Buch lesen: «Truly Scrumptious Baby: My complete feeding and weaning plan for 6 months and beyond»

INTRODUCTION TO FEEDING

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION FROM THE WORD GO

As parents, I think we have a responsibility to give our children the best possible dietary start in life. Right from the very first spoonful of purée, it’s never too early to instil healthy eating habits. Indeed, the more key nutrients your baby consumes, the better equipped he’ll be for all the growth spurts to come. Our diet affects our immune system, our metabolism and our cognitive function, and it has a measurable effect on our physical development. What we eat has a direct impact on energy levels, sleep, hair, skin and oral health – and that’s just for starters. It doesn’t take long before the quality of our diet, at whatever age, begins to show in our well-being. It’s amazing, really, how something we are completely in control of, in terms of the choices we make, can affect us so tangibly.

Encouraging your child to have a positive relationship with food extends beyond what he’s eating, though. Helping him to develop a healthy attitude towards mealtimes is essential for when he’s older, and there are a few simple things you can do to encourage this when weaning, such as not using food as a bribe (tempting though this may be!). You’ll find more about this here.

MOVING FROM MILK TO SOLIDS

In the first few months of your baby’s life, what to feed him has never been an issue. Whether breast or formula, milk has been his sole form of nourishment, providing him with complete nutrition. And, according to NHS guidelines, milk should remain your baby’s sole source of nutrition until six months of age. He simply isn’t ready physiologically to take in solid food before four months, in fact, and while you might offer simple purées alongside his usual milk from four months, there is no advantage in doing so. After six months, whether in the form of purées or mashed meals or finger foods, your baby can start to take in nutrients from solid food. For the first few months of weaning, milk is still king when it comes to nutrition, however, as he will only really be exploring and playing with food; it won’t be sustaining him yet. Then, as he consumes more than he drops, and the more balanced his diet of solid foods becomes, food will gradually over time become more dominant and milk less so. But when it comes to taking that first step from milk to solids, where do you begin?

WHERE TO START?

The world of solids can be a minefield, especially with so much conflicting advice out there.

‘Babies and children need fats’ – but not too many of the bad ones.

‘Sugar is the route of all evil’ – but it’s in everything!

‘Carbs are great for energy’ – but too many of the wrong ones make you sluggish.

Where do you even start without signing up for a degree in nutrition? That’s how it can seem to a new parent. In reality, it’s not so complicated, however. It’s all about tapping into the basics of what you already know about eating healthily to help you make the right food choices for your baby. If someone offers you an apple or a chocolate biscuit and asks you to pick the healthy option, it’s a no-brainer. But if they offered you two bowls of mashed potato, which looked identical but contained different ingredients, which would you choose? You would have no idea unless you’d cooked it yourself and knew what was in it – and that’s the bottom line. When it comes to eating healthily, a homemade dish gives you the control to make the right choices for your baby. ‘But that’s obvious!’ I hear you cry. ‘And I just don’t have time to start mashing potato, when the kids are hollering for their dinner!’ In today’s busy world, is it any wonder that we are drawn to the convenience of pre-packed supermarket mashed potato? And no one can blame us for that. But when you make your own, you know it’s not packed full of salt and additives – you have complete control. That said, not all supermarket convenience foods need to be avoided. I’m all for things like frozen vegetables and pre-chopped onions or other pre-prepared veggies if they make home cooking that little bit speedier when time is short.

If you strip everything back and think about what we take from food, it’s easy to understand why we need a balanced diet. Different food groups contain different nutrients, so we need to eat a good cross-section in order to obtain all the necessary goodness to perform at our best.

FOOD GROUPS AND GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT

Fruits and Vegetables

(e.g. apples, bananas, oranges, carrots and tomatoes) Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that keep our bodies healthy and help us fight illness.

Starchy carbohydrates

(e.g. bread, rice, potatoes and pasta) These give us energy.

Protein

(e.g. meat, fish, eggs, nuts, legumes and tofu) Protein helps our bodies to grow and repair.

Dairy

(e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt and alternatives) Dairy contains calcium and vitamin D, which help to keep our bones and teeth healthy and strong.

Fats and sugary foods

(e.g. butter, oil and sweets) We need a small amount of fat to help us to grow and to protect our organs. Too much fat and sugar can be very bad for your health.

A baby’s diet varies slightly from an adult’s in terms of the weighting between each of these food groups. For example, where an adult’s diet should be high in fibre and lower in fat, babies need more fat but less fibre as it’s very filling. Crucially, babies also need a wide selection of vitamins and minerals to support healthy development. Largely these are found naturally in the foods we eat, although some parents choose to bolster their baby’s intake of these nutrients with supplements (see here); others are recommended to all children in the UK.

NUTRIENTS FOUND IN GREAT ‘STARTER’ FRUIT AND VEG/EARLY WEANING STAPLES

avocado

Avocado is a source of vitamin E, which helps to protect our cells (the tiny building blocks of our body) against damage so we can stay healthy and strong.

banana

Bananas are a source of a mineral called potassium. Our muscles need potassium in order to work and contract properly.

broccoli

Broccoli is a source of vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fibre. Potassium helps our nervous system to keep working efficiently.

butternut squash

Squash is a source of vitamins A, E and C. Vitamin E helps protect our cells against damage.

carrot

Carrots are a great source of beta carotene, which our body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps us to be able to see properly. Without enough vitamin A we wouldn’t be able to see very well in the dark.

courgette

Courgettes are a source of potassium. Potassium keeps our muscles working efficiently.

green bean

Grean beans are a great source of a mineral called magnesium, which helps us to build muscle so we can become strong and healthy.

peach

Peaches are a good source of vitamin C, which helps to keep our bones, teeth and skin healthy.

papaya

Papayas are one of the fruits with the highest vitamin C content. They are also a good source of vitamin A and fibre.

pea

Peas are a source of thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin C, folic acid and fibre. Vitamin C helps to keep our immune system healthy and protects our cells against damage.

sweet potato

Sweet potato is a source of vitamins A, E and C, as well as potassium and copper. Copper aids our metabolism and is vital for the production of red and white blood cells.

KEY VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Here are some of the key vitamins and minerals babies need at various stages of their development, and what they’re needed for. When weaning my little ones, I found it incredibly helpful to know a bit about the nutritional content of the ingredients I was using.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A (also known as retinol) is important for keeping eyes and skin healthy. There are two forms of vitamin A: retinol, found in animal sources, and beta-carotene, found in plant sources, which are converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A aids the immune system, so it’s vital for keeping little bodies healthy and warding off illness, and it’s also important for healthy vision. It’s found in lots of foods that can be introduced from six months, including eggs, cheese, yoghurt, carrot, butternut squash, sweet potato, kale, spinach, apricot and mango. Liver and liver products are also very high in vitamin A and can be given to children once a week from 12 months.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is really important to our immune system. It helps protect our cells from stress and aids iron absorption. It also contributes to healthy teeth and skin, and it helps with psychological function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin C is found in a wide range of foods, all of which may be introduced from six months onwards, including especially tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, peaches, papaya, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, oranges and kiwi fruit.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is crucial for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. It helps our bodies absorb calcium, which in turn promotes bone growth and strength. Most vitamin D is obtained from exposure to sunlight. Just make sure your little ones have plenty of UV protection on if they’re out enjoying the sunshine! Vitamin D is also found in eggs, oily fish (as long as it’s not smoked) and red meat, which can be given to babies from six months, and liver and liver products, which can be given to children once a week from 12 months (this is due to the very high vitamin A content of liver).

Calcium

Calcium is one of the main minerals for building strong bones and healthy teeth. It’s important to give your little one’s body strong foundations so that it will support him well throughout life. Calcium works with vitamin D to help children’s bones grow and develop healthily. It’s also important for a host of bodily functions including digestion, muscle contraction and metabolism.

Calcium is found in yoghurt, cheese, broccoli and leafy green vegetables. It’s also found in cow’s milk, which can be included in meals from six months but not given as a main milk feed to babies under a year.

Iron

Iron is a must for babies. It plays a vital role in cognitive development in children and therefore can affect intellectual performance. It also helps to make haemoglobin, found in red blood cells – the little fellas that carry oxygen around the blood. If you don’t have enough iron, you can feel really tired and dizzy. Up to six months in age, babies get all the iron they need from breast milk or formula, so when you start to reduce that source, you need to introduce iron-rich foods. These include most dark leafy greens, red meat, ground nuts and pulses. And also liver and liver products, which you can give to children once a week from 12 months (this is due to the very high vitamin A content of liver).

Zinc

Zinc is needed for the functioning of every organ in the body. It plays a major role in the metabolism of macronutrients and wound healing, and it helps to keep our hair, nails and skin healthy. It’s found in foods such as eggs, poultry, beans, lentils, ground nuts, sesame seeds and tofu. And also liver and liver products, which can be given to children once a week from 12 months (this is due to the very high vitamin A content of liver).

SUPPLEMENTS

Even if you’re mindful of nutrition and aware of how to source all the crucial vitamins and minerals your baby needs from different types of food, it’s still advisable to boost his diet with a few supplements. According to NHS guidelines, children between six months and five years will benefit from daily supplements of vitamins A, C and D. Vitamin D is particularly important and the NHS advice suggests that breastfed babies should receive supplements containing 8.5 to 10mcg of vitamin D from birth. For formula-fed babies, it isn’t necessary until they’re having less than 500ml/18fl oz of infant formula a day. Between the ages of one and four, children should be given a daily supplement of 10mcg of vitamin D.

Your health visitor can give advice on where to buy vitamin drops and who is eligible to receive them free of charge. It’s crucial to remember, though, that overdoing the vitamins can be harmful, so make sure you keep to the recommended daily doses. (Foods that contain too much of a particular vitamin should be avoided in your baby’s first year too – see here.)

ALLERGIES

I know that many new parents are concerned about allergies. Common allergy trigger foods include nuts and seeds; cow’s milk; fish and shellfish; wheat and eggs. Your baby could have a higher risk if you have a significant family history of food allergies or of atopic illnesses such as eczema, asthma and hay fever. If you think this genetic disposition applies to you, I would definitely advise having a discussion with your GP about how carefully to tread when beginning the weaning process with your little one with regards to introducing known allergens, especially peanuts, if there is a known allergy to other nuts or a family history of peanut allergy. It won’t necessarily follow that your baby will be allergic to these foods, but it is worth being extra careful. At six months, not before, you should introduce allergens slowly and one at a time until you are happy there’s no kind of reaction. On the bright side breastfeeding can help reduce the risk of allergies and babies often grow out of an allergy, although a peanut allergy is usually for life. Try to avoid experimenting by cutting out whole food groups unless advised by a medical professional such as a dietician.

FOOD-SPECIFIC DIETS

Vegetarian

I know many vegetarians who have successfully weaned their babies on a vegetarian diet. There are just a few things you need to keep in mind if you’re planning to do so. A vegetarian diet is often higher in fibre and contains less energy-dense foods. This means that young children may not have the appetite to eat enough to provide all the nutrients they need and so a little bit more planning can be required. To keep everything in check nutritionally, focus on giving your baby lots of variety, so things like dark green vegetables (e.g. Blueberry, Apple and Spinach purée – see here), beans and lentils (e.g. Squash and Red Lentil purée – see here) dairy and eggs (e.g. Tomato Quinoa Bowl – see here) and some dried fruit, too, such as apricots, figs and dates. It’s also helpful to know that vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron, so try to regularly include some fruit or veggies, in which it’s found in abundance.

Vegan

Weaning a baby on a vegan diet does require a little more planning but many of the points above still stand, and it is possible for a baby to get all the nutrients he needs from a balanced and varied diet. Energy density of food can be a concern as vegan food is often high in fibre but not very energy dense. Foods such as hummus, tahini, bananas, nut or seed butters (see here) dried fruit, nutritional yeast and fortified (unsweetened) milk make great additions but it does all come back to balance and variety. It is worth being aware of the key micronutrients mentioned here as well as vitamin B12 and iodine, and perhaps considering the supplements mentioned here, as well as seeking advice from a qualified dietician.

INTRODUCING FOODS GRADUALLY

According to NHS guidelines, there are some foods that should be avoided altogether for the first year of life for different reasons.

FOODS TO AVOID IN THE FIRST YEAR

Cow’s milk as a main milk feed

While cow’s milk can be given during weaning as part of a meal, it shouldn’t take the place of your baby’s usual milk during the first year as it doesn’t contain all the essential nutrients your baby needs for this important stage of development and for protection against illness. So stick to breast milk or formula for the first year. They contain all the essential nutrients your baby needs to grow properly. Should you choose to stop breast feeding, there is no advantage to moving to follow-on milks. From 12 months infants, provided they are healthy, should be eating a wide variety of foods and this will be their main source of nutrients. They should also be drinking around 400ml/14fl oz of whole animal milk (either cow, goat or sheep’s milk), or a suitable substitute.

Raw eggs and other uncooked foods

You can give your baby eggs, but ensure that both the white and yolk are cooked solid. Don’t forget, too, that some pre-packed foods contain raw eggs, so do read any labels carefully to avoid these. In general, any unpasteurized food should be avoided during the first year as it can cause food poisoning. Meat and fish should always be well cooked.

Low-fat foods

Low-fat products should be avoided during the first year as they will probably not be energy dense enough for your baby’s nutritional needs.

Fibrous foods

Foods that are too fibrous and limit the absorption of some minerals, such as bran-based cereals and breads, should be avoided during the first year. High-fibre foods, such as whole grains, should only be given in small quantities.

Whole nuts and seeds and other hard foods

The latest NHS advice is to avoid giving a baby under five any whole nuts to avoid choking. It’s also best to avoid giving young children chunks of hard food, such as apple or cheese, as these are also a potential choking hazard. Once your baby is six months old and you are sure there is no immediate family history of food allergies, or eczema, asthma or hay fever, then you can introduce some ground nuts or nut products like peanut butter into your baby’s diet, one by one, but take medical advice if you’re unsure.

Shellfish and certain other fish

The super omega-3 fats found in fish are very beneficial to health. But be wary of some fish. Shark, marlin and swordfish contain high traces of mercury, which can damage an immature nervous system, so avoid those completely. And shellfish carry a higher risk of food poisoning, so it’s best to steer clear of those, too, for the first year. There are plenty of other, safer fish options to try for the moment – just make sure to remove any bones!

Liver and liver products

Liver and liver products such as liver pâté should not be given during the first year as they contain high levels of vitamin A, which can be harmful to your baby. Once your baby is 12 months old you can give them up to once a week.

Early weaning

If parents choose to introduce food before six months, then they should also exclude wheat and gluten in cereal foods such as bread and pasta, as well as eggs, nuts, seeds, liver, fish, shellfish and cow’s milk or other dairy foods.

FOODS TO AVOID IN THE FIRST YEAR AND BEYOND

Rice milk

Traces of arsenic have been found to exist naturally in rice milk. The official advice is not to give it to children under the age of five. If your child has a dairy intolerance, other milk alternatives are available after your child is a year old. Just be sure that whatever milk you give your little one is fortified with the relevant vitamins and minerals his growing body needs. And check that it is unsweetened and not rice based.