For those who are about to start weaning food

Baby food is the diet created to match the growth and development of babies over about a year. It is divided into early, middle, late, and completion stages, but these are just guidelines. There are individual differences in the growth and development of babies. Even if it does not progress according to the guidelines, let's proceed at the baby's pace without rushing.

Around 5 to 6 months after birth, when the breastfeeding rhythm has stabilized, it's time to start introducing solid food.

Points to Consider When Starting Baby Food

Observe your baby, and when the following four situations apply, let's start weaning.

1. Able to hold up the head and roll over
2. Can sit for more than 5 seconds
3. There is less pushing out with the tongue when a spoon or similar object is placed in the mouth.
4. Showing interest in food

Note: At first, practice swallowing by gulping. For about a week after starting weaning food, practice getting used to porridge and the spoon.

How to Proceed

• Feed your baby once a day, preferably at the same time each day. Using the current breastfeeding schedule as a guide can make it easier for the baby to eat. Start with one new food item per day, using a baby spoon for weaning food, and continue for about three days. Once the baby gets used to it, introduce another food item in the same way. Offer weaning food before breastfeeding when the baby is hungry. Provide as much breast milk or formula as the baby wants after the meal. Consider weaning food and breast milk/formula as one complete meal.
• Start with rice porridge that has a low risk of allergies, and try bland vegetables such as potatoes, pumpkin, and carrots. Once you get used to it, you can also try tofu, white fish, and egg yolk. At the beginning of weaning, there is no need for seasonings.
• The hardness, size, and seasoning will be adjusted according to the baby's development.

Things to be careful about when cooking

4 Points

1. This is a meal for babies with weak immunity. Let's pay attention to hygiene.
2. Before cooking, wash your hands carefully with soap.
3. Cooking utensils and tableware do not need to be sterilized like baby bottles, but they should be washed carefully and sterilized as needed.
4. Do not give leftovers or prepared food.

How to make 10 times rice porridge

• Rinse the rice and drain the water, then place the rice and the appropriate amount of water in a pot (rice: 1 to water: 10) and soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat once boiling, slightly shift the lid to prevent overflowing, and simmer for about 50 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, cover tightly, and let it steam for about 10 minutes. After cooling slightly, crush it into a paste.

Note: Start with a smooth, easy-to-swallow, thick soup, and as you become better at swallowing, gradually change it to a yogurt-like consistency. Once you get used to the texture, let's slowly increase the lumps.

• To make simple porridge, place the amount of rice and water for porridge in a heat-resistant deep container when cooking rice for adults, and put it in the center of the rice cooker. Then, cook as usual, and the porridge will be cooked along with the rice.

Early Weaning Recipes

Potato Milk Stew

Materials

1/4 Potato
50cc of infant formula or vegetable soup, broth

How to make

1. Peel the potatoes, boil them, and mash them until there are no lumps using a masher.
2. Dissolve the baby formula in boiling water, mix it with 1., and make it into a paste.

Mashed Pumpkin

Materials

30g of pumpkin, 50cc of pumpkin boiling water or 50cc of infant formula

How to make

1. Boil the pumpkin and mash it with a mortar and pestle or strain it.
2. Dilute with boiled pumpkin soup or 50cc of infant formula.

Foods that require caution until the child turns 1 year old

Let's pay attention to the following three foods

1. Honey cannot be used until the age of 1 to prevent infant botulism.
2. Milk can be used as a cooking ingredient after heating from the weaning period (around 7 to 8 months old), but it should be given to children after they turn 1 year old.
3. Unheated items (excluding fruit juice, fruits, etc.)

First Baby Food Reference: Baby Food

When making baby food for the first time, it can be confusing to know the cooking state. In such cases, let's refer to baby food. It is convenient for the early stages when they eat only a little, and it is hygienic. When giving it, check the texture by touching it to ensure there are no rough bits left. For the first 10-fold rice porridge, using a powdered type is convenient as you only need to mix it with hot water. The desired thickness is similar to a smooth, creamy soup.

Regarding Food Allergies

Delaying the start of weaning or the introduction of specific foods does not prevent food allergies. Begin weaning around 5 to 6 months of age.
Do not eliminate specific foods to prevent allergies without a doctor's diagnosis, as it may affect the baby's growth and development.

For detailed information, please see the PDF file below.

• Points to Consider When Starting Baby Food (PDF 542.3KB)
• Examples of Procedures and Reference Amounts (PDF 537.6KB)
• How to Make 10x Rice Porridge (PDF 575.1KB)
• Early Weaning Recipes (PDF 640.8KB)
• Guidelines for Advancing Baby Food (PDF 662.5KB)