Early MPASI Menu and Its Requirements

Complementary Feeding (MPASI) is food given when a baby is 6 months old to support the baby's increasingly complex nutritional needs. The age of 6 months is the ideal age for MPASI to be given. However, in some cases, MPASI is given early. One reason is that the baby's weight is too low and below the normal growth chart.

Requirements for Early MPASI

The standard for providing MPASI worldwide is 6 months. However, there are also some countries that start MPASI at 5 months, one of which is Japan. This is not a problem as long as several requirements for early MPASI are considered. The requirements are as follows.

Consult it first with a pediatrician. Usually, doctors allow early MPASI if the baby has a significantly low weight below the normal growth chart.
The baby is ready to be given MPASI. This can be indicated by a strong neck that can be well controlled.
The baby does not gag and can swallow food that has a thicker texture than breast milk.
The baby is very interested in food.
MPASI should be given with a soft and runny texture. MPASI should also consist of only one type of ingredient.

By knowing the requirements for early MPASI, what are some early MPASI menus that you can prepare?

Early MPASI Menu

The early MPASI menu that you can prepare and is recommended by doctors includes fruits, instant porridge, meat, or cooked rice flour. All these menus can be made in the form of puree or cereal.

Here are some ideas for early MPASI menus that you can prepare.

Fruit puree, for example: apple, banana, mango, avocado.
Vegetable puree, for example: sweet potato, carrot, potato, green beans, pumpkin, broccoli.
Meat puree, for example: chicken or beef.
Cereal that has been fortified with iron.
Plain yogurt in small amounts.

How to Make Early MPASI Banana Puree

Making early MPASI is quite easy. The ingredients you need to prepare are 1 small banana, water, breast milk. You can also replace breast milk with formula milk.

Once the ingredients are gathered, the first step is to peel the banana and cut it into small pieces. Then mash the banana using a fork or spoon. It is easier if you use a blender.

After the banana is soft, add breast milk or formula milk and water. Then stir until well mixed. The composition of water or breast milk can be adjusted according to the baby's age. At the beginning, make the texture a bit runny so that the baby can digest it more easily.

Serve the banana puree and give it to the baby while it's fresh.

How to Make Early MPASI Meat Puree

You can combine the early MPASI menu with other puree menus. One of them is meat puree.

Prepare a small amount of meat, about 50 grams. Wash the meat and chop it into small pieces. Cook the meat until done. You can cook it with a slow cooker or a regular pot.

Once the meat is cooked, blend the meat until smooth. Add a little broth, water, and expressed breast milk. Mix until well combined. You can adjust the thickness of the puree by adjusting the amount of water or expressed breast milk.

Complete Early MPASI Menu

Current information for early MPASI can use a complete menu. You can mix meat, vegetables, and mashed rice to give to the baby. The reason for providing this complete menu is so that the baby can obtain various nutrients such as protein, vitamins, fats, and others in one serving of MPASI.