Babies who are old enough to eat solid food should have a balanced diet much like adults. The difference is that while adults are in need of a diet with less fat but more fibre, babies need food that has less fibre. Babies’ stomachs are small and with too much fibre, they will feel too full to eat anything else. That lessens the chances of them eating a variety of food. Again, their stomach is small, so you can’t pack every nutrient-filled food in there, so you may have to resort to feeding them several times a day so that they can get all the nutrients that they need – unless you can find a baby food that contains everything in one spoonful. Furious Nutritions, the top manufacturers of infant formula in India presents a wide range of infant’s products. We have introduced the top 5 infant formulas in India in the form of Furilac Stage 1, Furilac Stage 2, Furilac LBW, L-Zero, and Lact M Granules.
When feeding a baby, you have to make sure that they eat varied foods. These give them a chance to get different nutrients and minerals. Babies tend to eat only the food that they like, but this simply means that the nutrients and minerals that they get are limited. So, try feeding your baby different food every time. It may be difficult to make your baby eat the food at first, since young as they are they can be very picky already, but give it some time. Generally, when babies have eaten a particular food more than ten times, they will grow to like it.
So, what foods comprise the balanced diet of a baby?
- Energy Giving Food – This food group gives your baby the energy that he or she needs in order to have a tank full of fuel throughout the day. These include rice and pasta, as well as potatoes.
- Fruit and Vegetables – It doesn’t matter if they are fresh or canned or frozen (although fresh fruits and vegetables are said to contain more nutrients and vitamins) as long as you give them to your baby, it is fine. Of course, you need to vary them every day. Aside from vitamins and minerals, these are also good sources of fibre for your baby to aid in digestion and elimination. You can give your babies green leafy vegetables for iron, and yellow (i.e., squash) or orange vegetables (i.e., Carrots) for beta carotene.
- Milk and Dairy – Milk, cheese yoghurt, and other dairy products are important for the baby. Dairy products are rich in calcium that strengthens your babies’ bones, as well as other vitamins and minerals like protein.
- Meat and Fish – You can give your baby meat and fish or other alternatives like eggs and beans as a source of protein. Fish is also a good source of omega-three fatty acids which are great for babies just as they are great for adults. Tofu is a great alternative to meat, and healthier, too.
Remember, babies need to have a proper diet just as much as adults do. So be sure to give your babies a variety of food to ensure that they have all the nutrients that they need in order to grow up better and healthier. Also, this is a good way of training them not to be picky eaters when they grow up.