Weaning

Weaning is an important stage in a baby's growth, the time when a variety of foods are gradually introduced to complement breast milk, allowing babies to explore new flavours and textures and meet their growing nutritional needs. For this reason, weaning is also known as complementary feeding. 

 

Weaning is a process that requires an unfazed and flexible approach, catching the signals your baby gives you and always respecting their timing. Consult your paediatrician for personalised support in managing your baby's nutritional needs during the first two years of life.   

A balanced diet

The Mediterranean diet is the best choice for weaning. It is based on a varied, balanced diet rich in essential nutrients and helps promote the growth and development of babies.

Within the first 7-8 months, it is advisable to introduce all allergenic foods, such as nuts, eggs, cow's milk, fish, tomatoes and wheat. This transition, which should be gradual and respect the baby's natural rhythm, will help reduce the risk of the child developing allergies in adulthood.
The baby must have developed the neuromotor, digestive-metabolic, immune and renal functions necessary to consume a variety of foods. Introducing different flavours helps them develop a positive relationship with food and build healthy eating habits that will stay with them over time.
Initially, you can offer cereal-based baby foods, such as rice, corn and oats, as well as pureed vegetables and small amounts of protein like white meat, well-cooked and pureed legumes, and boneless fish. 

Fruit can be offered either pureed or grated. 

Most importantly, avoid salt and limit the use of added sugars.

After the first year, it is important for infants to acquire good eating habits. So, never skip breakfast, share at least one meal with the whole family and eat five meals a day. These habits contribute, to varying degrees, to the prevention of obesity in adolescence, a more varied and healthy diet, and ultimately better hunger regulation.  

The introduction of cow's milk deserves special attention for nutritional and health reasons. As it is particularly low in iron content, its early introduction can interfere with the absorption of this mineral nutrient from other foods; in addition, its high protein and mineral content can overload the baby’s kidneys.

 

Early introduction may increase the risk of allergic reactions and intolerances, where there is a predisposition. Excessive consumption of milk and dairy products is also associated with an increased risk of obesity. 

 

That said, by following the correct weaning schedule, cow's milk can be gradually introduced as part of a balanced diet, provided that a variety of iron-rich foods, such as meat, legumes and green leafy vegetables, are also consumed.   

The recommendation is to limit the intake of fresh whole cow's milk (not skimmed or semi-skimmed) to about 500 ml per day after the first year of life, or the equivalent of two cups. This prevents it from replacing other important sources of protein, such as meat, fish and eggs.

 

If the baby continues breastfeed after the first year, cow's milk can be introduced in limited quantities or avoided altogether, depending on family preferences and nutritional needs.