When to start giving potatoes to babies. How to cook and when to introduce potatoes to baby food
Young children prefer mashed potatoes to other dishes, so parents are wondering at what age to give mashed potatoes to children, as well as how to feed them properly.
Puree Benefits
Potatoes are good for both the cardiovascular and digestive systems. Most of the useful properties are found not in boiled, but in baked potatoes, so it is advisable for a child to give such a puree that is especially tasty.
Flaws
Excessively enriched with starch, potato tubers can cause an allergy in a baby, causing indigestion, and also if parents, when cleaning through inattention, left green poisonous spots on the tubers containing dangerous substance solanine Recall that adults take potato juice with gastritis, read about how to take it correctly in
When to start feeding?
breastfed mother's milk puree can be given to children when the child is six months old. Formula-fed infants are allowed complementary foods from 5 months, but doctors recommend postponing the first additional intake of mashed potatoes until 6 months, after the child has broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini in the diet. On our website you can find out. At the onset of 10 one month old, puree can be diversified with finely chopped greens.
Expert opinion
Famous pediatrician E. Komarovsky is of the opinion that introducing mashed potatoes into the baby’s menu after he has tried cereals and products based on sour milk. From his point of view, it is better to start feeding with potatoes from 8 months if the baby has at least one tooth, initially starting with vegetable broths based on it, gradually moving on to mashed potatoes and all kinds of soups.
diet
The initial dose of puree is no more than 1 tsp. Later, the baby's stomach is able to digest a slightly larger portion of the dish, if nothing suspicious was noticed in the behavior of the child. Otherwise, feeding is transferred to a more favorable time.
- Feeding should be done little by little, being careful.
- Children are delighted with good taste mashed potatoes.
- When cooking on your own, it is preferable to cook potatoes (any fruit or vegetable) using the steam method, excluding the addition of sugar or salt.
- Potato tubers can cause increased allergic reactions, therefore, some parents adhere to the rule not to introduce this vegetable into the diet of a child up to a year due to the presence of starch that is difficult to digest in food.
- Vegetable oil in the composition of mashed potatoes is healthy and tastes good.
- Jacket-cooked potatoes retain more nutrients.
- Before cooking, it is better to soak the tubers, retaining excess nutrients.
- Pre-potatoes are soaked in cool water, ridding it of both starch and nitrates present.
- The child is fed exclusively with freshly prepared mashed potatoes.
- Cook for babies without adding salt.
- Due to the excess starch in the tubers for young children, potato dishes are cooked only twice or thrice a week.
Which potato to choose
The best option is medium-sized tubers, devoid of damage and stains. Mashed potatoes made from potatoes from your own garden, for example, will be ideal. Due to doubts about the quality of a vegetable, many parents prefer canned food for their baby, which can be fed from 4 months of age. Pediatricians are of the opinion to buy its one-component composition, without cream and salt, based on potatoes and water.
During heat treatment, there is a loss a large number nutritional elements necessary for health, especially in crushed form. Children can fully switch to potatoes from the age of one and a half. The intestine formed by this time will completely cope with adult food!
Mashed potatoes are excellent palatability, so babies willingly eat it.
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What you need to know about potatoes
Mothers who decide to give their child complementary foods in the form of mashed potatoes must remember that potatoes are an insidious product. Despite the fact that the dish is well absorbed and easily digested, it must be introduced into food with extreme caution. Excess starch can cause constipation, and the high carbohydrate content can cause a child to gain weight.
Potato skin contains solanine - toxic substance, which has a very negative effect on the body. Its concentration is especially high if the potato has been stored for a long time or has turned green, such a peel must be very carefully peeled off. For a baby, it is better to choose tubers that are dense, healthy, without seedlings or green spots.
How to make baby puree
Soak the peeled potatoes in water for a day to remove excess starch, and then boil. Do not add salt to the water, do not add salt to the finished puree either - salt can harm your baby. Drain most of the water from the pot with boiled potatoes, mash it in the remaining broth and pour in the milk. If the puree, in your opinion, turned out to be watery, remember it with a crush a little more - and it will become more elastic.
You can make mashed potatoes in a double boiler. Cut the potatoes into two or four parts depending on the size and place in a double boiler for half an hour. If the potatoes are young and not very large, you can cook them uncut. When cooking is over, peel the potatoes. This method is the most gentle, but it should be borne in mind that the puree will be difficult to crush to such an extent that it does not have lumps. Wipe it additionally through a fine sieve - it's quick and easy.
Mashed potatoes intended for babies should be tender and airy. If you are going to feed your baby mashed potatoes for the first time, the portion should be very small. Give the baby a teaspoon of mashed potatoes and monitor his condition - if he is allergic to a new dish. If everything goes well, the volume can be gradually increased.
Mashed potatoes most children like it, but a consultation with a pediatrician is required to introduce complementary foods to a baby. Potato is a hypoallergenic, healthy and nutritious product. But this vegetable contains a large number of starch, which can cause problems in gastrointestinal tract baby.
Useful properties of potatoes
Potato Dishes render positive influence on the work of the stomach and cardiac functions. This product contains a large amount of potassium, iron, iodine and phosphorus. Ascorbic acid, which is in the vegetable, will help strengthen the baby's immunity. Potatoes contain protein that resembles an animal. Protein takes Active participation in the formation of new cells of a growing organism.
Fiber, which is part of the product, normalizes bowel function, removes toxins from the body. The presence of folic acid in potatoes contributes to the development of the brain and nervous system. A baked product is considered more valuable than a boiled one.
The negative impact of the root crop
In some cases, potatoes can provide bad influence on the health of the baby. Vegetable contains a lot of starch, which can affect the functioning of the intestine and cause. To prevent this from happening, potatoes should be given to a child when foods that help digest food are mastered.
Green and sprouted potato tubers can cause poisoning. The green parts of the vegetable contain the poisonous substance solanine, which can destroy nervous system and red blood cells. Therefore, green tubers should not be eaten.
Potato is a very nutritious food, so overuse product may lead to a set excess weight baby.
Determination of the timing of the introduction of mashed potatoes
The timing of the introduction of complementary foods of potatoes is determined individually for each child. An important factor is an increase in the height and weight of the baby, are there other vegetables on the menu. It also takes into account what kind of appetite the baby has. Mashed potatoes are introduced into complementary foods when the child has already tried fruits and cereals.
For starters, it is recommended to give vegetables such as zucchini. These products do not cause allergies and contain many vitamins and useful substances. Introduce new foods to children's diets artificial feeding pediatricians advise starting at six months of age, and when breastfeeding should be given at least a month later.
Dishes from potatoes and other vegetables are given at lunch time. To introduce a baby to mashed potatoes, you need one teaspoon. If the baby reacted well to such a dish, then in next move the amount of food can be increased. With a negative perception or any other reasons, complementary feeding with potatoes should be postponed.
Receiving mother's milk and other products, the child receives enough nutrients, so potatoes should not be given more than once a day. When mashed potatoes are introduced into complementary foods, it is worth knowing that the stomach of a child in infancy is difficult to absorb starch. Therefore, the dosage of such a dish must be controlled. Taking a large amount of mashed potatoes can lead to allergies, stomach pain, gas formation in the intestines and.
At first, mashed potatoes are prepared each time before use; for older children, they can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days. The dose of daily consumption of potatoes by the age of one should be 150g.
Cooking a potato dish
Making mashed potatoes begins with choosing a quality root vegetable. When choosing potatoes for babies, it is better that the fruits are locally harvested. It is better to choose the size of the vegetable medium size, which is more useful than small and large. For mashed potatoes, the baby should not use green potatoes, with bloom or rotten fruits.
This product contains toxic substances, which accumulate in the child's body, can cause allergies. The root crop should have a smooth and firm surface. On a potato cut when pressed there should not be too much moisture. With a large presence of liquid, treatment with nitrates can be assumed. If there are doubts about the quality of potatoes, then you can buy ready-made vegetable canned puree.
In order to prepare homemade mashed potatoes for babies, you will need:
- One medium potato tuber.
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
- ¼ cup milk.
For the baby, you need to allocate separate dishes for cooking. Before peeling potatoes, thoroughly wash the skin with a brush. The root crop is cleaned with a thick layer, thereby removing possible nitrates. Peeled potatoes are soaked in water overnight to get rid of excess starch. Then pour purified water into an enameled bowl and put on fire.
Cut the vegetables into cubes and put in boiling water, covered with a lid. Boil potatoes over low heat 20 minutes. Drain the broth, and chop the vegetables with a blender or rub through a sieve. Add milk and vegetable broth to the crushed mixture, then butter is added to the finished puree. Salting food for babies is not recommended.
When getting acquainted with this dish, it will be better to add breast or milk formula instead of regular milk. Cooked puree should have a liquid consistency. You can cook potatoes for mashed potatoes using a double boiler or bake in the oven.
When the baby is seven months old, boiled yolk can be added to mashed potatoes. The older the child becomes, the more varied the potato dishes will be.
Potato dishes are loved by many people, and even a child can cook potatoes. But is it possible for a baby to have mashed potatoes? Many mothers ask this question and try to start feeding their babies correctly and in the most useful way. Let's figure out when, how and at how many months you can start feeding your baby with mashed potatoes.
Benefit and harm
The potato is a root vegetable that contains almost the largest number carbohydrates and starches than any other. Because of this, it is rather difficult to digest in a child, and can also become a cause. 
In addition, if you often feed your baby mashed potatoes, then he may experience. Potatoes do not have as many important and micronutrients as other vegetables, such as broccoli or.
And, nevertheless, you should not think that mashed potatoes are completely unhealthy. On the contrary, it is the best option for the first. Babies are very fond of soft, neutral-tasting puree, they eat it willingly, and sometimes even ask for supplements.
Also to useful properties potatoes or mashed potatoes should be attributed to the fact that this product has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and digestive systems. This root crop also contains crumbs of amino acids, organic acids and antioxidants that are important for the body.
Important! Mashed potatoes should never have green spots or any defects. There is a risk of poisoning the baby with solanine.
Of the trace elements, the vegetable is rich in potassium, iron, phosphorus, iodine. core value this product lies in the fact that the protein content in it is very high and at the same time it is not inferior to the animal analogue. 
At what age can and how to enter into the diet of the baby
Pediatricians unanimously agree on how many months mashed potatoes will be useful for babies.
The optimal age to start weaning mashed potatoes that have been exclusively breastfed is six months. Otherwise, namely, if special mixtures were added to the diet or the baby was completely artificial, then potatoes can be introduced from the age of five months.
Usually mashed potatoes are introduced along with cauliflower, zucchini and broccoli. These vegetables are the most useful and hypoallergenic, and are also the easiest to digest in a child's body.It is worth noting that any additives, namely greens or other vegetables, can be added to puree no earlier than ten months of age.
It is necessary to introduce potatoes into the diet gradually, in small portions. One teaspoon for the first acquaintance with the product will be the optimal dose. 
If the baby reacted positively to the new dish, then with each subsequent feeding, the portion is increased. Otherwise, you should wait with the potatoes and try later.
Important!If you experience any allergic reactions to the product, stop taking it and consult your pediatrician.
How to make your own mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a fairly simple dish to prepare and do not need special efforts or unusual kitchen utensils. To know how to cook mashed potatoes for babies, you only need to have basic culinary skills in cooking a root vegetable.
Before starting the process, you should pay attention Special attention on the quality of potatoes and their freshness. When choosing a root crop, it is better to give preference to medium-sized tubers.If possible, it is preferable to use potatoes grown in your own garden or within the borders of the region of residence. 
It is better to harvest potatoes for crumbs directly during its ripening, because the chance of stumbling upon a vegetable treated with chemicals is reduced.
Did you know? In order for the baby to get used to the new taste, the dish must be offered at least eight times.
Stock and kitchen appliances
No special equipment is required to make mashed potatoes. In the kitchen you will need:
- blender;
- saucepan;
- a bowl for soaking potatoes;
- plate;
- tea spoon.
A knife is needed for cutting the root crop, and a plate and a teaspoon are needed directly for feeding the baby. Did you know? One potato contains half daily allowance vitamin C.
Ingredients
There are no special or unusual ingredients in the baby mashed potato recipe. For cooking the perfect dish have to take:
- potatoes - 1-2 pieces;
- water - a glass or a little more;
- milk - 2-4 tsp (Breast milk can be used if desired).
Step by step recipe
- Peel the potatoes. In this case, it is optimal to cut the skin with a thick layer in order to remove harmful components as much as possible.
- Put the peeled root crop in water, preferably for a few hours. Thanks to this, you can get rid of excess starch and harmful substances.
- Cut the root vegetable into small cubes.
- Put in water, bring to a boil and cook over low heat until fully prepared. The vegetable is ready if it is easily pierced with a knife, like melted butter.
- When the potatoes are ready, the water must be completely drained and allowed to cool slightly.
- Put the potatoes in a blender and add some broth or milk. This is necessary in order for the puree to turn out watery and tender. Blend until all lumps are gone.
- Cool the dish and serve to the child.
Important! Doctors categorically do not recommend salting mashed potatoes and any other dishes for babies.
Introduction is an interesting and, at the same time, difficult process. A few will not be superfluous useful tips about feeding the crumbs with puree.
- To prepare a dish, you need to take only the highest quality products.
- For cooking, it is better to use enameled or ceramic dishes.
- Before giving a dish to a child, you need to taste it. Even a good-looking root crop can be bitter.
- In the first complementary foods, it is better to dilute boiled potatoes with broth. Milk is recommended to be added after several times and it should contain as little fat as possible.
- Potatoes really like the crumbs to taste. Its use must be alternated with other healthy vegetables. If this is not done, then Great chance that the baby will refuse the latter.
- Some crumbs, especially those on breastfeeding, complementary foods are eaten reluctantly. In such cases, do not rush and insist. You need to remember that everything has its time, and discuss the situation with the pediatrician.
This process takes some time and patience.
Each baby is unique in terms of reaction to a particular product. 
Therefore, you should pay attention to the reaction of the crumbs to any complementary foods and be sure to consult a doctor about when you can give mashed potatoes to babies.
It is a budgetary, optimal and high-quality complementary food that can be introduced with very early age, taking into account the peculiarities of nutrition and the recommendations of the pediatrician.
The content of the article:Potatoes are one of the most common dishes on our table. This is a cheap and widely available vegetable, so parents are interested in the question of when it is possible to give potatoes to a child, whether potatoes cause allergies, and how to prepare mashed potatoes for babies. Let's answer all these questions.
What is useful potatoes
Potatoes are 80% water. 100 g of potatoes contain about 20 g of carbohydrates, of which most are starch (16.2 g), less than 2 g of proteins, from 0.1 to 0.2 g of fat and dietary fiber- 1.8 g.
Potato tubers contain vitamins and minerals: vitamins of groups B, C, PP, D, K, E, folic acid, Mg, Ca and Fe.
Useful properties of potatoes:
Renders beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system;
Forms immunity;
Regulates the processes of metabolism and metabolism;
Regulates the work of the thyroid gland;
It has a good effect on the functioning of the digestive organs, as it has an enveloping, astringent and anti-inflammatory effect.
Comparison of potatoes with other vegetables for the first baby food
Let's compare the composition of potatoes with other vegetables that are used for first feeding.
Composition of boiled potatoes compared to zucchini and broccoli (table)
| Index | Potato | vegetable marrow | Broccoli |
| Water, g | 77,5 | 92 | 89,2 |
| calories | 86 | 19,8 | 35 |
| Proteins, g | 1,71 | 0,6 | 2,38 |
| Fats, g | 0,1 | 0,3 | 0,41 |
| Carbohydrates, g | 20 | 3,5 | 7,18 |
| Starch, g | 16,2 | - | - |
| Fiber, g | 1,8 | 1 | 3,3 |
| Organic acids, g | 0,1 | 0,1 | 0,3 |
| Saccharides, g | 0,85 | 1,1 | 1,39 |
| Calcium, mg | 8 | 14 | 40 |
| Sodium, mg | 5 | 1,6 | 41 |
| Potassium, mg | 328 | 206 | 293 |
| Magnesium, mg | 20 | 8,8 | 21 |
| Phosphorus, mg | 40 | 12 | 67 |
| Vit PP, mg | 1,31 | 0,76 | 0,55 |
| Vit B1, mg | 0,098 | 0,023 | 0,063 |
| Vit B2, mg | 0,019 | 0,026 | 0,123 |
| Vit B5, mg | 0,51 | 0,11 | 0,616 |
| Vit B6, mg | 0,27 | 0,11 | 0,2 |
| Vit B9, mcg | 9 | 15,2 | 108 |
| Vit A, mcg | - | 4,9 | 77 |
| Vit C, mg | 7,4 | 3,26 | 64,9 |
| Vit E, mg | 0,01 | 0,109 | 1,45 |
| Beta-carotene, mg | 0,002 | 0,029 | 0,929 |
| Iron, mg | 0,31 | 0,39 | 0,67 |
| Zinc, mg | 0,27 | 0,390 | 0,45 |
| Selenium, mg | 0,4 | - | 1,6 |
| Copper, mcg | 167 | 56 | 61 |
| Manganese, mg | 0,14 | 0,186 | 0,19 |
| Iodine, mcg | 5,0-32,0 | - | 15 |
The table shows that potatoes are much more nutritious than zucchini and broccoli, they saturate faster and help especially small children gain weight. But, on the other hand, potatoes should not be introduced into the diet of children with overweight, it is better to replace it with other less high-calorie vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets).
Potatoes lead in the content of carbohydrates, which are represented mainly by starch. Potatoes contain less fat, they lack vitamin A. But they are rich in potassium, which is necessary for of cardio-vascular system, as well as magnesium and B vitamins - necessary for the nervous system. Great content selenium renders beneficial effect on the formation of immunity and the functioning of the thyroid gland.
How to choose potatoes for a baby
For infants, you should carefully approach the choice of potato tubers. It is best if the potatoes are grown in your own garden, as all potatoes sold may contain chemicals and harmful nitrates.
When choosing potatoes for children, pay attention to the following points:
Give preference to fresh harvest.
Medium-sized tubers should be taken.
Potatoes should be without sprouts, firm, evenly colored, without greenery.
Light varieties are preferable to pink, as they are less allergenic.
Potato belongs to the group of allergens medium degree, that is, an allergy to it can be, but this rarely happens. The least allergenic varieties of potatoes with a light brown skin, pink, red and lilac varieties of potatoes are more likely to cause allergies in children.
Note! Green color in potatoes - this is a sign of an increased presence in it dangerous toxin- solanine, which has Negative influence to the nervous system. Such potatoes should not be given to children, and adults should not eat them, as heat treatment does not destroy the toxin. The highest concentration of solanine is found in the peel, so potatoes must be peeled, cutting off a fairly thick edge, and not just peeling off the peel.
How to cook baby potatoes
In order for the potato to become less high-calorie and allergenic, it should be washed, peeled, cut into small pieces and poured cold water for 12 hours, every 2-3 hours you should change the water. Soaking potatoes also helps to remove nitrates and traces of chemical fertilizers from them.
Potatoes are placed in boiling water and the intensity of heating is reduced. Boil potatoes until tender, that is, until they are easily pierced with a fork. Whole potatoes are boiled for about 30 minutes, cut potatoes will be cooked in 15-20 minutes.
When can I have potatoes for babies as complementary foods
Pediatricians do not recommend starting the first complementary foods with potatoes, as they contain a lot of starch. Starch is poorly absorbed in infants, it can lead to increased gas formation, intestinal colic and constipation. Digestive system the child matures by 9-10 months and starch from that moment is completely absorbed by the child's body.
They usually start complementary foods with zucchini or broccoli, and then introduce cauliflower, carrots, pumpkin, beets, white cabbage and then potatoes. Potatoes are first introduced as an additive to the main vegetable puree, they do it somewhere after 6-7 months. For the first time, the baby is given half a teaspoon of crushed boiled potatoes, which are added to the usual vegetable puree and mixed well. Then daily increase the serving by half a teaspoon to a ratio of 50% potatoes to the entire serving. Infants with overweight potatoes should be given no more than 2 times a week.
Mashed potatoes as an independent dish can be given to children from 10 months. As mentioned above, by this time the child begins to develop all digestive enzymes. Some pediatricians recommend giving mashed potatoes infants only after 1 year.
For babies after 10 months daily intake potatoes should not exceed half of the volume of all vegetables, that is, the child should not eat one potato all day, he should also have fresh and stewed vegetables in his menu for the day.
A ten-month-old child can be given not only mashed potatoes, but also whole pieces of boiled potatoes, since the baby has already cut teeth and needs to learn to chew. Closer to 1.5-2 years, the child can be given various dishes from boiled, stewed and baked potatoes. For example, potato casserole, potato pancakes, pancakes, etc.
Attention! Potato chips, french fries and fried potatoes are not products baby food, they are harmful to health, as they contain carcinogens. And it's better not to include them in the menu at all. small child. Potatoes should only be steamed, boiled or stewed.
Baby Mashed Potato Recipes
Mashed potatoes as a single product
Take 1-2 potatoes. Soak the potatoes as above, then boil or steam them in a slow cooker. If you are boiling potatoes, then drop them into boiling water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water, put the potatoes in a blender and blend them with a little boiling water to make a puree consistency. For children under one year old, instead of water in mashed potatoes, you can add expressed breast milk, and for children after a year - boiled cow's milk(if this product is already included in the child's diet and there is no allergy to it).
Mashed potatoes for babies with vegetables
Complementary food for babies 6-8 months.
Take one soaked potato, half a small milk squash, 1/3 of a small carrot. Place all finely chopped food in boiling water and cook until tender (until all ingredients are soft, about 15 minutes). Drain the water and load the vegetables into a blender, or toss all the vegetables into a special strainer through which they need to be rubbed.
Mashed potatoes with meatballs and herbs
Complementary food for children from 9-10 months.
Take 2 potatoes chopped meat(lean beef or turkey) as large as 3 meatballs, a little onion, dill and parsley root. Roll 3 meatballs from minced meat, boil them in water or steam them, do the same with vegetables, you can do it at the same time. Drain the water, chop vegetables and meatballs separately in a blender. If the child chews well, then you can simply suppress the food. You can add a little butter and / or boiled milk to vegetables.
Complementary food for babies 7-9 months.
Take 1 potato and 2 times more broccoli (about 50 g), 1/3 carrot and a little onion. Boil all vegetables in water for about 25-30 minutes. Then drain the broth and grind the cooked foods with a blender or rub through a sieve. Add a little broth to the vegetables in which they were cooked. When the child gets acquainted with the meat, you can add a little minced meat to the broth.
mashed potato soup recipe
Complementary food for children after 10 months.
Take 2 potatoes, 1 leek, half a glass of cow's or breast milk.
Soak potatoes. Rinse the leeks thoroughly and cut into small rings, let them cook a little butter, then add half a glass of water and cover with a lid, when the water boils, add finely chopped potatoes, simmer for 25-30 minutes over low heat. Grind the boiled vegetables together with the broth in a blender and add boiled milk, mix everything thoroughly.
