Food For Your Healing

Whether you are waiting for your first bundle of joy to make an appearance into the world or are due to have your second, third or fourth, getting the best food for babies that your baby needs to grow healthily is important from the start.

Of course, it used to be the case that babies were fed solid food from before the age of 4 months and many “old school” mothers and grandmothers will tell you that this is okay.

Current guidelines, however, indicate that a baby should not start complementing breast milk (or formula milk) with solid foods until they are over the age of 4 months, and the nearer to 6 months old the better.

There are several reasons for this, the main two being that their digestive systems are not yet fully developed and that they may take less milk if solids are introduced too early (and babies need that milk for the first crucial months of their lives to get the nutrients they need to be healthy and develop fully).

So, once your baby is at the age when you can introduce solid foods, where do you start? What is the best food for babies?

The first foods that baby should be introduced to should be easily digestible and are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Of course, as there are no teeth to chew food at this tender age, it also means that the food needs to be as mushy as possible.

Iron-fortified Baby Rice Cereal

The best food for babies can be greatly varied and one of the staples for many new mothers and fathers to try out is baby rice cereal.  Rice is a great first food for babies due to the fact that it is easily digestible, is often fortified with Iron (look out for this on the label) and can be mixed with various other healthy ingredients to liven it up a bit and add a bit of flavor.

You can buy baby rice premade from baby companies such as Gerber, it just needs taking out of the packet and mixed together with water or milk.

But with this option you have to be aware that there may be ingredients added that are not so good for your young one such as salt and sugar. If possible, try to find a manufactured product that has no added sugar or salt, or is at least of the low sodium/low sugar variety.

You can use ingredients such as mashed up bananas or pureed apples to the baby rice to add a bit of variety to a meal.  The greatest advantage to spicing up the flavor of baby rice with healthy foods like these is that you get your child started eating healthy when they are still in the baby stage of life.  They will therefore be less likely to become fussy, picky eaters!

Avocadoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Spinach and Bananas

Fruit and vegetables are, of course, a very healthy option to feed your baby and it is really easy to add them into their diet to make sure that they get all of the minerals, vitamins and nutrients that they need in order to grow and develop.

With younger babies (those who have just started weaning and have no teeth) you only need ensure that the fruits are as mushy as possible, so that they can swallow it. In the case of veggies (and some fruits), it is also best to cook them first as opposed to raw, so that they are truly malleable for the masher!

Some of the best food for babies in terms of first fruits and vegetables to try is avocadoes (which are full of healthy unsaturated fatty acids), sweet potatoes (rich in Vitamin A), carrots (also a good source of Vitamin A), spinach (rich in Iron and Vitamin B9) and bananas (known to be an excellent source of Potassium).

Should You Be Buying Organic Food For Babies?

One thing to note about the food that you offer your baby is that it is completely down to personal preference whether you decide to go organic or not. Many parents are worried about chemicals and pesticides on foods and so plump for the organic option for their own peace of mind.

It is wise to remember that manufacturers and food producers of baby foods have to reach set standards on the pesticide residues of the food before it can be placed on the market.

Of course, for total peace of mind you could grow your own fruit and vegetables so you know exactly where your baby’s food is coming from!

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