Baby Foods: 4 to 5 months old

Time to introduce foods other than breast milk. It starts out with gluten-free cereals high in iron.

Milk

Breast milk: Every 2 to 4 hours

Or Infant Formula: 24 to 45 oz

Dairy Milk: None

Time to introduce cereals.

Preferred: Brown Rice, Ragi, Bajra

When the baby can sit up with support, hold head up, and does not push food out with the tongue, baby is ready for cereals.
Cereal is not the primary source of nutrition. The primary source of nutrition is still breast milk or baby formula.
At this age, the baby may have gluten sensitivity. The most suitable grains are Rice, Millet (Ragi, Bajra), Buckwheat (Kuttu). Introduce baby to one of these grain at a time every 4 days.

Commercially available baby rice cereal fortified with iron is most suitable. Use 1 Table spoon of fortified rice cereal with 2 Tablespoons of breast milk or formula.

Homemade cereals

First of all you can NOT fortify cereals with iron at home. Therefore use grains that are high in iron, and low in gluten. Use long-grain Brown Rice, Ragi, Jowar, Bajra, Buckwheat. Ragi, Jowar, Bajra, and Buckwheat have little or no gluten, high calcium and acceptable amount of iron.
Use a food processor to grind grains in to a fine powder. Mix grain powder and plain water, whisk well to get rid of any lumps. Cook till the slurry turns into a thick gravy like consistency. Add one part of breast milk or Infant formula to one part of the prepared cereal gravy.
Don't fry or dry roast the powders before cooking.

Don't add any spices (including salt), sweeteners (sugar, honey, jaggery), fats or oils.

Ragi Cereal Baby (4 months Plus) food Recipe

Rice Cereal Baby (4 months Plus) food Recipe

Children Health | India Baby Foods Guide | Baby Foods Cooking and Recipes

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