Patient's question:
Doctor, my child is one year old and it's time to wean them, but she won't drink formula. What should I do? I'm so worried. She won't drink any formula, whether it's cheap or expensive. I want to ask what kind of foods she can eat. At one year old, if she won't drink formula, what kind of diet should she have?Doctor's answer:
At 8-10 months, the baby can be fully weaned (from breastfeeding), and the diet is mostly fixed to three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The transition includes moving from porridge to thick rice, from minced meat to small pieces of meat, and from pureed vegetables to chopped vegetables. Around the time the baby is about to turn one, special training can be provided to teach the baby to eat dinner by themselves, and breastfeeding must be completely stopped. If the baby is still exclusively breastfed, they may refuse to drink cow's milk, have poor appetite, and fail to meet the nutritional needs for growth. However, it is still necessary to follow a gradual approach when introducing complementary foods, starting with small amounts and gradually increasing, moving from thin to thick, and from fine to coarse, introducing one new food at a time after the baby is accustomed to the previous one. Complementary foods should be provided when the baby is healthy and their digestive system is functioning normally. If the baby shows any adverse reactions, stop for two days, let them recover, and then continue.After weaning, the daily diet for infants and young children should include approximately 1100-1200 kilocalories of energy, 35-40 grams of protein, as their nutrient requirements are high. Due to their poor absorption capacity, infants and young children should not be given solid foods directly. Instead, new foods should be gradually added to their existing diet, slowly transitioning from liquid and semi-liquid to solid foods. Soft, easily digestible foods should be chosen. For example, breakfast could include cow's milk or soy milk, eggs, or meat buns; lunch could consist of soft rice, fish, and vegetables, plus egg and shrimp skin soup; dinner could include lean meat and vegetable noodles; mid-morning snacks could be fruits like bananas, apple slices, or pear slices; and afternoon snacks could be biscuits or sweetened water. The daily menu should be varied, with multiple rotations and revisions, paying attention to the balance of meat and vegetables to avoid repetitive meals.
Additionally, cooking techniques and methods can also influence the eating habits and appetite of infants and young children. If the food is visually appealing, fragrant, and tasty, it can enhance their appetite, encourage them to eat more, and improve their digestive and elimination functions.
Wishing your baby health and happiness. The above suggestions are for the issue of "a 1.5-year-old child not liking cow's milk." I hope it helps you. Wishing you good health!