The difference between stage 3 and stage 4 milk powder

When buying milk powder, you will always find that baby milk powder can be divided into several stages. The difference between stage three and stage four milk powder is the feeding time. The baby eats stage one before six months old, stage two within 18 months, and stage three over three years old. Stage four milk powder can be used at the age of four or five. In addition to milk powder, you should also add complementary foods to your baby so that it will be nutritious.

The nutritional ratios of milk powders of different stages are slightly different. Generally speaking, no matter which brand, stage one is for babies from birth to six months, stage two is for babies from six to eighteen months, and stage three is for babies from one to three years old and above. In addition, generally speaking, children should gradually add various complementary foods from 4 months old, such as rice noodles, fruit puree, vegetable puree, soft noodles, millet porridge, fish soup, minced fish, etc., from simple to complex, step by step. This helps to exercise the child's gastrointestinal function, and is also beneficial to the child's balanced nutrition and healthy growth.

The order of adding various complementary foods

In terms of types: they should be added in the order of "starch (cereals) - vegetables - fruits - animals". Cereals should be added first and iron-containing nutrients (such as rice cereals containing iron for infants) can be added appropriately. Vegetable juice/pure should be added second, followed by fruit juice/pure, and finally animal foods (such as egg custard, fish, poultry, livestock meat puree or meat floss, etc.) should be added.

The recommended order for adding animal food is: egg custard puree, fish puree (remove bones and thorns), whole egg (such as steamed egg custard), minced meat. Be careful not to use egg custard to replace iron-containing baby rice cereal to supplement iron for the baby. Also, do not add meat-containing complementary foods when the baby is less than 6 months old.

In terms of quantity: it should be in order from small to large. At the beginning, just give the baby a try and taste, or try a little after feeding, and gradually increase the amount after the baby adapts.

In terms of texture: add in the following order - liquid first (such as rice paste, vegetable water, fruit juice, etc.), then paste (such as thick rice paste, vegetable puree, meat puree, fish puree, egg yolk, etc.), then solid (such as soft rice, soft noodles, small steamed bread slices, etc.).

In terms of time: it is recommended to add liquid food (such as milk powder, rice paste, vegetable puree, etc.) from 4 months of age. Start adding semi-solid food (such as fruit puree, egg yolk puree, fish puree, etc.) from 6 months of age. At 7 to 9 months of age, you can gradually transition from semi-solid food to chewable soft solid food (noodle porridge, chopped vegetable porridge, etc.). At 1 to 12 months of age, most babies can gradually transition to eating solid foods as the main complementary food.