When can you give mashed potatoes to a baby, at how many months? There are debates on this topic, and mothers are still in doubt. Potatoes very rarely cause allergies, are nutritious and healthy. However, it contains a large percentage of starchy substances, which causes digestion difficulties for small children.
Still, we should start talking about useful substances oh, a valuable vegetable, about when you can introduce potatoes into complementary foods, from how many months? Next you need to select the right recipe preparations to preserve vitamins as much as possible in the finished product.
The value of potatoes is:
- phosphorus;
- vitamin C;
- large quantities potassium;
- absence of allergens;
- improving water balance;
- removing toxins from the body.
The special value of potatoes lies in protein, which is similar in its properties to animals. The amino acids included in this protein are involved in the construction of new cells in the baby’s body. That's why mixed for babies/ artificial feeding Potatoes can be introduced after four months.
Fiber helps normalize intestinal activity and frees the body from toxins; the caloric content of a serving is enough for the baby to be active from lunch to afternoon snack. Therefore, you need to give mashed potatoes to your baby before dinner so that he has time to waste the calories he receives.
Potatoes contain folic acid, which ensures full brain development and balances nervous system.
However, a large amount of carbohydrates can increase the baby’s weight and form fat folds.
Therefore, children prone to weight gain should limit their potato consumption.
Possible harm
When can potatoes harm a baby? It depends only on the timing and storage conditions. If you prepare a puree from greened tubers, the child’s body will receive toxic substances along with useful ones. Even if you use the right recipe, disaster can't be avoided.
In some cases, introducing potatoes into the first complementary foods is not recommended. This is due to the baby’s weak intestinal motility: constipation may occur. Even if you soak the fruits in water before cooking, the starch still remains. Potatoes can be given only if there are no problems with the baby’s digestion.
Pediatricians installed right time first complementary feeding - 6 months, when the baby has mastered fruits and cereals.
Cooking potatoes for baby
First you need to choose the best tubers for cooking. The product must be:
- from your region;
- medium size;
- not watery inside;
- no sprouts or green spots on the skin.
The recipe for preparing the root vegetable differs from the “adult” one: the potatoes are steamed without water. You can also cook it in water, but cooking vegetables in water deprives them of a large amount of valuable substances that pass into liquid.
Important! It is not recommended to add oil for the first feeding.
Second cooking method
If your baby is prone to gaining excess weight or does not digest starch well, the potato recipe needs to be changed. How to make puree? To do this, grate the fruit, squeeze out the liquid and prepare the mass in a slow cooker.
Another recipe. The potatoes are peeled, cut into slices and soaked in water for a couple of hours. Of course, many useful substances dissolve in water, but the vegetable is freed from starch. Decide for yourself how best to prepare it.
If you boil fruits in water, put them in boiling water. To help the potatoes cook faster, cover the pan with a lid.
Introducing the baby to potatoes
How to start complementary feeding? If the baby has just turned 5 months old, and he is already actively eating fruits and zucchini with cabbage, you can safely treat him to potatoes. First, give one coffee spoon to try - will you like it or not? The consistency of the puree should be liquid, like milk.
If you like the potatoes and your baby reacts positively to the new dish, double the portion daily. Starting from the fifth day, offer your baby 50 grams of puree. On the sixth day - all one hundred grams, and on the seventh - 130 grams.
What vegetable should be replaced with potatoes? The new kind food is always introduced drop by drop and gradually. If you gave your baby for lunch zucchini puree, keep giving it. Add potatoes to the zucchini, gradually reducing the portion.
The method of replacing one product with another is the rule of all new complementary foods.
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The main character of the film “Girls” could name great amount potato dishes. It’s not surprising, because this root vegetable has long settled in the hearts and refrigerators of all Russians from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. Potatoes in Russia are loved, respected and prepared not only in Everyday life, but also on holidays. But is it possible to make mashed potatoes for babies?
Young mothers often consider this product ideal for complementary feeding. Soft, airy puree seems healthy and easily digestible to them, but is it really so?
Are mashed potatoes healthy?
Unlike carrots, zucchini and pumpkin, potatoes contain large amounts of starch and carbohydrates. Small child due to an imperfect digestive system, it cannot digest all this, which is why problems arise.
The main problems from frequent and improper use of mashed potatoes by infants include constipation and excess weight.
In addition, potatoes contain few vitamins and nutrients that the baby needs.
Based on the above, many parents may decide that mashed potatoes for babies should not be introduced at all. But that's not true. Potatoes, due to their neutral, pleasant taste, are good for complementary feeding; babies eat the tender puree with pleasure, and many ask for extras.
Before introducing mashed potatoes into your baby's diet, consult your pediatrician.
When can you give mashed potatoes to your baby?
Potatoes are one of the first foods for complementary feeding, along with cereals, broccoli and zucchini. But from how many months should it be introduced?
You can give your child pure mashed potatoes when the baby is 6 months old (if the child is bottle-fed, then potatoes are allowed from the age of five months). At the same time, it is important to properly process the potatoes in order to remove excess starch and nitrates from them.
If you want to make a mix of mashed potatoes with other vegetables or meat, it is better to wait until 8-9 months.
Selection of vegetables for puree and pre-processing
All parents want only the best for their baby, and this also applies to food. There are several rules for choosing potatoes for baby feeding.
- The root crop must be of domestic production. Ideally, you (or your relatives) grow it in your garden.
- It is better to buy potatoes in season, this reduces the likelihood of buying GMO products, as well as vegetables treated with chemicals.
- Give preference to medium-sized potatoes - they have more useful properties than small and large tubers.
- Do not make mashed potatoes for babies from greenish potatoes.
- You should not feed your baby potatoes with wrinkled skins, a whitish coating, or rotten barrels. The tuber should be smooth, hard, with an even skin.
- Pierce the potato. If juice starts to come out from the puncture site, it is better not to give such potatoes to the baby, as they contain a lot of nitrates.
Having chosen a natural, high-quality root vegetable, you can begin preparing complementary foods. At first glance, there is nothing complicated about this - boil the potatoes, mash them and give them to the child. But it's not that simple. Potatoes must first be freed from starch and nitrates.
- Remove the peel with a knife. Don't try to remove it in a thin layer. The more you cut, the better.
- Fill the tuber with water and leave for a day. This is necessary to remove excess starch and nitrates.
- Before cooking, cut the root vegetable into cubes.
Mashed potato recipes for babies
There are many recipes for mashed potatoes. There are single-component purees for six-month-old children, and there are multi-component purees for children aged 8 months and older. Let's consider several options.
Mono-component mashed potatoes (for children 5-6 months)
- Boil potatoes (1-2 pieces) or steam them in a slow cooker. There is no need to salt the vegetable. To properly cook potatoes, place them in boiling water and cook, covered, over low heat.
- Place the prepared root vegetable and a little potato broth in a blender bowl and blend until smooth and without lumps. Instead of decoction, you can use a little breast milk.
- You can offer a warm dish to your baby.
The first time, half a teaspoon will be enough. Increase the portion gradually, while carefully monitoring your baby to see if he has any allergies.
Over time, other ingredients can be added to the mashed potatoes:
- olive oil (1/2 teaspoon);
- boiled yolk;
- vegetable purees;
- meat.
Vegetable puree with potatoes (for children 7-8 months)
You will need:
- potatoes - 1 tuber;
- carrots – ½ root vegetable;
- olive oil – ½ spoon.
If desired, you can include in the recipe other vegetables that your baby has already tried, for example rutabaga, white cabbage, cauliflower, turnip.
- Finely chop the vegetables, put them in a saucepan and, pour boiling water over them, cook until tender.
- Then put the vegetables in a blender and grind into a homogeneous mass.
- You can add a little milk, butter, salt.
- Stir the mixture and boil a little.
Mashed potatoes with meat and parsley (for children 8-9 months)
This recipe is suitable for an older baby when he has already tried meat.
You will need:
- potatoes - 2 tubers;
- minced meat - for 2-3 meatballs;
- parsley root;
- salt;
- oil (butter or vegetable).
It is better to prepare minced meat yourself rather than buy store-bought ones. Select meat (veal, rabbit, turkey) for minced meat with special care. It is better to give preference to farm products.
- Form the minced meat into meatballs (no need to add salt, eggs or other ingredients) and boil them in a slow cooker or on the stove.
- Cut the vegetables into cubes and cook them in a double boiler.
- Grind potatoes and celery in a blender. If the child does not yet know how (or does not want) to chew solid food, chop the meatballs along with the vegetables.
- You can add a little salt and butter to the resulting puree.
Conclusion
Mashed potatoes is one of the most favorite children's dishes. It is soft, airy (especially if you beat it with a mixer) and pleasant to the taste. The disadvantage of potatoes is their low content of vitamins, but their needs can be met through other products.
Most children like mashed potatoes, but to introduce complementary foods to an infant, consultation with a pediatrician is required. Potatoes are hypoallergenic, healthy and nutritious product. But this vegetable contains a large amount of starch, which can cause problems in gastrointestinal tract baby.
Useful properties of potatoes
Potato dishes provide positive influence on stomach and cardiac functions. This product contains large amounts of potassium, iron, iodine and phosphorus. Ascorbic acid, which is found in the vegetable, will help strengthen the baby's immunity. Potatoes contain a protein that resembles an animal. Protein takes an active part in the formation of new cells in a growing organism.
The fiber contained in the product normalizes intestinal function and removes toxins from the body. Availability folic acid in potatoes promotes the development of the brain and nervous system. A baked product is considered more valuable than a boiled one.
Negative effects of root vegetables
In some cases, potatoes may have bad influence for the baby's health. Vegetable contains a lot of starch, which can affect the functioning of the intestines and cause. To prevent this from happening, potatoes should be given to the child when foods that help digest food have been mastered.
Potato tubers that have turned green and sprouted can cause poisoning. The green parts of the vegetable contain the toxic substance solanine, which can destroy the nervous system and red blood cells. Therefore, green tubers should absolutely not be eaten.
Potatoes are a very nutritious food, so overuse product may cause your baby to gain excess weight.
Determining the timing of introducing mashed potatoes
The timing of introducing potato complementary foods is determined individually for each child. An important factor is the increase in the baby’s height and weight, are there other vegetables on the menu. What kind of appetite the baby has is also taken into account. Mashed potatoes are introduced into complementary foods when the child has already tried fruits and cereals.
To begin with, it is recommended to give vegetables such as zucchini. These products do not cause allergies and contain many vitamins and nutrients. Pediatricians recommend adding new foods to the diet for bottle-fed children starting at six months of age, and breastfeeding should be given at least a month later.
Dishes made from potatoes and other vegetables are given at lunchtime. To introduce your baby to mashed potatoes, you will need one teaspoon. If the baby reacted well to such a dish, then next appointment the amount of food can be increased. If the perception is negative or for any other reasons, complementary feeding with potatoes should be postponed.
By receiving mother's milk and other products, the child receives sufficient quantity nutrients, so potatoes should not be given more than once a day. When mashed potatoes are introduced into complementary foods, it is worth knowing that the stomach of a child in infancy has difficulty digesting starch. Therefore, the dosage of such a dish needs to be controlled. Taking large amounts of mashed potatoes can lead to allergies, stomach pain, gas formation in the intestines, etc.
At first, mashed potatoes are prepared each time before use; for older children, they can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days. Dose daily consumption potatoes by one year of age should be 150g.
Preparing a potato dish
Making mashed potatoes starts with choosing a quality root vegetable. When choosing potatoes for babies, it is better that the fruits are locally harvested. It is better to choose a medium size vegetable, which has more benefits than small and large ones. For mashed potatoes, your baby should not use potatoes that have turned green, have plaque, or rotten fruits.
This product contains toxic substances that, when accumulated in the child’s body, can cause allergies. The root crop should have a smooth and hard surface. On a cut potato when pressed there should not be too much moisture. If there is a large amount of liquid, treatment with nitrates can be assumed. If you have doubts about the quality of potatoes, you can purchase ready-made vegetable puree in a jar.
To make homemade puree for babies you will need:
- One medium potato tuber.
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
- ¼ cup milk.
For the baby you need to allocate separate cooking utensils. Before peeling the potatoes, you need to thoroughly wash the skins with a brush. The root crop is peeled in a thick layer, thereby removing possible nitrates. Peeled potatoes are soaked in water overnight to remove excess starch. Then pour purified water into an enamel bowl and put on fire.
Cut the vegetables into cubes and place in boiling water, covering with a lid. Boil potatoes over low heat 20 minutes. Drain the broth and chop the vegetables in a blender or rub through a sieve. Add milk and vegetable broth to the crushed mixture, then add butter to the finished puree. Salting food for infants is not recommended.
When introducing this dish, it will be better to add breast or formula milk instead of regular milk. The prepared puree should have a liquid consistency. You can prepare mashed potatoes using a double boiler or bake them in the oven.
When the baby is seven months old, boiled yolk can be added to mashed potatoes. The older the child becomes, the more varied the potato dishes will be.
Sooner or later, the baby’s diet has to be expanded by introducing a new product, the first complementary food. Of course, it is better to consult a pediatrician about the advisability of introducing unfamiliar food into the baby’s menu.
But not all mothers do this, believing that they can make their own decisions. This is a personal matter for every woman and I don’t want to discuss this approach at all.
Today we will raise a slightly different topic: when can you give mashed potatoes to your baby?
I would like to talk about the root vegetable for one simple reason: in our country this product is very widespread; the fluffy puree is prepared not only for every day, but also on holidays.
And most mothers have a stereotype stuck in their heads that such a tender, lovingly prepared dish simply cannot harm a small organism. Whether this is actually true remains to be seen.
Mashed potatoes: benefit or harm?
Potatoes are exactly the product that is one of the first to be introduced into a baby’s diet. True, unlike zucchini, pumpkin, and carrots, this beloved root vegetable contains large quantities of starch and carbohydrates. These components are very difficult for digestive system infant, which is still far from perfect.
Because of this, problems often arise: the baby experiences constipation and excess weight gain. Among other things, potatoes contain a minimum amount of vitamins and microelements that are so necessary for a little person.
After reading the above paragraph, some parents may decide that giving puree to their baby is not worth it at all. Don't be so critical. Thanks to its neutral taste, babies like potatoes and are suitable for first feeding. Many little ones start eating puree with pleasure. By the way, it is recommended to cook potatoes for infants who are not gaining weight well, as well as for those who have problems with stool – diarrhea.
When can you start giving puree?
As mentioned above, potatoes are introduced into the toddler’s diet in the first row. If you define a time frame, then the children breastfeeding You can give pureed puree from six months.
Toddlers eating formula can be given a taste of the dish as early as 5 months.
Remember that babies 5-6 months old are given potatoes without additives, but older babies, 8-9 months old, can combine mashed potatoes with meat or other vegetables.
Before preparing the puree, it is important to choose the right root vegetable, remove nitrates and excess starch from it.
Learning to choose root vegetables
Every parent wants their baby to receive the best, and this applies not only to beautiful clothes, toys and other things, but also to food. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right potatoes for making mashed potatoes.
- Give preference to vegetables grown in the region where you live. Most the best option– potatoes from your own garden or relatives’ plot;
- It is wiser to buy potatoes when they are in season. This reduces the risk of purchasing vegetables treated with chemicals and other nasty things;
- When choosing, give preference to medium-sized tubers;
- You cannot prepare mashed potatoes for babies from a greenish tuber. Also, you should not boil a baby vegetable whose peel has already shriveled, there is white coating or rotten side. For a child, you need to choose a beautiful, smooth tuber that has no signs of damage.
If you are satisfied with the appearance of the selected vegetable, you can start cooking. Of course, at first glance, making a dish for a baby to start complementary feeding is not difficult: you need to wash and peel the potatoes, boil, and mash. But this is not entirely true. The tuber needs to be prepared for heat treatment.
To do this, remove the skin from the potatoes and soak the root crop for 24 hours in cold water. This manipulation will allow you to remove excess starch and nitrates from the root crop.
Before cooking, the vegetable must be cut into small squares.
How to properly prepare mashed potatoes for babies?
There are a lot of recipes for making mashed potatoes for babies. For babies 5-6 months old, the dish should be one-ingredient. For babies over 8 months old, you can prepare vegetable mixes or add meat to the puree.
Let's look at a simple recipe for making puree for a 5-6 month old baby. For the dish, take 1 medium-sized root vegetable, first soak it in water, and then boil or steam it. There is no need to add salt when cooking.
Place the finished vegetable in a blender, add a little potato broth, if available, and beat everything thoroughly. It is important that there are no lumps in the dish. Of course, you can mash the potatoes by hand – it’s up to you. Some mothers add a little breast milk to the puree.
When the puree is ready, you need to cool it slightly and give it warm to the baby. If mashed potatoes are given to a baby as complementary food for the first time, then the optimal portion will be ½ tsp.
Do not rush to increase the portion and do not forget to monitor your baby’s reaction to the new product. If your child develops allergies, problems with bowel movements, or any other concern, it is better to hold off on using the new product.
Some mothers note that their baby does not eat “clean” mashed potatoes and are very worried about this. There's no need to worry too much though. If a child doesn’t eat, it means he doesn’t like something; when he grows up a little, everything will change. By the way, many toddlers gobble up multi-ingredient dishes with great pleasure, which after 8 months can be prepared according to the following recipe.
Take:
- 1 potato;
- half a carrot;
- half a tsp. olive oil.
If there are some other vegetables in your baby’s diet, for example, zucchini, then you can also use that.
It's hard to imagine any lunch without potatoes. This versatile vegetable is added to various dishes. On many tables, potatoes are served daily. The puree of this vegetable has pleasant taste, ideal consistency and is famous for its ease of preparation. This is why many mothers rush to introduce mashed potatoes into complementary foods. In fact, there is no need to rush into introducing this vegetable into complementary foods. Let's look at how many months you can give your baby mashed potatoes.
Potatoes should appear on a child’s menu in the first year of life. Kids eat mashed potatoes with pleasure and even ask for more. In most cases, potatoes do not cause allergies in children. But there are some points that should be considered before giving puree to your baby.
This vegetable contains few vitamins, but this does not mean that it is unhealthful:
- Potatoes contain a lot of carbohydrates, which produce energy for the body to function.
- Potatoes are also high in protein. Protein, in turn, consists of amino acids, which are building material for cells.
- Potatoes contain a lot of vitamins ascorbic acid, it strengthens the immune system. Selenium is needed for normal operation thyroid glands Potatoes are also rich in potassium.
- Potatoes contain a lot of fiber, which is good for intestinal function. Regular use This vegetable helps remove waste and toxins from the body.
Disadvantages of Potatoes
Along with beneficial properties, there is something in potatoes that can harm a small child:
- The starch that tubers are so rich in makes potatoes a “heavy” product for the baby’s digestive system. The baby will begin to produce enzymes capable of completely digesting potato starch only by 9-10 months of age. In addition, it can cause allergies in the baby. By the way, allergic reaction for potatoes - a rare case. But you should still be careful and know exactly at what month it is better to start potato complementary feeding.
- Some children have problems with bowel movements such as constipation after eating potatoes.
- Excessive consumption of potatoes will certainly contribute to excess weight gain. Therefore, those who have a tendency towards obesity and excess weight, potatoes should be included in the menu to a minimum.
- For some guys, potato dishes cause increased gas formation and bloating.
At what age can children be given mashed potatoes?
So, when should you introduce potatoes into complementary foods? The recommended age for the first feeding of mashed potatoes is 6.5 – 7 months of a child’s life. Formula-fed children become familiar with potatoes somewhat earlier than infants. Potatoes are not the first vegetable in a baby’s diet. Before this, the baby had already tasted pureed zucchini, cauliflower and pumpkin.
However, according to Dr. Komarovsky, potatoes should be introduced into complementary feeding for infants no earlier than 8 months, starting with potato broth, gradually moving to thin purees and soups. A well-known pediatrician believes that potatoes can be given to a baby after porridge and fermented milk products have already been introduced into complementary foods.
Like other new products, potatoes for babies should be cooked in water, without adding salt, milk (even if it is breast milk), or butter. For the very first time, the baby should try 0.5 teaspoon of puree. During the day, the mother carefully monitors whether the baby has an allergy, constipation, or other undesirable reaction to potatoes. If everything went well, then next time the baby is given 1 teaspoon of puree. The portion can be increased each time. Mashed potatoes can be given to children 2-3 times a week. Subsequently, it will be possible to combine potatoes with other vegetables or add breast milk to it.
If after the first feeding the baby has any reaction (rash, tummy pain, constipation, restless sleep, etc.), then this dish should be canceled and not given to the child for some time.
Tips for parents on how to introduce potatoes for complementary feeding:
- Mashed potatoes for children should have a liquid consistency and be warm.
- Give your baby only fresh puree.
- Potatoes for baby feeding can be boiled on the stove, in a double boiler, slow cooker, or baked in the oven with their skins on.
- If you cook the tubers in their uniforms, they will retain much more nutrients and vitamins. Unfortunately, the taste of the potatoes will suffer. The tuber, boiled in its skin, needs to be peeled, chopped and diluted with boiled water.
- It is best to mash potatoes manually, because... After using a blender, there will be a lot of gluten in the puree.
- Soaking potatoes in water before cooking will get rid of nitrates in the tubers, as well as excess starch. In this case, the potatoes will lose some of their vitamins, but the risk of allergies will be minimized. How long should you soak potatoes for a child? You need to keep the vegetable in cold water for 2-3 hours.
- Potatoes don't go well with meat. Combine it better with other vegetables or fish.
- Under no circumstances should you cook green potatoes for children. It contains dangerous substance– solanine, which is poisonous to the body.
- Do not give your baby potato dishes more than 2-3 times a week.
- When peeling tubers, remember that the bulk of the vitamins are concentrated just under the skin. Remove the peel in a thin layer. The opposite should be done with old potatoes: there the layer of peeled peel should be thick.
- You can add salt to potatoes and other dishes after 11-12 months of the baby’s life.
The most best potatoes for a child – grown in your own garden without adding chemical fertilizers. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to grow vegetables at home. In this case, you have to be extremely careful when buying vegetables in a store or market. When buying potatoes, you should pay attention to:
- Tuber size. It is best to buy a medium-sized vegetable.
- Wateriness. When there is a lot of water in the tubers, this indicates a large amount of nitrates in the fruit. To check, you can cut the tuber or pierce it with a toothpick. If water leaks through the hole, it means the vegetable is full of nitrates.
- Manufacturer. It is desirable that the potatoes be locally produced, and not brought “from abroad”.
- Stock up on potatoes during the harvest season, so you will be protected from buying genetically modified vegetables.
Mashed potato recipe for first feeding
Take 2 medium-sized potato tubers. Wash it thoroughly under running water. Peel the fruits. Soak the vegetables for 2-3 hours in cold water. Boil water in an enamel bowl. Cut the potatoes into cubes and place in boiling water, reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove the boiled potatoes from the water, chop them with a fork or sieve, diluting them with potato broth. Cool the resulting puree. Now you can give it to your child.
Potato compress for cough
Let's sum it up
When can you give mashed potatoes to your baby? Potatoes can be introduced into complementary foods from 6.5 to 7 months. Potatoes are not considered the most healthy vegetable, but allows you to diversify the baby’s menu. Potatoes rarely cause allergies, but can cause constipation and bloating. For the very first times, potatoes for complementary feeding should be cooked in water and without adding any ingredients.
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