At what age can a child be given pork and what dishes are better to cook? Food products - library - Dr. Komarovsky.

Pork meat belongs to the "forbidden" in the diet of many peoples. Probably in this regard, on the forums for moms, the question is often asked when to include pork in the diet of children. With the exception of mother's milk intensive feeding begins in infants from the age of seven months. At the eighth month, nutritionists recommend introducing meat dishes. It is crushed in the form of mashed potatoes and is always given along with the mastered vegetable puree.

Introduction of pork into the diet

Meat is an important "generator" minerals: potassium, iron, phosphorus, animal protein. Most parents start feeding their babies with tender and nutritious turkey meat. Each "type" of meat is required to be tasted separately and start with half a teaspoon of mashed potatoes. After all, this food can cause allergies. Over time, nutrition is enriched with lean veal, beef, pork, not fatty, but lean. Chicken, rabbit, tongue can provide a variety of meat diet. The traditions and characteristics of individual peoples allow you to add venison and horse meat to your diet.

Some parents are wary of pork, preferring beef and chicken. But even the inclusion of chicken and veal in the exercise of caution. Toddler with intolerance cow's milk should not eat veal. In some cases, chicken meat provokes an allergic reaction. Then it is recommended to include pork in the meat diet from the age of eight months.

What's the use?

Pork contains a lot of histamines that can cause allergies. True for fatty meats. But, if the parents have a suspicion, then it is necessary to postpone the addition of pork for a while. A small volume of tender piglet meat is gradually included from 10 months.

Pork should not be completely abandoned; unreasonable vegetarianism of the baby will lead to developmental disorders. Serious cases due to the rejection of meat products are underdevelopment of the brain and the danger of progressive dementia. There is an unfounded opinion that the baby gets what it needs from vegetables, seeds, soybeans, nuts and cereals, and meat does not interfere with neglect. But the named one is a more affordable and cheaper substitute.

By the age of eight months gastrointestinal tract fully prepared for the digestion of meat food, which is facilitated by a preparatory period of 1.5 months of feeding with other dishes.

Children who have reduced level hemoglobin, signs of rickets, pork should be administered ahead of schedule. In accordance with medical indications, it is recommended to enter it from 6 months. Infants transferred to artificial feeding can also make up for the lack useful substances if pork is introduced into their diet gradually.

Thus, starting from the age of 8 months, and in the presence of special indications (possibly even earlier), up to 2-3 years, pork in all its varieties and in reasonable quantities is added to the baby's menu.

Meat is an invariable product in almost every family, the only exceptions are vegetarians. Also, in some countries, pork is often banned according to religious canons.

Children are advised to give lean pork, because it contains many beneficial proteins which ensure the full growth of babies. Vitamins from group B have a beneficial effect on nervous system child, immunity and many processes occurring in the body.

Pork contains minerals such as potassium, copper, calcium and magnesium. This has a positive effect on the work of the heart, blood formation, bones and intelligence. Iron and iodine are useful during times of stress, they also stimulate regeneration.


Even lean meat contains fats with oleic and linoleic acids. They are included in cell membranes ensure the normal functioning of the organism. Thanks to pork meat, muscles grow well, which is especially useful when physical activity during sports visits.

If the baby does not tolerate milk (respectively, beef), is allergic to chicken meat, pork can be added to the diet by preparing a variety of dishes.

The first complementary foods from any products must be introduced very carefully, since an allergic reaction may also occur on meat. It is recommended to give up fatty pork, so the meat should be lean.

This means that it is better not to feed small children with kebabs, and also not to cook too fatty dishes with lean pork. If these conditions are not met, the work digestive tract will be broken, various ailments can develop.

If you compare it with beef, then pork contains more B vitamins. Unlike chicken and turkey meat, pork tenderloin can be found more protein.

Since such meat has a lot connective tissue, cooked pieces are well chewed, and the stewing process is easier and faster. Considering that there are fatty layers in pork, it remains soft and juicy in any dish.

Indications for feeding meat

Usually, by the age of 8 months, the child already receives complementary foods from vegetables and some fruits. Thus, the stomach and intestines are ready to digest meat, albeit completely new for a small organism.

If the baby suffers from low hemoglobin, he has signs of rickets, pork meat dishes can be given earlier than the due age. Some doctors welcome to start meat complementary foods even from the age of six months.

This is especially true for the little ones that are on artificial feeding because they don't get everyone essential vitamins and minerals that are in breast milk. This situation can be corrected by introducing pork into the diet.

If there special indications, pork meat is introduced as early as possible, but in reasonable quantities and in different dishes.

Every nutritionist will tell you that this can be done when the baby is 8 months old. Of course, it must be thoroughly chopped, and then added to mashed potatoes or vegetables. To begin with, it is worth giving the baby only half a teaspoon of meat.

Many parents believe that it is necessary to start feeding a child with meat by preparing poultry or rabbit dishes. But if they cause allergies, you can safely use pork, only lean.

First you need to mash the meat. When the mother sees backlash the child did not follow, you can start the gradual preparation of various dishes, where pork is only one of the ingredients.

Children under one and a half years old need food that is easy to chew. This includes meat soufflé or pudding. If you cook them with a slow cooker, the meat will be very tender.

For older children, soups with meatballs or small pieces of pork are suitable, you can also steam meatballs. They are allowed to serve some sauces and gravies. Meat pies, casseroles and rolls are best given after 3 years.

It will take one onion and carrots, which need to be chopped and stewed for several minutes in the broth. Next, you need to chop the cabbage and mix with 400 grams of low-fat minced pork.

A small amount of rice, 2 eggs, salt and stewed carrots with onions are added to this mixture. The mass should stand in the refrigerator for about one hour.

After this time, you can form cutlets, put them on a roasting pan, and pour them with a liquid of tomatoes, sour cream and water. In the oven, the cutlets are stewed for about an hour.

Each type of meat has its advantages and disadvantages, so before introducing it into the baby's diet, you need to make sure that there are no allergies to meat products and problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Adults themselves have the right to decide whether they eat meat or not. Parents do it for the children. And even vegetarians should understand that this is very valuable and required product for every child.

Why kids need meat

Unreasonable refusal of meat products when feeding a baby can cause a developmental disorder. Meat contains substances that have a beneficial effect on the baby's brain, contribute to its growth. There are even cases when, when children refused meat dishes, there was a serious underdevelopment of the brain and even progressive dementia. Therefore, to think that everything that a growing body needs can be taken only from vegetables, cereals, while neglecting meat, is a big mistake.

Is pork bad for crumbs?

It is customary to give meat from a very young age. They start doing this at 7-8 months of age. low-fat varieties- beef, poultry, rabbit meat. But what about the beloved pork meat? It is not only very tasty, but also one of the main sources of complete proteins, as well as vitamins B12, D, phosphorus, iron, potassium, calcium, sulfur, iodine, magnesium, manganese. But at the same time, some caring parents It is believed that because pork is high in histamines, it can cause allergies in babies. They are partly right, but these concerns are justified only for fatty varieties.
So can children have pork? Isn't it harmful to child's body this kind of meat? Or is such a product, on the contrary, necessary for the child's body to grow?
Doctors unequivocally believe that refusing this type of meat in baby food not worth it. At what age can a child be given pork?

At what age should babies start giving meat?

According to doctors, by eight months, the baby's body is completely ready to digest properly prepared meat products. Therefore, at this age, nutritionists not only allow, but also strongly recommend chopped mashed meat to children in combination with vegetables, to which the kids are already accustomed. After all, the parents managed to prepare children's stomach complementary foods (new dishes must be introduced into the baby's diet from six months).

The question of at what age a child can be given pork, for children who have signs of rickets or low hemoglobin, is decided somewhat differently - they need to be given this type of meat even earlier! There are a number medical indications, in which it is recommended to start meat complementary foods from the age of six months.

You need to start introducing the child to meat with one teaspoon of mashed potatoes prepared from it.

And then give regularly, leading up to one year of age daily allowance meat products, including pork, up to 100 grams.

If the baby has an allergy to the protein contained in the meat, they should be temporarily stopped feeding. And at what age can a child be given pork again? It is recommended to try next time no earlier than ten months.

Grind or not grind?

The first meat dish for a child, as a rule, is mashed potatoes. You need to do it like this: steam a small piece of lean pork, and then chop it with a blender. You can use an ordinary meat grinder for this. To make the resulting puree more tender, you need to add a small piece of butter to it.

You need to carefully grind the meat for the crumbs only at the beginning, because over time you need to start learning to chew. At what age can a child be given pork that is not twisted in a meat grinder and not passed through a blender?
In the form of mashed potatoes mixed with chopped vegetables, meat should be given up to 9 months. But only the baby will erupt teeth in enough, he will be able to cope with soft tender meat, cut into small slices. This usually happens when the baby is one year old. That's when a child can give pork in pieces.

How to cook pork for a baby?

And here's one made from fresh meat minced meat can be frozen for future use.

Meat products for children must pass heat treatment. This is important both for safety and for better assimilation. But with strong heating, the structure and properties of meat change significantly. In order for the elements necessary for the child's body to be preserved in the dishes as well as possible, the product must be prepared correctly.

It is necessary, for example, to take into account that when meat is cooked, a significant part of the protein passes into the broth - up to 50 percent! To save it, put this product in boiling water and cook over low heat. And it is best to cook pork for a couple. So it also retains vitamins and minerals.

Salting meat that is being prepared for a baby is not recommended. By at least up to a year. When the baby grows up, meat dishes for him can be slightly salted, but it is better not to do this. If you really want the meat to become tastier, you can add onions during cooking. After he gives the pork a special characteristic aroma, the vegetable can be thrown away. Shredded fresh herbs will also give appetizing.

Menu for the crumbs

Child's attitude towards food taste preferences laid in the early age. And parents should take care of a properly formed taste from the first months of a baby's life. Many mothers are concerned about the question of what to cook pork for a child at such a tender age. After all, I really want the menu for the little man to be tasty and varied!

After the first puree, the meat menu can be diversified with meatballs and cutlets prepared according to special children's recipes.

After all, it is on them that kids work out their chewing skills.

First cutlets

Pork cutlets are usually given to children at the age of one to one and a half years, when the baby already has teeth. Before cooking, the meat is washed, dried with a napkin, cut into small pieces and scrolled twice through a meat grinder. The crumb of bread (from premium flour) without a crust is soaked in milk and added to minced meat. Its quantity should not be more than a quarter of the cutlet mass. Add eggs, some salt and spices.

They give the minced meat a standard shape and put it to steam or stew in the sauce. for children from 2 years old, you can already lightly fry, but after that you still need to put them out.

Appetizing meat balls

What else can be cooked for a child from pork? With great pleasure, children also eat meatballs. Small, walnut-sized meat balls cooked in broth are liked by kids not only for their taste, but also for their beautiful shape, and also for their size - they easily fit in a child's mouth. For their preparation in chopped meat it is necessary to add twisted in a meat grinder or finely chopped onion and spices.

Children's meatballs are also made from minced meat rolled into small balls. Their difference from meatballs is that rice is included in the composition. Thanks to this combination, proteins are better absorbed by children.

For children under 2 years old there is special recipe meatballs. About 100 grams of minced pork should be scrolled with 2 tablespoons of a vegetable mixture of carrots, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and zucchini (you can use a blender), add a quarter of an egg, a teaspoon of flour, a little salt.

Stir the mixture and form small balls. After putting the meatballs in a pan, pour one third of them with water, simmer for 10 minutes. After adding the sauce, simmer until tender under the lid. In this form, a child (1.5 years old) will certainly like pork, it can be given safely.

How about lard?

So, do not deny yourself the pleasure of feeding the crumbs with pork. If he is healthy and there is no allergy, the first time you can offer the baby meat puree as early as 8 months of age. And in a year and a half children's menu meatballs, meatballs and meatballs are added. You can also give soft and tender meat to a child without chopping. It is not a sin for the baby to suck on a piece of high-quality homemade lard.

Meat in complementary foods for babies begins to be given from eight months. The first meat dishes for the crumbs are mashed or chopped boiled chicken, turkey and rabbit meat. Pork is fatter and harder to digest. Therefore, enter given type meat for a child in complementary foods too early is not recommended. In the article we will consider at what age you can give pork to children. And we will learn several recipes for delicious and healthy children's dishes from this type of meat.

Specificity and useful properties of pork

Pork is well digestible, has a pleasant taste and aroma. It includes a large amount of B vitamins and contains more protein than chicken, beef or turkey. At the same time, stewed or boiled pork is faster to cook and easier to chew than cow meat. And when roasting, the meat turns out to be especially juicy due to fatty layers.

Pork performs the following beneficial features:

  • Saturates the body with protein important vitamins and elements, which provides proper development and full growth of the child;
  • Strengthens bones and muscles, positively affects the condition of nails, skin and hair;
  • Gives strength and energy, helps fight against bad mood and with stress
  • Strengthens immunity. Restores the body after diseases and operations;
  • It has a positive effect on intellectual development, stimulates memory, attentiveness and brain function, increases efficiency;
  • Improves the functioning of the heart and maintains normal hematopoiesis, is indicated for anemia;
  • Restores cells and accelerates the healing of the skin;
  • Useful for children who experience serious physical exertion;
  • Low-fat, low-calorie pork improves metabolism and controls weight, helps to get rid of extra pounds;
  • Improves lactation in a nursing mother and normalizes hormonal background women after childbirth;
  • Increases hemoglobin, helps with migraines, headaches and dizziness.

Note that pork is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than beef or chicken. It will help to diversify the diet with food allergies to cow protein and chicken meat. Pork is useful in the diet for breastfeeding. It has a beneficial effect on milk production, helps the body recover faster after pregnancy and childbirth. For more information on when to introduce pork into the diet of a nursing mother, see.

Pork harm

First of all, we note that pork is quite fatty meat. In addition, it contains a thick layer subcutaneous fat with high level lipids and cholesterol. Such meat is difficult and long digested in the still fragile digestion of the baby, which can cause indigestion, discomfort, constipation, or, conversely, diarrhea.

Pork includes a large amount of growth hormone, so when such a product is abused, various inflammatory processes and tumors. Meat adversely affects the liver and kidneys. It is especially dangerous for a newborn, who may have a departure, severe colic and flatulence. Therefore, a nursing mother is not recommended to eat pork in the first 1-2 months of lactation.

The composition of meat contains histamine, the excess of which causes skin diseases and dermatological problems, disorders in the functioning of the gallbladder and allergic reactions. lung tissue pigs, which are included in the recipe of sausages, sausages and sausages, are a good breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.

Pork should not be eaten with kidney pathologies, digestive diseases and low acidity stomach, with individual intolerance (allergy).

The abuse of pork meat leads to an increase in cholesterol levels and the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, to obesity and atherosclerosis, to disorders in the functioning of the kidneys and liver.

Especially dangerous is poor-quality pork meat, which causes severe intoxication or infection in the body. Therefore, it is important to choose a quality and fresh product. In addition, it is not recommended to cook fried foods, which are difficult and long to digest, and also adversely affect digestion. Next, we will learn more about when you can give your child pork.

When can you give your baby pork?

Many pediatricians do not recommend giving pork to a child under one year of age. But you can introduce the kids to the product as early as 9-10 months. It is important that the diet of the crumbs already includes poultry and some other types of meat, including rabbit, chicken and turkey.

For the first test, boil a piece of lean pork for twenty minutes and then grind to a puree consistency. It is advisable to prepare dishes for children under one year old without salt and pepper. Any spices are prohibited. For the first time, give the baby a teaspoon of mashed meat and watch the child's reaction.

If the baby has a food allergy to pork, exclude the product from the diet and consult a doctor. If the baby reacts normally to food, you can cook and give pork dishes to children once or twice a week. First, it should be chopped food in boiled or stewed form. Suitable meals for toddlers will be meat purees, puddings and soufflés.

In a year, you can cook soups with small meatballs and goulash for your baby, after 1.5-2 years, give children zrazy and meatballs, cutlets. Fried and fatty, pork soup in meat broth, do not give to children under two or three years old! And now we offer recipes that will tell you what and how to cook pork for a child.

Pork recipes for kids

meat pudding

  • Pork - 100 grams;
  • Milk - 1/2 cup;
  • White bread - 50 grams;
  • Yolk chicken egg- 1 piece;
  • Egg white - 1 piece.

Great recipe for 11-12 month olds. To prepare, boil the meat and grind in a meat grinder or blender. Bread is soaked in milk and added to the meat mass together with the yolk. Lightly salt and mix thoroughly. The mixture is semi-liquid. The protein is whipped and added to the mass, mixed and laid out in a mold. The pudding is baked until tender at 180 degrees.

Lazy cabbage rolls in the oven

  • Carrots - 1 piece;
  • Bulb - 1 piece;
  • White cabbage - 400 grams;
  • Minced pork - 400 grams;
  • Rice - 50 grams;
  • Tomatoes - 1 piece;
  • Sour cream - 100 grams;
  • Chicken egg - 2 pieces.

Chop the onion and grate the carrot. To make the minced meat soft and tender, cabbage can also be passed through a meat grinder along with the meat. Or finely chop the latter. Stew carrots and onions for five minutes in a small amount of water. Mix the ingredients, add rice and break the eggs, lightly salt.

Leave the mass for an hour in the refrigerator, then make small cutlets and put on a baking sheet. Peel the tomato and twist it in a meat grinder, mix with sour cream and add a glass of warm boiled water. Pour the stuffed cabbage with the resulting sauce and bake at 180-200 degrees for forty minutes.

Meatballs with cheese

  • Pork and beef - 300 grams each;
  • Bulb - 1 piece;
  • Cream 20% - two tablespoons;
  • Hard cheese - 80 grams;
  • Pepper and salt to taste.

Pass beef and pork through a meat grinder and mix. Peel and chop the onion, mix with minced meat, add salt and pepper. Discard the resulting mass. Coarsely grate the cheese and add to the minced meat. Stir the mixture until smooth. From the mass form the same balls. Pour two tablespoons of cream into a baking dish and place the meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees. Meatballs go well with porridge or vegetable puree.

Zrazy for a couple

  • Pork - 400 grams;
  • Carrots - 1 piece;
  • White bread - 1 slice;
  • Milk - 1/2 cup;
  • Bulb - 1 piece;
  • Chicken egg - 3 pieces.

Twist the pork into minced meat, add the egg and a little salt. Soak the bread in milk, then add to the mixture. Put the chopped onion in there. Boil the carrots and the two remaining eggs separately, chop and mix into the filling. From minced meat, form cakes, where lay out the carrot-egg filling and connect the edges.

Cook zrazy in a double boiler or in a water bath for forty minutes. Serve with vegetables topped with sour cream. You can find even more recipes for children 1.5-2 years old at the link /.

Recipes with pork for children over three years old

Pork stew with vegetables

  • Pork - 400 grams;
  • Zucchini - 1 piece;
  • Carrots - 1 piece;
  • Potatoes - 3 pieces;
  • White cabbage - 200 grams;
  • Tomatoes - 200 grams;
  • Pepper and salt to taste.

Pour water into a frying pan with thick and high walls. Cut meat into small pieces and add to hot water. Prepare vegetables, cut potatoes and carrots, put to pork. Shred the cabbage and add to the pan as well. Cover and simmer for seven minutes. Cut the zucchini, peel the tomatoes and chop. Put the remaining vegetables in the pan, salt and pepper, mix and simmer for another forty minutes.

meat loaf

  • Lean pork - 0.5 kg;
  • Bulb - 1 piece;
  • Carrots - 1 piece;
  • Chicken egg - 1 piece;
  • Black bread - 2 slices;
  • Hard cheese - 100 grams;
  • Breadcrumbs for breading - 1 table. the spoon;
  • Parsley and dill - one bunch each;
  • Pepper and salt to taste.

Remove the crust from the bread and soak in water or milk. Peel the vegetables and cut into large pieces. Coarsely chop the greens. Meat and soaked bread, onions and carrots, greens are passed together through a meat grinder. Break the egg into the minced meat, salt and pepper the mixture, mix.

Grease a baking sheet olive oil and tightly lay out the resulting mass. Level the surface and bake for forty minutes at 200 degrees. Coarsely grate the cheese and sprinkle the dish on top, then bake for another ten minutes. Remove the finished bread and cover with a towel until completely dry.

Cut the finished bread with cheese crust into slices. This dish can be used as a hearty casserole if you add greens and vegetables. In addition, it is great to make sandwiches for a child for breakfast.

baked pork

  • Pork - 200 grams;
  • Carrots - 1 large piece;
  • Salt to taste.

Rinse and clean the piece of meat, remove the tendons and excess fat. Cut carrots into strips. Make slits in the meat and fill with carrots. Sprinkle a piece of salt on top and wrap tightly, put in foil or use a baking bag. The dish is cooked for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 degrees. Ready meat goes well with fresh vegetables or vegetable puree.

Meat cutlets with cottage cheese

  • Pork - 200 grams;
  • Beef - 300 grams;
  • Onion - 1 piece;
  • Chicken egg - 2 pieces;
  • Semolina - 4 tablespoons;
  • Cottage cheese - 150 grams;
  • Pepper and salt to taste.

Scroll both types of meat in a meat grinder and mix. Mix cottage cheese and one egg in a separate container, salt and pepper. Mix minced meat with curd mass, finely chop the onion and also add to the mixture. Mix the components until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Blind cutlets of the desired shape, roll in semolina and the second egg. Fry the blanks until cooked on both sides.

Pork goulash for children

  • Pork - 0.5 kg;
  • Flour - 1 tablespoon;
  • Sour cream - 1 table. the spoon;
  • Carrots - 1 piece;
  • Bulb - 1 piece;
  • Tomato paste - 1 tsp. the spoon;
  • Salt to taste.

Cut the meat into small pieces, chop the onion and rub the carrots. Put the components in a pan, add a little boiling water and vegetable oil. Simmer for about an hour until tender, adding water occasionally. Ten minutes before readiness, salt, you can add Bay leaf or a couple of peas of allspice.

Mix separately tomato paste, sour cream and flour. Mix the ingredients until smooth and, mixing the meat with vegetables, pour in the prepared mixture. Stew for five to ten minutes, and pork goulash for children. Chicken or turkey can be used instead of pork.


* Milk *

410. Milk after a year.

Milk contains almost all the nutrients needed
human body: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts and almost all vitamins. Children receiving good nutrition, provided with all these substances (except calcium) and without milk. Milk is the only food that contains a lot of calcium, so it is advisable that the child drink up to 1 liter of milk per day (in any form).
But remember that many children drink varying amounts of milk per day. different days. Therefore, the most the right way keep the child's love for milk - never persuade him to drink more than he wants. If after a few weeks the child has not returned to his previous norm (750 g), consider in what other form you can give him more milk.

411. Instead of plain milk.

A lot of milk for cooking require porridge. Milk is an ingredient in a variety of puddings, from curd to rice pudding. In milk, instead of water, you can make vegetable and chicken soups. You can cook pasta with milk mashed potatoes and many other dishes.
Better not add to milk various substances to change its smell and taste. But if necessary, you can add cocoa or hot chocolate to milk, you can drink it cold with the addition of some syrup. Usually chocolate causes diathesis and stomach disorders in young children, so it is not given until 2 years of age. Vanillin can also be added to milk. But do not make milk too sweet, so as not to interrupt the child's appetite.
Unfortunately, any novelty quickly becomes boring, so flavored milk can also quickly become boring to a child, especially if the mother persuades him to drink a little more on the first day when he drinks less than one glass. I would like to repeat once again that when parents say to a child: "Drink some more chocolate milk" (or something else), then the child loses the desire to drink this milk.
Cheese is very useful milk product. 30 g of hard cheese contains as much calcium as 230 g of milk. You need 3 times more processed cheese than hard cheese to get the amount of calcium in a glass of milk. There is little calcium in cottage cheese. In terms of calcium content, 1 glass of milk is equivalent to 300 g of cottage cheese.
Since cottage cheese is low in fat, it is very easy to digest and can be eaten a lot. Cottage cheese is eaten salted or mixed with grated cheese or boiled vegetables. Due to the high fat content, cheese should be given little by little. It can be eaten simply in slices or in the form of sandwiches; many dishes are sprinkled with grated cheese if the child refuses milk in all its forms. If he is allergic to milk, he must receive calcium in some other form, as prescribed by the doctor.
Butter or margarine should be introduced after a year and very gradually, adding it to vegetables and spreading it on bread. Cream should also be given little by little, pouring it over porridge, puddings or fruit for a child with good appetite. Digestive system The body takes time to adjust to increased fat intake.

* Meat, fish, eggs *

412. Meat.

413. Fish.

Fish (white, lean) can be gradually started to give for about a year. It is baked, boiled or fried. Crumble the fish with your fingers and remove any bones before giving it to a child. More fatty varieties fish are introduced into the menu gradually after a year. Some kids love fish, but most don't like it and there's no point in insisting.

414. Eggs.

It is a very valuable product in any form: hard-boiled or in a bag, in the form of scrambled eggs or used for cooking. various dishes and drinks. It is advisable that the child eats one egg a day. If he likes eggs, sometimes 2 eggs a day is fine.
If the child does not like meat or fish, or if you cannot get them, then his protein requirement will be met by 3/4-1 liter of milk and 2 eggs per day plus vegetable proteins contained in cereals and vegetables.
If the child does not like eggs or they cause allergies, then regular use meat is all the more necessary.

*Vegetables*

415. Different types vegetables.

During the first year of life, the child probably tried most from the vegetables listed below: spinach, peas, onions, carrots, asparagus, zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes, celery, potatoes.
Up to a year, the child should move from mashed food to mashed with a fork and in the form of pieces. (Of course, some vegetables can also be given in pureed form.) The peas must be crushed so that the child does not swallow the peas whole. If you gave your child only easily digestible vegetables up to a year, then after a year try less popular and more difficult to digest vegetables: cabbage (including cauliflower), turnips, parsnips. Their sharp taste can be softened by boiling them in two waters. Some children like these vegetables and digest them well, other children refuse to even try them. Corn grains are given only after 2 years. Very young children swallow corn without chewing, and it comes out undigested in the feces. Give your child only soft corn. Cut the kernels not too close to the base so that the grain opens, at 3-4 years old you can give corn directly on the cob, but cut in the middle of each row of grains so that they open.
Easily digestible raw vegetables begin to be produced between a year and two, if the child has good digestion. The best of them: peeled tomatoes, lettuce, grated carrots, finely chopped celery. These vegetables should be well cleaned. Give them little by little at first and see how the child digests them. You can season raw vegetables with orange or sweetened lemon juice.
At the same time, if the child has good digestion, you can start giving vegetable juices. Raw vegetables and juices from them are much healthier than boiled vegetables, in which some of the vitamins and mineral salts breaks down during cooking and dissolves in water.
If a child temporarily stopped loving just boiled vegetables, think about vegetable soups: pea, tomato, onion, spinach, beetroot, corn and mixed vegetable soups.

416. Vegetables can be replaced by fruits.

Suppose a child refuses vegetables in any form for several weeks. Vegetables are a very valuable product as a source of vitamins, mineral salts and fiber. But various fruits contain most of the vitamins and mineral salts and the same amount of fiber. If a child takes vitamins in concentrates, drinks milk and eats meat and eggs, he receives those salts and vitamins that are scarce in fruits. In other words, if your child doesn't eat vegetables but loves fruits, he has nothing to lose. Give him fruits 2-3 times a day and forget vegetables for a few weeks or even months. If you do not insist, then most likely the child will again fall in love with vegetables after a while.

* Fruits *

417. In what form should they be given.

During the first year of life, the child apparently tasted the following fruits, boiled or canned: pureed apples, apricots, prunes, pears, peaches, pineapples and raw ripe bananas, apples, pears. One year old baby some of these fruits can be given not pureed, but in pieces. Canned fruits that adults eat are not as healthy for children because of the too sweet syrup. If you give children canned compotes, then at least drain the sweet syrup.
Raw fruits such as oranges, peaches, apricots, plums, seedless grapes are given between a year and two if the child has good digestion. Raw fruits must be very ripe. Cut off the skin for a child under 4 years of age. If you leave it, then you need to thoroughly wash the fruit to remove the chemicals that were sprayed on the fruit trees.
Usually raw berries are not given until 2 years. Strawberries often cause rashes. Until the child learns to chew well, mash the berries so that he does not swallow them whole. Remove pits from cherries until he learns to do it himself by spitting them out. Whenever you start giving berries, do it gradually and stop if your child develops diarrhea.
Melons and watermelons should be given cautiously at 2 years, in small portions, mashed.
Dry fruits - prunes, apricots, figs, dates - can be given unboiled from 2 years. Dry fruits should be washed very thoroughly and given sliced ​​as a fruit salad or whole.

* Porridge and dinner *

418. Kashi.

Your one-year-old child probably already eats various cereals made from children's convenience foods or boiled: oatmeal, wheat and others that the whole family eats. Feed your baby cereal for as long as he likes it, once or twice a day. Remember that children love either solid food or nearly liquid. They usually do not like a viscous consistency. Therefore, make porridge liquid.
If your child is tired of one porridge, offer him another one that he did not like before. You can occasionally give boiled unpolished rice, hominy, semolina. Often children prefer dry cereals (buckwheat, millet, etc.), because they are eaten by adults and older children. Wheat and oatmeal- the most useful, because they are rich in vitamins and mineral salts (cereals from corn and rice are less valuable).

419. Bread and cereals.

If the child is tired of porridge for breakfast, you can give him toasted bread, a flour bun coarse grinding, rye or oat flour. Bread is the same porridge, only in a baked form, and is just as useful. The fact that the bread is cold, and not hot, like porridge, does not matter and does not reduce either its nutritional value or digestibility. Smear the bread thin layer butter or margarine (after a year). You can spread a layer of pureed fruit or a little jam on the bread if your child likes it that way.

420. Dinner.

Often mothers complain: "He is tired of porridge and I just don't know what to feed him for dinner." If you are going to give your child several meals for dinner, then you need to remember a simple rule so as not to feed him two hearty meals for one dinner and two light ones for the next. Here is the rule: 1) fruits or vegetables; 2) a hearty high-calorie meal.
A hearty dish can be porridge, which the child will like much more if you add to it slices of raw or boiled fruit, or finely chopped dry fruit, or honey.
An older child can be given sandwiches instead of porridge. It is still difficult for a one-year-old child to eat a sandwich, besides, he will still divide it into parts. But closer to 2 years, he will do well with a sandwich. For sandwiches, use rye bread or wholemeal bread. Spread it with a thin layer of butter, cottage cheese or melted cheese. You can add a little jam, honey or sugar if the child does not eat sandwiches without sweets. But I would not recommend to get involved in sweets. Sandwiches can be made with a wide variety of products: with raw vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, grated carrots or cabbage), with boiled or chopped dry fruits, eggs, herring, chopped poultry or meat, with cheese (grated or melted, and later a slice). For children over 3 years old, a little mayonnaise can be put on a sandwich.
As a hearty meal for dinner, you can give broth or soup with rice, pearl barley or pasta, in which you can throw a little toast.
In addition to the egg received for breakfast, or instead of it, you can give an egg (in any form) for dinner. Place the egg on the bread, or crumble the bread into a soft-boiled egg.
You can give a simple cookie, spread it with something, or crumble it into a cup in warm or cold milk. You can crumble bread or toast into cold or hot milk.
Potatoes are a very satisfying dish and are quite suitable for dinner if the child loves them. Sometimes you can give pasta, vermicelli.
Instead of a hearty first meal followed by boiled or raw fruit, boiled vegetables or a vegetable or fruit salad can be given first, followed by milk or cereal pudding, and ice cream for an older child.
Bananas are a wonderful dessert and a very satisfying dish. They can sometimes replace porridge for breakfast. Can be given curd mass or desserts prepared with gelatin (preferably with fruit). But they do not contain enough calories and therefore do not fully satisfy the child's appetite.
There are children who always eat little food containing starch, and it seems that they do not need it. They get enough calories from milk, meat, fruits and vegetables and gain weight normally. From these same foods they get enough B vitamins. So, the last thing you need to worry about is bread, cereals and other high-calorie foods, even if the child goes without them for several weeks.

* Less valuable and unwanted food *

421. Cakes, pies, cookies.

These products are undesirable for children, because they are prepared mainly from high-grade flour, sugar and fat. Since they are very high in calories, the child is quickly satiated, but almost does not receive vitamins, mineral salts, fiber and proteins. This kind of food is called "inferior". It only satisfies the child's appetite, but deprives him of the most important nutrients that he could get from other foods.
Of course, a child can occasionally eat pies and cakes (for example, on his birthday). If you give them regularly, then deprive him of the necessary nutrients. There is no point in making pies at home, if there is no special need for it.
Cream puffs are especially dangerous. Cream is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, especially if the cakes are not stored in the refrigerator. Stale cakes are often the cause of severe poisoning.

422. Sweets.

They are also undesirable, as they quickly satisfy the appetite of the child and are harmful to his teeth. If the child is happy to eat porridge with fruit without sugar, then you do not need to add it. But, if a little sugar or a spoonful of honey, according to your child, makes porridge very tasty, then sweeten it without talking. But don't let him put in too much sugar. Gently and firmly move the sugar bowl away from him. Jelly, jam, canned fruits (except special canned fruits for children) contain too much sugar and therefore should not be fed frequently to the child. If he eats bread and butter only with jam, then spread it quite a bit, just for taste. If the whole family eats canned fruits, you can give them to the child too, but without the syrup. Raisins, prunes and dates, if the child eats them regularly, are harmful to the teeth, because they stick to them for a long time.

423. Sweets, fruit water, ice cream.

This is an inferior food, and usually children eat them precisely between feedings, which is especially harmful for both teeth and appetite. It will not hurt the child if he eats candy or ice cream for dessert after dinner with the whole family. But by all means avoid giving your baby sweets between feeds. And sweets are not recommended to be given regularly even on the third. In order not to accustom your child to sweets, do not keep them at home and do not buy ice cream and fruit water for your child. But baby school age inevitably learns of the existence of such "joys". If the child only wants sweets from time to time, then it is better to give in to his desire so that he feels that he is "just like everyone else." But, if he constantly eats sweets, and especially if he has bad teeth, then parents should only allow sweets on special occasions.

424. Parents themselves often instill in their child a love for sweets.

Children love candy. Their "hungry", growing organisms require additional calories. But an unspoiled child is unlikely to eat a lot of sweets. Some young children do not like candy and sweets at all. In her experiments, Dr. Clara Davis found that if you let your child decide what to eat, then he will eat sweets in reasonable quantities.
I think that often parents unwittingly instill in their child an exaggerated love of sweets. For example, a mother says to a child: "Until you eat spinach, I will not give you ice cream" or "If you eat all the porridge, I will give you candy." When you make a promise but keep the promise (or any reward), it increases desire. The effect is the opposite of what the mother needs. The child eats spinach and porridge, which he hates, and he wants sweets and ice cream even more. As a joke, I would advise to bribe a child in a different way: "I will not give you spinach until you eat ice cream." In all seriousness, I advise you never to stick with one meal until your child has eaten another. Let him think that simple food is as good as sweet food.

425. Corn, rice and flour - less valuable products than wholemeal flour and oatmeal.

Corn and rice are poor in vitamins and valuable proteins(even before processing) compared to oatmeal, rye flour and wheat flour coarse grind. Processing grain deprives it of most of its vitamins, minerals and fiber. Therefore, products such as White bread, pasta, biscuits, rice, hominy, etc., should be given less frequently. Unpolished brown rice is healthier than polished white rice.
You may think that I am exaggerating the dangers of sweet and starchy foods. In many families, children eat approximately as follows: breakfast - porridge (very sweet) and bread with jam; lunch - pasta, white bread and jam; afternoon snack - ice cream and soda water; dinner - corn flakes, pies and pudding. Even if a child eats both meat and vegetables with such a diet, still 2/3 of his menu is "inferior" food.

426. Coffee and tea.

They are not suitable for children, because they fill the place in the stomach that belongs to milk, and in addition, they contain an exciting substance - caffeine. Most kids are quite active without caffeine. You can add a tablespoon of liquid tea or coffee to milk if the child likes to do everything "in an adult way." But it is better and easier not to give these drinks to the child at all.

* Frozen food *

427. Frozen foods are just as healthy for children as fresh and canned foods, if properly prepared.

Freezing affects food in the same way as cooking, that is, it brings it to a state in which it is better absorbed by both humans and bacteria. In other words, cooked and thawed food spoils faster than raw food.
Milk, products prepared with milk, vegetables, poultry, various fillings are easily perishable foods that cannot be kept out of the refrigerator for a long time.

* Meals outside the schedule *

428. Be prudent.

Many young children need a snack between two meals. But between feedings, not all food can be given and not at any time, so as not to interrupt the child's appetite.
Fruit and vegetable juices, fruits are quickly and easily digested and less than all other types of food contribute to tooth decay. Milk stays in the stomach for a much longer time and therefore can kill a baby's appetite. But there are children who cannot eat enough at one time and feel hungry and tired much before the next feeding. It is better for such a child to give milk outside the schedule. Then by the next feeding he will not be too exhausted and his appetite will be better.
Between feedings, do not offer your baby cakes, pies, or sweet biscuits. They have three disadvantages: high in calories, poor in vitamins and other nutrients and harmful to teeth. Even hard crackers and bread stick to the teeth for a while and are therefore not particularly suitable for this purpose.
It is best to give the child a snack in the middle between two feedings or no later than 1.5 hours before the next feeding. But even this rule has exceptions. Some children, having drunk juice between feedings, still become so hungry and angry before the next feeding that, having found a reason for the tantrum, they refuse to eat at all. If you give such a child a glass of juice as soon as he gets home from a walk (even if there are 20 minutes left before dinner), this will improve both his mood and his appetite. So, what and when to give between feedings is dictated by common sense and the needs of your child. Many children do not need to snack at all outside the schedule. In extreme cases, you can change the feeding schedule and continue to stick to it for a long time.
Some mothers complain that the child does not eat well at the table, but asks for food outside the schedule. This problem arose as a result of the fact that the mother persuaded and forced the child to eat in set hours feedings and, on the contrary, refused to feed him between them. Persuasion only deprives the child of appetite. If this continues for several months, then one sight of the dining room is enough to make him sick. But as soon as dinner is over (although the child has eaten very little), his stomach returns to its natural state and requires food, like any healthy empty stomach. The solution to this problem is not to deny the child food at the wrong time, but to try to make the feeding procedure at the set hours so pleasant that he anticipates it with pleasure in advance. Food should be tasty and have an appetizing appearance, so that the child eats it with more pleasure than the one that is offered to him between feedings.

* Breakfasts, lunches, dinners *

429. Sample menu

Breakfast:
1) fruit or fruit juice;
2) porridge;
3) egg;
4) milk.
Lunch (or dinner):
1) meat, fish or poultry (or an additional egg);
2) vegetables (raw or boiled);
3) potatoes;
4) raw fruit (occasionally pudding);
5) milk.
Dinner (or lunch):
1) a hearty meal, for example: porridge or bread or sandwiches or potatoes or soup with crackers, croutons, pasta, vermicelli, etc. or eggs in any form with bread or (but not often) pudding, pasta;
2) vegetables or fruits, raw or cooked;
3) milk.
In addition: vitamins in concentrates - daily; fruits or juices between feedings, if needed; wholemeal bread - with every meal, if you like.