar? What should you watch out for when feeding? Read here when and how you should introduce complementary foods.

When to start with complementary foods?

When the introduction of complementary foods is indicated varies from child to child. Some children are already ready for complementary food at five months. Then the mothers should really give their offspring the first porridge - even if they might only want to breastfeed for the first six months. The child's needs are more important than any mothers' plans.

There are also infants who content themselves with milk for longer. But at the latest by six months, every baby needs more than his milk meals.

With the introduction of complementary foods, milk meals are gradually being replaced. However, this does not necessarily mean that breastfeeding is over: even if you are already feeding complementary foods, you can continue to breastfeed your child for as long as you both want.

The right time to introduce complementary foods

Your child's signals show you when you can start feeding baby food:

The baby food stays in the mouth

Does your child no longer immediately push the porridge out of their mouth with their tongue? A good indication that it is time to introduce complementary foods. Pushing it out does not mean that your baby does not like the porridge, it is based on the tongue extension reflex. It enables the child to suckle - for this it pushes the tongue forward. From the fourth month of life, the reflex gradually disappears - only then can the child eat solid foods, i.e. complementary foods.

Interest in solid foods

Is your child suddenly extremely interested in your food? This is also an indication that you should introduce complementary foods soon.

Drooling, swallowing, smacking noises

Does your baby drool, swallow and smack his lips at the sight of solid food? Then his mouth will actually water. The child becomes interested in solid food exactly when it is ripe for complementary food. Surprise them with their first baby food!

Feed complementary foods - this is how it works!

Complementary food is everything that the child consumes - apart from breast milk or ready-to-use baby milk: vegetables, fruit, potatoes, cereals, meat or fish. Here are the most important tips:

• The various ingredients are initially mashed or finely mashed. Later, the child can also eat bite-sized, soft bites on their own.
• In contrast to breastfeeding and bottle meals, your child should sit upright when eating baby food. Otherwise it is too easy to swallow. You can take it on your lap for feeding.
• Plastic spoons are more suitable for feeding than metal spoons, which can feel uncomfortably cold in the mouth.
• Don't load the spoon too full!
• Make sure that the porridge is not too hot.
• If you feed your child porridge from the jar, you should fill it in portions into a bowl. In this way, leftovers in the jar stay clean and can wait in the refrigerator for the next use.

Which complementary food is the right one?

Cereals or vegetables? It doesn't matter in terms of health. Contrary to earlier assumptions, cereals, introduced early, protect your child from a gluten intolerance rather than promoting it. Whether carrots or parsnips are first processed into complementary foods is also irrelevant for the prosperity of your offspring.

Complementary food from the jar

Complementary food from the jar is of course practical: there is no need to clean, cook or puree. In addition, finished complementary foods are now very carefully prepared and the ingredients are carefully controlled.

The disadvantages: baby food from the jar is comparatively expensive. And the material battle is not good for the environment either.

Prepare complementary foods yourself

Some parents want to know exactly what they are feeding their child. Then self-cooking is the order of the day! It is best to use organic products that are free from pesticides. Process the vegetables as freshly as possible: otherwise vitamins are quickly lost. Or you can use frozen vegetables. It is flash frozen immediately after harvest. That is why it contains more vitamins than some fresh vegetables that have been stored for a long time.

It is practical to prepare larger quantities and then freeze them in portions. What you should pay attention to can be found in the article "Freezing baby food".

If you are cooking anyway, the preparation of complementary foods is a matter of course. The advantage is that you can offer your child a wider range of flavors and foods than with ready-made baby food from jars. This trains the sense of taste when introducing complementary foods and makes the child more open to new taste experiences.

By the way, salt and other spices are not taboo for babies. But you shouldn't season the baby food too generously: the aroma is exciting enough for your baby. You should also avoid spicy condiments, sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Warning: honey is taboo in the first year of life! It can contain dangerous germs that cause the dreaded infant botulism.

From the age of seven months you can also feed meat, fish and eggs in pureed or crushed form. Beef, in particular, is a good source of iron during this period.

Vegetarian complementary foods

Parents who are vegetarian themselves may want to feed their child accordingly. But children are not little adults. Vegetarian diets must be planned particularly carefully for them.

Complementary foods vegetarian

If you want to give your child a vegetarian diet, you need to be well informed so that they do not develop nutritional deficiencies. Above all, the adequate supply of iron must be carefully planned for a vegetarian diet. Good suppliers are, for example, legumes and some types of grain.

Vegan complementary foods

The professional associations advise against a vegan diet for young children. If you do choose to do so, dietary supplements are absolutely essential for your child. You also need to coordinate things with your pediatrician and have your child's laboratory tests checked regularly.

If your child is lacking in certain nutrients, they will not be able to develop properly. In the worst case, lifelong impairments remain.

Complementary foods - allergies and intolerances

Gluten, histamine or milk: allergies and intolerance to food are increasing. For a long time it was believed that the later the child comes into contact with frequent triggers of allergies and intolerances, the lower the risk. Today we know that exactly the opposite is the case: With early contact, your child's immune system learns to tolerate the potential problem-makers in food.

Feed finger food instead of porridge

Children do not learn to eat independently with a spoon until they are two years old. Snacking with your fingers is possible earlier - and your child will have a lot of fun. It can pluck pieces of bread and put them in their mouths, and they can eat soft slices of banana or soft-boiled vegetables. However, your child cannot chew properly even when the first teeth are already showing.

Baby-led weaning

The so-called baby-led weaning is popular with many mothers. You offer your child various soft foods to choose from. This should offer the following advantages:

• The child should instinctively reach for foods whose nutrients they need right now.
• By eating independently at an early age, the child learns right from the start when it is full and what is good for it.

So that the child is sure to be full, you should always offer him additional milk during the transition phase.

Criticism of baby-led weaning

Critics fear baby-led weaning:

• malnutrition in the child, especially a lack of iron, as young children cannot yet chew meat
• dangerous swallowing of chunks that are too large

You can read more about this in the article: Baby-led weaning

When the child eats little

Help, my child eats like a sparrow! Whether classic porridge-based foods or finger food: Most parents are concerned if the child eats only a little. The amount of complementary food required varies greatly from child to child and can also vary greatly from day to day. If your child is active and growing and thriving normally, there is nothing to worry about.

Tags:  pregnancy first aid Baby Child