At around six months of age, infants’ energy and nutritional needs begin to exceed what can be fulfilled solely through breast milk or formula alone (1, 2), prompting complementary foods to be introduced (3). For optimal growth and development, it is crucial that food introduced during this period be: timely (introduced when energy and nutritional requirements are highest); adequate (containing sufficient quantities of nutrients); safe (prepared and stored in an hygienic way); responsive – responding appropriately to signals of hunger/satisfaction from their child); safe; prepared hygienic storage environments and responsively fed according to signals of hunger/satisatiety from child.
Complementary feeding
Children should supplement their diets with complementary foods to meet all their nutritional requirements, filling the gap between their energy requirements and what is provided from breast milk or formula (1,2).
Children should begin eating solid foods around six months, provided breastfeeding continues if possible. A variety of vegetable, fruit, starchy food, protein food and dairy food should be offered; meals should also be prepared with traditional methods without adding unnecessary sugar and salt.
Food should be introduced when energy and nutrient needs begin to exceed that provided by breast milk or formula, provided with enough protein, iron and other micronutrients to meet nutritional requirements and support a diverse diet, prepared using safe cooking techniques with clean hands and utensils used during feedings, and be responsive to signals of hunger and fullness (1).
Complementary foods
Idealy, complementary foods should be introduced at approximately six months old when an infant’s nutritional needs exceed what can be met by breast milk or formula (1). Unfortunately, many babies are introduced to food prior to this recommended age and this can result in nutritional deficiencies and hinder growth and development (2).
Complementary foods should have high energy densities (i.e., more than 0.7 kcal per ml or per gram), contain protein to provide proper nutrition, and be rich in fats as sources of energy and for absorption of certain vitamins like Vitamin A.
Food choices used in complementary feeding can differ depending on culture and local availability; however, for optimal results a balanced diet should include staples that provide protein such as cereals, roots and starchy vegetables; carbohydrates like breadfruit, cassava or banana; fats and oils in various amounts;
Supplements
Dietary supplements are products containing vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients in various forms – capsules, tablets, gels or liquids. People use dietary supplements for many different reasons – increasing energy, improving health and well-being, decreasing disease risks or maintaining or improving mental wellbeing; in addition to taking them to protect themselves against cancer.
Researchers have studied the use of dietary supplements in the US, and discovered it’s connected with several demographic and socioeconomic factors (e.g. sex, age and household income). Dietary supplement users tend to be Caucasian with higher education levels compared with nonusers.
The FDA regulates dietary supplements by reviewing product labels and website information to ensure they do not make claims that would make them drugs (e.g. treat, diagnose, cure or prevent disease). Furthermore, adverse reaction reports from consumers and health care professionals are monitored closely and if a supplement is found dangerous the FDA can work with its maker to bring it into compliance or even withdraw it from market altogether.
