Baby is already 5 months old. You perceive its progress day by day and for some children, this month will be marked by a big step: that of the beginning of food diversification! Little by little your little one discovers new flavors and new colors: the beginning of a great and beautiful adventure that you will savor together.
Meals for 5 month old baby
At five months, a real rhythm is installed: whether he is bottle-fed or breast-fed, baby has taken his bearings and demands his meals at regular times. It gradually changes to four meals a day and drinks an average of 180 to 210 ml of milk per meal (180 ml of water + 6 measures of milk or 210 ml of water + 7 measures of milk).
If you have already started food diversification, you will be able to very gradually increase the quantities of vegetables and fruits, introduce new ones but always with the same guideline: one food at a time and a new one every three days in order to put your finger on the origin of a possible food allergy more easily.
If you haven’t yet started to introduce new foods, other than milk, and your baby shows interest when he sees you eating, you will be able to start food diversification. Unless you prefer to wait until next month, so that your baby is 6 months old.
Whatever the case, your child is moving towards a grown-up rhythm: breakfast followed by lunch, a snack and dinner – possibly with the introduction of vegetables at lunchtime and a fruit as a snack if diversification has begun. However, milk remains its main food, and will continue to do so for a long time.
Milk always comes first
Your baby is still exclusively breast or bottle fed
If you are breastfeeding your child and it suits you both, do not hesitate to continue because beyond the mother-child bond that you consolidate over the months, breastfeeding allows you to meet all your baby’s nutritional needs. but also to prevent many infections and diseases by giving him the benefit of your antibodies. If breastfeeding is exclusive, you can continue it until your child is 6 months old.
If your child is bottle-fed, continue to choose first-age milk, also called “infant formula”. This is suitable until your child is 6 months old, or until a few weeks after the start of his dietary diversification, when the quantities of milk have clearly decreased with the consumption of vegetables and fruit. 1st age milks are made from cow’s milk processed to come as close as possible to the composition of mother’s milk with a rigorous dosage of proteins.
As a reminder, it is strictly inadvisable to give cow’s milk to your child before the age of one, and even better, before the age of three. Plant-based drinks (soya, almond, oats, spelt, chestnut rice, etc.) sold in supermarkets in the organic department are also strictly discouraged because their nutritional intake is far too far from the needs of the baby.
Your baby discovers new flavors
Whether you have started food diversification or want to start it, meals should remain a real moment of pleasure and sharing between you and your child. There is no question of rushing the child in his learning and the discovery of new flavors. It is a question of proposing, without imposing, new tastes, new colors and new textures. In case of opposition from your child during a meal, do not insist at the risk of seeing a more or less lasting systematic refusal set in during the next meals. Remember that there is no hurry before 6 months: the idea is to (continue to) take small steps to widen the range of flavors known to your baby. At five months, if you have started or are just starting to diversify your diet, a great novelty will be the introduction of vegetables for lunch and a little fruit at snack time.
At five months, however, milk must remain your child’s main food to meet his nutritional needs, and until food diversification is complete – that is, until your child has a perfectly varied and balanced. However, when the quantities of vegetables and fruits increase significantly, you can consider switching from 1st stage milk to 2nd stage milk, a slightly more concentrated milk with a higher dose of protein, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.
The beginnings of food diversification
The vegetables
What vegetables to offer?
Most vegetables can be offered from the start of food diversification. Gradually incorporate the vegetables one by one and opt for the sweetest vegetables on the palate and easy to digest:
- Carrots
- Green beans, flat coconut beans
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Portion
- White leek
- Beet
- Eggplant
- Pumpkin, pumpkin, butternut squash, etc.
However, initially avoid vegetables that are too high in fiber such as artichoke hearts, salsify, cabbage (cauliflower, red cabbage, white cabbage, kale, etc.) and leek leaves, for example.
Offer vegetables at lunch, or if you work during the day, offer them at the evening meal: you will be more available to observe your baby’s reactions and appreciate this moment.
Whatever vegetables you choose, they should be boiled, steamed or pressure cooked in a pressure cooker. They will then be finely mixed into a puree at first before being simply ground and then crushed. Never add salt.
Vegetables can be given by spoon or offered in a bottle, mixed with milk. Remember, however, to change the teat to facilitate the flow.
The enthusiasm for vegetables varies from one baby to another: some will be curious to discover new flavors, others will need more time to embark on this new adventure. Whatever your child’s temperament, there’s no real amount to aim for. Just start with a few scoops – usually one to two – and gradually increase the amount as your child desires. However, limit yourself to 60 g per meal, the equivalent of a small pot.
Starches
What starches to offer?
Regarding starchy foods, it is possible to introduce them from the start of food diversification, in addition to vegetables to thicken and soften purees. But there is nothing mandatory: you can start by serving purees 100% vegetables to your child.
If you want to add starches, first opt for textures without lumps such as:
- The potato that you will mix
- The sweet potato that you will mix
- The polenta that you will mix directly with the vegetable purée
Some pediatricians recommend starting with gluten-free starches. On the other hand, avoid legumes – also called “pulses” – during the first year because they are very rich in fiber and not very digestible: lentils, split peas, chickpeas, white and red beans.
How to prepare them and at what meal?
Starches will always be well cooked – or even overcooked at first – then finely blended and mixed with the vegetables.
For purees, preferably prepare a mixture composed mainly of vegetables. Thereafter, you can incorporate half the starches into your baby’s puree and thus mix 50% starches and 50% vegetables.
The fruits
What fruits to offer?
Again, the majority of fruits can be offered. Prefer fresh, seasonal and very ripe fruit because in addition to being much better for your baby’s taste buds, they are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants! Here are the fruits with which you can introduce your baby from the start of food diversification:
- Apple
- Sin
- Pear
- Nectarine
- Apricots
- Banana
Nuts are however strongly discouraged because of the risk of choking and allergies: walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts.
The fruit can be offered as a snack, in addition to the bottle or breastfeeding. If your baby refuses the milk after tasting the fruit, simply reverse the order: start with the milk and end with the compote.
The fruits, at first, will always be peeled, cooked and finely mixed into a compote, after having been washed, pitted or seeded, of course.
They can be given with a spoon in a very smooth compote. To do this, remember to present your baby with the spoon you have chosen for the beginning of his diversification so that he becomes familiar with this new object: he will discover it, put it in his mouth and play with it. Do not use a traditional teaspoon or even a teaspoon: be sure to choose a soft plastic or silicone spoon to protect your child’s fragile gums.
Fruits are generally very popular with children because of their sweet taste. But again: don’t rush because the important thing is to awaken baby’s senses and curiosity. Start with a few scoops and limit yourself to around 60g at first.
Here is an example of a typical food day for your five-month-old. Of course, the quantities are given as an indication, and are to be adapted according to your appetite.
Breastfeeding or bottle of 180 to 240 ml of infant milk (180 ml of water + 6 measures of milk or 210 ml of water + 7 measures of milk)
Optional (only in case of dietary diversification): vegetable puree with a spoon (from a few spoons to 60 g) or vegetable broth diluted in the bottle + 1 tbsp. c. oil (ideally: mixture of 4 oils: Sunflower, Rapeseed, Oléisol, Grapeseed)
Breastfeeding or bottle of 180 to 240 ml of infant milk (180 ml of water + 6 measures of milk or 210 ml of water + 7 measures of milk)
Note: vegetables can be mixed in the bottle. In this case, consider changing the pacifier.
Optional (only in case of food diversification): fruit compote: from a few spoons to 60 g
Breastfeeding or bottle of 180 to 240 ml of infant milk (180 ml of water + 6 measures of milk or 210 ml of water + 7 measures of milk)
Breastfeeding or bottle of 180 to 240 ml of infant milk (180 ml of water + 6 measures of milk or 210 ml of water + 7 measures of milk).
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