6-Month Baby Feed Portion
At the age of 6 months, your child can usually be given solid food as a companion to breast milk (ASI). Here are the types of food that can be consumed and a 6-month baby meal portion.
Entering the age of half a year, breastfeeding alone is considered not enough to meet the daily nutritional needs of the baby. To maximize growth and development, your child also needs nutrients from other sources by consuming solid foods.
But before giving complementary food and a meal for a 6-month-old baby, first recognize the signs that the Little One is ready to eat foods that are more dense and thicker than ASI. The characteristics are as follows:
- You can straighten your own head.
- Sit without help.
- Showing interest in food, for example trying to grab and hold food or cutlery.
- Reflexes open the mouth and remove the tongue if something comes into his mouth.
- It's starting to try to bite and chew even though it's not teething.
6 Months Baby Feeding Portion
Then, how many servings do you eat for 6 months? Everything depends on your baby. For fruits, vegetables, or fine foods, just 2-3 tablespoons in one meal. In a day, give the Small portion of this ASI complementary food only 2-3 times. As for ASI, suck your child every 3-4 hours. When feeding your child, make sure he sits calmly and safely in a baby's chair. Also make sure that your baby's place to eat is clean.
6 Months Baby Food
The main foods that should be introduced to your child are those that are rich in iron. Iron and zinc itself are already contained in ASI, but the amount does not meet the growing needs of the baby. This mineral is very important to give to your child to keep him away from anemia.
Foods that contain iron include baby cereals fortified with iron, fish, eggs, chicken, beef, spinach, broccoli, tofu, kidney beans and green beans. But besides iron, don't forget to also provide foods that contain other important nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins and minerals.
For the first introduction of 6-month baby food, give Little Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Pears, Melons, Bananas, or Avocados that have been mashed. You can also give it smooth porridge mixed with formula milk or ASI. After that, give meat, chicken, boneless fish, porridge, or cooked hard-boiled eggs which of course have also been refined. Keep in mind, this is the first time he starts eating solid, so you don't need to force a certain meal for a 6-month-old baby.
At the age of 6 months there are some foods that should be avoided by the Little One, namely honey, cow's milk, hard and large-sized foods, packaged fruit juices, and fish that contain mercury, such as tuna.
In addition to fine foods, Little One can also be given water between meals. But, don't overdo it. You can use a spoon, cup with a perforated lid, or even an ordinary cup. Drinking water from a cup helps your child learn to sip, and is good for the growth of the little teeth.
As you get older, your nutritional needs are also getting bigger. With a good pattern and portion of a baby's 6-month meal, the nutrients needed for growth and development will be fulfilled. Don't forget to routinely weigh your baby's weight to monitor his nutritional status.
