Family dinner with baby

Family dinner with baby is important

Your child now has a much higher need for calories and nutrients. There is more and more interest in family meals and your family should eat as many meals together as possible. Because eating together is a very important event in a family. It is often the only time when everyone can come together and talk about the day. The social value of a meal should be taught to your child at an early stage.

Tip: Remember that your child learns from you and your partner. It takes your eating and dining behavior as an example.

Healthy nutrition shapes for life

It is important for your child to eat healthy from the beginning. During this time, his eating habits are shaped for the rest of his life. A review of your diet can benefit you and your whole family. Learn more about baby nutrition in our “Baby Nutrition Plan” and the special “Complementary Food“, “Breastfeeding” and “Child Nutrition in Toddler Time“.

Tip: Fruits, vegetables and many cereal-containing products such as bread or muesli are healthy and delicious for your whole family. However, ready-made muesli mixes are not so suitable for babies because they often contain a lot of sugar, additives and flavors. Fish provides valuable nutrients, but should only be added to your child’s diet towards the end of the first year of life due to the risk of allergies.

Eat independently

You will notice that your child wants to eat more and more independently. It will probably try more and more often to take the spoon off you and poke around with it in the food. Even the seemingly pointless “mess” is an important exercise for your child.

Tip: Your child now loves things they can eat with their fingers. For example, give him small pieces of meat, banana slices or bread appetizers that he can eat by hand.

How much should your child eat?

Many parents mean it too well, especially when it comes to food. Your child still has a very small stomach and therefore needs much less to be full. At this age, it may even be that the appetite decreases somewhat. Your child is so busy exploring the world that things like food take a back seat. In addition, the appetite reflects the mood of your child. If it has a good day, it will strike with delight. But if your child does not reach properly, this is not immediately a cause for concern. It’s just having a bad day. As long as your child shows interest in the family meal and otherwise seems satisfied, everything is fine.

Two milk servings a day are important for your child. You can put them in the bottle, in the milk porridge or from the drinking cup. However, you should only give cow’s milk to your child from the age of two. It can affect your child’s kidney function because it contains about three times as much protein as breast milk. If you feel the need, you can continue to breastfeed your child. Breast milk still provides your child with valuable nutrients. If you notice that your baby no longer needs breast milk at a certain point and you both feel comfortable with the administration of bottles, you can start weaning. You can find out how to do this in our article: “How it works with weaning“.