Can Babies Eat Superfoods?
I get asked this question regularly, and the answer is yes! Babies should definitely eat superfoods. In fact, a lot of the first foods recommended for babies are superfoods; blueberries, sweet potatoes, even avocado is an incredible superfood. Basically, any highly absorbable nutrient dense food is considered a superfood.
These are my top 5 superfoods for Babies First foods
Avocado
My bub solely ate avocado for the first week of solids, he loved it. I loved it because I knew he was getting important healthy fats for brain development, fibre, and an array of absorbable vitamins and minerals needed for optimal cognitive and physical development.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes are an incredible first food and easily accessible here in Northern NSW Australia. The local roadside stalls are always filled with these golden superfoods. They are high in beta-carotene which converts to Vitamin A for vision and tissue development. Sweet Potatoes are also a good source of iron which is necessary for breastfed babies over 6 months, as iron stores are getting used for all that rapid development. Steamed, and added to an egg omelette with broccoli or steamed and mixed with a small amount of coconut oil and Himalayan sea salt. Babies love grabbing on and making a mess with these healthy favourites.
Blueberries
I love Blueberries, these guys are one of my favourite superfoods hands down. They are the top ingredient in June Superfoods Berry Focused for a reason. Packed with antioxidants to break down all the toxins, pollution in our environment, plus they have omegas for brain development and taste great. Not many kids out there say no to blueberries.
Fatty Fish
Omega 3's are essential for brain development and there has been a lot of research on this, so much so that many companies now chemically extract the DHA in alga, grown in a lab. Not a recommended source as many times Hexane, a toxic ingredient is used to extract the DHA. Instead, I recommend high-quality fish oil or wild salmon. If you prefer a plant-based source of omega 3, ground chia or flax seeds or flax oil are good sources. Although not a direct source of DHA, your body can convert the Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into DHA. Drizzling a bit of flax oil over bubs soft veggies is an excellent way to increase omega 3s and help with optimal brain development. Remember though only to use flax oil in low heat. Also start slow on the ground seeds as they may be harder to digest at the beginning, I use less than 1/2 a teaspoon.
Coconut oil and Coconut water
An excellent oil to cook with for its heat stability, coconut oil is a perfect source of saturated fats for little bubs neural connections. Coconut water is also great to dilute with a bit of filtered water to add in essential electrolytes and minerals, especially when bub has a fever or seems distressed from teething. Coconut is a fantastic natural food loaded with absorbable nutrients.
To give babies the best start to life, set aside the less nutrient rich foods like rice cereal and porridge and boost up the superfoods. Once babies start solids around 6 months, introducing one food at a time is recommended. Their stomachs are small so they may as well make the most of their meals and get a proper dose of superfoods loaded with natural absorbable vitamins and minerals.
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Kristin Derrin
Author
Kristin Derrin is a certified nutritionist, health practitioner, mum and the founder of June Superfoods, a range of certified organic kids superfood supplements that contain natural fruit and vegetable nutrients to support kids growth and development naturally. Kristin created June Superfoods after noticing a gap in the market for high-quality organic health products for kids. This prompted her to create a product with the highest quality organic ingredients; no added sugars, fillers, or anything artificial.