Consistency of foods
My 2 year old baby cannot chew food. She eats food only in the pureed form. How do I help her?
Can I give small chunks of water melon to my 8 months old girl?
What should be the consistency of foods to an infant? Weaning can be broadly divided into 3 stages. Stage-1 is when the baby is 6 to 8 months old. Stage-2 is between 8 and 10 months and stage-3 in between 10 and 12 months. In stage-1, the goods are given in semisolid state. Initially, the mashed foods are thinned as needed using water or milk. The consistency is gradually increased to teach the baby to chew and swallow the foods. As the baby gets used to eating solids, the consistency and coarseness of the food are also increased. By 8 months, the baby is ready to eat lumpy foods and vegetables and fruits must be given lumpy. Otherwise, the baby will not learn to eat from family pot and will top the ranks of picky eaters. Finger foods can be introduced from ninth month. Start with small size, say less than 6 mm and gradually increase the size. Always sit and watch your baby eat food to prevent choking accidents. Never give nuts or any hard foods which carry a high risk of choking. These foods must be avoided until 5 years of age. By ten months of age, baby can be given slightly mashed lumpy and coarser foods, almost similar to soft adult foods. Idli, soft dosa, soft chapati, veggies, fried rice and cooked soft sprouts can be given. At one year of age, baby is able to eat like an adult but with less spices and salt.