What does a five month old baby eat?

Foods suitable for a five-month-old baby

To answer the question when does the baby start feeding? It is recommended to avoid providing the baby with solid foods before consulting a specialist, and not to start them before the age of four months; This is beca

use the milk obtained through breastfeeding or the infant's diet (English: Formula) contains all the nutrients that the child needs for growth.

Food can be introduced to the infant after he reaches the fifth month and he is ready to eat. A variety of healthy foods rich in nutrients that the child needs can be offered, and it is advised to monitor him to notice signs that he is eating a sufficient quantity; This is in order to avoid providing him with large quantities of food,[2] and it should be noted that the texture of the initial food for the child should be very soft, as it can be filtered and mashed well and then diluted with a liquid if necessary.[3]

It must be noted that these foods are provided in addition to breastfeeding, or milk intended for children, as a five-month-old child needs 4 to 6 daily meals; This is equivalent to about 790 to 900 grams of food per day.[1]It should be noted that many parents may initially wish to provide their children with cereals; such as rice, oats, or barley, and although there are no basics that oblige to start feeding the child cereal before any other type of food, it is recommended to provide the child with iron-fortified cereal products; This is because of its importance in promoting the health and development of the child at this stage of his life, and it should be noted that some doctors recommend mashed vegetables as the best first food for children, while others suggest the use of mashed fruits. [4]

The following is a group of suitable foods that can be provided to the child:

• Vegetables suitable for children It is recommended to start with yellow or orange vegetables with a moderate flavor; such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and then move towards green vegetables with a stronger flavor; Such as peas and kidney beans. [3]
• Fruits suitable for children It is recommended to provide delicious and easy-to-digest fruits for the child, including; mashed bananas, peaches, pears, and apple sauce, and the child can also be provided with mashed ripe avocados; It is creamy in texture, rich in healthy fats, and has a delicious flavour.
• Meat and fish suitable for children The child can be provided with soft and well-cooked chicken, after cutting it to facilitate eating, in addition to completely boneless fish.
• Beans and legumes suitable for children Beans and legumes can be served to children after removing their outer skin; As they are difficult to digest, it is also worth paying attention when choosing canned grains to the need to avoid seasoned types of them. [5]
• Cereals suitable for children Commercial types of cereals intended for children in the first months are often fortified with iron; This is for children who do not depend on breast-feeding, which makes them need to get more iron. In contrast, children who are breast-fed are rarely prone to anemia; Because breast milk contains a good percentage of iron, it should be noted that an iron test is recommended when you are concerned about the iron level in the child. [5]

Does a five-month-old need to drink fluids?

Breast milk or infant formula is the most important food for a child in the first five months of his life, as he must be provided with five feedings a day, or the equivalent of about 735 to 1100 grams of iron-fortified infant formula, and it is worth noting that it is recommended to avoid feeding the child five months of age with juice. , water, or cow’s milk, and it is indicated that it can obtain water from breast milk or infant formula. [6]

The number of meals and quantities that the child can eat

Proper nutrition for infants is to start providing the child at the age of 4 to 6 months with a teaspoon of mashed food daily, mixing it with four to five teaspoons of breast milk or infant formula to reduce it, then this quantity is gradually increased,[7] and the following is a detail of the quantities That a child can eat from the food groups during the day: [1]

• Fruits: The child can be provided with an amount of up to one to two tablespoons of mashed fruits, one to two times a day.
•  Vegetables: The child can be fed an amount of up to one tablespoon or two tablespoons of mashed vegetables, one to two times a day.
• Meat and foods rich in protein: the appropriate quantity for the child ranges from one tablespoon to two tablespoons, twice a day, provided that these foods are well mashed.

Foods that are not suitable for a five-month-old baby

  There are some foods that should not be given to young children because they may cause health problems, and these foods include the following:

Honey

 Honey or foods made from it contain the spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism to children under one year of age. Although it is considered safe for adults.[8]

Unpasteurized foods

Unpasteurized foods may contain: Such as unpasteurized milk products, and unpasteurized juice, contain dangerous types of bacteria that can cause life-threatening diseases in young children and infants. [8]

Smoked meat and fish

Most types of smoked or cured meat and fish contain nitrates and other chemicals, as well as high in sodium and fats, most of them, most of which indicate a rare, if necessary, supply to the child. [8]

Cow's milk It is not recommended to give cow's milk to children under 12 months of age, due to their inability to digest it easily, and cow's milk contains large amounts of protein and minerals that cause pressure on the children's kidneys, and in addition, this type of milk does not contain large amounts of Adequate iron, vitamin C, and other important nutrients for the child, and providing cow's milk to infants may cause iron deficiency anemia, and it is worth noting that the protein in cow's milk may cause irritation in the lining of the stomach and intestines in infants, causing The appearance of blood in their stool. [10]

Tips when you start feeding your baby

Starting with simple one-ingredient foods.

 Starting with simple, one-ingredient foods that are free of salt or sugar. It is recommended to wait 3 to 5 days between each new food the child eats. In order to monitor any reaction he may suffer from; Such as diarrhea, vomiting, or rash, and then the ingredients can be combined together and presented to the child.]

 Provide the child with foods that contain important nutrients for him. 

Provide the child with foods that contain important nutrients; Such as iron and zinc, which are important minerals in the second half of the first year of a child's life, and it should be noted that these two elements can be obtained from mashed meat, and iron-fortified cereals for children. [12]

Avoid serving small and hard pieces of foods.

 Avoid serving small and tough pieces of foods. Where it can cause the child to suffocate,[14] and these foods include; Raw carrots, nuts, seeds, apple pieces, etc.