Is It Healthy To Add Salt & Sugar In Baby Food

[swetha]

As a parent, you are advised by pediatricians and other moms not to include salt and sugar to baby's food before the baby turns one year.

The reason is that most of the newborn taste preferences for sugar and salt are natural. As many of us will agree that sugar and salt enhance the flavor and make the food tastier. Excess consumption of both salt and sugar may lead to serious health issues in both adults and babies. Babies do have a delicate system if you provide salty and sugar foods more than they required it may cause health issues to them.

Before six months old babies get all the required salt from breastmilk. Approximately in an average a 6 months, the baby needs less than 1 gram of salt a day and they do not need sugar in their diet as it can meet through food rich in carbohydrate. As babies, their kidneys are too delicate to deal with more salt than the required amount. Breastmilk and other food products naturally contain salt and sugar. Fruits vegetables, lentils, grains, and eggs contain natural salt and sugar, while you are feeding your babies with these foods there is no need to add extra salt to in baby's food until they turn one.

Excess intake of sugar may reduce immunity in babies. Consuming more salt may impair kidney function as babies cannot eliminate the high level of salt from the blood. Whether it is fruit puree or pressure cooked rice with dal and veggies it's better to avoid adding salt and sugar in foods that you cook for your baby.

 

[Chetna soni]

The nutrition requirement of the babies is very much of fruits and vegetables. It is very important to feed the baby in the forms of purees and porridge of combinations like apple oats, spinach pear which will help in the growth and development of your baby. Always give organic baby food, that do not contain preservatives, salt, sugar, colors. Give purees of different combinations.

 

[AppleJack]

even for adults, salt and sugar is considered unhealthy. I am sure for babies it will be worse.

By the way, what I learn from the Internet is that we should give babies supplement of vitamin D to support healthy bone and teeth growth. Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, and babies on breast milk may not get enough vitamin D.

Usually we can get vitamin d from the sun, but now with circuit breaker measures it is more challenging. If the mum does not get enough vitamin D, there will not be enough in the breast milk too.