Food Marketing & Technology - India May 2019 | Page 25

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a larger quantity, a second and third
meal can be introduced containing
hard finger foods (third stage – 9 to 12
months).
Types of Food and Drinks
First Stage Weaning Foods: It includes:
puréed foods from vegetables like
carrot, potato and parsnip, fruits like
banana, cooked apple and pear; lentils;
and rice mixed with breast or formula
milk.
moisture content of 5 to 10 percent, and
a total ash content of not more than 5
percent.
Changing Nutritional and
Developmental Needs
The nutritional needs of infants are
highly different from adults. Their
weights double in the first six months
and triple at the end of the first year,
thus exhibiting higher vitamin,
mineral and energy requirements.
Infants need to consume nutrient-rich
and energy-rich foods; therefore, their
diet should be high in fat (to provide
sufficient energy) and low in fibre (to
avoid filling them up at the expense of
other nutrients).
During the initial six months, infants
fulfil all of their nutritional and
energy requirements from breast milk,
infant formula and from the birth
stores of certain nutrients the infants
are born with. After six months of
age, these stores can no longer meet
the nutritional/energy needs. E.g.
iron stores from birth are used up
by six months and their iron needs
can no longer be met by milk alone.
Therefore, introduction of weaning
foods alongwith breast milk should
be commenced at six months in order
to provide extra energy and nutrients
to sustain normal growth and optimal
health and development; and to give
infants the opportunity to learn to
During the initial six
months, infants fulfi l all
of their nutritional and
energy requirements
from breast milk, infant
formula and from the
birth stores of certain
nutrients the infants are
born with
like new tastes and textures, based on
family foods, at a time when they are
receptive to them.
Stages of Introduction of Foods
Breast milk or formula milk continues
to be an important part of the
infant’s nutritional intake for the
first 12 months of life. However,
these milk feeds should decrease as
the quantity of solid food increases.
Complementary
feeding
usually
begins with 1–2 teaspoons of a smooth
purée or mashed (first stage – 6 months
but not before 4 months) food being
offered once a day. Infants who are
six months old will progress more
rapidly from this stage or bypass it
completely, moving on to soft lumps
and soft finger foods (second stage
– 6 to 9 months). As the infant learns
to manage complementary food, tries
different textures and begins to take
Food Marketing & Technology
25
May 2019
Second Stage Weaning Foods: It
includes: minced meat; fish; and
poultry (all three properly cooked and
given once a week); mashed lentils;
milk products; and pasteurized cow’s
milk apart from those counted under
the first stage.
Third Stage Weaning Foods: It
includes: servings of fruits and
vegetables; well-cooked eggs; smooth
nut butters; and starchy foods like
pasta, bread and breakfast cereals.
From the age of six months, water and
diluted fruit juices (one part of juice to
10 parts of water) can be given as part
of a meal and offered in a cup. This
should be lidded if necessary but free-
flowing, to help the infant learn to sip
and to reduce the risk of causing dental
caries. Drinks between meals should be
confined to water or breast or formula
milk. Cow’s milk should not be used
as a main drink before 12 months but
small amounts can be added to foods
after six months of age.
For healthy babies and young children,
a good mixed diet that includes a
variety of foods will provide nearly
all the vitamins and minerals they
require. These include iron, vitamin
C, omega-3 fats and calcium. Vitamin
D3 supplement should be given
every day until they are one year old.
Low-fat milk should not be given to
children under two years. Skimmed
milk should not be given before five
years of age. While variety in your
baby’s diet is really important, there is