Can Babies Eat Cornmeal Porridge?
Corn porridge is a food that is easy to digest, and it can also be consumed by babies. Generally, babies can start eating solid foods after six months of age. After adapting for a period of time, they can start drinking a small amount of corn porridge from seven months old. Mothers should note that although corn porridge is easy to digest, it is not suitable for babies under seven months of age, as it may increase the burden on their gastrointestinal system and cause diarrhea. Good supplementary foods should have the following characteristics:
This is the most important principle, as even the best ingredients are useless without it. Things to note include: freshness, quality, and safety of ingredients; maintaining cleanliness and hygiene during the preparation process, with raw and cooked foods kept separate; trying to prepare and consume food as soon as possible, and avoiding feeding unfinished supplementary foods to babies.
Babies have small stomach capacities, so supplementary foods like vegetable water, fruit juice, and rice soup contain too much water and babies may feel full after eating only a few bites, which cannot meet their nutritional needs for growth and development. It is recommended to choose supplementary foods with high nutritional density, such as thick porridge, mashed vegetables, and meat purees, to ensure that babies actually ingest nutrients.
There is no need to worry about the taste of supplementary foods and add salt or sugar to make them more palatable for babies. Babies have sensitive taste buds and can taste the natural flavors of food, so there is no need to add any seasoning to supplementary foods.
Good supplementary foods must be suitable for a baby's chewing and digestive abilities, with appropriate particle size and softness. For example, in the beginning, the food should be in a thin and smooth paste-like consistency, gradually transitioning to crushed vegetables, small pieces, or strips.
When preparing supplementary foods, it is important to avoid foods that may cause accidental ingestion. When cooking fish, it is recommended to choose varieties with fewer bones, such as salmon and cod. Whole peanuts, cashews, and other nuts should not be given to young babies.