Can a one-year-old child eat pork? When can you feed your baby pork?
Infants begin to be given meat as complementary foods at eight months. The first meat dishes for the baby are pureed or chopped boiled chicken, turkey and rabbit. Pork is a fattier and harder to digest product. Therefore, it is not recommended to introduce this type of meat to a child’s complementary foods too early. In this article we will look at the age at which pork can be given to children. And we’ll learn several recipes for delicious and healthy children’s dishes made from this type of meat.
Specifics and beneficial properties of pork
Pork is easily digestible and has a pleasant taste and aroma. It contains a large amount of B vitamins and contains more protein than chicken, beef or turkey. At the same time, stewed or boiled pork is faster to cook and easier to chew than cow meat. And when baked, the meat turns out especially juicy due to the fatty layers.
Pork has the following beneficial properties:
- Saturates the body with protein, important vitamins and elements, which ensures proper development and full growth of the child;
- Strengthens bones and muscles, has a positive effect on the condition of nails, skin and hair;
- Gives strength and energy, helps fight bad mood and stress;
- Strengthens the immune system. Restores the body after illnesses and operations;
- Positively affects intellectual development, stimulates memory, attentiveness and brain function, increases performance;
- Improves the functioning of the heart and maintains normal hematopoiesis, indicated for anemia;
- Restores cells and accelerates healing of the skin;
- Useful for children who experience severe physical exercise;
- Low-fat, low-calorie pork improves metabolism and controls weight, helping to get rid of extra pounds;
- Improves lactation in a nursing mother and normalizes hormonal background women after childbirth;
- Increases hemoglobin, helps with migraines, headaches and dizziness.
Note that pork is less likely to cause allergic reaction than beef or chicken. It will help diversify your diet if you have food allergies to cow protein and chicken. Pork is useful in the diet for breastfeeding. It has a beneficial effect on milk production and helps the body recover faster after pregnancy and childbirth. For more information on when to introduce pork into the diet of a nursing mother, see.
Harm from pork
First of all, we note that pork is quite fatty meat. In addition, it contains a thick layer of subcutaneous fat with high level lipids and cholesterol. Such meat is difficult and takes a long time to digest in the infant’s still fragile digestion, which can cause indigestion, discomfort, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
Pork contains a large amount of growth hormone, so when this product is abused, various inflammatory processes and tumors occur. Meat has a negative effect on the liver and kidneys. It is especially dangerous for a newborn, who may experience diarrhea, severe colic and flatulence. Therefore, it is not recommended for a nursing mother to eat pork in the first 1-2 months of lactation.
Meat contains histamine, an excess of which causes skin diseases and dermatological problems, disruptions in the functioning of the gallbladder and allergic reactions. Pig lung tissue, which is included in the recipe for sausages, wieners and frankfurters, is a good breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.
Pork should not be eaten if you have kidney pathologies, digestive diseases, low stomach acidity, or individual intolerance (allergies).
Abuse of pork meat leads to increased cholesterol levels and the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, obesity and atherosclerosis, and problems with the kidneys and liver.
Low-quality pork meat is especially dangerous, as it causes severe intoxication or infection in the body. Therefore, it is important to choose a high-quality and fresh product. In addition, it is not recommended to prepare fried foods, which are difficult and take a long time to digest, and also negatively affect digestion. Next, we’ll find out in more detail when you can give pork to your child.
When can you give your child pork?
Many pediatricians do not recommend giving pork to a child under one year of age. But you can introduce babies to the product as early as 9-10 months. It is important that the baby’s diet already includes poultry and some other types of meat, including rabbit, chicken and turkey.
For the first test, boil a piece of lean pork for twenty minutes and then grind to a puree consistency. It is advisable to prepare dishes for children under one year old without salt and pepper. Any spices are prohibited. For the first time, give your baby a teaspoon of meat puree and observe the child’s reaction.
If your baby is sick with pork, remove the product from the diet and consult a doctor. If the baby reacts normally to food, you can cook and serve pork dishes for children once or twice a week. First, it should be chopped food, boiled or stewed. Suitable dishes for kids include meat purees, puddings and soufflés.
In one year you can prepare soups with small meatballs and goulash for your baby; after 1.5-2 years, give children zrazy and meatballs, cutlets. Do not give fried and fatty pork soup with meat broth to children under two or three years of age! And now we offer recipes that will tell you what and how to cook pork for your child.
Pork recipes for little ones
Meat pudding
- Pork – 100 grams;
- Milk – 1/2 cup;
- White bread – 50 grams;
- Chicken egg yolk – 1 piece;
- Chicken egg white – 1 piece.
An excellent recipe for children aged 11-12 months. To prepare, boil the meat and grind in a meat grinder or blender. The bread is soaked in milk and added to the meat mass along with the yolk. Lightly salt and mix thoroughly. The mixture turns out semi-liquid. Beat the egg white and add it to the mixture, mix and place in the mold. The pudding is baked until done at 180 degrees.
Lazy cabbage rolls in the oven
- Carrots – 1 piece;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- White cabbage – 400 grams;
- Minced pork – 400 grams;
- Rice – 50 grams;
- Tomatoes – 1 piece;
- Sour cream – 100 grams;
- Chicken egg – 2 pieces.
Chop the onion and grate the carrots. To make the minced meat soft and tender, you can mince the cabbage along with the meat. Or finely chop the latter. Stew carrots and onions for five minutes in a small amount of water. Mix the ingredients, add rice and break the eggs, lightly salt.
Leave the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour, then make small cutlets and place on a baking sheet. Peel the tomato and grind in a meat grinder, mix with sour cream and add a glass of warm boiled water. Pour the resulting sauce over the cabbage rolls and bake at 180-200 degrees for forty minutes.
Meatballs with cheese
- Pork and beef – 300 grams each;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Cream 20% - two tablespoons;
- Hard cheese – 80 grams;
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Pass the beef and pork through a meat grinder and mix. Peel and chop the onion, mix with minced meat, add salt and pepper. Beat the resulting mass. Grate the cheese coarsely and add to the minced meat. Stir the mixture until smooth. Form identical balls from the mixture. Pour two tablespoons of cream into a baking container and place the meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees. Meatballs go well with porridge or vegetable puree.
Zrazy for a couple
- Pork – 400 grams;
- Carrots – 1 piece;
- White bread – 1 slice;
- Milk – 1/2 cup;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Chicken egg – 3 pieces.
Mince the pork, add an egg and a little salt. Soak the bread in milk, then add to the mixture. Place the chopped onion there. Boil the carrots and the two remaining eggs separately, chop and mix into the filling. Form the minced meat into flat cakes, place the carrot and egg filling into them and join the edges together.
Cook the zrazy in a double boiler or in a water bath for forty minutes. Serve the dish with vegetables, seasoned with sour cream. You will find even more recipes for children 1.5-2 years old at the link /.
Pork recipes for children over three years old
Pork stew with vegetables
- Pork – 400 grams;
- Zucchini – 1 piece;
- Carrots – 1 piece;
- Potatoes – 3 pieces;
- White cabbage – 200 grams;
- Tomatoes – 200 grams;
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Pour water into a frying pan with thick and high walls. Cut the meat into small pieces and add to heated water. Prepare vegetables, cut potatoes and carrots, add to pork. Chop the cabbage and also add to the pan. Cover with a lid and simmer for seven minutes. Cut the zucchini, peel and chop the tomatoes. Place the remaining vegetables in the pan, add salt and pepper, stir and simmer for another forty minutes.
Meat loaf
- Lean pork – 0.5 kg;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Carrots – 1 piece;
- Chicken egg – 1 piece;
- Black bread – 2 slices;
- Hard cheese – 100 grams;
- Breadcrumbs - 1 table. spoon;
- Parsley and dill - one bunch each;
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Remove the crust from the bread and soak in water or milk. Peel the vegetables and cut into large pieces. Coarsely chop the greens. Meat and soaked bread, onions and carrots, greens are passed together through a meat grinder. Break the egg into the resulting minced meat, add salt and pepper to the mixture, and stir.
Grease the baking tray olive oil and spread the resulting mass tightly. Level the surface and bake for forty minutes at 200 degrees. Coarsely grate the cheese and sprinkle the dish on top, then bake for another ten minutes. Remove the finished bread and cover with a towel until completely dry.
Ready bread with cheese crust cut into slices. This dish can be used as a hearty casserole if you add herbs and vegetables. In addition, it is great for making sandwiches for your child for breakfast.
Roast pork
- Pork – 200 grams;
- Carrots – 1 large piece;
- Salt to taste.
Rinse and clean a piece of meat, remove tendons and excess fat. Cut the carrots into strips. Make slits in the meat and fill them with carrots. Rub the top of the piece with salt and wrap it tightly in foil or use a baking bag. The dish is cooked for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 degrees. Cooked meat goes well with fresh vegetables or vegetable puree.
Meat cutlets with cottage cheese
- Pork – 200 grams;
- Beef – 300 grams;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Chicken egg – 2 pieces;
- Semolina – 4 tablespoons;
- Cottage cheese – 150 grams;
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Grind both types of meat in a meat grinder and mix. and mix one egg in a separate container, add salt and pepper. Mix the minced meat with the curd mass, finely chop the onion and also add to the mixture. Mix the ingredients until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Form cutlets into the desired shape, roll in semolina and a second egg. Fry the pieces until cooked on both sides.
Pork goulash for children
- Pork – 0.5 kg;
- Flour – 1 tablespoon;
- Sour cream - 1 table. spoon;
- Carrots – 1 piece;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Tomato paste – 1 teaspoon. spoon;
- Salt to taste.
Cut the meat into small pieces, chop the onion and grate the carrots. Place the ingredients in a frying pan, add a little boiling water and vegetable oil. Simmer for about an hour until tender, adding water periodically. Ten minutes before readiness, add salt, you can add a bay leaf or a couple of allspice peas.
Mix separately tomato paste, sour cream and flour. Mix the ingredients until smooth and, while mixing the meat with vegetables, pour in the prepared mixture. Simmer for five to ten minutes, and pork goulash for children. Instead of pork, you can use chicken or.
Intensive complementary feeding, in addition to mother's milk, begins in infants from the seventh month after birth. Already in the eighth month, nutritionists not only allow, but also recommend introducing meat products, as a rule, meat, crushed in the form of puree and always together with pureed vegetables that the baby has already mastered.
Meat is a valuable source of animal protein and minerals (potassium, iron, phosphorus). Many parents prefer to start feeding their baby with the most “dietary” and tender turkey meat. In any case, each “type” of meat must be tasted separately, starting with ½ teaspoon of meat puree. After all, meat, like any new product for a child, can cause allergic reactions. Over time, the baby’s diet can be enriched with lean veal or beef, pork (also not fatty, but lean). A decent variety of meat menu can be provided by rabbit or chicken meat, as well as tongue. The characteristics and traditions of individual regions make it possible to add meat ingredients such as horse meat and venison to the diet.
Some parents are wary of introducing pork into their child's diet, preferring beef or chicken. However, it should be remembered that veal and chicken, when included in a children's menu, also require caution. It is better not to give veal to a child who has a clear intolerance to cow's milk. Poultry meat, in some cases, also provokes an allergic reaction in children. In such cases, it is recommended to include pork in a child’s meat diet from the age of eight months.
There is an opinion that pork itself contains a lot of histamines, which can cause an allergic reaction in young children. This statement is true, perhaps, only in relation to fatty meat. If parents suspect an allergy, the introduction of pork into the baby’s menu can be postponed for a while. Tender pig meat in small quantities can be given little by little from the age of 10 months.
In any case, you should not completely give up meat, because unreasonable vegetarianism in baby food entails disturbances in the development of the child’s entire body. In the most serious cases, the consequence of refusal meat food there is underdevelopment of the brain with the risk of progressive dementia. In this regard, the opinion that a child can get absolutely everything necessary for growth and development from cereals, nuts, soybeans, seeds and vegetables is not entirely justified, and meat should be neglected, since it is just a more accessible and cheaper food. substitute.
By the age of eight months, the baby’s gastrointestinal tract is already ready to cope with the digestion of meat; this is facilitated by the preparatory period of one and a half months of complementary feeding with other dishes that are new to the baby.
Children with low hemoglobin levels or signs of rickets should be introduced to meat earlier than expected. Due to special medical indications, meat is recommended to be introduced into complementary foods from 6 months. Infants transferred to artificial feeding also make up for the lack of nutrients if meat is gradually introduced into their diet.
Recently, debates about the benefits of pork have become increasingly fierce. Muslims and Jews are especially vehemently opposed to eating this type of meat. We suggest putting aside religious prejudices and assessing whether this product is useful for children, at what age it is permissible to give it to children, and whether it is worth abandoning it.
How is pork different from other types of meat?
On forums and blogs it is often recommended not to give children pork until they reach the age of 1, two or even three years - there are very different opinions. Maybe it's poorly digested? No, in this parameter it is second only to lamb; moreover, it is pork fat that is considered more beneficial for the body than beef fat. There are other differences:
- pork contains more B vitamins than beef and lamb;
- the meat is softer and more pleasant to the taste - it is easier to chew, including for babies;
- Pork cooks faster;
- the meat contains layers of fat, which makes it juicy - this property is called marbling;
- In terms of protein content, pork is significantly superior to chicken, turkey, and beef.
Pork promotes growth muscle mass, which is why it is recommended to be eaten by children who experience daily physical activity, in particular, those involved in sports clubs.
What are the benefits of pork?
The positive properties of pork are due to the substances it contains. Let's look at the most important of them:
- B vitamins, including: thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic, folic and pantothenic acid, cyanocobalamin. All of them are extremely useful and are of great importance for the proper development of the child. Also, B vitamins have a positive effect on the child’s nervous system, prevent anemia, and increase immunity.
- Magnesium - good for of cardio-vascular system, helps with stressful situations, promotes the absorption of vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium and sodium.
- Potassium - normalizes acid-base balance, activates intellectual activity, useful for skeletal muscles, ensures sufficient oxygen supply to the brain.
- Calcium - this element is found mainly in bones and teeth, but it is useful and important not only for this reason, it has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.
- Copper - ensures the synthesis of red blood cells and leukocytes, is part of collagen (connective tissue), improves immunity, and promotes the absorption of iron.
Pork also contains zinc, iodine, iron and many others. useful material, including arachidonic acid, which helps in stressful situations; another positive property is that it activates cell regeneration. Contrary to established stereotypes, pork does not increase cholesterol, but helps lower it; in addition, its consumption has a positive effect on the condition of blood vessels and the heart.
Tender pork meat is easily digestible and is beneficial for digestive system, in particular, for the stomach and intestines. In addition, pork contains linoleic and oleic acids - from the category of unsaturated fatty acids, they are the most important and healthy. The pleasant taste of pork meat is due to its lower content connective tissue. If in beef the fibers are hard and difficult to cook, in pork they are softer and evenly distributed.
Video recipe for the occasion:
Pork liver is especially beneficial for children. True, before cooking it must be soaked in milk to get rid of the specific bitterness. The by-product contains a significant amount of vitamin A and choline - it is this that promotes cell restoration, makes their membranes stronger, and also provides an anti-stress effect. Pork is recommended for people with high acidity of gastric juice.
Introducing pork into the diet of children
Parents express the most concerns about their children’s consumption of pork, even going so far as to declare it almost one of the most harmful products. Pediatricians treat it much more calmly and even allow the consumption of this type of meat from 8-10 months. Let us add to this that it is still better to introduce pork into a child’s diet after turkey or veal meat.
Sooner or later? Today, the policy of official medicine is clear - at least until six months it is advisable to feed the baby exclusively. mother's milk. However, in some cases it is worth deviating from this recommendation, for example, if the baby has iron deficiency anemia. Expanding the menu to include meat and some other products will make food more valuable, which means it will be possible to improve the situation.
Which pork is healthier? homemade or industrial? In many cases, factory products are perceived better by the child: due to their homogeneity, as well as composition - most often such purees contain no more than 15% meat, which means there is less load on the gastrointestinal tract. If parents raise pork themselves, they should be given their own product - in this case, they can be confident that it is absolutely pure, and no hormones or antibiotic injections were used to obtain it.
For the first time, 5 g of pork puree will be enough for the baby. Within a week, this norm is brought up to 30-40 g. Of course, if the baby does not develop hives, itching, red spots or other manifestations of allergies. If you have any doubts, it is better to run for advice not to a forum where parents like you have gathered, but to a pediatrician, because he knows the characteristics of your child’s body and will be able to accurately answer whether he can be given pork.
Pork dishes for children
Traditionally, we offer you a small selection of pork recipes. Please note that we recommend mainly stewed and baked meats, but not fried ones.
Meatballs in mushroom sauce
Ingredients: 150 g each of lean pork and beef, 1/4 cup boiled barley, salt to taste, a small head onions, 1 egg. For the sauce you will need: 1 table. spoon of milk and flour, 30 g butter, a pinch of salt, 50 g of champignons.
Preparation. Wash the meat, cut into small pieces, grind through a meat grinder along with the onion. Add boiled pearl barley, salt and egg to the minced meat. Mix thoroughly, then form the meatballs and place them in a baking dish - it must first be greased with vegetable oil.
Melt the butter, mix with milk and flour, add a pinch of salt, stir, then add finely chopped champignons to the mixture. Pour the resulting sauce over the meatballs, then put them in the oven and bake until done. Before serving, decorate with herbs.
Pork pudding
Ingredients: 100 g lean pork, 125 ml milk, 50 g white bread, 1 egg, pinch of salt.
Boil the meat (you can remove it from the soup) and grind it through a meat grinder 2 times; process the white bread in the same way. Add the yolk and mix everything thoroughly. Add a little milk to the finished mass so that it has a consistency similar to semi-liquid porridge. Beat the egg white in a separate bowl, then add to the pudding and mix gently. Place the dish in the molds and bake until done.
Roast pork
Ingredients: 200 g pork, 100 g carrots, salt to taste.
Clean the meat from tendons and fat, cut the carrots into strips, stuff the meat with it, and then rub it with salt. If your child is neutral towards garlic, you can insert a few cloves into the dish - they will give a pleasant aroma. Wrap pork in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Best served with vegetables.
There are many opinions and prejudices about pork. Religious faiths such as Judaism and Islam oppose it, considering it dirty food, unfit for human consumption. Also, many doctors, due to some features of this type of meat, recommend not introducing it into the diet of young children. Let's figure out whether this product is good for children, at what age can you give your child pork or should you stop eating it altogether.
Pork is one of the most popular types of meat in the world. It is included in many dishes of various national cuisines. It is pre-heat treated and consumed boiled, stewed and fried.
Pork has the following features:
- Compared to other types of meat, pork cooks faster;
- It contains a large number of layers of fat, which makes the meat after cooking juicy and easy to chew;
- It is superior to many types of meat in terms of protein and vitamin C content;
- Has soft fibers distributed evenly.
Harm and benefits of pork meat
Due to its high protein content, pork promotes good muscle building. Therefore, it is recommended to include it in the diet of children who are actively involved in sports and experience a large amount of physical activity.
Pork has other beneficial properties, among them:
- High content of B vitamins and beneficial chemical elements: calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, iodine and zinc;
- The presence of arachidonic acid, which helps improve cell regeneration and relieve stress;
- Content of unsaturated fatty acids;
- Content of substances that help improve brain activity;
- Thanks to great content zinc and potassium, regular consumption of pork helps strengthen bone tissue.
For human body Pork liver is especially useful, containing a large amount of vitamin A. Before heat treatment, it is recommended to keep it in fresh milk for several hours: it will become juicier and softer.
Along with beneficial properties, pork has a number of negative ones, namely:
Pork is not recommended for children under 1 year of age. Since meat is quite heavy for the still fragile stomach and intestines, it can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract. When the baby turns one year old, you should also wait to introduce this product, as it can cause allergic reactions on the child’s skin.
Pork is fatty product, with high energy value. Therefore, it will be difficult for the child. In addition, it contains an excess of histamines, which cause allergies in children. Only after the developing organism is strong enough can you give your baby meat. Most often this occurs no earlier than three years of age. By this age, the child’s body is fully prepared to consume new foods.
Pork should be introduced into a child’s diet carefully and slowly. It is recommended to start with lean meat. It is best to do this after the baby gets used to other, lighter and more dietary types of meat (turkey, chicken, etc.). For the first dose, 5 g of product is enough. Gradually this dose should be increased to 30 g per week. In this case, you need to monitor the baby’s reaction. At the first appearance of an allergy (hives, skin rash, itching, etc.), you should immediately stop using this product and visit your pediatrician.
Pork dishes for kids
For children aged 1 year and older, you can prepare the following pork dishes:
- Stewed pork with carrots (should be included in the diet of children over three years of age).
- Zrazy with boiled egg steamed (from 2 years old).
- Meatballs baked in the oven (from 2 years old).
- Lean pork pudding (from 1 year).
- Soup made with pork broth (approved product for children over 1 year old)
Popular dishes such as pork goulash, meat pies, pan-fried pork tenderloin with vegetables and cutlets should be given to children over the age of three.
Let's look at a few popular dishes and recipes for their preparation. It should be taken into account that these dishes can be given to small children at least 1 year old.
Pudding
Very tender and tasty food, suitable for consumption by children in infancy. To prepare it you will need the following products:
- 100 g meat;
- 100 ml milk;
- 50 g white bread;
- one chicken egg yolk.
Step-by-step cooking instructions:
- The meat should be ground until smooth using a blender or meat grinder.
- Soften the bread in milk.
- Add the resulting bread mass to the chopped meat and beat everything with a blender.
- Add the egg and stir well.
- Place the entire mixture in a mold and bake in the oven until done.
Pork broth soup with vegetables
Pork broth soup with vegetables can be prepared quickly and easily. To do this, you must first cook the meat broth (pork tenderloin will do: about 100 g). Then add finely chopped potatoes (2-3 medium-sized pieces), carrots and tomatoes (1 piece each). small size), add salt to taste and let it brew for a while.
Beneficial properties of pork liver
One of healthy products for children is pork liver. It contains a large amount nutrients and elements. You can prepare many healthy and tasty dishes from pork liver, recommended for consumption by small children under 2 years of age. Before cooking, it is recommended to immerse the liver in milk overnight. This will not only get rid of bitterness, but will also make the liver soft and juicy.
It is best to simmer the liver for children over low heat, adding a small amount of spices and water. You can serve it with mashed potatoes and stewed vegetables.
Contraindications
Pork should not be consumed in the following cases:
- At overweight, since meat itself is fatty and high in calories.
- Gastrointestinal diseases.
- Diseases resulting from low stomach acidity.
- Pathologies of the kidneys and gall bladder.
- Tendencies to allergies.
So, we looked at the age at which pork can be given to children. To avoid allergies and gastrointestinal problems, it is better to introduce this product into the diet of a child over three years of age.
After getting acquainted with vegetable dishes, cereals and fruits, it’s time to include meat in the children’s diet. It is recommended to start complementary meat feeding with rabbit or turkey. But is it possible to give pork to babies?
This type of meat is considered by many mothers to be too fatty and difficult to digest. However, it can be introduced into a child’s diet if you know when to start complementary feeding with pork, how long to cook such meat and what to prepare from it for the children’s menu.
Benefit
- From lean pork, the child will receive healthy proteins, which contain all the amino acids children need for full growth.
- Pork meat is a source of all B vitamins. These compounds are important for development nervous system, immune function, prevention of anemia and other processes in the children's body.
- Among the minerals that pork is rich in are especially high in magnesium, potassium, copper and calcium. Thanks to this composition, eating pork meat has a positive effect on intellectual activity, heart function, bone health and hematopoiesis.
- Since pork meat contains quite a lot of iron, iodine, zinc and arachidonic acid, this product is useful for stress and stimulates regeneration processes.
- Among the fats that are present in pork, there is especially a lot of oleic and linoleic acids, which are important for the normal functioning of the child’s body and are part of cell membranes.
- Eating pork stimulates muscle growth, Therefore, this type of meat is recommended for children who attend sports clubs and experience significant physical activity.
- Pork dishes will help diversify the diet of a child with milk intolerance(it also provokes beef intolerance), as well as allergies to chicken.
Differences from other types of meat
Pork is digestible no worse than any other meat and has a pleasant taste.
It also has the following features:
- Pork meat contains more B vitamins than beef.
- Pork tenderloin contains more protein than chicken, beef and turkey.
- Due to the lower content of connective tissue, this type of meat cooks faster, and cooked or stewed pork is easier to chew.
- Thanks to the fatty layers, pork meat remains juicy during baking.
Harm from pork
Some children develop allergies as a result of eating pork. This is one of the main reasons why you cannot start complementary meat feeding with such a product, and pork should be introduced into the children's menu with extreme caution.
Fatty pork especially often provokes an allergic reaction, so only lean parts are used for baby food.
It should also be remembered that fried pork dishes are contraindicated for children under at least 3 years of age. Barbecue and other excessively fatty dishes made from such meat should not be included in the menu of young children. Failure to follow these recommendations can lead to problems in the digestive tract and other ailments.
At what age should it be given?
Nowadays, doctors, including Dr. Komarovsky, do not recommend giving breastfed babies any foods before six months of age. If the baby is already six months old, the child’s menu becomes more varied. Meat appears in it from 8 months of age.
Some mothers and doctors do not recommend introducing pork, even lean pork, into children's diets until the age of 1 year or even 2-3 years. However, babies can be introduced to lean pork meat as early as 8-10 months of age. However, it is recommended to do this after the baby has tried and gotten used to such less allergenic options for complementary meat feeding as rabbit, turkey and veal.
The most preferable option for pork for a small child is ready-made canned food intended for baby food. Their advantages are proven quality and good grinding. If the mother is confident in the quality of fresh pork, she can boil it for the child for 20-25 minutes and prepare meat puree.
The first portion of such a dish should not exceed a teaspoon. After treating your baby to pork in the first half of the day, you need to carefully monitor the baby’s condition. If any ailments or signs of allergy appear, the introduction of pork into the diet should be stopped. If the baby tolerates pork puree well, its portion is gradually increased to the age-appropriate norm of a meat dish per day.
Calculate your complementary feeding table
What to cook with pork for children
When the child tastes meat puree made from lean pork and does not have any symptoms of intolerance, the mother can look at other recipes in which pork is one of the ingredients. Prepared for children under 1.5 years old delicious dishes that are easy to chew, such as puddings or meat soufflés. These lean pork dishes are especially tender in the slow cooker.
For a child over one year old, you can offer meatball soup, steamed meatballs and pieces of boiled pork to stimulate chewing. Pork meatballs or oven-baked cutlets can be served with gravy or some kind of sauce. Pork dishes such as goulash, casserole, pies, zrazy or rolls are included in the menu for children over 3 years old.
You can cook pork for your child using one of these recipes:
Baked lazy cabbage rolls (from 1 year)
Finely chop the peeled onion and grate a medium carrot on a fine grater. Simmer the carrots and onions in a small amount of water or broth for about 5 minutes. Finely chop 400 g of white cabbage, mix with 400 g of minced meat made from lean pork (you can twist the cabbage together with the meat, then the minced meat will be more tender). Add carrots and onions, 50 g of rice, 2 chicken eggs and a pinch of salt. Mix everything thoroughly and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Form cutlets from the cooled mass and place in a deep heat-resistant container. Grind one peeled tomato in a meat grinder, add 2 tablespoons of low-fat natural yogurt (for children 1 year old) or sour cream (for children over 2 years old) and 200 ml of warm water. Pour the resulting liquid over the cabbage rolls and bake for 40 minutes.
Pudding (from 1 year)
Boil 100 g of pork meat and grind with a meat grinder until smooth. Add white bread (about 50 g) soaked in 100 ml of milk and the yolk of a chicken egg. Add salt to taste and stir. The mass should be semi-liquid. Add the beaten egg white into it and mix gently. Pour the mixture into a mold and place in a preheated oven. Bake until done.
Steamed zrazy with egg and carrots (from 1.5 years)
Make minced meat from 400 g of lean pork, add one egg, a little salt and bread crumb soaked in milk, as well as finely grated onion. Prepare the filling from one boiled carrot and two hard-boiled eggs. After cleaning these ingredients, chop finely, mix and add a little salt. Form the minced meat into flat cakes, place the egg-carrot mixture on them and join the edges to form a patty shape. Steam the zrazy for 40 minutes, serve with low-fat sour cream and any vegetables.
“Hedgehogs” in a slow cooker (from 1.5 years)
Pass 500 g of lean pork through a fine grinder twice. Peel and finely chop one onion. Mix minced meat, onion, a glass of washed rice and 1 egg, salt. Form small balls from the resulting mass, place them in the multicooker container, pour water into the device and select the “steam” function. A sound signal will notify you that the dish is ready. Serve the hedgehogs with vegetables or gravy.
Baked pork with carrots (from 3 years old)
Rinse and trim 200 g of pork from tendons, removing excess fat if necessary. Cut large carrots into strips and, making cuts in the meat, stuff the carrots into the pork. Rub the top of the meat with salt, place it in foil and wrap tightly. You can also use a baking bag. Cook the dish in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Serve with vegetable side dish.
You will learn more about pork by watching the program “Live Healthy.”
Find out if your baby's weight is normal by using the following calculator.
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