Safe and Healthy Foods and Drinks for Babies

Parents are always trying on different foods that can suit the baby; even if it is healthy; it is important to take precautions in feeding the baby anything as it might cause problems such as allergic sensitivity; choking or fever.

Babies are generally advised to take only the breast milk and soft foods as a main source of nutrients; babies are usually about 4 years of age after birth and have no strong jaw or teeth to gnaw any food; there are also some drinks that should be avoided when feeding a baby.

If you’re wondering what are foods and drinks that the baby can eat; read more to know.

Best foods and drinks for babies

There are different foods and drinks that can be suitable for the proper growth and development of your baby; some of the best foods to incorporate into your baby’s diet are:

• Dark leafy, green, cruciferous vegetables, they provide your baby with loads of antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber; vitamins and minerals that support the baby’s growth and development; it is also important to incorporate vegetables in your diet so that your baby can get used to the hardness of the food and they will get used to eating vegetables.
• Fruits are loaded with antioxidants and they’re also very sweet and nutritious; try incorporating fruits into their diet by giving them: kiwi fruit, mangoes, watermelons, avocado, cantaloupe; apples, grapes and other colorful fruits you can think of.
• Healthy Organic Fish, fish from the wild and free from chemical raised farms provide your baby a good amount of protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids, they support your baby’s muscle; joint and brain growth and strength; make sure the fish is also safe from any mercury contamination; some good types of fish to eat are: salmon, tuna, cod, dab, flounder, tilapia, place, cowfish.

Read also:  Your Baby’s Food is Your Baby’s Fuel!

• Seeds are also incredible food to be incorporated into your baby’s diet; some good seeds to incorporate into your baby’s diet are peanuts; almonds, pili nuts, pulses (green peas, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, haricot, borlotti beans), however; make sure they are crushed because your baby can choke on seeds and nuts.
• Low-fat organic animal Milk, formula milk or breast milk, even though your child has already begun eating solid foods; it is important to remember that your child’s diet will still mostly consists of milk and not solid food, babies usually eat small amounts of solid foods and they will gradually increase as they age, however; milk is still the best drink for them as it has all the essential nutrients they need for proper height and weight growth.
• Carbohydrate-rich foods which can provide a great amount of energy to your baby through the day some of the good sources of carbohydrates are rice, oatmeal, corn, flaxseed, sweet potatoes

Best specific solid foods for babies to eat

There are some great foods that can greatly help in the transitioning diet of your baby; some of these foods are:

• Sweet potatoes are tasty; nutrient-dense snack that can be mashed to suit your baby’s eating pattern, sweet potatoes are loaded in vitamins such as vitamin C and A, fiber; complex carbohydrates and potassium that are essential for the baby’s growth and development, it is also easy for them to eat it.
• Avocados, the consistency of avocados makes it a great way for babies to eat them thoroughly and easily without chewing too hard; it is also rich in amino acids and protein that makes your baby’s muscle well-formed and strong
• Baby cereals are a tasty and delicious snack for babies to eat and it is rich in folate and iron, suitable for baby’s brain development
• Bananas, rich in fiber, serotonin, and potassium, they are easy to be eaten by babies and are soft enough to be well digested by your child’s tummy

Worst foods and drinks for babies

It is advisable to avoid giving your baby high-glycemic; processed foods loaded with names you can’t pronounce chemicals and additives.

It is also not advised for you to make your baby drink any caffeine beverages, tea, powdered juices, energy drinks and alcohol as they can cause a hindrance to growth and development to the baby.

Although you might think that giving babies herbal teas are healthy or improve their upset stomach; it isn’t and it can do more damage to your baby’s health; sweetened beverages can also damage your baby’s teeth, so it is highly advised to avoid it at all costs.

Always consult the pediatrician before serving eggs; meat, and yogurt if your baby is not even a year old due to the fact that they could cause an allergic reaction.

Try avoiding this list of unnecessary foods that can cause risks to the baby:

• Sugar (powdered drinks, high-fructose corn syrup; white and brown sugar; honey, energy drinks, fruit juices)
• Salt (bacon, chips; fried fries, burgers, pizza, instant noodles, takeaway foods)
• Saturated Fat mostly coming from animal products such as pork, cake, beef meat.
• Mould or soft cheeses due to listeria infection a bacteria that live on the surfaces of soft cheeses.

Read also:  Best Fruit Recipes that Your Baby Will Surely Love

• Some fish can affect the baby’s growth and development; avoid giving your baby shark; marlin, swordfish meat.
• MSG or Monosodium Glutamate
• Some seafood especially the uncooked or raw dishes are not advisable to be in your baby’s plate examples are sushi; shellfish, mussels, shrimp and oysters.
• Some fruits and vegetables have high nitrate content that could have a mildly negative impact on your baby’s diet avoid citrus fruits such as oranges; strawberries, blueberries, beets, fennel, and spinach.
• Eggs can cause a mild allergic reaction and irritation to most babies and it is experienced by many babies worldwide; it is usually the egg whites that are the main culprit of this and with that avoid these in your baby’s plate.
• Chocolate, due to its high sugar content; it can also contain high levels of lactose and caffeine that can upset your baby’s stomach, the dairy in the chocolate is hard for the babies tummies to digest and can result in stomach pain and bloating.
• Hotdogs, the long shape of the hotdog could result in choking accidents that can lead to death, it is also very high in additives and salt which can be bad for your child’s health.
• Hard to digest and chew cashews; lollipops and gums are high-sugar foods that can result in unusually high glucose levels in your child; it could also result in choking.

Read also:

• Fast Food Versus Kids
• Your Baby’s Food is Your Baby’s Fuel!
• Do’s And Don’ts For Baby’s First Foods