10 Super Rich Food For Your Child’s First Year

Mark Wealth

There are two things a baby needs that has to be deliberately supplied. They are food and love. You really can’t say one is more important than the other. They’re both equally important and what’s more? They’re mutually connected, the perfect tag-team that fuels a baby’s growth and development.

Well, we didn’t come here to wax philosophical about food and love so let’s get straight to the point. A round of applause for our list of 10 nutritiously packed food you should be feeding your baby in their first year of life.

1. Breastplate

Well, this should be like the only thing you start feeding your baby with at least until they are 4 months. Not just because breastmilk is filled with easily absorbed forms of carbohydrates (lactose), proteins, vitamins A, C, D, E and K. It also contains calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc. It even contains the all important water. All these put together help develop babies brains, eyes, strong bones and immune system.

2. Grains

Not just any grain, iron-rich grains like oats, rice or barley. You specifically need iron rich food be a use at the time your baby is ready for solid food, they would have run out of their natural stock of iron and would need some more. This is usually around 4 or 5 months and no, neither breastmilk nor formula food can supply the quantity your baby needs. They need the iron for their bones to grow strong.

Rice, oat or barley cereals mixed with a bit of breastmilk or formula food to make the taste familiar.

3. Yellow & Orange Fruits

They are the sweet ones. Baby’s come with in-built sweet mouths so they’re palates will welcome these fruits which you’ll serve mashed. Apart from the fact that they will stimulate and excite your baby’s taste buds, they’ll also be supplying some much needed vitamin C and fibre that helps digestion and growth. Examples of yellow and orange fruits are bananas, carrots, oranges, peach and apples.

4. Avocado

Avocado is a green fruit and has a mild taste unlike the sweet yellow fruits mentioned above. It should be served mashed and mixed with a little breastmilk or formula food. Avocado is chuck full of monounsaturated fat. This is the healthy type of fat and it’s good for your baby’s eye, brain and nerve development. It also helps in breaking down some fat-soluble vitamins (A,D, E & K) for baby’s body to absorb.

5. White Meat

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White meat like fish, chicken and Turkey is essentially good for the growth and development of baby’s body. Fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel along with chicken and Turkey are endowed with healthy fat, protein and iron. They should be introduced into baby’s diet by the 7^th or 8^th month. Serve it as a pureé mixed with fruits or the next food on the list, sweet potatoes.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Did I mention that babies like sweet stuff? Well, here’s another one for their palate. Sweet potatoes are vegetables that are also filled with carbohydrates, calcium, potassium beta-carotenes and vitamins A, B complex & vitamin C.

They help in development of the eyes and many other organs in the body. It’s low in fat and cholesterol-free. As we mentioned earlier also, they can be mashed and mixed with chicken or fruits.

…to be continued!