Baby nutrition at 5 months
What foods can you feed a baby at five months to dilute the diet and provide maximum nutrition? We’ll talk about this in the article and tell you about the nuances of introducing complementary foods, as well as a sample menu for the day.
Contents
What can a 5 month old baby eat?
At this age, the basis of nutrition is still breast milk or formula. After all, the child has not acquired a full mouth of teeth and is just learning to swallow, and his small stomach is not ready for adult food. Therefore to food choice must be approached with great caution.
Your doctor may recommend introducing complementary foods if you are underweight or have low hemoglobin. Therefore, the following diet is prescribed:
- fruit purees in small quantities;
- chicken or quail egg yolk;
- dairy-free cereals;
- vegetable puree;
- juice;
- cottage cheese.
In summer, there are no problems with fruits and vegetables, so you can prepare everything yourself. Fruits are grated on a fine grater, and vegetables are boiled and grated.
Cottage cheese is bought specifically for children or you can make it yourself.
If the child gains enough weight and blood tests show good results, then you can hold off on complementary feeding. But, as a rule, many mothers can’t wait to introduce their baby to new food.
Menu for a 5 month old baby
If you decide to introduce complementary foods, then the child’s approximate daily diet should look like this:
First breakfast. Chest mmilk or milk mixture.
Lunch. Dairy-free porridge, cottage cheese or fruit puree. Juice.
Dinner. Milk or mixture. Vegetable puree.
Afternoon snack. 1/2 yolk and juice.
Dinner. Milk or formula.
Fruit puree that is recommended for a 5 month old baby is an apple. A pear is given only if the baby suffers from constipation. This problem mainly occurs with artificial feeding.
Allowed vegetable purees:
- zucchini;
- broccoli;
- cauliflower.
Such a small variety, in our opinion, gives the child a lot of pleasure from food. New tastes and smells make the baby interested in food. The main thing is not to add salt or sugar to anything.
How much should a baby eat at 5 months?
It all depends on the baby’s appetite and the fat content of the milk. That is, the fattier it is, the longer the child remains full. The mixture does not give a long feeling of fullness. Therefore, the baby may ask to eat more often. If we consider the exact numbers, then at least 180-200 g should be eaten per meal. Per day, if the child eats 5-6 times - from 800 to 1,000 g.
Many mothers adhere to feeding on demand - when they wanted, then they ate. In this case, less can be eaten at one time, because... Not much time has passed since the previous feeding.
When feeding on demand, it is important to remember that the interval between feedings should not be less than two hours. If it is less and the child constantly requires food, then you should consult a doctor.
Mom should also be wary of the following situations:
- If the child does not take a pacifier, but often asks for the breast. It turns out that the baby overeats and does not have time to collect milk. Happening frequent regurgitation. The stomach empties and the feeling of hunger reappears. And the mother gives the breast again in order to calm the baby.
- The child hardly cries and sleeps constantly. Perhaps the mother has little milk and the baby simply does not have the strength to cry and ask for food. In this situation, you need to pay attention to the baby’s weight. If the increase is small, then the doctor can prescribe supplementary feeding or complementary foods.
Therefore, after experience of feeding on demand, mothers switch to a feeding schedule by the hour. This way the baby becomes calmer, he knows that he will soon be fed. And it’s easier for mom - you can safely leave the baby with dad or grandma.
