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When your baby masters dishes made from vegetables, porridge, cottage cheese and meat, it is time to introduce him to fish products. How and at what age is it best to do this?

Along with dairy products, eggs and meat, fish is a source of complete, high-quality protein. At the same time, each of these products contains unique, inimitable proteins that differ from others in amino acid composition. That's why nutritionists recommend a varied diet.

The flesh of the fish is tender; it does not contain coarse connective tissue fibers and films, which are abundant in meat. Therefore, fish proteins are easily digestible: the percentage of their absorption is 93-98% (for example, meat proteins are absorbed by 87-89%). The amino acid composition of fish proteins ideally matches the needs of the human body and is perfectly absorbed by it. All types of fish are distinguished by a high content of minerals (zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and especially iron); fish also contains quite a lot of vitamins: A, D, B 2, B 12, PP. Sea fish is also rich in iodine, which is necessary for the proper development and functioning of the thyroid gland. Fish fats are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the omega-3 group. These fatty acids play an important role in the construction of cell membranes, especially for nerve tissue and the retina of the eyes; are precursors for the synthesis of tissue hormones - biologically active compounds that regulate metabolism in body tissues. Fish is one of the few natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Let's try the fish. Where to start?

Introduce fish into your diet healthy baby should be approximately 3-4 weeks after the introduction of meat complementary foods, that is, at 9-10 months. However, it must be borne in mind that fish is one of the most powerful food allergens, so children with allergies begin introducing fish dishes into their diet after 1 year and with extreme caution. Ideally, especially in children with a pronounced allergic predisposition, the start of fish complementary foods is agreed upon with the allergist who is observing the child.

To introduce your child to fish, low-fat varieties are suitable: haddock, cod, pollock, flounder, hake. You can cook fish at home or use ready-made canned fish for. You should start with ¼ teaspoon, usually in the form of fish puree, preferably during one of the morning feedings, so that you can carefully monitor the baby until the evening. Allergic manifestations may take the form of skin rash, regurgitation or vomiting, and stool disorders. As a rule, they are observed several hours after encountering the allergen.

Sometimes allergic reactions develop only to sea fish or, conversely, only to river fish.

If you notice certain allergic manifestations in your baby after you gave him a taste of a fish dish, you should refrain from further acquaintance with this variety. Wait a week or two, offering your baby only those foods that he is already accustomed to. After the condition returns to normal, you can try giving him a different type of fish. Sometimes allergic reactions develop only to sea fish or, conversely, only to river fish. Often children who are allergic to one type of fish can easily tolerate other types. It may also happen that the same type of fish, say, causes allergies when prepared at home, but is well tolerated in canned (that is, industrial) form, or vice versa.

If the first meeting went smoothly and you did not notice any negative manifestations, the next day you can offer your baby 1 teaspoon of fish. If everything is fine in this case, you can gradually increase the daily dose to the age norm. In one feeding, a child aged 9-10 months can eat about 50 g of fish, by 11-12 months you can offer him up to 60-70 g. Fish proteins have one more property: an allergy to them is often associated with an accumulation effect. This means that if you offer fish dishes too often, the risk of developing allergic reactions to them increases significantly. That is why fish products should be offered to your baby no more than 2-3 times a week, and to potential allergy sufferers (of course, those who can tolerate a specific type of fish) - once a week.

Beware of allergies!

You should be especially wary of immediate-type allergic reactions (they appear almost immediately after eating), which, although rare, unfortunately, can occur when eating fish. The most harmless of these reactions is urticaria. More serious symptoms include redness and/or swelling of the lips shortly after eating, and hoarseness. Such symptoms may be signs of development - a dangerous condition characterized by swelling of the tissues of the face, and in 20% - of the mucous membrane of the larynx, making breathing difficult.

If you suddenly notice anxiety in your baby, pallor or bluishness of the face, combined with difficulty breathing, immediately call an ambulance and give the child any antihistamine (for children under 3 years old, ZIRTEK or FENISTIL drops in an age-appropriate dosage are preferable). If you notice an immediate allergic reaction in your baby, you should be extremely careful in the future if you start preparing this type of fish for other household members. Fish is in a sense a unique product: an allergic reaction can occur just from its smell! The fact is that usually the smell of food is caused by volatile low-molecular compounds that are practically incapable of causing an allergic response. But the fishy smell is caused by protein molecules and therefore can cause an allergic reaction in predisposed people.

Fish products are replaced on selected days with corresponding meat dishes. At first, it will be easier for your baby to cope with fish puree; later it can be replaced with fish puddings, fish balls or steamed cutlets. At 1 year old, the baby can already be offered boiled or baked fish prepared for the rest of the family. In all cases, you should carefully remove all the bones from the fish, even the smallest ones, because the baby is not able to separate them on his own and may choke. Try not to offer fatty fish, as they can cause intestinal upset. Fish broths are not used in baby food until about 3 years of age: they are too saturated with extractive substances, which are unnecessary stimulants for the immature digestive system of children, and do not have particularly valuable properties. Also, children under 3 years old are not offered caviar and seafood, as dishes with a high allergenic potential.

Culinary secrets of cooking fish

  • It is better to thaw frozen fish in salt water (8-10 g of salt per 1 liter of water): this reduces the loss of minerals that is inevitable during defrosting. It is generally not recommended to completely defrost fillets. Slightly thawed fish are washed in cold water and cooked.
  • Fish cooked whole or in large pieces is always tastier and juicier. The less liquid taken for cooking, the better the result will be. Steamed fish will retain the greatest amount of nutrients.
  • Many chefs recommend poaching as the main method of cooking fish, primarily sea and ocean fish. This is the name for boiling fish in a small amount of water with one or another flavoring additives - butter, lemon juice, herbs and spices (onions, carrots, parsley or celery root, dill, bay leaf). In this case, the loss of valuable nutritional properties is minimized, and the taste of the fish is significantly enriched and refined. Only “red” fish is often cooked without spices. Poaching time for portioned pieces is 10-15 minutes, for large fish - from 25 to 45 minutes.
  • When cooking or poaching, it is better to lower the fish into already boiling water, and then immediately reduce the heat. Fish cooked over high heat becomes overcooked and tasteless.

    Which fish to choose for complementary feeding

    For cooking, subject to tolerance, it is better to use sea fish: it is rich in iodine, which is necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland. In addition, it is believed that freshwater fish “collect” salts of heavy metals, which can contaminate the waters of rivers and lakes. Trout is considered the best freshwater variety, worthy of a little gourmet.

    Any fish is especially tasty in winter and spring, until it spawns. If you buy whole fish, pay attention to its freshness. Fresh fish have clean, bright red gills, protruding and light eyes, and even shiny scales. The appearance of mucus in the gill slits, a film on the eyes, dull or peeled scales in places cast doubt on the quality of the product. Chilled fish can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2-4 days. If you are used to purchasing frozen fish, know that properly frozen carcasses make a ringing sound when tapped, and the external signs of freshness of frozen fish are the same as those of chilled fish. The cut flesh of freshly frozen fish is white or pale pink, while that of second-frozen fish is darkish in color. It is recommended to store frozen fish in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days, and once defrosted, use it immediately. Indentations on the carcass, yellowness of rancid fat and its smell indicate improper storage of fish.

    Cooking fish dishes at home

    Fish puree

    Fish fillet (without skin) - 60 g,
    milk and vegetable oil - 1 tsp. spoon.

    Boil the fillet in a small amount of water for 15-20 minutes, cool, mince or beat in a blender, after removing all the bones. Add milk, butter, salt, mix well and bring to a boil over low heat.

    Steam fish soufflé

    Fish fillet - 100 g,
    milk - 25 g,
    flour - 3 g,
    egg - 1/3 pcs.,
    butter -5 g.

    Boil the fish fillet, remove all bones. Pass through a meat grinder with a fine grid, add thick milk sauce (boil the milk with flour for 5-8 minutes), butter, egg yolk, mix, carefully add the whipped white into the minced meat. Place the mixture in a greased form and cook in a water bath under the lid for 15-20 minutes.

    Fish pudding

    Fish fillet - 100 g,
    potatoes - 1/2 pcs.,
    oil - 2 teaspoons,
    milk - 2 tbsp. spoons,
    egg - 1/4 pcs.

    Boil the peeled potatoes until fully cooked, drain the water, mash with a wooden pestle so that there are no lumps, and dilute with milk. Boil the fish in salted water, remove all the bones. Finely chop the pulp, mix with potatoes, lightly salt, add melted butter (1 teaspoon), yolk and white whipped into a thick foam. Grease the mold with oil, pour the mixture into it, close the lid, place in a water bath and cook for 20-30 minutes.

    Fish meatballs

    Fish fillet - 60 g,
    wheat bread - 10 g,
    yolk - 1/4 pcs.,
    water - 10 ml,
    vegetable oil - 4 ml.

    Remove the bones from fish fillets (for example, cod), pass through a meat grinder with a piece of bread soaked in water, add egg yolk and vegetable oil, mix thoroughly. Form balls from the resulting mass, place in a bowl half filled with water, and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes.

    The health and harmonious development of the baby largely depends on its adequate nutrition in such an important first year of life. Pediatricians always pay special attention to the first complementary feeding: the transition from breast milk or formula to regular food. And it is difficult to imagine a balanced child’s menu without fish products. We will share with you all the recommendations on what fish to start complementary feeding with and, just as important, at what age you can give fish to your baby.

    The experience of mothers today allows us to accurately state at what months you can give your baby fish as complementary foods, and how to properly introduce him to a new product. For a child, the first fish in the diet is the most important, and such an event must be approached very responsibly.

    Got hooked

    Familiarity with fish should begin from childhood. In addition to the well-known positive effect on the baby’s bones, seafood contains many other, no less useful, properties:

    • Proteins, which fish is so rich in, are easily absorbed even by a child’s body, and fill it with all the necessary amino acids.
    • Fish can easily be considered food for the mind due to its rich content of magnesium, copper, zinc and Omega-3.
    • Scientists have long identified the need for fish oil for the full development and growth of a child.
    • Vitamin D has an excellent effect on blood clotting and helps maintain strong bones.
    • Essential vitamin A plays an important role in metabolism and protein synthesis.
    • Iodine, in turn, ensures proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
    • B vitamins are required by the child's body for the normal functioning of the nervous system, maintaining the hematopoietic function of the body and metabolism.
    • Vitamin E is also of great importance: it regulates hormonal balance, promotes the absorption of other vitamins and elements, and protects the body's cells.

    All these properties speak in favor of the fact that a young child can and even should begin to introduce fish into complementary foods!

    It should be taken into account

    Seafood, as it turns out, is not without its drawbacks. The most important of them is the high ability to provoke allergies. But it can be easily avoided if you take the rules for introducing fish into complementary foods seriously: you should consider when to give the first fish and which one is better.

    Also, every mother should know how to cook fish for a child, because the technology of a children's recipe differs from the usual adult menu.

    Age limit for fish

    Most pediatricians agree that fish should be introduced into complementary foods for children up to one year old. For babies fed with artificial formula, the permitted age is 9 months. But it is better for breastfed babies to start giving fish for testing at 10-11 months. An infant under this age may react to the product with an allergy.

    If a child has already had negative reactions to other foods, then it is better for him not to experiment with fish until he is one year old. In some cases, it will be wise to delay introduction to this product even up to 2 years.

    You can check with your pediatrician about the exact age at which months you can offer your baby fish for complementary feeding. The doctor will tell you the answer, taking into account the individual characteristics of your little one. But almost all experts say that a one-year-old baby is already ready to get acquainted with this product.

    Fish platter

    Fish for babies must be fresh, low-calorie and hypoallergenic. Although the range of fish products is varied, not every item is suitable for a small child.

    • Most often children are given cod, hake, perch, salmon and haddock. If you choose between sea or river varieties, then marine fish species are better suited for the first feeding. The river one raises doubts due to the possible pollution of the waters in which it floats.
    • Among the species that most often initiate allergies, the leading position is occupied by red fish. For this reason, it is prohibited for very young children.
    • The answer to the question at what age you can give your child fish as complementary food also depends on the type of product. For example, some are not suitable for children under 3 years of age due to increased fat content, such types include salmon, halibut, eel and catfish. Any fried fish is also contraindicated for children under 3 years of age.
    • Some mothers are interested in when to give their child delicious smoked fish. Alas, this delicacy cannot boast of any benefits, so it is strictly contraindicated for children under 6 years of age. And even after this age it is undesirable.
    • When to add a baby to the menu? fish broth or soup? Until the child turns 3 years old, they are prohibited for him due to the content of extractive substances that are formed during cooking.

    Remember that it is always better to offer fresh fish to children for later cooking.

    How to enter into the menu

    There is nothing complicated in the rules for introducing fish into a baby’s diet, but their importance is enormous! Their implementation determines how well the child will perceive the product and, in part, whether he will like it when he grows up. And loving fish is very useful, so we recommend developing this gastronomic addiction from early childhood.

    • Experts advise starting complementary feeding with just 1-2 g of fish dish, after which you should traditionally monitor the baby’s reaction. If fever, rashes and changes in stool do not bother you, you can gradually increase the portion. When a child turns one year old, he should already be able to digest 40-50 g of fish per day.
    • Fish feeding is usually one of the later in the first year of life and occurs after the introduction of vegetables, meat, yolk and cottage cheese to the menu.
    • Offer your child a freshly prepared product, because it is in its fresh form that fish dishes can provide all their benefits.
    • A baby under one year old can only be given pureed fish cooking; lumps are unacceptable.
    • It is best to introduce fish complementary foods before breastfeeding and in the first half of the day.
    • Often, introduction to seafood occurs after the introduction of meat into the baby’s diet. In this case, fish dishes are offered to the child twice a week instead of meat dishes.
    • Of course, fresh fish is the best option for your baby, but frozen fish is also acceptable. Just don’t defrost it completely: just dip the thawed puree into boiling water for complete cooking.
    • You can introduce fish only if the baby is healthy and feels great.
    • The reason to postpone this complementary feeding a little will be vaccination, which was carried out within a week before the planned introduction to fish.

    If it’s summer and the weather is unbearably hot, then even in this case you should be patient with feeding fish. This product is perishable and can be extremely dangerous for a baby’s weak stomach.

    Fish metamorphoses

    There are so many fish dishes that have not been invented! Prepare a variety of culinary masterpieces from this healthy product, so that as your child grows up, you can dilute his menu with new dishes. In the meantime, he is just learning his first complementary foods, the best option for him would be fish puree for children.

    You are unlikely to like the recipe for toddlers, because it does not allow the presence of seasonings and spices. But the baby, who is not yet aware of the existence of these taste enhancers, will happily gobble up the new delicacy. And when he finally gets used to it, the delicacy introduced into complementary foods can be diversified by adding carrots, dill or parsley.

    As your child gets older and learns to chew different types of food, you can start giving him boneless pieces of boiled fish, and then other fish foods.

    Maintain proportions

    For each age, there is a certain portion norm for how much fish and fish puree can be given to children, in particular:

    • if you start complementary feeding with this product at 8 months, then the portion for it ranges from 10 to 30 g;
    • at the age of 10 months the norm reaches 40 g;
    • at 10-11 it increases by another 10 g;
    • at one and a half years old, a baby can master 70 g of fish in one serving as much as possible;
    • a two-year-old child has already matured up to 80 g of fish delicacy.

    The first fish in the diet: video

    The simplest recipe

    Fish for baby puree can be either boiled or steamed. In this standard recipe we use the first option:

    1. 120 g of fish fillet should be cooked for about 20 minutes.
    2. After this, the cooled piece is cooled and crushed in a blender. Alternative option: you can mince it 1-2 times until it becomes a paste.
    3. Add a little vegetable oil and milk to the resulting puree (many recipes recommend taking 2 teaspoons of ingredients, but less is possible).
    4. After this, the puree is sent to a low heat to bring to a boil.

    Ready-made puree to help mom

    More and more mothers are choosing store-bought fish puree as complementary foods. And this decision is based on several advantages:

    • finished products undergo careful control and are safe for children;
    • save mothers time;
    • There are also financial savings: today, high-quality fish fillets are quite expensive;
    • Manufacturers add cereals or vegetables to many versions of ready-made purees and make their product even more healthy and nutritious;

    If you refuse fish

    It also happens that a child flatly refuses to eat an unfamiliar product in complementary foods, which usually greatly upsets his mother.

    • A tasty discovery for a child will be the combination of fish with a product that is already familiar to the baby, for example, a vegetable introduced into complementary foods.
    • Often the baby is confused by the characteristic smell of fish, but it is easy to get rid of it. To do this, you can sprinkle the puree with lemon juice or add healthy herbs with a bright smell, such as parsley or dill.
    • Try a little trick: come up with a fairy tale or an interesting story about a fish. Or read a ready-made one, about brave pirates or beautiful mermaids. It has been proven that a playful approach to food makes the eating process very interesting. The baby may not even notice how he swallows the treasured healthy piece.

    If these methods do not work, and the child has not lost his categorical decision not to eat fish, do not be upset, but simply offer him the dish a few weeks later. There is a high probability that next time he will eat the product with pleasure.

    It is also possible that the child simply did not like fish puree for complementary feeding. But he can appreciate steamed cutlets or casserole, which he can start giving him a little later.

    The delicate taste of fish that melts in the mouth will surely appeal to a child of any age, and you will be happy with the enormous benefits that the product generously provides to your child.

    After 6 months, new foods are introduced into the baby’s diet. Fish takes pride of place among them - a source of easily digestible protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as minerals and vitamins needed by the body from an early age. To get the maximum benefit, parents should know what fish can be given to a child under one year old, and how to choose it correctly.

    The nutritional value of fish is not inferior to meat, and due to the smaller amount of connective tissue, it is more easily absorbed by the body.

    This product will provide children with B vitamins necessary for proper metabolism. Children will also receive vitamin A, which is responsible for good vision, and vitamin D, which is involved in the formation and strengthening of skeletal muscles.

    Fish contains a rich list of substances useful for children: phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, fluorine, as well as iodine, the amount of which is important for stimulating mental abilities and neuromuscular development.

    Choosing fish for baby food

    What kind of fish can you cook and offer to your baby? The baby's pancreas is not able to cope with fatty foods, so complementary feeding of a child under 12 months of age begins with low-fat varieties.

    What quality of product should you avoid? Fish grown in private reservoirs can be dangerous for children. To speed up growth, the fry are fed special hormones. Consuming such a product is harmful.

    It is better to use fresh or chilled fish, which retain as much nutrients as possible.

    How to determine how long a product has been on the store counter and what is its freshness? The following signs indicate good quality:

    1. The scales fit tightly to the fish and shine.
    2. The eyes are bulging, without cloudiness.
    3. The gills are quite hard, bright red or pink.
    4. When you press on the abdomen, the dent quickly disappears. Abdominal bloating is a sign of spoilage!

    How long can the product be stored after purchase? You can keep fresh fish in the cold for up to 2 days, and if you freeze it, then up to 3-6 months.

    What to do when there is no fresh product on sale? What kind of fish, in this case, is permissible to give to a child under one year old? You can purchase frozen fish fillets or whole fish in stores.

    When purchasing, you should ask about the date of capture and freezing. It is important to consider how much time has passed since the day of freezing: the fresher the product, the more microelements it contains. A smooth, transparent crust of ice indicates that the product has not been defrosted.

    To preserve the maximum amount of microelements, fish should be thawed in lightly salted water. After defrosting, you can conduct another suitability test: pay attention to the condition of the product. When the pulp falls apart, does not hold its shape and resembles a rag, this means that the product is damaged. You shouldn't cook this fish for kids. Any suspicion of poor quality cannot be ignored, because the health of children is more important than the money spent.

    Proper complementary feeding - how and at what age?

    Children under one year old need to boil or steam fish. You should not give your children fried foods, especially salted or smoked ones.

    It is important to consider that fish is an allergen. According to statistics, fish products cause an allergic reaction in 2% of young children. The risk increases when one of the parents or older children has a similar problem.

    When the body responds to complementary foods with allergies, it is better to take a break for two weeks and then try other types of fish. Persistent non-acceptance of any fish products indicates that complementary feeding should be delayed until the age of one.

    If there is no allergy, you can give your baby fish from 9-11 months. You need to start complementary feeding with 0.5 parts of a teaspoon in the first half of the day, carefully observing what reaction the body gives to the new product. It is advisable not to combine fish and meat complementary foods on the same day; it is better to arrange “fish” days 2 times a week. At 12 months, the child should receive a portion weighing 60 grams, after a year it is gradually increased to 100-150 grams.

    It is better to start feeding infants up to one year old with one type of fish for 3-4 weeks, then you can add other types to the diet.

    It is recommended to boil the fish fillet, remove the bones, grind it in a blender and give it to the child in this form. Later, by 12 months, when the baby has developed chewing skills, you can prepare fish soufflé or meatballs for him, and after a year, give fish in pieces and cook soups in fish broth from medium-fat varieties.

    Sooner or later, the time comes when every mother wonders about including fish in her child’s diet. At what age and with what steps should you start introducing innovations in your baby’s nutrition? Find out in the article! In general, fish is a unique product by nature. The percentage of protein absorption by the body is, depending on the ingredients accompanying the dish and eating habits, about 98%. The beneficial properties from including this product in the menu are no less stunning.

    What are the benefits of seafood?

    The magnesium, zinc, copper, fluorine and iodine contained in fish predetermined its popular name - “food for the mind.” Protein, amino acids, enzymes have a positive effect on the human body. But its main advantage is the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids. Regular consumption of dishes containing seafood will help prevent the occurrence of various diseases. Such an ingredient will also be able to synthesize antibodies, form and maintain the body in a healthy state. A natural question arises: when and what kind of fish can be given to a child?

    According to doctors, the optimal period for serving fish to the children's table is 10-12 months. However, it is worth noting that the inclusion of a product in a child’s diet is purely individual. For babies of brave mothers, purees, broths and cutlets with the addition of fish are not scary even at 9 months. Other parents remain on the side of specialists. They begin to feed the child with similar dishes at the recommended time or later. The allergenic nature of seafood and the experience of mothers have confirmed that a child should be protected from mussels, seaweed, shrimp and crabs for up to 3 years. Remember that such organisms act as biological filters for seawater!

    Let's go shopping

    Baby food requires special attention. At first it seems that the fish has only advantages, but this is not so. It also has significant disadvantages that reduce the frequency of its consumption by children. Firstly, the product can act as an allergen. Secondly, there is a danger of the fish bone getting stuck in the throat. Thirdly, not every adult will like the specific smell and taste of seafood. However, in toddlerhood, little attention is paid to the child’s gastronomic preferences. After all, his habits are just being formed. This means that you should focus on the quality and type of product served.

    Must be served lean, low-fat, low-allergenic and fresh. Among the low-calorie representatives of reservoirs on store shelves you can easily find perch, hake, dorado or cod. By the way, it is rational to include the latter and its “family relatives” in children’s food once the child reaches the age of one year. Benign fish is distinguished by the integrity of its scales, fatness, carcass density or mobility of the animal. The gills should be pink or red in color. Be sure to pay attention to the shelf life of the product. The right decision would be to give preference to fresh or freshly frozen fish. Inspect the fins and eyes: there should be no films or damage!

    What kind of fish should children serve? Preparing a meal for a little eater

    So, we figured out what kind of fish to give to a child. Now let's figure out what to do with it. So, to prepare a delicious dish you need:

    1. Clean the carcass, rinse and, after chopping, send to freeze.
    2. Thaw before direct cooking.
    3. Place in water brought to 100 degrees.
    4. Boil for 30-40 minutes.
    5. After heat treatment, remove the bones from the fish. Be careful at this stage.
    6. Place the fillet along with the boiled vegetables into a blender, where the products are pureed.

    Fish is suitable for a child who can chew if it is prepared in the form of meatballs or cutlets. It is better not to introduce broths made from seafood rich in extractive substances into the diet of a child under 3 years of age. This threatens to put extra stress on the young gastrointestinal tract.

    Children's canned fish

    Special food in jars is a great option for busy moms. It is worth considering that feeding a child with such ready-made food cannot be considered a cheap pleasure. And this results in an additional financial burden placed on the shoulders of parents. In addition, a self-prepared lunch or dinner will never raise concerns about the quality and safety of the food consumed by the child. However, it is not worth slandering baby food manufacturers due to the following factors:

    • Finished products are always certified and tested by specialists who know what fish is suitable for children and what is not.
    • As a supplement, cereals and grains are added to the puree. This not only nourishes, but also strengthens the child’s body.
    • Little gourmets will love filling the jars.

    The fact that it saves time for always busy housewife moms is also attractive, so it’s worth a try.

    Frequency of fish consumption

    If your child is one year old and the green light is given to introduce fish into the diet, you should not overdo it. The first taste will be revealing. A child may simply not like fish or may lead to an allergic reaction. Carefully monitor the condition of the skin and mucous membranes.

    Please note: allergies may apply to certain varieties. In this case, the child is no longer given unsuitable fish. It should become taboo: stop consuming the irritant for several weeks. After the “recovery” period, return to eating the product, giving preference to the new type.

    Fish feeding starts with one teaspoon. If normal tolerance is observed, then the portion may grow to normal within a few weeks. For clean fish the figure is 20-30 g/day. The maximum dose of vegetable-fish puree reaches 100 g. It would be rational to add a “sea” or “river” ingredient to the weekly diet of a little gourmet with a frequency of 1-2 times.

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    Fish for children under one year old, and in principle at any age, is a valuable and healthy food product. Along with meat, it acts as a source of complete animal protein, which includes amino acids that are not produced in our body. But these substances are very important, especially for a growing person, because they participate in the construction of new tissues and cells, the synthesis of antibodies, and also protect your child from viruses and microorganisms, hormones and enzymes. Moreover, “sea” protein is absorbed faster and easier to digest than “meat” protein. And for the first time, fish is introduced, like meat, into. But its main differences from its “colleague” are its low calorie content and delicate structure: it lacks refractory fats and connective tissue (films, coarse fibers), which are very difficult for the infant’s fragile enzyme system to cope with.

    To answer this question, let’s first understand what it is like. There are three categories based on fat content.


    You need to start complementary feeding with low-fat fish - river perch, pollock, pike perch, etc.

    The first includes “skinny” species (no more than 4% fat) - silver hake, haddock, pollock, river perch, pike perch, pollock, navaga.

    Finally, “fat” ones (fat content more than 8%) are stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, pink salmon, chum salmon, halibut, saury, mackerel, and fatty herring.

    Thus, fish for an 8-month-old child is recommended to be skinny or, in extreme cases, moderately fatty. And when your child grows up, you can move on to the third category.

    If you doubt that fish is important and necessary for children under one year old, remember that the above-mentioned polyunsaturated fatty acids that it contains not only participate in the regulation of metabolism (calcium, potassium, zinc, sodium are, in particular, responsible for this and magnesium). They have a positive effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems of the baby. Stimulates intelligence and improves brain activity.


    Fish is a source of vitamins and microelements for children

    This sea food is especially important for bottle-fed toddlers. And, of course, all the little ones really need A and D, E and B2, B12 and PP, as well as phosphorus, fluorine and other microelements.

    By the way, fluoride takes part in the formation of tooth enamel. Phosphorus – in the development of the skeletal system and brain. Iron (although there is much more of it in meat) is needed to prevent anemia.

    And the inhabitants of the deep sea are unique sources of iodine (it is needed for the formation of thyroid hormones) and bromine.


    Fish broth can be given to a child from 3 years old

    When choosing what kind of fish to give to your child, it is important to take into account the very form of its preparation. The fact is that it contains extractive substances - creatine, carnosine, purine bases, etc. During the cooking process, they turn into a decoction, giving the broth a specific taste and stimulating gastric secretion. Therefore, they are included in the diet of children with reduced appetite.

    But such stimulation can also lead to excessive overstrain of the digestive glands. Therefore, such broths can be introduced only after three years.

    This rule is also true for other seafood, including caviar.


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    Canned fish: what can children under one year old eat?


    It is advisable to buy canned fish for children in glass jars

    Many nutritionists and pediatricians advise giving infants specialized canned foods. They are easy to prepare (they just need to be reheated), which saves mommy time and effort. It is also guaranteed to be safe and nutritious food for toddlers.

    But it is advisable to purchase complementary foods for infants in glass jars. And, of course, you should carefully study the label (expiration date, composition, etc.)

    Usually vegetables and (or) cereals are added to canned fish in order to additionally saturate them with important nutrients. The share of such “additives” ranges from 50 to 90%. And the combined and well-balanced dish itself is better absorbed, and babies like it more.

    The vegetable composition in such a puree may include potatoes, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower or white cabbage, pumpkin, beans, green peas, and onions. As a rule, rice, pearl barley, semolina, oats and corn are used as cereals.

    Canned fish products also contain small amounts of fish oil and vegetable oil (corn, sunflower, olive, rapeseed or soybean). Sometimes animal fats in the form of butter are added to the “jar”. And to improve the taste - parsley and dill extracts, tomato paste. A homogeneous and even consistency is achieved by adding corn or rice starch.

    What fish should you start feeding with?

    When answering the question of what kind of fish can children who are trying this new food for the first time, they should, of course, give preference to fish puree without starch and spices. It is difficult for a baby’s body to process starch, and this can lead to constipation and other negative consequences.

    If the puree contains butter (butter, vegetable), then, of course, you should not add it to the dish.


    Feeding your child fish should start with fish puree without starch and spices.

    For the first acquaintance with seafood, you need to take pureed canned food, aimed at and older. Older children (up to 12 months) are offered a coarsely ground product. And from one to one and a half years - canned food with pieces.

    If you prefer canned products to be prepared yourself, be sure to follow the rules of heat treatment and storage: not only the nutritional value, but also the safety of the dish depends on this.

    When deciding which fish to start feeding with, you should also think about the presence of salt in it. The latter is sometimes added to canned fish (of course, in small quantities), but most often manufacturers do without it.

    In principle, children are more likely to eat salted food than unleavened food, since this additive enhances the perception of taste by acting on the tongue. It also improves digestion and promotes the effective breakdown of food by saliva.

    But toddlers under 3 years old do not need salt in their diet. Moreover, it is naturally found in waterfowl, especially if you cook them using the poaching method, in a pressure cooker or steamed. And when cooking, you can add a little salt to the water.

    For the first complementary feeding, you need to choose low-fat and non-red fish. It is better to take sea food - it is less allergenic, and it contains more useful microelements. We are talking about species such as hake, cod, flounder, and haddock. And from the river trout, pike perch and silver carp are suitable.

    In any case, you cannot introduce a new product if the baby is unwell, in the heat, or after a preventive vaccination.

    Video recipe for fish soufflé

    How and when to give your child fish?

    If you are interested in the “allowed” age, then we have already talked about it - it is 8-9 months. If the frequency is no more than twice a week.

    This even applies to infants who are not prone to allergic reactions, since almost all seafood is highly allergenic. Moreover, your child’s body may react in an undesirable way not only to, in principle, but also to a certain type of fish.

    If a mother, father, or older child in the family has such an allergy, the time when the child can be given fish shifts from 8 to 12 months.

    Fish complementary foods are offered to the baby before breastfeeding or formula feeding (when he is more predisposed to eating) and before lunch, in order to observe the reaction of his body throughout the day. While eating, the little one should sit, and the new dish itself should be warm.

    You need to start, as always, with half or even a quarter of a teaspoon. You can give a new product in its pure form, but it is better to mix it with a dish already familiar to the toddler - porridge or vegetable puree.


    By the age of two, a child can eat 80 grams of fish per day.

    Our next main task is observation. For the general condition of the baby, for his skin, stool. If all is well, increase the dose to a teaspoon. And then 7-10 days - up to the daily norm corresponding to age. For 8 months it is 5-30 grams (if fish-vegetable puree is 50-100 grams).