6 month old baby food tips

Nutritional Requirements for 6 Months Baby

Here are the essential nutritional components in a 6-month-old baby's diet:

1. Calcium: Calcium in food is essential for the development of baby bones and teeth.
2. Iron Element: Iron helps in the flow of oxygen-rich blood to all the developing organs of the body.
3. Zinc: This component heals cells and helps in growth.
4. Fats: Fats help stimulate energy and mental development in the baby.
5. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy that provides power to the baby for day-to-day activities.
6. Protein: This is a basic function of cells in the development of the baby.
7. Vitamins: Different vitamins contribute differently to the development of the baby and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E and K are essential for the baby.
8. Minerals: Minerals, such as sodium and potassium, affect the development of the baby.

How much food is needed for a 6-month-old baby?

Usually, a 6-month-old baby is still exclusively breastfed or fed formula milk. He can be given solid food once a day for breakfast or lunch. Feed your baby only one type of food or fruit for about 3 days. If her reaction doesn't show any harmful signs or symptoms of any kind of allergy, you can try feeding your baby the same fruits or vegetables and other types of solid foods.

Best foods for a 6-month-old baby

As per the advice of pediatricians, salt and sugar should be avoided for babies up to the age of one year as it puts pressure on their kidneys. Here are the healthy food options for a six-month-old baby:

• Fruit puree: Steam mash or puree a fruit or vegetable when introducing solid foods to your baby for the first time. Some of these fruits may be great for your babies, such as apples, bananas, pears, avocados, chickpeas, and peaches.
• Vegetable puree: Steam-cook several vegetables like sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, sweet pumpkin, French beans, etc., give them long cut pieces or puree, and feed them to the baby.
• Lentil Soup: Offer different types of legumes, especially lentil water to the baby.
• Rice Porridge: Rice is an excellent source of carbohydrates and vitamins for babies. Rice pieces can be cooked in breast milk or formula milk and given as porridge.
• Cereal porridge: Porridge can also be made from a variety of grains, such as wheat, barley, oats, millet, and so on. Dry these grains and grind them together or separately and cook them in the form of porridge and give it to the baby.
• Vegetable Soup: Boil a variety of vegetables and use their water as a soup.
• Yogurt: Although it is advisable not to give cow's milk to the baby till the age of one year, you can give it in the form of puree to the baby without adding sugar to the curd.

Signs of a baby being allergic to a particular food
Diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, constipation or abdominal pain, allergic reactions may occur after ingesting any type of food and this is a matter of concern. Do not feed your baby if symptoms of allergy to any type of food are seen and if these symptoms are highly effective then consult a doctor immediately. If you want, after a few months, after taking medical advice, you can give those foods to the baby.

food table for a 6-month-old baby
You can make a diet plan or chart to give regular solid foods to your baby and follow this chart as much as possible. The chart below can help you plan your 6-month-old baby's regular diet according to his preferences.

Recipes for a 6-month-old baby

Here are some different taste and aroma Indian recipes especially for babies of 6 months, which you can feed to your baby too.

1. Steamed Apples with Cinnamon

Material:

• Apple - 1
• Water
• cinnamon powder

Method:

• Boil the peeled and cut apple pieces in boiling water.
• Apples can also be cooked in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles (optional).
• Take boiled apples and grind them in a blender or mixer. You can also sieve it through a sieve with slightly larger holes.
• To the mashed apples, add a pinch or less of cinnamon powder and mix well.

2. Mango Puree

Material:

• Mango – 1

Method:

• Peel the mango and take out its pulp.
• Make a paste by blending the pulp in a blender or sieving it through a sieve.
• Due to the natural sweetness of the fruit, you can feed it as such.

3. Oats Porridge

material:

• Oats Powder - 1 cup
• Water
• Breast milk or formula milk - as required
• Banana –1/2
  

Method:

• Boil 2 cups of water in a pot.
• Add a cup of oats to the boiling water and keep stirring it slowly, taking care that there are no lumps in it.
• After the oats are cooked well, add 2 tablespoons of milk to it.
• You can add mashed banana to this dish to enhance the taste.

4. Sweet Pumpkin Puree

Material:

Sweet Pumpkin –1/4
Water

Method:

Peel a small pumpkin and cut it into small pieces.
Boil about 2 cups of water, then add the pieces of pumpkin and cover and let it cook well.
Mash the ripe pumpkin and make a thin mixture, due to the natural sweetness of this vegetable, the taste of the dish is sweet. You can feed it to your baby like this.

5. Rice Porridge

Material:

• Rice powder - 1 cup
• Water
• Mother's milk/formula milk – as required

Method:

• Boil about 2 cups of water in a pot.
• Add one cup of rice powder to the boiled water slowly and cook, taking care not to form lumps in the dishes.
• Add 2 tbsp milk to the cooked rice and mix it well.

6. Potato Puree

Material:

• Potato - 2
• Mother's milk/formula milk – as required

Method:

• Choose potatoes that are not soft or cracked.
• Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces.
• Put the cut potatoes in half the cooker water and cook for 1-2 whistles.
• Take out the boiled potatoes in a bowl and mash them with a spoon.
• Add milk to it.
• Delicious potato puree is ready.

7. Gourd Puree

material:

• Lauki - 1/2
• Moong dal - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - a pinch

Method:

• Wash and peel the bottle gourd and cut about half the bottle gourd into small pieces.
• 50 ml in cooker Take water and add pieces of bottle gourd and moong dal to it.
• Cook the mixture on a medium flame till it gives 2 whistles.
• After it cools down, mash or blends it. Then add cumin powder (optional) to it or serve as is.

Useful tips for feeding

Feeding a baby can also be a daunting task for moms-to-be. Here are some tips to make mealtimes smooth and stress-free for your baby.

• Always start by feeding the baby slowly with one or two spoons, if the baby likes the taste of the food, then feed it in large quantities.
• Taste only one new food at a time and try another food only after its reaction.
• 3 Day Wait – Follow the rule and name all-new dishes taken by the baby so that the problem can be solved in case of an allergic reaction.
• Do not feed hard or lumpy food to 6-month-old babies as it sometimes causes vomiting or suffocation.
• Choose a quiet and clean place to feed your baby, such as your kitchen room.
• While feeding the baby, avoid diverting his attention, like taking care that the baby is not watching TV or busy in mobile while feeding.
• Prepare baby food in steel or glass bowls instead of plastic containers.
• Give only home-cooked food to a 6-month-old baby as their digestive system is still immature.

It can be difficult to introduce solid foods to babies and often mothers are confused about which foods are right for their baby. Mostly, babies like to taste food that has a wide variety of flavors, textures, and colors. Giving them delicious food helps in widening their choices of healthy and tasty dishes.