It is not easy for a small child to adapt to a new world. Caring parents should do everything possible so that the baby learns everything new gradually. Breastfeeding oils are no exception. The correct introduction of useful products ensures the comprehensive harmonious development of children.
The importance of oils in a baby's diet
Thanks to the fatty acids contained in the oils, the baby's body is enriched with numerous useful substances. The importance of oils in the diet of infants lies in the fact that they contain:
- Squirrels.
- Fatty acid.
- Vitamins.
- Minerals.
It is important that cholesterol, harmful to adults, plays a very important role in the development of the child. Therefore, it must be consumed in small quantities.
What is the best oil for babies?
Any oil is useful if it is consumed and fed into the diet in accordance with norms and standards. Oil for babies, which one is better cannot be definitely said. Each is a real storehouse of valuable trace elements. It is important that unrefined vegetable oil contains a lot of useful substances that are vital for every developing organism.
Oils include:
- sitosterol.
- Lecithin.
- Vitamins A, E and D.
It is important to know that when heated, many vegetable oils, or rather the vitamin E contained in them, is destroyed. This leads to the formation of carcinogenic products. Therefore, in a heated form, no vegetable oils should be given to babies. Exceptionally fresh oil as an additive to blends and purees.
Sunflower little for babies
It is not easy to determine the real benefits that sunflower seeds bring to babies. Enriched with vitamins E, A and D, it is well perceived by the child's digestive tract and has a positive effect on the skin and intestinal function. Vitamin D contained in the oil is simply invaluable for the normal development of the child and the prevention of rickets.
Sunflower oil for babies is useful in the form of small supplements to the diet in fresh form. It is better not to consume fried foods for babies.
Olive oil for babies
This oil is useful for both adults and children. Olive oil for babies has invaluable benefits due to the large number of useful components. The benefits of oil for the development of the child's body:
- Favorable effect on the cardiovascular system.
- Strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
- Maintaining the active development of all types of tissues.
- Optimum effect on the vision of the baby.
- Promotes regulation of coordination of movements.
- Prevents the development of mental disorders.
Thus, olive oil for babies is a must. Timely management helps to cope with many health problems at an early age and nourishes the tissues with the necessary beneficial substances.
Palm oil for babies
Palm oil for babies is often used in infant formulas. Due to the high degree of purification, the oils are completely natural and can be taken by children. It is not worth consuming palm oil on your own. And as a baby food, it’s more complete really. In addition, it has been proven that the type of emulsion in which it enters the stomach is perfectly absorbed.
Additionally, it should be noted that palm oil for babies is useful for:
- Works of the colon.
- Processing and removal of harmful substances, excess carbohydrates, toxins.
- Removal of excess bile acids.
Thus, palm oil for babies does more good than harm.
Vegetable oil for babies
It is difficult to overestimate the benefits that vegetable oil has for babies. Timely introduction to the diet can prevent the occurrence of many diseases and stabilize development. It is important to maintain a balance and introduce certain oils in a timely manner so that they only help the child's body, and do not cause unjustified harm.
Benefits of vegetable oils for babies
Before introducing oils into the diet of children, you need to know what are the benefits of vegetable oils for the baby. It is significant and is as follows:
- Helps to stabilize the work of the nervous system, prevents the development of excessive excitability.
- Improves memory.
- Stabilizes vision.
- Enriches the body with essential antioxidants.
- Strengthen immunity.
- Protect the stomach from the effects of harmful substances.
- Stabilize the digestive system.
The real benefit of vegetable oils for the baby is clear. It is necessary to determine how to take them correctly and what dosage will bring only benefit, and not harm.
When to introduce complementary foods to infants
Every supplement has its time. Therefore, when to introduce this or that oil into complementary foods for babies, it is necessary to decide based on the recommendations of specialists who are well versed in this matter. In this case, it is necessary to decide on one more nuance. In its pure form, the oil is not introduced and is not given to the child with spoons. It is added to various cereals, mashed potatoes, soups. It all depends on the age of the baby and its tolerance of this or that oil.
Practice shows that when to feed babies with oils and in what volume, it is necessary to determine from age:
- 4-5 months - 1-2 grams of oil.
- 6-7 months - 3 grams.
- 8-10 months - 4 grams.
- 11-12 months 5 grams.
Further on the rise. In this case, you can combine olive, sunflower and corn oils. They will bring more benefits and demonstrate the reaction of the body and the individual tolerance of the child.
How to enter
The careful introduction of vegetable oils into the diet is the key to the development of a healthy digestive system. How to introduce and with which product you need to decide on your own. So, many use oil, mixing it with vegetable puree. In this case, a few drops of oil added to broccoli or zucchini can cause frequent stools.
Adding to cereals is also possible. In this case, the reaction will be less pronounced. Weak vegetable broths with the addition of oil will provide the necessary benefits. In each case, it is necessary to monitor the individual tolerance of the body. If the baby has an allergy or the stool has become more frequent, then you should stop consuming oil for a while. Perhaps the lack of enzymes played a role and so far vegetable oils should be abandoned.
Butter for babies
Experts believe that you can introduce butter for babies after getting used to vegetable oil. After a pause of a month, after the introduction of a new product, you can proceed to butter. It is ideal to add butter to a plate of porridge to enhance its taste characteristics. It is strictly forbidden to introduce fat-free butter, spread, margarine or oils with all kinds of additives as complementary foods.
The benefits of butter
In this case, it should be noted that the benefits of butter are invaluable for the mental activity of a young organism. Fatty acids help the nervous system work better. In addition, they are good for the digestive tract. For children living in harsh climates, butter is a real source of extra warmth and minerals.
When to enter
The body has to get used to everything new. Therefore, when to introduce it is worth deciding on the basis of the individual tolerance of vegetable oils by the child. If the reaction is good, then already in the 5th month you can try to add a gram of oil to complementary foods, but no more. Several days of observation will allow you to determine whether the product is introduced in a timely manner and how the baby's body reacts to the new product. Monthly, you can add one gram of butter.
How much butter to give to a baby?
If the enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract of the baby are present in sufficient quantities, then it is enough to introduce one gram of natural non-salted oil from 5-6 months. In no case should you give preference to ghee, as the fat content in it is increased. In some cases, deciding how much butter to give to a baby is based on its tolerance. If the first experience was successful, then you can give 2-3 grams in the first month of complementary foods. Further, the amount can be increased by a maximum of one gram per month.
Oils for feeding babies are very important. Proper and timely complementary foods ensure the harmonious development of the child by obtaining all the necessary vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Hello dear parents. Today we will talk about fats in your baby's diet. The conversation, in particular, will focus on oils (vegetable and animal origin). In this article, you will learn how to give your child oil, when it is time to introduce this product into complementary foods, in what quantities, and get acquainted with different options for vegetable oil.
Product value
- The main component is fats, which are so necessary for proper development and for the functioning of the nervous system.
- An important place in the composition of the product is occupied by fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamins A and D.
- Vegetable oil (unrefined) contains lecithin, tocopherol, sitosterol and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- Olive oil plays an important role in the cardiovascular system. This cold-pressed oil has a high content of vitamin A, so it is extremely beneficial for vision and coordinated movements.
- Natural butter (without all kinds of additives) favorably affects the digestive process. Serves as a prophylactic agent for diseases of the respiratory tract and skin. Also, this oil can help increase the immune defense of the child's body.
Harm and possible risks
- Butter with impurities and all kinds of additives will have an extremely negative effect on the children's body.
- An expired product or one that did not comply with the temperature regime of storage will cause irreparable harm, up to intoxication of the body.
- Excessive consumption of oils disrupts the functioning of the digestive system, contributes to the development of obesity and thyroid pathologies.
- With pathologies of the liver and gallbladder, it is recommended to limit the use of oils.
- Risk of trans fats resulting from prolonged cooking, such as during the baking process.
At what age can you give oil to a child
For children who are on a natural type of feeding, the optimal age for introducing vegetable oil into complementary foods will be 7 months, and creamy - 8 months. For babies - artificial - 5 and 6 months, respectively. It must be remembered that the minimum portions of oils should be used in the first complementary foods. Mom needs to monitor the reaction of the crumbs. In its pure form, the baby is not given this product. Vegetable is added to vegetable purees, and creamy - to cereals.
And how much oil to give a child?
For artificial children at 5 months, 1 g of vegetable oil is required, at six months and 7 months - 2 g of vegetable oil and 1 g of butter, at 8-9 months - 3 g and 2 g, respectively, at 10 months - 4 g of any oils, in a year old - 5 grams.
For breastfed babies - at 7 months - 1 g of vegetable, at 8 - 2 g of vegetable and 1 g of cream, by the year - 5 grams of each.
I introduced vegetable oil to my son, namely olive oil, when he was 7 months old. Tolerability was good. Then gradually I introduced other types of vegetable oils, each time starting with tiny portions. But cream appeared in my son's diet at 9 months. I did not know that it is important for the health of the baby and thought that it would be better to replace it with vegetable. But the pediatrician told me that butter should appear in the diet of a breastfed baby at 8 months. Fortunately, the son tolerated this type of product without complications.
vegetable oil
- Contains beneficial fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
- It is very important to introduce such a product into the diet of crumbs, but with small portions.
- Vegetable oils have a positive effect on the organs of vision, the nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as the digestive organs.
- Great to add to salads or soups.
- For children under one year old, it is better to purchase refined oils, they are purified and are safer and less allergenic for the baby.
- A fried product should not be in the diet of a child up to a year, and preferably up to two.
Storage methods
- When buying, it is important to pay attention to the methods and duration of storage of the product, especially pay attention to how long the oil can be used after opening the bottle.
- It is better to store the oil in a glass container.
- Avoid exposure to sunlight, store the product in a dark place.
- Observe the temperature regime, not higher than 20 degrees.
Selection rules
- Buy only a quality product. Carefully read the composition of the oil, pay attention to the expiration dates.
- Choose vegetable oils with a beautiful color, clear without sediment and turbidity.
- Taste the oil first, it should be pleasant, without bitterness.
- Children under three years of age are not recommended to use unrefined oil.
- Refined oil practically cannot cause an allergic reaction in a toddler.
Variety of vegetable oils
- Flaxseed oil can be given to a child. It has a positive effect on the development of the brain, nerve connections, normalizes metabolism.
- Sunflower is valuable for its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, iodine and phosphorus.
- Olive oil contains more healthy fats, the highest content of oleic acid compared to other vegetable oils. It has an irreplaceable effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular and digestive systems.
- Corn is valuable due to the content of linoleic acid in its composition - about 56% and tocopherol.
- Soy is good to use for the prevention of pathologies of the excretory system, as well as for the normalization of metabolic processes.
Butter for baby
- Oil of animal origin is harder to digest by the child's body. Therefore, it is recommended to administer it after the vegetable and with great care.
- It has a valuable effect on the skin, normalizes metabolism, improves immunity.
- Do not forget that only high-quality products are suitable for babies. An oil with 82.5 percent fat is recommended.
- It is better to add this product to a ready-made dish, in particular, to cereals.
- Limit the use of such oil for pathologies with the digestive system.
Rules of use
- If you decide to buy olive oil, then give preference to a cold-pressed product, it is more valuable in terms of vitamin composition.
- It is strictly forbidden to use any oil for frying, and in principle to give fried food to children under one year old, and preferably up to two.
- Flaxseed oil should not be stored for longer than 30 days after opening.
- You need to use only a quality product. Spreads and margarines are strictly prohibited in the diet of children.
- For the first complementary foods, choose olive oil, in composition it is closest to breast milk.
- It is forbidden to heat any kind of oil for a long time. Trans fats that are harmful to the body are formed.
Now you know what an invaluable influence oils, both vegetable and animal origin, have in a child's life. The main thing is not to forget to introduce this product into the diet of the crumbs in a timely manner and not to exceed the age norms. It is also worth remembering that vegetable oil is better suited for vegetable purees and soups, and butter for cereals. Which vegetable oil to choose is up to you, but remember that a refined product is healthier for children.
Oils and fat products serve as a source of fatty acids, including polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) formed from linoleic acid, fat-soluble vitamins A, D (fish oil, milk fat and other animal fats), vitamin E (vegetable oils), phospholipids ( vegetable oils) and some other nutrients. Fats, like proteins, are the building material for body cells, organs and systems. Fats also perform an energy function (when burning 1 gram of fat, 9 kcal of energy is released).
Animal fats
They are predominantly rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Saturated fatty acids give fats the property of infusibility, reduce their "digestibility" by digestive enzymes and absorption by the body, and excess cholesterol contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. At the same time, animal fats are sources of essential fat-soluble vitamins A and D, which are almost completely absent in other foods. Butter- a product from the concentrated fat of cow's milk. It contains 61.5–82.5% fat and 16–35% moisture, has a low melting point (28–35°C) and good taste properties. The oil contains a large amount of proteins, minerals, vitamins A, D, E, K, C, group B. Butter contains phosphatides (lecithin) and sterols (cholesterol). 100 g of butter contains about 750 kcal, and its fusibility ensures its absorption by the human body by 95–98%. Butter is obtained from sweet or fermented cream.
Butter there are several types: with and without salt, ghee, sweet and sour cream, and commercially available butter with fillers - chocolate, with the addition of honey, etc. Oils with the addition of honey, chocolate, fruit additives in the diet of young children are not recommended , since "additives" are strong allergens. In addition, with a change in the taste of the oil, its calorie content increases by increasing the amount of carbohydrates. Given the rather high calorie content of this product, as well as the combination of nutrients in it, it is recommended to use it in accordance with age norms (see below).
Melted butter is a pure milk fat obtained by melting butter. The oil is heated to 70–75°C with the addition of 1–5% salt for better fat separation. This is a very high-fat product, the use of which in baby food is not recommended.
Margarine- a fatty product, which is based on milk protein, hydrogenated, that is, vegetable oils or fats of marine animals converted into a solid state. But it is known that the hydrogenation of vegetable oils produces substances (transisomers) that can increase the content of low-density lipoproteins in the blood, which is a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. Due to the lack of strict regulation of trans-isomers in products, their use in children's nutrition should be strictly limited - their use is allowed only as confectionery fats, i.e. for the preparation of confectionery. Margarines can be part of confectionery creams used to decorate cakes and pastries. Therefore, with an extremely rare treat of “sweets” for a baby over the age of 3 years, it is better to give preference to cottage cheese creams, and use “creamy” creams extremely rarely. Children under 3 years old are not recommended to use confectionery with creams.
Light oils- combined oils in which milk fat is completely or partially replaced by vegetable oils. These oils cannot be used as a substitute for cow's butter, but can be used very limitedly in baby food as an alternative to margarine.
Vegetable fats
Important sources of essential fatty acids. These oils, especially unrefined ones, are rich in phosphatides (lecithin), sitosterol, vitamin E, polyunsaturated fatty acids - these are substances that are involved in a number of important processes in the human body, from which biologically active substances are formed. The biological significance of these nutrients allows the use of vegetable oils in diets for most diseases. The highest concentration of useful nutrients in sunflower, corn, olive and especially soybean oil.
In vegetable oils, when exposed to high temperature, especially for a long time, valuable fatty acids, vitamin E are destroyed, and harmful oxidation products accumulate. Therefore, such oils are best used without heat treatment, in salads, vinaigrettes, etc. You can not fry anything in the same oil for a long time. On vegetable oils, you can fry fish, vegetables, some dough products, less often - meat, and you can also sauté vegetables and add it to dishes when stewing. But let us recall once again that when preparing food for babies, it is necessary to use the most gentle methods of heat treatment of food - boiling, baking, stewing.
Vegetable fats are obtained from the seeds of oil plants by pressing or extraction. The essence of the pressing process is the extraction of oil from crushed seeds, in which most of the hard shell (peel) has been previously removed. Depending on the method of conducting the technological process, cold-pressed and hot-pressed oils are distinguished. During hot pressing, crushed seeds are preheated in braziers.
Vegetable oil is subjected to purification either by filtration or exposure to alkalis. In the first case, the product is called unrefined, in the second, refined. From vegetable oils, the range of which is very wide and includes fats of various chemical and physical properties, sunflower, cottonseed, olive, soybean, peanut oils are most often used in cooking, linseed, hemp and corn oils are less commonly used. In the confectionery industry, sesame, walnut oil is used, and in baking - mustard oil. Vegetable oils should not be abused, since excess fatty acids can accumulate in cells, oxidize and poison the cells with oxidation products. The exception is olive oil, which contains less PUFAs, so it oxidizes less and can be used in larger quantities.
Sunflower oil obtained by pressing or extracting sunflower seeds. The oil produced by pressing, especially when hot, has an intense golden yellow color and a pronounced smell of toasted seeds. Sunflower oil goes on sale refined and unrefined. Refined and deodorized oil is transparent and almost devoid of specific odor. In baby food, it is preferable to use just such an oil for cooking and salad dressing, in accordance with the age norm.
Olive oil It is extracted from the fleshy part of the fruit of the olive tree and from the kernel of its hard stone. The best edible olive oil is obtained by cold pressing, which eliminates the specific taste, but at the same time retains all the useful qualities of this oil. Olive oil has a delicate, mild taste and pleasant aroma. It contains less essential fatty acids and vitamin E than sunflower oil, but it has a beneficial effect on diseases of the liver and biliary tract, peptic ulcer, gastritis due to the successful combination of PUFAs contained.
For getting corn oil corn germ is subjected to pressing or extraction. Refined corn oil has a golden yellow color; it is used in the manufacture of confectionery. Mustard, nut, peanut oils are not used in baby food, since the raw material for their production is a potential food allergen; they are mainly used in the confectionery industry.
When and how much
Butter (unsalted, sweet cream, i.e. without the addition of lactic acid bacteria) is introduced into the child's diet simultaneously with the introduction of vegetable puree or cereals - at the 5-6th month or later - about 8 months. The need to introduce oil with the first complementary foods is individual. So, if the baby is gaining weight poorly, then the oil is administered earlier, but if the child is gaining well or excessively, then it is better to introduce this product later. The beginning of the introduction - from 1 g / day (at the tip of a teaspoon), gradually bringing the consumption rate to 4-6 g per year. By the age of 3, it is 10-15 g / day.
Vegetable oils, such as sunflower, corn and olive, are recommended for use in baby food in their natural form: for dressing salads, vinaigrettes, as additives to various dishes. For the nutrition of young children, it is recommended to use the same oils with the start of the introduction of vegetable complementary foods (the timing of the introduction of complementary foods is also set individually, depending on the type of feeding and weight gain), with the condition of self-cooking. Since vegetable puree is introduced gradually, starting with 10 g, adding a couple of drops of sunflower oil to it is enough. As the volume of the dish increases, we increase the addition of oil, bringing it to the full volume for this age category (see table). If you use purchased canned children to feed your child, you do not need to add oil to them.
|
* Butter can be introduced from 5 months.
** Vegetable oil can be introduced from 4.5-5 months.
For young children, oils need to be introduced into self-prepared complementary foods, and industrial dishes, whether vegetable purees or cereals, already contain the required amount of vegetable and animal fats. So, for example, if you started introducing complementary foods to a 5-month-old (if necessary, from 4.5 months), then the first dish in which you need to introduce vegetable oil will be vegetable puree. We start with a few drops, bringing up to an incomplete teaspoon - this will be the full recommended amount for this age.
At 6 months, the next complementary food product introduced into the diet will be milk-free or milk porridge, into which it is recommended to introduce butter, starting from the tip of a knife (1 g), bringing it to the full volume - 4 g. Vegetable oil is still introduced into vegetable puree, in the same volume (3 g).
At the age of 7 months, the volume of dishes increases, but the amount of oils introduced remains the same. At 8 months, it is recommended to introduce another dish - mashed meat, to which you can add 1/3 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Taking into account the oil added to the vegetable puree, you get the full recommended volume for this age - 5 g. And we still add butter to cereals, in the amount of 5 g.
Up to 1.5 years, while the range of dishes remains the same, the volume of input oils increases, so, in vegetable purees, the volume of input vegetable oil increases to 7–8 g, and the proper volume of butter can be equally distributed for cooking cereals (5–7 g) , meatballs, meat soufflés, 5 g each (if the butter is melted, 5 g is placed in 1 teaspoon).
By the age of 3, the daily volume of butter - 15 g - can be distributed as follows: for breakfast 5 g - to make a sandwich or milk porridge, 5 g - add to porridge or pasta for a lunch garnish, 5 g to prepare a vegetable dish (for example, potato puree) or a meat dish (such as meatballs) for dinner. Vegetable oil - 10 g can be distributed as follows: for cooking the first course - 3 g, for dressing salads or preparing vegetable side dishes - 5 g, the remaining volume can be used for cooking dishes.
Atherosclerosis is the most common chronic disease, with the formation of single and multiple foci of lipid, mainly cholesterol deposits - atheromatous plaques - in the inner lining of the arteries.
At least until the age of three, we try not to give children fried foods, and even more so we don’t spread a heavy piece of bun with a thick layer of butter. And it is right! But for children, like all people striving for health, oils (both vegetable and animal) are vital. And crumbs should appear in the diet as early as 7 months. You need to start with one to three grams of butter, and by 10-12 months, the amount of fat consumption by the baby is brought to one teaspoon per day. And in addition to butter, the baby should already have time to try vegetable oil.
What vegetable oil can be given to a child?
Vegetable oils are numerous and very diverse in terms of value. The value of vegetable oil is primarily affected by the way it is “refined”. If, after pressing, the oil is only filtered, which does not in the least affect its nutritional value, then it is absolutely right to call it raw. Such oils are rarely available for sale: they can usually be found in "family" farm shops.
A more adapted option for industrial production is unrefined oils, which undergo partial purification: sedimentation, filtration, hydration and neutralization. Yes, such cleaning leads to a large loss of phosphatides, which our body needs, as they are involved in the construction of cells. Despite this, the beneficial qualities of unrefined oils are quite numerous.
But refined oils should be avoided: their benefits are very doubtful, and the luggage of chemical and aromatic additives is huge. The only exception is cottonseed oil, which is strictly forbidden to use in an unrefined form: it is life-threatening due to the content of the toxin in the oil - hissipol.
Can I give my baby olive oil?
The most useful among oils is considered to be olive oil - the undisputed leader in the content of nutrients among its plant counterparts. In addition, this is the only vegetable oil that retains its integrity even at a temperature of 210-200 degrees, without oxidizing and without producing carcinogenic substances. If you are cooking for your baby using heat treatment, then cold-pressed olive oil is what you need!
Focus on corn and linseed oils
Salads can be dressed not only with olive oil, but also with corn oil, which has a high content of biologically active substances (polyunsaturated fatty acids, phosphatides, sterols and tocopherols).
In recent years, flaxseed oil has become quite popular among supporters of a healthy diet - and not by chance, since this oil is really healthy and contains essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. The baby's body does not synthesize these acids on its own, but is able to convert one type of fatty acid into another, fully satisfying the needs of a rapidly growing organism. But this is provided that fatty acids are present in the daily diet of the child.
It's important to know! Linseed oil has a very unpleasant feature: when exposed to air, it instantly oxidizes! Therefore, when purchasing linseed oil, choose the smallest containers (optimally up to 100-150 ml) and try to use the opened package within a day.
What kind of butter to give a child up to a year?
Vegetable oils are not the only fats that should be in the diet of a child under one year old. You can't do without butter. It is butter that is one of the first fats that fall into complementary foods for babies and it should appear in it at 7 months. Add it to porridge or. It is best to use ghee.
The consumption rate of ghee for a baby is as follows:
- 4-6 g for children up to a year;
- 15-17 g for children under 3 years old;
- 25 g - for children under 7 years old.
Why should it be given to a child? Ghee contains important substances such as unsaturated fatty acids and highly unsaturated fatty acids. Their role is not limited to plastic processes (that is, processes associated with metabolism) in the body: as a pleasant “bonus”, they remove excess cholesterol from the body and increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels.
Butter is included in the list of products, the presence of which on the table becomes mandatory in the first year of a baby's life. When adding it to the diet, it is important to take into account the high sensitivity of the baby's body to culinary innovations and the recommendations of pediatricians on the nutrition of infants. For many parents, information regarding when butter can be added to complementary foods and what are the norms for using this healthy product will be important.
Butter and vegetable oils include:
- fatty acid;
- proteins;
- vitamins;
- amino acids;
- minerals.
Due to the intake of such substances into the body, its normal growth and functioning is ensured, digestive processes are normalized, and the immune system is activated. Butter stimulates the brain, promotes the timely formation of teeth and proper bone growth, maintains the necessary level of moisture in the skin, healthy hair.
Allowed until the child reaches the age of 12 months, vegetable oils (sunflower, olive, corn) improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, participate in the formation of tissues of various organs, maintain the organs of vision in a normal state, promote proper coordination of movements, timely transition from crawling to walking.
The belated introduction of such products into the diet of crumbs or their complete absence is fraught with the appearance of various health problems at an early age, a lag in terms of physical and mental development.
It is important to bear in mind that oily substances are a source of cholesterol, an excess of which leads to negative health effects. That is why they should be present in the children's menu in small, age-appropriate quantities.
When to introduce complementary foods to infants
Many pediatricians are unanimous about the age at which it is necessary to enrich the baby's diet with oil products. In accordance with the recommendations of experts, they should appear on the menu after 8 months for children who are breastfed, and after reaching six months for children who receive an adapted mixture instead of mother's milk.
The famous children's doctor E. O. Komarovsky recommends supplementing complementary foods with butter when the child is well acquainted with vegetables, cereals, and fermented milk products.
Rules for introducing complementary foods
The creamy product is introduced into complementary foods as an addition to a variety of cereals, mashed potatoes, meat puree, and vegetable broths. Being added to these dishes, it will not only improve their taste, but also help to better assimilate the starch contained in cereals and root vegetables. It should be added not during cooking, but immediately before serving to the child.
Vegetable oil is introduced into the diet first, then butter. This is due to the fact that the substance of animal origin in most children is more difficult to digest.
The recommended pause between getting used to such products is about one month. It is important to remember that oils should only have a natural composition. It is forbidden to use fat-free products, margarine or spread containing additives of synthetic origin as complementary foods.
When the child's body masters culinary innovations, it is necessary to constantly monitor the development of a possible negative reaction.
If the child has signs of allergies or frequent stools, oil consumption will have to be temporarily abstained. Such phenomena are most often associated with a lack of enzymes and the imperfection of the digestive system.
How much butter and vegetable oils should be given to the baby
There are special baby food standards that describe how much creamy or vegetable product can be given to a child in the first year of life. They look like this:
- The daily norm for babies receiving artificial nutrition is 1 g by 6 months, 3-5 g upon reaching 7 months, 5 g at 8 months.
- Daily portion of the product for children who are breastfed - 1 g starting from 8 months.
When the child is 9 months old, it is allowed to add 3-5 g of oil to food (not taking into account what the method of feeding the crumbs was in an earlier period). At 10-12 months, the recommended amount of the product per day is 5 g.
As the child develops, the portions of oils in the daily diet should gradually increase. For children from 1 to 3 years old, the norm of a creamy or vegetable product is increased to 6-10 g. After 3 years, the child should receive 10-15 g every day. At this age, butter is not only added to cooked cereals and other dishes, but also offered to the baby with bread and pastries.
Help in choosing an oil for a child
It is important for parents planning to introduce a creamy or vegetable product into the baby's diet to know how to choose it correctly, and which oil will not cause a negative reaction from the child's body. When purchasing butter for feeding a baby, you should carefully study its expiration date, composition and appearance. If possible, it is also recommended to taste oil products.
High-quality butter has a yellowish color, and has a characteristic, pleasant aroma of cream. Its composition should not contain any flavors and flavors. Pediatricians are advised to give preference to a creamy product with a fat content of at least 82.5%.
Vegetable oils that can be safely included in baby food have a beautiful color. They should be clear, without haze or sediment. For baby food, you should choose refined foods, while it will be possible to minimize the risk of developing an allergic reaction. Cold-pressed oil is also considered useful, as it retains all the valuable natural substances in its composition.
