Starting at 6 months of age, babies can be ready to start complementary feeding. As a general rule, we tend to have doubts about when to introduce each type of food.
Next, we will see when is the optimal time to offer fish to the baby.
Fish is a highly recommended staple food. From the nutritional point of view, it provides omega-3 fatty acids, proteins of high biological value and fat-soluble vitamins.
If we go to official bodies such as the Spanish Association of Pediatrics or the recent infant feeding guide in early childhood published by the Generalitat de Catalunya, lThe introduction of fish in the baby's diet should start between 6 and 12 months of age.
At first, the baby may only accept a very small amount or may not even like it. As with other foods, it is important do not force or be too insistent. Luckily, we can choose from a wide variety of fish to test which is our baby's favorite.
The fish that we offer to the child can be fresh or frozen. We can choose between white fish and blue fish. We must bear in mind that the latter has a higher contribution of fatty acids and proteins than white fish.
The fish must be well cooked. It can be cooked, steamed, in papillote, in the oven ... We can present it in porridge or if our baby prefers, crumbled and without bones.
We can adapt the recipes that we use for adults to babies, seasoning at the end, once we have set aside the ration for the baby.
It is important that children, pregnant and lactating women restrict or directly avoid the consumption of certain fish and crustaceans due to the content of heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium as recommended by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition.