When your baby has reached the age of four months, it is already difficult to call it a baby. He gains weight, grows and now eats about 1/6 of his weight per day - that is, about 1 kilogram of food. Of course, this is mainly mother's milk or artificial mixtures when breastfeeding is not possible. But now is the time to diversify the baby’s diet a little and start to accustom him to new products. What can be given in 4 months to the child?
It is best to consult with your pediatrician about this. He will issue an exact verdict - whether the child is developed enough to introduce complementary foods, or should this be delayed. If the baby is gaining weight well, is characterized by increased appetite, the doctor may advise starting to introduce new dishes even earlier - from about 3.5 months. He will also help with compiling a list of what you can give your child at 4 months.
The first on this list will probably be egg yolk, as it is very nutritious and well absorbed by the body. It should be given to the baby in a boiled and well-crushed form with milk. Feeding should be started a little bit, so that the child simply tastes a new product for him to taste and consistency. There may be difficulties with this. The kid is used to the fact that food is mother’s milk, and not at all an unfamiliar substance. Therefore, a new product should be given at first in the middle of feeding, and then transferred to the beginning - before giving the breast.
Also in the list of products that can be given to a child at 4 months of age, among the first is low-fat cottage cheese. They can be fed already after the child is accustomed to the yolk, it is better to mix them together. To make it easier for the baby to understand the taste of the new product and digest the cottage cheese, it must be well wiped through a sieve or whipped with a blender to a paste state. Do not get carried away by adding salt or sugar - they are harmful to the child, let him first learn the natural taste of the products.
At the same time, it is good to start complementary foods with all kinds of mashed vegetables. What can be given to a child to eat at 4 months from vegetables? Favorites will be carrots, potatoes, broccoli, zucchini. All these vegetables are very beneficial for the child's body. But you should be careful with them. Of course, from the point of view of an adult, it is better to make a mixture of vegetables - it is both tastier and healthier. But baby digestion is a fragile thing, it is easy to upset it with a sudden combination of products. Therefore, do not rush, start with a monovkus - for example, with mashed carrots, boiled or steamed. When you see that the child is accustomed to his taste, he is not allergic to this product, proceed to the next vegetable, but not earlier. And only later, after all the vegetables have been tried, you can gradually make mixed mashed potatoes.
And if there is no opportunity to cook from fresh vegetables, what can be given to a child at 4 months old? A huge number of ready-made mashed potatoes are sold on store shelves. Stop your choice on them. But you should carefully read the labels on the package to buy a product suitable for the baby by age, not containing dyes or a large number of preservatives, as well as with a suitable shelf life.
As you can see, the list of what can be given to a baby at 4 months old is quite large, but nevertheless, the basis of nutrition at this tender age should be breast milk - the most valuable source of nutrients for your child.