As a parent, you want to ensure that your baby is well-fed and receiving all of the nutrients necessary to grow strong and healthy. Nowadays, a lot of the products we see displayed on the shelves of supermarkets are heavily processed and full of sugar.
Make sure to ditch these ingredients and opt for preparing meals filled with superfoods instead. If youโre not sure where or how to get started, carry on reading about superfoods for baby, this is the article for you!ย
Your baby needs a range of macro and micronutrients in order to grow strong and tall. All meals should follow the Australian dietary guidelines and include plenty of fats, zinc, iron, protein, and vitamins C, D, and A.
Superfoods are ingredients that have a very high nutritional density, meaning that they provide the body with an extensive amount of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. These foods tend to be mostly plant-based, although some fish and dairy can also be considered superfoods.ย ย ย
Here are some of our favorite superfoods for baby:
Avocado
Avocados are considered a superfood because they provide the body with a large number of monounsaturated fats, also known as good fats. This delicious fruit can be introduced to your baby as early as six months and it contains high amounts of fiber, magnesium, and potassium.
Avocados work great as a no-cook snack, just mash them up or combine them in a fruit salad with mangoes, apricots, or bananas.
Dark Leafy Vegetables
Leafy veggies like spinach, collard greens, and kale are full of iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A. However, these should be introduced to babies after the 8-month mark. These vegetables contain zeaxanthin and lutein, two carotenoids that help improve vision.
Serve these with garlic, onions, eggs, or meat. Fruit smoothies and vegetable purees are also fantastic ways to combine these greens.
Full Fat Yogurt
Yogurt contains a great deal of vitamin B12, B6, A, and D. It is a natural probiotic which can help bone growth due to its high levels of calcium. However, given that it is a dairy product, it can cause allergies, so introduce this ingredient with care.
Add a bit of fruit puree to the yogurt or cut up pieces of fruit to serve a nutritionally rich snack.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes can be introduced to babies as young as six months. These vegetables are full of antioxidants, calcium, iron, fiber, vitamin C, and D, making them excellent superfoods.
These can be peeled, boiled, and mashed into a puree for babies who are not yet used to eating solids. If not, they can be baked in the oven and served with broccoli and meat.
If you are still finding it difficult to include all of the right nutrients and ingredients in your babyโs meals, try creating a meal plan for the week or get a meal delivery service like Little Spoon to get fresh, organic baby food delivered right to your door. This will help you stay organized and hopefully save you some time when deciding what to give your baby for lunch or dinner. Use coupon code LS-SARAHJEAN to save $20 off your first order!
