In the early years of life, good nutrition proves to be the major determinant of growth and development for a human being.
For the first four (4) months, breast milk is the most ideal food for your baby. Once the digestive system develops nicely, it’s time to introduce solid food. Moms are encouraged to give varied and balanced diet to make sure that the baby gets all of the essential nutrients needed. Non-citrus fruit and vegetables make great first foods, since they contain good supply of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and beneficial enzymes, and more unlikly to cause allergies.
Breast milk is the only food naturally designed for your baby, that contains all the essential nutrients needed for development during the baby’s first six months. The first liquid produced by the breasts is called colostrum, which gives excellent antibodies to protect your baby’s health in the first few days. Advantages for the breastfeeding mom; your body shape will return to its previous pre-pregnancy condition much faster and breastfeeding releases relaxing hormones which help to overcome post-pregnancy stress.
As the baby consumes more solid food, organic food has its own advantages. A baby’s digestive system is more eficient at absorbing food than an adult’s. While this enables nutrients to be absorbed quickly, the baby is more vulnerable to toxins, such as pesticides, additives, and other chemical residues. The immature kidneys in the baby also means that babies can only excrete a small amount of harmful subtances from the body.
Organic food is produced without using synthetic pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and growth hormones. Therefore, it is safer and healthier for the baby. You can also opt to give freshly cooked home-made food, to retain most nutritional value from the food. You must also take special care with the kitchen hygiene and make sure all your equipment is clean and sterilized correctly and all the food is cooked thoroughly.
The way you cook the food is also important. The best way to prepare vegetables is to steam them, if the baby can chew them. For steaming and boiling, especially food and vegetables, try to do it in the shortest time possible. If there are leftovers, you can put them in the fridge to freeze them for one time. Label and date the food so that you always know how long the food has been freezed.
Milk provides all the nutrients needed in a baby until 6 months old. However, when the baby is 4 months old, you can try to introduce solid food to the baby. If the baby shows the sign of willingness to try solid food, you can give the baby a small and increasing portion of diet.
Here are some delicious suggestions for your babies. Do remember that the fresh and organic ingredients are available in Ranch Market.
Blueberry and Pear puree
What you need:
1 ripe pear
4-5 tbsp water
A handful of fresh blueberries
