COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING

Complementary feeding (weaning) is defined as quot;gradual introduction of semi-solids and solids in baby's diet apart from breast milk, to meet their growing demands, usually at 6 months.” Note that weaning is a complementary process and not the discontinuation of breastfeeding, which should continue as long as possible, preferably till 2 years of age.

[‡] Wheat, the second commonest staple cereal, is deficient in lysine and threonine. Whole grain wheat flour (aata) is more nutritious than white flour (maida), due to loss of vitamin B content during milling.

• Maize ranks third in world cereal consumption. Apart from lysine it is also deficient in trytophan - a niacin precursor, and Pellagra is common in maize-staple population. Some strains of maize also contain excess leucine that interferes with conversion of tryptophan to niacin in body.

Millets are smaller grains, e.g. jowar (sorghum), Bajra (pearl millet), ragi, etc., with caloric and protein value equal to cereals (except ragi). However, millet proteins are deficient in lysine and threonine.

Ragi, a low-cost popular millet provides less proteins (7 gm), but is a very rich source of calcium.

Pulses or Legumes include Grams, e.g. bengal-gram (Chana), green-gram (Moong), red-gram (Arher) and black-gram (Ural) and beans, e.g. soya bean and pea. All grams provide ~350 cal (equal to cereals), apart from proteins, vitamin B complex and minerals. Pulses are very rich sources of proteins (20-25 gm) in vegetarian diet, often termed as poor man's meat.

6.5.3