Structuring meals
Feed my baby

Structuring meals

After one year, dietary diversification in well under way. Your child is now ready to enjoy more “grown-up”meals. But be careful not to skip stages, as their nutritional requirements are still very specific. How is it possible to ensure that this phase is calm and peaceful? Let’s find out.

On the plate of 1-3 year olds

A key period in learning about food, your child will experience new flavours, new textures, new foods, but still needs their milk! The nutrients contained in milk are still essential for your child. Opt for a daily intake of 500ml to 800ml of milk and milk equivalents in total (milk-based products, cheese).

EXPERT ADVICE: which milk-based products for 1-3 year olds?

  • Growth milks
    In addition to calcium, growth milks provide iron, essential fatty acids, zinc and vitamins… and limit the intake of proteins and salt found in excessive quantities for a young child in cows milk.
  • Dairy products for young children
    Even if the nutrient content of these dairy products is not equivalent to that of growth milk, they contain two times less proteins than regular dairy products and some are enriched with iron and/or essential fatty acids. In addition, they comply with regulations on foodstuffs for young children. You can easily make your own yoghurts at home using growth milk by following the Mpedia recipes.
    These dairy products for young children and yoghurts made using growth-milk are the best option, but it is fine to give your child dairy products intended for adults occasionally.
  • All kinds of cheese
    Hard, soft, strongly flavoured… it’s all good! Unpasteurised cheese can be offered from the age of one. Just remember to respect the recommended daily milk and dairy equivalent intake.

 

Cows milk does not fulfil the nutritional requirements of a child under 1 and growth milk is preferable up to the age of three and beyond.

A daily menu consists of:

  • 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
    Note that a portion equates to about 80g.
  • Cereal products (bread, rice, pasta, couscous, etc.) and starches (potato, lentils and other dried pulses) at each meal.
  • 20g per day between 1 and 2 years, and 30g between 2 and 3 years, meat (offal and red meat are rich in iron…), or fish or egg.

Find out more about which fish to give your child

It is recommended that you give your child fish 2 times a week:

  • 1 meal of lean fish (cod, hake, whiting, sole, etc.)
  • 1 meal of oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardine, herring)

Avoid:

Certain fish that may contain PCB (eel, barbel, bream, carp, catfish), or methyl-mercury (swordfish, marlin, siki, shark and lamprey) should be avoided.

Restrict:

Consumption of wild predatory fish should also be limited: monkfish (anglerfish), sea bass (bar), bonito, emperor, grenadier, halibut, bream, ray, sabre, tuna.

Non-cooked fats

(2 teaspoons approximately mixed into vegetables), with a preference for vegetable fats, such as rapeseed, walnut or soya oil… And occasionally a bit of butter or creme fraiche.

Beyond the age of 2, your child has less inclination to try new flavours. This period is referred to as “neophobia”. Don’t worry, though, each child develops at their own pace. It is pointless trying to force a child to eat something they are refusing. Offer it to them again a few days later and often they will have changed their mind, even if sometimes you will need to try up to ten times!

On the plate of 3-6 year olds

Your child now eats like you, in age-appropriate quantities, of course, and in a varied, balanced way.

Make sure that you offer them a daily menu that includes:

  • 5 portions of fruit and vegetables
  • Cereal products (wheat or corn couscous, bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, etc.) and starches (potato, lentils, chickpeas, dried beans, etc.) at each meal.
  • Milk and dairy products (cheese, yoghurt…) 3 to 4 times per day, which equates to 500 to 800 ml per day.

Red or white meat (chicken, veal, etc.,), or offal (black sausage, liver, kidneys etc.), or fish twice a week: 1 dish of lean fish (cod, hake, whiting, sole, etc.) and 1 dish of oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardine, herring) or an egg.

A tip to help get it right: The daily portion of meat + fish + egg should not exceed 10g by age for year in progress. So, a child who is 3 (4th year of life) can eat 40g and so on…

  • Added fats, plant-based (rapeseed oil, walnut oil…) or animal-based (butter, creme fraiche…), preferably uncooked.
  • Sweet treats (sweets, ice cream, fizzy drinks) can be given in small amounts at special occasions, but should not become a habit. Encourage your child to drink as much water as they want.

EXPERT ADVICE: a health diet includes…

  • 4 meals per day, as a family (or in a group) without the presence of any screens and with a focus on conviviality,
  • Fresh or frozen seasonal products, possibly “organic”.
  • Learn to trust your child in terms of the quantities they need to sustain themselves throughout the day (excluding recommended quantities of some products that should not be exceeded) and never force them to finish what is on their plate!
  • Avoid telling your child off or punishing them if they have eaten very little, or congratulating them if they have eaten well.

Family meals are special moments

Family meals are the ideal opportunity to develop your little one’s confidence and curiosity in terms of new foods and allow them to experience new flavours. Moments of pleasure and sharing, they are perfect opportunities to spend enjoyable time together as a family! To anchor this habit in your day-to-day life, encourage your child to take part in cooking and laying the table. Meals at nursery school encourage your child to try out new foods as they imitate the other children.

These moments of conviviality also help your child to become slowly more independent. Quite quickly they will be able to eat by themselves at table, without too much help from you. But don’t forget to give them a bib and suitable cutlery (round-tipped cutlery is essential at the beginning!) to avoid accidents. Use mealtimes to encourage good table manners (no screens, not talking with a full mouth…) and cleanliness.

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Questions / Answers

If your baby is allergic to cows milk proteins, seek the advice of your doctor. They will help you find the best alternative.

Your baby knows when they are hungry and when they have had too much to eat. You must respect their appetite and never force them to finish what is on their plate. Just like adults, your baby may have more appetite on one day than on another and may not always want to finish what you give them for various reasons. Nonetheless, it is important to make sure they have an appetite at mealtimes by restricting how much they snack between meals and always offer them age-appropriate sized portions.

Dietary diversification generally starts between 4 and 6 months. Certain signs indicate that your baby is ready to accept other foods apart from milk, particularly the fact that they seem to be very interested in what you have on your plate and watch you eat by following your movements. They may also mime chewing and they know how to let you know that they have had enough to eat. Diversification takes place slowly. Different products are introduced progressively and with certain textures.

For more information and advice on dietary diversification, take a look at our tools:

Rest assured, a baby who is still hungry will quickly let you know. A baby who is full also knows how to show it it you! It is important to respect baby’s rhythms and their signs that they are full. Never force them if they are not hungry. If the quantities prescribed by your doctor don’t correspond with what your baby actually consumes, don’t hesitate to talk to them about it.

Making up a bottle is very easy. There is nothing complicated about it, you just need to apply a few hygiene rules and use the right quantities. Don’t hesitate to take a look at our detailed illustrated tutorial and you’ll soon be making up bottles like a pro!

After 12 months, other foods can be introduced into baby’s diet and quantities can be increased. For more information, refer to our calendar of flavours and textures.

Furthermore, milk is still an essential part of baby’s diet after 12 months. It is therefore recommended that between the ages of 12 and 36 months, you continue to give baby a 3rd stage growth milk, specially formulated to fulfil the nutritional requirements of babies in this age range: they are low in protein and contain the nutrients that baby may be lacking, such as iron and essential fatty acids.

After 6 months, infant milk is still just as important! Between 6 and 12 months, it is possible to give baby a 2nd stage follow-on milk.

Additionally, at 6 months at the latest, dietary diversification has started and baby can be given different foods in addition to milk (breast milk or infant milk). For more advice on what baby can eat between 6 and 12 months, quantities and textures, refer to our calendar of flavours and textures.

Nactalia follows WHO recommendations and encourages exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. If you cannot or do not wish to breastfeed, talk to your doctor who will be able to prescribe a suitable 1st stage milk. Between 4 and 6 months, baby’s diet can be diversified and other foods can be given to baby, provided that they are a suitable texture. For more advice, follow our calendar of flavours and textures.

Up to the age of 3, baby has very specific nutritional needs. In particular they need more iron, calcium and essential fatty acids than an adult.

“Normal” milk, or cows milk, which the whole family drinks is generally too rich in proteins and lacking in iron for baby. Infant formula fulfils their needs more effectively.

Between 1 and 3 years, the dairy equivalent to be consumed is 500ml/day. The minimum recommended amount of growth milk (which is specially formulated to provide all of the nutritional requirements of babies in this age range) is 300 ml/day, which is then supplemented with other dairy products to make the recommended 500ml.

Cows milk does not fulfil the specific nutritional requirements of baby before the age of 1.

Between 1 and 3 years, cows milk can be given to baby, but it is preferable to continue with growing-up milks : they contain less protein and all of the nutrients which baby may be lacking, such as iron and essential fatty acids.

Between 0 and 6 months, opt for exclusive breastfeeding and if you cannot or choose not to breastfeed, seek the advice of your doctor. Between 6 and 12 months, it is possible to give baby a 2nd stage follow-on milk. Between 1 and 3 years, it is preferable/advisable to give baby a 3rd stage growth milk.

Progressing from the breast to the bottle corresponds with weaning baby, or in other words is the moment when baby stops breastfeeding and starts using a bottle or starts to have a more varied diet if they are between 4 and 6 months old. It is an obligatory step that can take place very calmly if the transition is managed gently.

To guide you in this transition and help you wean baby gently, we have prepared lots of advice and tips which you can find in our article “A gentle transition for successful weaning”. For even more advice, take a look at our tools for mothers:

Each infant milk has a different flavour and it takes time for baby’s body to adapt. It is recommended that you introduce the new formula progressively, alternating it with the previous one.

Weight gain is not significantly different between breastfed children and those fed with a bottle. Additionally, regular, continuous weight gain is fundamental during baby’s first months. There is no need to worry, each baby is different and grows at their own rate. However, if you are concerned about your baby’s weight, don’t hesitate to talk to your paediatrician.

If you have chosen industrial infant milk, it does not usually cause intestinal gas.
However, if your child is suffering from minor physiological problems such as intestinal gas, certain milks have been specifically formulated to reflect these requirements. For example, Nactalia AD-LF milk has been specially formulated to help babies who are sensitive to lactose to recover from the temporary or permanent symptoms of lactose intolerance, such as intestinal gas, irritation and diarrhoea.
We recommend seeking the advice of your doctor.

Note that intestinal gas may also be the result of colic since babies cry a lot and swallow air

Food allergies are common in children.
Breastfeeding remains the best protection against allergies. Even if breast milk only provides partial protection against the risk of future allergies, no infant formula does any better.
Additionally, if you have chosen an industrial milk, it may be that your child is allergic or intolerant to the lactose or the cows milk protein present in the milk that you have chosen. Solutions are available for children who are sensitive to this kind of allergy, such as the milks containing extensively hydrolysed proteins which have proven to be effective in clinical studies.

However, if this is the case and before doing anything else, we recommend that you consult your doctor.

If you have chosen industrial infant milk, it does not usually cause constipation.
However, if your child is suffering from minor physiological problems such as constipation, certain milks have been specifically formulated to reflect these requirements. For example, Nactalia COMFORT milk has been specially formulated for the dietary treatment of intestinal problems such as constipation.
Before choosing your milk, we recommend seeking the advice of your doctor.

If you observe minor physiological problems in your baby, such as colic, regurgitation, constipation or diarrhoea, this can mean that the infant milk you are using is not fulfilling the requirements of your baby (even if gastrointestinal problems are very common during the first few months of life).

In any case, there is no reason to worry, solutions are available! But before choosing, we recommend that you consult your doctor.

The quantity of milk baby requires each day depends on their age. Note that Nactalia follows WHO recommendations and encourages exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. For more information on how much milk to give your baby each day, you will find instructions on your Nactalia box indicating the volume of water and number of measuring scoops to give your baby depending on their age.

It is important to note that these quantities are only averages that need to be adapted to reflect your baby’s appetite and how quickly they gain weight.

Never force your baby to finish their bottle if they don’t seem to want to: just like you, there are times when they will be hungrier than others. It is may be that they leave half of their bottle at one meal and then want more milk at the next meal: let them eat in accordance with their requirements! Similarly, the times that they want eat and the intervals between bottles can also vary: it is important to respect baby’s rhythm.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that babies are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months as breast milk is the optimal form of nutrition for a baby.

If you cannot or do not wish to breastfeed, it will be necessary to choose an infant formula suited to the child’s age. These infant formula fulfil their nutritional requirements, both in terms of macronutrients (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins) and micro nutrients (vitamins, iron, zinc and other minerals…), as well as the absolutely essential provision of calcium.

Do not hesitate to contact your doctor to advise you in your choice of milk.

Breastfeeding is the best way of fulfilling baby’s specific requirements. This is why Nactalia encourages and recommends breastfeeding up until the age of 6 months. If you cannot or choose not to breastfeed, your doctor is the most suitable person to advise you.

Attentive to the needs of mothers and their babies, our scientific teams have studied in depth the composition of breast milk and have devoted their efforts to formulating infant milk formulas that best meet the baby’s natural needs and specific metabolism.

Nactalia offers a range of different formulas to provide the necessary nutrients to ensure your baby grows and develops healthily.

Making sure that baby grows healthily is the n°1 concern for parents!
And achieving this starts in the very first days of life, ensuring that baby gains weight, regularly, every month.
Breastfeeding is the best way of fulfilling baby’s nutritional requirements. However, if you can’t or don’t want to breastfeed, the infant milk formulas of Nactalia have been formulated to provide baby with all the necessary nutrients for healthy growth.

Each child has their own specific requirements and children do not gain weight in the same way. So don’t worry!
But if you are feeling overly concerned about your baby’s weight, then talk to your paediatrician.