Between 4 and 6 months, the major period of food diversification begins for babies and their parents. Awaited by some, dreaded by others, it is marked by the discovery of fruits and vegetables, compotes, purees, then pieces, but also by the gradual reduction of bottles or breastfeeding.
SUMMARY :
- What does dietary diversification mean?
- Until what age should you give your baby bottles?
- 4 tips for getting started with food
- Our bonus tip: try Yooji frozen portions!
- What foods should I let him try first?
- Try the DME experience!
What does dietary diversification mean?
Your baby is no longer an infant; they are growing, and their needs and desires are changing. Their nutritional needs, in particular, become more important as they grow and learn to move around. Their desires also change rapidly. Increasingly curious, they watch you eat and want to imitate you by tasting what's on your plate .
If he happens to Pushing away the bottle, refusing the breast or reaching for your meal , it might be time to start weaning.
Note: The WHO recommends that all babies be exclusively breastfed until 6 months of age . However, the 4-month checkup with the pediatrician naturally addresses the topic of introducing solid foods. Take this opportunity to ask any questions you may have!
Until what age should you give your baby bottles?
It's no coincidence that introducing solid foods to complement breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, or mixed feeding typically starts around 5 months of age. Between 4 and 6 months, voluntary swallowing develops . Babies then naturally acquire the coordination necessary to eat solid foods .
However, nothing obliges you to abandon the sweet moment of bottle feeding or breastfeeding 🥰 . In fact, children can drink milk (breast milk or formula) as long as they want or need it , without any contraindications. And you only have to see two- or three-year-olds having their morning, afternoon, or evening bottle when they're tired to understand that it's a real pleasure.
As a guide, here is a table of milk quantities and the average number of bottles to give , from birth to 6 months. For breastfed babies, the principle remains that of breastfeeding on demand or, if you prefer, expressing milk .
Milk, an essential for babies
| Infant's age | Volume of milk per bottle | Number of bottles per day |
| 0 to 1 month | 50 to 60 ml | 8 to 10 |
| 1 to 2 months | 120 to 160 ml | 5 to 6 |
| 2 to 3 months | 150 to 180 ml | 5 |
| 3 to 4 months | 180 to 210 ml | 4 |
| From 4 to 5 months | 210 to 240 ml | 4 |
| From 6 months | 225 ml | 4 |
| After diversification | Approximately 600 ml/day | 2 to 4 |
A transition period between bottle-feeding/breastfeeding and weaning
For To know if it's time to add compotes and purees to the menu , ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the baby holding on? Sitting all by himself ? (In his high chair, for example.)
- Does he ever Chewing on hands, toys, or a spoon ? (Apart from teething.)
- Is he interested in your meal ?
- Does he advance by opening his mouth When you offer him food?
- Is he still hungry after his bottle ?
Did you answer "yes" to almost every question? Then, if the pediatrician agrees, you can start weaning and gradually reduce the amount of milk.
During this transitional period from 100% milk-based to solid foods, you may encounter some difficulties : temporary constipation, refusal of certain tastes or textures, fatigue from sitting for long periods… The key is to be patient and attentive . Your child doesn't want carrot puree? Demands their bottle loudly and insistently? That's fine! You can try a new dish later.
Tip! If the change is a little too rapid for your child, consider adding infant cereal to their bottle to thicken the milk and give it a different taste. Also, remember to change the nipple (choose a physiological nipple suitable for thicker liquids ) to avoid frustration and noisy protests.
4 tips for getting started with food
Until now, the only interaction between baby and their stomach has been formula and bottles, or breast milk. The arrival of carrots, peas, and other colorful fruits will change everything. To ensure the best possible introduction, here are a few tips to follow.
- Don't start introducing solid foods too early. Wait, if possible, until your baby is curious. of what's on your plate.
- Move forward gradually by watching for your child's reactions.
- Introduce a new taste, a new texture, a new smell, or a new object (spoon, cup, straw…) all at once.
- Serve very small amounts first.
- Keep at least 500 ml of milk per day until about 1 year old , then adjust the quantity to your child's needs.
Our bonus tip: try Yooji frozen portions!
And if your baby is already a fan of purees, don't hesitate to offer them YOOJI frozen fresh portions for toddlers! Made in France , in the Southwest, with local products, their "homemade-style" purees are super convenient and accompany babies from 4 to 36 months in their taste discoveries.
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Reinventing baby food while taking care of the planet 🌿.
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Combine them with each other or with your homemade dishes to create over 1,000 recipes in just 2 minutes! A real time-saver for parents and more precious moments with baby!
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What foods should I let him try first?
As you begin introducing solid foods, your child will go from 6 to 5 meals a day, then from 5 to 4, which you will schedule at breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. To make these new habits easier to adopt, offer your child vegetables and fruits they will enjoy.
Vegetables that babies like
At first, children tend to prefer mild and sweet flavors. Fortunately, the variety of vegetables allows them to quickly discover colorful and flavorful vegetables like... Carrots, sweet potatoes, or parsnips . 🥕 🥔
As for green vegetables, there are peas , beans, and broccoli (Hello Yooji smooth purees) or even the They might be interested in asparagus . 🫛 🥦
For preparation, always prefer a cooked in water or steam without salt to preserve the taste of each new food. The vegetables must also be finely blended, especially at the beginning, until they produce a smooth, easy-to-eat puree.
Fruits to taste
Nothing too complicated here. As long as the little babies like them, they can eat. All the fruit from the orchard if it is ripe enough: raw or cooked in the morning or at midday, finely blended and free of skin and seeds , always without added sugar.
Around 9 months old, and if baby accepts them, you can move on to mashed fruit! 🍌 🍓 🥝
And let's not forget the meat
In limited quantities ( 10 grams per day ) but regularly, proteins are just as interesting to discover. All meats , including cooked ham without rind and All boneless fish can be offered to babies from 6 months old , first blended and then finely mashed. fresh eggs As for them, they must be eaten hard, at a maximum of one quarter per day. 🥚
Don't forget! Initially, introducing solid foods isn't about supplementing or enriching your baby's nutritional intake. It's primarily about awakening their taste buds , introducing them to the pleasure of different flavors , and establishing good eating habits that they will maintain throughout their life.
🍽️ By the way, did you know that, from 6 months onwards, Yooji offers a "protein pack" designed to prepare no less than 2 months of meals for your baby?
Try the DME experience!
Because the traditional method doesn't work, or simply because you like to think outside the box, discover the Baby-led weaning (BLW) . Still relatively unknown, but increasingly popular with families and even adopted by some early childhood centers, BLW is based on a simple principle: that of letting the child make their own food choices and eat independently .
Say goodbye to the teaspoon, hello to finger food! On a plate, arrange, for example, a cooked broccoli floret and a piece of zucchini, both at the right temperature, along with a slice of banana and a ripe strawberry. That's all for you. Now it's up to your baby to grab the foods that interest them and pique their curiosity before bringing them to their mouth.
What's interesting about DME is that it breaks with the usual rules of diversification. promotes the development of fine motor skills , the hand-mouth coordination , autonomy , the managing hunger and the feeling of satiety , but also the discovery of textures, smells and flavors.
From the parents' perspective, you discover the... more quickly your child's preferences , you learn to trust him and you get to enjoy a sight as cute as your baby drinking their first bottle all by themselves.
The final advantage of baby-led weaning? Just like introducing solid foods, it's possible from 6 months, even if your baby doesn't yet have teeth . That's why Yooji offers a range of smooth purees and silicone spoons suitable for little hands, from the age of 4 months.
