Complementary foods

Complementary foods Complementary feeding is the process of gradually introducing other foods along with breast milk. Foods that are introduced are thus called complementary foods. These can be introduced by months of age. It is important that in the process of complementary feeding good hygienic conditions must be maintained when using feeding bottles and utensils to avoid infection to the baby. In order to ensure the fulfilment of nutritional needs of infants, T able : T ypes of C omplementary F oods Types of Complementary Foods Liquid complements Semi-solid complements – introduced by - months Citrus juices, starting with 5ml at months, increased unto ml up to one year Soups: Vegetables, dals clear soups at - months. By one year unstrained soups with salt and onion Raw salad and fruit as finger foods Dals, cereals, minced meat cooked in various combinations Minced and cooked meat and fish. To be introduced later by end of one year. Egg Yolk – by months, starting with half tea spoon to full egg yolk by one year Pulse and cereals – well cooked separately or in combinations. Milk and sugar may be added. Well cooked and mashed vegetables Solid complements – by months to one year when baby cuts teeth Milk-diluted with boiled water in ratio : . Then undiluted milk in a few weeks complementary foods should be calorie-dense and should provide at least per cent of energy as proteins. Some low cost complementary foods Indian multipurpose flour – low fat groundnut flour and bengal gram ( ) Malt food – cereal malt, low fat groundnut flour and bengal gram ( : : ) Balahar – whole wheat, groundnut and bengal gram flours ( : : ) Win food – pearl millet, green gram dal, groundnut and jaggery ( : : : ) Poshak – cereal (wheat/maize/rice/jowar) pulse ( chana /green gram), groundnut and jaggery ( : : : ) Amutham – rice, ragi, bengal gram and sesame, groundnut flours and jaggery ( . : . : . : . : . ) Amritham – wheat, bengal gram, soya and groundnut flours and beet sugar ( : : : : ) All these foods are prepared from locally available cereals which are roasted and mixed in relevant proportions as shown, seasoned and fortified with vitamins and calcium. They are very nutritious and can be easily prepared at home.