Can a six-month-old baby eat like an adult? Why can't a six-month-old baby eat like an adult?

We all know that when babies grow to a certain stage, they need to not only eat breast milk, but also add complementary foods, such as vegetables and fruits, to supplement the nutrients needed by the body and promote physical development and growth. The diet of babies is very particular, so can a six-month-old baby eat the same meals as adults? Let's take a closer look!

Can a six-month-old baby eat like an adult?

Babies who are six months old cannot eat the same meals as adults and must be given separate complementary foods.

A six-month-old baby has only a few teeth. Adults’ food is usually seasoned with a lot of salt and oil, and the food is hard and needs to be chewed, which is not suitable for babies. In addition, babies’ kidneys are not fully developed yet, so they are not suitable for high-protein foods, such as egg whites, too much meat and other high-density proteins.

The diet of babies between six months and one year old should still be mainly milk, and complementary foods (which are different from adult meals) can be gradually added.

Why can't six-month-old babies eat adult food?

1. The baby’s digestive capacity is limited

Although babies aged 4-6 months have secreted a certain amount of amylase and can digest and absorb starch, their gastrointestinal tract is not yet fully developed. If they eat adult food, it is easy to cause allergies, diarrhea, or gastrointestinal infections in babies.

2. The baby’s chewing ability is limited

A 6-month-old baby has not yet grown teeth, or has only 2-3 teeth. In addition, he has never eaten complementary food before and cannot chew with his gums. Adult food is relatively hard, so it is not suitable for a 6-month-old baby.

The 6-month-old baby starts to add complementary food from mud paste, baby rice cereal, vegetable puree, fruit puree, etc. You can also add some fruit juice, vegetable juice, rice soup, etc.

3. Babies under 1 year old should not eat salt or other seasonings

Adults' meals contain more oil, salt, and seasonings, such as soy sauce and chicken essence, but babies' kidneys are not yet fully developed, and salt needs to be excreted through the kidneys. Adding salt too early will increase the burden on the baby's kidneys and is also one of the causes of high blood pressure in the future.

Moreover, if seasoning is added to the food of babies under one year old too early, it is easy to damage the taste buds that have not yet developed. For example, the baby will have a stronger taste, be picky about food, etc.

How to add complementary food to a six-month-old baby

How to add complementary food:

First, add rice cereal to the baby for 3 or 4 days. After the baby gets used to the rice cereal, add another complementary food, such as vegetable puree or fruit puree. If the baby has an adverse reaction to a certain ingredient, stop adding this ingredient in time. The complementary food for babies during this period is basically rice cereal alone or a mixture of rice cereal and another ingredient.

Amount of complementary food added:

Without affecting the baby's milk intake, do not limit or force the baby to eat more complementary food. Feed once or twice a day. The amount of complementary food should be increased gradually, and the types of complementary food should also be increased from simple to complex.

Types of complementary foods:

Baby high iron rice cereal, vegetable puree, fruit puree

Supplementary food characteristics:

Babies at this stage have relatively weak chewing and swallowing abilities, so the complementary food should be liquid or semi-liquid to make it easier for babies to eat.