Suggestions For Supplemental Nutrition

When you add new food to your child’s diet, you speak of supplementary food.  This can consist of solid and liquid food or something in between. You can give this as a supplement to breastfeeding. But what are good suggestions for complementary foods?

Supplemental nutrition is recommended for babies older than six months.  It gives them the extra nutrients they need to grow.

Introducing complementary foods means adding a variety of foods to complement breastfeeding.  It is important to remember that the new diet does not replace breastfeeding. Babies should continue to drink that milk for at least 24 months.

This supplementary food has specific characteristics: certain products are not recommended for babies. 

Features of Supplementary Feeding Suggestions

The purpose of supplemental nutrition is to solve a nutrient deficiency that breastfeeding alone cannot provide.  As your baby grows, it needs more nutrients. This also applies to babies who are bottle-fed instead of breastfed.

This power supply should have the following characteristics:

• Nutrients that give energy.
• Easy to swallow and digest.
• Simple and not harmful to babies.
• Rich in iron, to compensate for its deficiency in milk.
• Easy to eat by the child himself.
• Quantities based on their needs.

• At body temperature, around 37 degrees Celsius. You can cool or heat the food to this temperature.

When you introduce your children of 6 months or older to complementary food, teach them to eat and use cutlery themselves.  

That is why it is important that we let them eat independently. We need to allow them to grab things with their hands so that they can recognize smells and textures and bring the food to their mouths. 

Your child should also begin to recognize his own plate and cup. Take a small crockery for this, the right size for your baby. 

Offering liquid food via a bottle is not recommended as it can cause gastrointestinal problems and delay the transition between breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

When should we offer supplemental nutrition?

Specialists recommend starting at 6 months of age. However, there are criteria to keep in mind when you start doing this.

For example, it is important that the person who feeds the baby is also very committed to it. They should be willing to feed the child and have the necessary patience to do so.

It is important that the baby has developed sufficient motor, sensory and mental skills.  We recommend that you keep an eye on your baby. When it starts to show independence in daily life, the supplementary feeding can be started.

Other suggestions for additional nutrition

Other suggestions for supplemental nutrition may include:

• The baby should be fed at a quiet time. It should be a fun moment, not a punishment. It is wise if there is sufficient time between the last milk feed and the supplementary feed. It would be best if they are not too hungry and not too tired and weepy. 
• When you start with supplementary food  , it is important that your baby can sit independently. This is allowed with the help of a chair or an adult.
• Encourage them during your dinner so that he will imitate you.  Place their high chair close to where you eat. This makes it clear to him that eating is a common social activity.
• You can put some of your food on his plate.
• It is advised to put the food in front of them or put it in their hand.  This helps them practice the skill of grabbing and holding food on their own.

• Don’t force them to eat. They may need more time to view and recognize the food. It is important to have a lot of patience and always keep an eye on them.
• It is recommended to introduce new products one by one in the suggestions for supplementary nutrition.  When they are used to one product, you can try another food. In this way they can recognize and distinguish flavors and textures.