complementary food

Complementary food is a topic that is becoming more and more important in Germany. Also known in English as baby led weaning (BLW) , it already has a large fan base there. Our goal is to create a short and valuable information basis on the subject of solid food with the following summary. Both the basics and experiences from everyday life are addressed.

Strictly speaking, introducing complementary food to babies means introducing them to solid food against the background of gradual weaning . Experience has shown that it takes several months for the baby to be full of solid food. The (mother's) milk, which the baby continues to consume as needed, provides it with sufficient nutrients. The feeding phase is skipped.
During the time when the child is being introduced to solid food, it takes part in the family meal as normal. He is offered a selection of different foods, which he eats according to his preferences and at his own pace - depending on his ability to chew. The child feels competent, self-effective and at the same time has fun exploring the different foods with all their senses. The parents are not actively involved in feeding. This also has the advantage that the parents can experience the family meal together with less stress.

From the 6th month, babies usually show a great interest in food. This is a good time to start complementary feeding. It is important to ensure that the baby can sit safely and upright in the high chair at the table. The hands of the little ones should be able to move freely. Eye-hand-mouth coordination must be developed to be able to grab food and put it in the mouth. Normally, a children's plate with different foods is placed directly in front of the child. So the child can decide for himself what he wants to grab on the plate. The child should be observed during the meal so that the parents can see if it has been swallowed and react accordingly. In the first few weeks and months, the little ones will drop a lot of food due to independent feeding. The additional breastfeeding gives parents peace of mind that their child is getting enough nutrients.
In the beginning, the little ones will try to get the food in their mouths with their fists. A few weeks later, the so-called pincer grip develops. The baby grabs the food with two or more fingers and then brings the food to the mouth. From this point at the latest, the child should be offered a spoon.

In general, different types of preparation can be offered. For example, you can offer the little ones stewed or steamed vegetables. What is also an absolute treat is delicious oven-roasted vegetables. Fruit can be very imaginatively cut into finger food. Children can eat noodles, rice or meat in cooked form. A little tip: slippery fruit becomes easier to grip when rolled in coconut or oat flakes. Children generally need healthy, varied and fresh food. This should be unadulterated in taste and appealing in form and presentation. Things to avoid at all costs are salt, refined sugar, hot spices, raw fish and raw meat.
With children's plates with different compartments, you have the opportunity to arrange the food according to your own ideas and ideas, in order to arouse the curiosity and interest of the little ones.

As the child grows older, it will consume more and more solid food until it stops milk altogether.

We hope that we were able to bring you a little closer to the topic of solid food and wish you lots of fun eating together :)

If you are still interested in this topic, we can warmly recommend the breifreibaby website. There you will find more tips and helpful articles on complementary foods.

Many greetings
Team Little Fox