Baby porridge - homemade!

Nutrition Plan: When is what?

In the first year of life baby's diet is divided into three sections: In the first four to six months, a baby with mother or finished milk gets everything it needs for its development. From the 5th to the 7th month of life it is time to feed Babybrei. And from the 10th month of age, infants can be accustomed to the family meal.

The Research Institute for Child Nutrition Dortmund (FKE) has developed a "nutrition plan for the first year of life".

Baby's diet: Do's

A baby should be at least Fully breastfed for 6 months - if milk is added, then use "pre" milk for as long as possible. As carbohydrate it contains only milk sugar (like breast milk). All other milk types ("1" or "2") also contain starch or other superfluous sugars.

Who many allergies in the family, should breastfeed particularly long and late, very slowly and gradually feed. Who does not breastfeed: necessarily "HA" milk feed - in these hypoallergenic milk powders, the protein from the cow's milk is greatly split, so it is no longer so allergy-causing. Grain cereals are then mixed with HA milk instead of cow's milk. However, a baby with a cow's milk allergy must be fed with other milk from the pharmacy - be sure to discuss it with the pediatrician!

Many waterworks provide a free for pregnant women or parents of toddlers Check of tap water in the house, otherwise ask in the nearest pharmacy. Those who have no lead pipes and good water quality, can prepare baby food well with boiled tap water, otherwise use mineral water with the phrase "suitable for baby feeding". This water contains very little nitrate, sodium and fluoride.

Less is more! When the baby gets his first baby porridge, introduce the individual foods one after the other and very slowly, preferably only one food per week. After months of drinking milk, a new taste is exciting enough, babies do not need a change on the spoon.

Cook yourself for the baby! If you are still hesitant, cook the potato-vegetable-meat-porridge yourself and try a finished glass for comparison. The sense of taste is shaped very early, and self-cooked Babybrei tastes just different than the glass jar. If you give a glass, you should look very carefully at the list of ingredients, in many glass menus are many more ingredients in it as well and necessary. Pay attention to as few ingredients as possible.

The baby watch closely, Depending on your personality, you may need your first baby porridge a little earlier (but not before the 4th month), or you may be satisfied with your milk for a while longer and grow well. The amounts vary considerably: some children consume almost 50 percent more baby porridge than their peers, but are not heavier or taller. As long as the baby is growing well and is satisfied, everything is fine.

For the whole milk cereal porridge please whole milk use 3.5 percent fat. Babies need the energy from the fat, dairy products should be low in fat even for children after their first birthday. With milk it does not matter whether it is fresh whole milk or H-milk, they do not differ in mineral and vitamin content from each other. Absolutely unsuitable is preferred or raw milk for babies, it may contain pathogenic germs.

Baby's Diet: Dont's

Who does not breastfeed, should definitely finished Baby food use. Neither almond milk nor soymilk, goat's milk or diluted H-milk are suitable for babies, which can be life-threatening for infants! They contain far too much protein and minerals that the baby still can not handle.

No honey for the little ones! Honey can contain a bacterium (botulism), which can lead to serious illnesses, in some cases to the death of infants. Also, heating does not always kill this bacterium safely, so in the first year of life by no means give honey!

No spices use, even salt does not belong in the baby food. Even with herbs you should be careful at the beginning, they often have a health effect (eg peppermint tea or caraway tea).

Who particularly scared of allergies has waived cow's milk, nuts, soy, fish, eggs and wheat in the first year. However, from the first birthday, these foods are included in the diet, otherwise a good supply of all nutrients and vitamins is no longer guaranteed.

Vegetarian diet is problematic for a baby since its iron stores are empty at six months and meat is the main source of iron.Who wants to feed his baby vegetarian, should discuss this with the pediatrician or a nutritionist to prevent shortages. However, it is possible by a clever combination of ferrous cereals and fruits.

Warm up once is okay, more often but not! In warmed foods (porridge and milk) bacteria can multiply wonderfully and super fast, so that it can lead to gastrointestinal problems in babies. Heat a frozen porridge only once (and boil it!) And keep the finished milk warm for a maximum of 45 minutes. Tip for the road: take hot water in the thermos and mix just before feeding with the milk powder (already bottled in a dry vial), then nothing can happen.

Tips for pork cooking

Self-cooking is not difficult, Simply vegetables, meat, pasta or rice, preferably everything in organic quality, simmer gently in a little water and finely puree.

Perfect for the stock: Boil a large amount of vegetables or meat, puree and place in ice cube trays for freezing. Then pour the frozen blocks into freezer bags and thaw them just a few blocks each day, heat them to boiling (important because of possible germs) and serve them mixed with a little oil. Frozen porridge can be stored for about two months at -18 ° C, in the fridge for one day only.

Super practical to puree is a cup attachment for the blender (there is for example from Braun). Simply add the boiled vegetables or meat with a little cooking water, cover and puree, then nothing splashes. For larger babies it is also possible to purée a bit lumpier.

Who a little older baby anymore variety at the midday porridge, cooks and purees various meats and vegetables individually and freezes them as ice cubes, then every lunch a new mix can be created. Attention: the ratio of meat to potatoes to vegetables should be 20: 50: 100 g, also 2 teaspoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of juice should be added.

The first porridge

In order for the child to make the transition from sucking to spooning, it is best to spoon a sweet, liquid porridge - most similar to milk - from the spoon. Well suited Möhrenbrei from young carrots.

500 g carrots (best bunched carrots, they are especially sweet)
2 teaspoons rapeseed oil

Peel the carrots, try a piece of each, sort out bitter specimens. Slice the carrots and cook with the oil and 1/4 l of water for about 10-15 minutes. Puree very finely, evlt. Add more boiled water. Freeze in ice cube containers and thaw a cube per meal and bring to a boil, then allow to cool and feed.

Recipes: Mash from the 5th month (better from the 7th month)

Vegetable-potato-meat-porridge (as a substitute for the midday-milk-meal)

For 10 servings

200 g of meat (best a lean piece, animal no preference, s.u.)
500 g potatoes
1kg vegetables, e.g. Carrots, pumpkin, parsnips
1/4 l of apple juice
80 ml rapeseed oil

Finely chop the meat and bring to a boil in 1/8 l of water, cover and cook for 45 minutes. Wash potatoes and boil in water for about 20 minutes, drain, peel and squeeze through a potato press or stamp very finely. Peel vegetables and finely dice and add to the meat, both together cook another 15 minutes, evlt. add more water. Puree the meat and vegetables and mix with the potatoes, stir in the juice and oil. Allow to cool and freeze in portions.

Tips for meatWhether poultry, veal, beef, pork or lamb does not matter, each type of meat has a slightly different nutrient composition. If a strain is well tolerated by the baby, try something else next time, it will give you an optimal mix in the long run. The best pieces are e.g. Roast pieces, filet or lean goulash.

Whole milk cereal porridge (as a substitute for the evening milk meal)

For 1 portion from the 6th month:

200 ml whole milk (3.5% fat)
20 g whole grain cereal flakes
2 tablespoons fruit juice

Bring the milk to the boil or stir the instant flakes into the warm milk according to the instructions in the package and let it swell. Stir in the fruit juice.

tipOats are particularly suitable for children as they contain a lot of iron. To improve iron absorption, the fruit juice is added to the porridge. If you want to avoid gluten, a cereal protein, because you are afraid of allergies, you can use millet, corn, amaranth, quinoa or rice as grain. Gluten is contained in wheat, spelled, oats, einkorn, rye and barley. However, it is recommended to introduce the gluten-containing cereals slowly in succession, which trains the immune system and can prevent celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

Cereal-fruit-porridge (as a substitute for the afternoon-milk-meal)

For 1 portion, from the 7th month:

20 g whole grain cereal flakes (see also under whole milk cereal porridge) 90 ml water
100 g pureed fruit
1 tsp butter

Boil cornflakes with water or prepare them with warm water as per package instructions.Stir in the pureed fruit and butter.

Tips: Let the butter melt in warm water. Butter provides a lot of energy as fat, monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamins D and many B vitamins. Due to the fat mix of butter and oil throughout the day, the mixture of fatty acids is ideal for the baby. The fruit should be as low in acid as possible, then it is better tolerated. Good are e.g. Apple, pear, mango, melon, peach and papaya. On berries or grapes many germs can sit, because they have a large surface, rather feed a little later and take care that the babies do not swallow the small fruits. Soft fruits can be fed raw puree, firmer varieties and drupes like cherries and plums should be cooked before. As many vitamins sit directly under the shell, pears, apples and peaches can also be mashed with peel - but then wash well and rub off vigorously.