Healthy food for our children:  

Diversification  at 3 years  

From 4/6 months (not before), you start to broaden the tastes of your children, by diversifying their meals. Until then, your baby was used to your milk (breast milk or not) and now he is growing and infant milk no longer covers his needs. It is therefore up to you to make him discover new flavors by diversifying his meals.  

Up to 3 years old, your baby has specific needs and he must not eat like you ...  

But do you know how to make this change ?  

There are 2 stages: the beginning of diversification and its learning phase  

1. The beginning of diversification: introduction of foods other than milk  

This phase can be fast or slow, it all depends on your child but to each his own pace. 

Ideally, you should not force it and respect its tastes. If he doesn't like a food that's okay, don't force him and try it again in a few days. 

Gently introduce food by food, do not mix at first.  

Do not give up the milk which should remain the basis of your child's diet. 

From 4 to 8 months, give him 500 ml of milk. Remove the milk as you go. From 8 months, your child should have 4 meals a day, 2 of which are diversified and 2 of milk.  

What foods to choose at the start? 

First of all, start the diversification with vegetables . Not just any but those that are well tolerated by the stomach. For example: zucchini (without skin or seeds), leek whites, carrots, green beans.

What foods should I avoid? 

Avoid vegetables rich in fiber such as the green part of leeks which will be more difficult to digest. 

Do not use vegetables that have tastes "  strong  » : Like cabbage or artichokes and allergic-risk vegetables (for example: peppers, celery, tomatoes).  

How to prepare your purees? 

Most often, steam your vegetables, then mix them without adding salt or pepper. Your child before the age of 2 does not need salt!  

During this phase, you can diversify the vegetables, gradually add (in order), fruits, starches, proteins, and fats.  

Proteins: wait a few weeks before introducing them. 

The ideal amount for a child of 6 to 8 months is 10 g per day (i.e. 2 teaspoons of meat, fish or egg).  

Fruits: in addition to milk, as a snack, you can prepare a homemade compote without added sugar or even mash a fruit such as a banana.  

Starchy foods: first opt for ground potatoes that you can mix with your mashed vegetables. The potato will sweeten the taste. 

It is only from 7 months that you can introduce starchy foods such as pasta, wheat semolina.  

Fat: useless before 6 months. After the 6 months of your baby, prefer olive, sunflower or rapeseed oils. For the quantity a teaspoon is sufficient. 

Your child does not need frying! so forget about them before a while :)  

Typical day: 4-8 months 

(if your child takes more, do not panic, the ration can be adapted according to his appetite)

Morning : Bottle of milk (or mother's breast) 240 ml of 2nd age milk.  

Noon: Mash or vegetable soup - fish or meat  in addition to milk (if your child really does not like a spoon, you can mix your vegetables in milk). 

A dairy: yogurt or cottage cheese or a fruit or a compote  

Snack: Bottle of milk (or mother's breast) 240 ml of 2nd age milk and a piece of fruit or a compote  

Evening: A 240 ml bottle and a compote  

2. The learning phase (which will be essential): from 8/12 months to 3 years  

During this phase, your child needs foods from each group: 

Every day, fruits and vegetables, cereal products: rice, pasta, wheat, semolina, bread ... a portion of protein (equivalent to 4 teaspoons - 20 g, for a child aged one year and over, the portion will increase at 6 teaspoons - 30 g), a little fat (prefer vegetable oils).

For drinks, until then, only water is recommended and essential for your child.  

At this age your child does not need salt, frying, soft drinks, sugar, honey, chocolate, and all foods rich in fat.  

Be careful what you give to your child from an early age: he can quickly get used to these tastes (sugar for example in cola), cause cavities and especially overweight.  

Typical day: 8-12 months (you can start small pieces)  

Morning: Bottle of milk (or mother's breast) 240 ml of 2nd age milk.  

Noon: Mash or vegetable soup - fish or meat  in addition to milk (if your child really does not like a spoon, you can mix your vegetables in milk). 

A dairy: yogurt or cottage cheese or a fruit or a compote  

Snack: Bottle of milk (or mother's breast) 240 ml of 2nd age milk and a piece of fruit or a compote  

Evening :  Vegetables with possibly grated cheese  

Typical Day:  from 1 year  

Morning: Bottle of milk (or mother's breast) 250 ml of 2nd age milk, a cereal product (toast of bread for example) or unsweetened cereals, a fruit (or fruit juice)

Noon : Vegetables (green for example), 1 Starch (Bread, pasta), 1 protein (meat, egg, fish), 1 portion of fat (1 teaspoon of oil) and 1 dairy or 1 fruit  

Snack: Bottle of milk (or mother's breast) 240 ml of 2nd age milk and a piece of fruit or a compote or a slice of bread and a portion of cheese  

Evening:  Vegetables, 1 Starch (rice), and 250 ml bottle of milk  

Each child has their own taste and appetite. Don't compare him to other kids. As long as its growth curve is ascending, there is no need to worry. 

Do not force him especially he can refuse to eat and especially give him his meals DURING meals, wedge him during and not between meals.  

Recipe ideas:  

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  Recipe for babies from 4 to 6 months:  

• Pumpkin and parsnip soup

• Pumpkin and parsnip puree
  Apple melon compote 

• Apple and quince compote

• Apple and apricot compote

• Apple banana prune compote 

• Artichoke or eggplant puree, or spinach, or zucchini 

• Apple and pear compote

• Apricot compote (with a zest of orange juice)

Pumpkin, apple and banana compote recipe 

Ingredients :

For 1 to 2 servings  

   150 g of peeled pumpkin

   1 sweet and juicy Royal Gala apple

   1/2 banana

Preperation :

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into small cubes. Do the same with the apple. Peel the banana and cut it into pieces. 

2. Steam your fruit for 15 minutes. Mix your fruits and serve.  

Recipes for 7 month old babies:  

• White fish and mashed sweet potato and zucchini: zucchini, sweet potato, hake or cod, 1 teaspoon of liquid cream or vegetable oil 

• Peas puree

• Mashed eggplant and zucchini

• Compote of carrots, potatoes, cumin

• Beetroot and cucumber puree laughing cow mix 

• Mashed Broccoli, Potatoes and Laughing Cow 

• Spinach puree with fresh goat cheese

• Parsnip and Potato Mash with Nutmeg

• Tomato puree, green beans and pesto 

• Mashed chicken with zucchini mixed with pumpkin and potato  

Pollock and zucchini mash with dill

Ingredients :

For a portion

   Half of a zucchini  

   1 small potato

   10 to 15 g of hake  

   1 teaspoon of heavy cream

   1 nice dill leaf

   A few drops of lemon juice

Preperation :

1. Wash and partially peel the zucchini. Seed if necessary. Then cut it into pieces. Do the same with the potato.

2. Steam the vegetables and starches together for 15 minutes. The vegetables should be tender and tender. 

3. Poach the hake in milk for 5 minutes. Don't forget to remove the ridges if necessary. Crumble the fish and mix it with the rest of the vegetables and starch and the dill leaf. 

4. You can add the crème fraîche, with a few drops of lemon.  

In the next newsletters, we will see the feeding of a child after his 3 years until his adolescence.

By distinguishing between the age groups of 4 to 6 years, 7 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years and then beyond. Pampering your child starts with his food first, then pamper him every day thanks to his food.