Baby-led Weaning: Another Way to Teach Your Baby to Eat

When your baby begins to eat solid foods, you have two options: follow the method of porridges and tables of food introduction; or try the baby-lead weaning or demand feeding increasingly popular. Do you know what it is?

The baby-led weaning, also known as "self-regulated feed" or "complementary feeding on demand" is a popularized by books like "The child already eats alone" as an alternative to the traditional system of introduction of solid foods method. What he proposes is to dispense with the stage of porridges, purees and food tables and instead start offering your baby food into small pieces to have it in your mouth and learn to feed himself. This is done after six months, when the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding toggle start with the introduction of solid foods.

Do you think something revolutionary? Well, if you think it is not so: according to their proponents claim, this form of start eating is traditional for humans and, in fact, that is still done in countries where not many baby food and food mixers. Instead, mechanically grinding food and give it mixed the baby is "unnatural" for proponents of baby-led weaning, because it forces the baby to get used to some textures and flavors that do not correspond to real food. Who eats potatoes, carrots and green beans all at once, and also crushed?

In fact, we've practiced the baby-led weaning when we give the baby a piece of bread or cracker to suck, or other food to see if you like. It is curious also be noted that, as suggested by some experiments, children eat better when we let them choose those foods that take ...

In this sense, the advantages of baby-led weaning are numerous:

- The Baby learns to eat in a more natural way.

- Explore Real textures and tastes of foods.

- Avoid The cost and effort to prepare baby food for the baby.

- The Baby eats what you need, without obliging him.

- Develop The senses and motor skills.

- Improves communication between baby and parents.

- Integra baby, eating almost the same as others.

However, the disadvantages of baby-lead weaning are also significant:

- at Handling food with their hands, the baby tends to stain everything.

- It's a method that requires patience to keep pace baby.

- There must be careful to avoid the risk of choking.

- It's not suitable for babies with food allergies or intolerances.

- Not all babies adapt to this method of learning.

As always, it is best to use common sense: if you want to try complementary feeding on demand, begins by giving small pieces of food with those who can not choke. Introduce a new food at a time to control if it causes allergic reactions and alternating with breast or bottle to eat enough. And if does not work, do not insist: every baby has its own style and many do better with the traditional method of baby food and purees. Finally, remember to ask any questions concerning feeding your baby with your pediatrician.

What do you think of baby-lead weaning? Do you see good or porridges prefer?

Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography / Freedigitalphotos.net

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The Best Yogurt for Your Baby

What kind of yogurt is best for my baby?

The best yogurt for your baby is the whole natural yogurt.

The recommendation of the experts is not to start with porridges, or "solid food", before 6 months. Yogurt is considered a food, not a drink, and you can give your baby 6 months onwards.

Before recommending offer baby cereal as one of the first foods, but now the recommendation of experts in nutrition and pediatrics is that you can start with foods of any group. So if you want to start with yogurt, you can.

What I do remember is that you should never give your baby version skim or low-fat (low fat). The low-fat yogurt should not be used until after 2 years because infants and toddlers need fat there is in milk products. The fatty acids in milk and milk are important for the development of the brain and nervous system of the baby, so we should not limit them.

No need to buy yogurt made especially for babies, but you must opt for natural yogurt without fruit, made with whole milk. This is important because all commercial yogurts with fruits also contain sugar or sweeteners, which should be avoided in the feeding of infants and children to prevent overweight and obesity.

Fruit, either crushed or pureed, you must add the mom, but without any sweetener. Naturally sweetened yogurt with fresh fruit. It is very important that you not you add honey to yogurt or any other food of your baby until after their first birthday.

As for whether or not organic, it is a matter of personal taste. Organic yogurt was obtained from cows that have grown up in an organic environment, but while not containing additives, there is no significant nutritional difference between organic and non-organic yogurt. The whole plain yogurt is a good source of protein and calcium, and many varieties have vitamin D added.

As with all other foods, every time you enter a new ingredient in feeding your baby you should wait two or three days to see if an allergic reaction or intolerance. The reaction can range from a little redness around the lips inconsolable crying or even diarrhea.

If you notice any reaction on your baby, stops giving yogurt and tell the program pediatrician.

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7 Things About Baby Food You Need to Know

In feeding the baby should always follow the advice of the pediatrician, babies are born with an innate behavior that is suction and which is used to feed.

Although breast milk is recommended as a basis for feeding newborn baby, there are mothers who cannot feed your child naturally, or are the babies themselves, who are not accustomed.

In the event that the baby does not suit breastfeeding should not force the issue or enter into a state of worry, since feeding during infancy can also be performed using bottles, both milk and milk powder .

One point to consider feeding during the first year of life the baby is you cannot drink cow's milk, and that during the first six months should not take solid food, given its inability to perform proper digestion.

1. At first breastfeeding it can be painful and uncomfortable way to prevent these discomforts is preparing properly with cream and oils. Breast milk has many benefits for the baby, it is recommended against bottles.
2. During the first days of feeding the baby must breastfeed every time you want when you stop sucking must withdraw his chest.
3. To feed the baby has to find a peaceful and quiet place where you can be with the newborn in peace. A good place in your room, with adequate light and if possible, in a comfortable position. Many mothers choose to buy a rocking chair, where after breastfeeding, can be cradling the baby to take the dream.
4. When up milk may be problems such as fever, headache or discomfort the first few times the sucking child can be annoying, but with patience and attention these annoyances disappear in the early days.
5. The baby must empty the breast during shooting as the composition varies depending breastfeeding takes long this takes, in fact, the final has more fat and leaves the baby satiated.
6. Even if you decide to feed baby with artificial milk, you do not worry, today make almost as nutritious as natural breast milk. You should keep in mind that cleaning bottles and what they already carry an article you can read here: How to sterilize bottles and pacifiers
7. Think that every time the child cries is because he is hungry is wrong, you must first try to reassure without feeding.

The pediatrician will be responsible to tell you when the baby can start taking baby food. Now you know everything you need to know about infant feeding during the first months.

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Recipes for Babies Begin to Chew

We present ideas very healthy mini-tops for babies who are starting to chew. Go ahead and you offer them to you.

Fried rice

Ingredients

Rice, carrots, peas

How it is done

Cook some rice with a piece of carrot food until both are very tender. Then crumbles hand carrot and mix with rice. Purchase a small pot of cooked peas (usually come out softer than if you cook at home) and check a few over rice. The contrast of orange and green colors on white catch your attention and also entertain much picking beans rice, carrot crumbs and small peas, watching them, taking them into his mouth ... and savoring.

Chicken strips with mashed potato

Ingredients

1 chicken fillet, 1 potato, olive oil

How it is done

Cooking a steak grilled chicken, so that it is well done but not too hard. Cut into very thin spaghetti-like strips. Prepare a puree of potato cooked medium potato, squirts olive oil and crush it. Put a spoonful of puree and chicken strips on the plate. He amused catch them, dip them in the mash and eat them.

baked potato with olive oil

Ingredients

1 potato, olive oil

How it is done

Something very simple, but the kids really like. Pela medium potato and cuécela until very soft (check by sticking it with a fork). Put on your plate, flatten well with the fork and check above a drizzle of olive oil. You will love eating with your hands.

Fish cakes

Ingredients

Potato, whitefish, egg, bread crumbs, flour and olive oil

How it is done

Prepares a thick mashed potato, mix with cooked white fish (eye, boneless) and crushes everything until a smooth paste. Make a long and once cold croquette, pártela into pieces for the child and the lame bite.

Couscous with ham

Ingredients

Beef, beans grits, ham

How it is done

Make a broth with lean beef (fat) and bake it a little semolina, without putting salt. Drain well and mix semolina with very shredded ham. Place the mixture on your plate and take a drizzle of olive oil. You will notice semolina grains, make small balls to catch them with their fingers, savor ...

canapes green and yellow

Ingredients

Bread without crust, green beans, spinach, bechamel, eggs

How it is done

Tuesta some two slices of bread without crust and make small squares. Besides, prepares a thick puree of green beans, spinach and bechamel. With a pastry bag, place churritos on the part of cubed bread. On the other hand, if it takes the whole egg, make an omelette, cut into small pieces and place them on the rest of the square. Served on the plate a combination of green and yellow canapes.

Carrots with yogurt

Ingredients

1 carrot, 1 plain yogurt

How it is done

Pela well a small carrot, cuécela until very tender and rállala with a grater. Mix it with plain yogurt, without putting sugar. Sure your baby likes to look for hidden carrot strips in yogurt to take them to the mouth. And it will be a great snack!

Pear with soft cheese

Ingredients

1 pear, ricotta cheese, brie or fresh

How it is done

A small pear cooked until tender. Cut into small squares and placed on top of each a bit of ricotta cheese. This type of cheese is very tender, almost melts when touched, and mix well with the pear. You can also replace it with fresh cheese. This is a dish that can serve as a snack or dessert.

Mushrooms and tomato egg

Ingredients

Three quail eggs and 3 cherry tomatoes

How it is done

Three eggs cooked quail and pártelos half. Cut into slices three red cherry tomatoes and put a slice over each egg half. Place them as a mushroom-shaped skewer. It will call a lot of attention and will not resist the temptation to touch the halves and eat them.

Volcano apple and chocolate

Ingredients

1 apple, chocolate vermicelli

How it is done

Coring a small apple and ASALA well in the oven. Then fill the hole with a tablespoon of grated chocolate or chocolate vermicelli. Leave it in the oven for a few seconds, until chocolate is melted and overflow the gap. Make sure you do not burn, cut it in half and give it to the child to go biting pieces dipped in chocolate with your fingers or with a spoon.

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Proper Nutrition During Childhood

Proper childhood, food makes over time our children have a better quality of life and wellbeing.

It is proven by pediatricians and specialists that children who eat well are more likely to get good grades and better school performance.

Proper nutrition for children is essential at all stages of life but there is no doubt that children are particularly important. According to Psychology Center for Emotional Well, children who maintain a balanced diet from the start, are more likely to be good students in the future.

The correct and complete feed growing children, is an important thing, especially if you consider that 40% of Spanish children have problems when eating. Although in some cases they are due to health problems, most of the time is, according to the specialist, a way for the child to get attention.

To combat this problem, and take a daily proper nutrition in children psychologist advised not to extend too much food, but put the plate on the table, wait 20 to 40 minutes and, once past this time, other activity, regardless whether you have eaten or not.

It is not advisable to distract the child through games, songs, TV shows, etc, to eat, because, in this way, obesity promotes in the future, by not allowing the child to learn to detect the feeling of satiety .

Eating healthy is important in children is not advisable at meals add nutritional supplements or stimulants, to keep the memory in good shape and prevent cognitive decline, the best strategy is to follow a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables , cereals, preferably whole, and healthy fats. This is the conclusion that has been reached.

With healthy eating you can have a good brain health, experts recommend consuming privates acids Omega 3, found in foods such as oily fish (salmon, tuna ...) and some nuts such as, walnuts.

Moreover we have, when meals are stretched more than desirable. We have a proper diet but our son takes forever to finish every bite, we enter a situation that often is hard to leave. In these cases, it may be useful to change strategy. Meals should not be extended for more than 30 minutes. If this time is exceeded child has not yet finished, the plate will be removed.

It is important to eat healthy children, and uncover the reasons why you do not eat. It is possible, for example, have a habit of snacking (biscuits, juices, yogurt ...), costing you get used to new tastes or want to draw the attention of their parents.

Another advice for healthy eating in children, is that if there is problem with a particular food, can be mixed with others who do you like, at first in small amounts to increase them later as you get used to the taste. Parents should always show a positive attitude to food. No use or as a reward or punishment and to ensure that there is a good atmosphere for lunch.

These are undoubtedly the best advice we can give Food for babies, children and adolescents. Never forget, food is the foundation for good child development and better school performance.

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