What should be included in infant nutrition?

Good nutrition for the first 2 years is vital for healthy growth and development. Starting good nutrition practices early can help children develop healthy dietary patterns. Mealtime can be fun, rewarding, and sometimes messy time for you and your child. The healthy mealtime patterns you and your child start now will help promote healthy habits in the future.

Choosing how to feed your baby has life-long effects for your baby and for you. The ideal for your baby for several months is mother’s milk, for the first 6 months give your baby mother’s milk nothing else, after 6 months along with mothers milk give purees made up of fruits like apple, banana, mango, watermelon, and vegetables puree made up of vegetables like spinach, sweet potato, beetroot, tomato, pumpkin, potato.

Start solid foods when your baby can hold up their head, sit up with support, and no longer has tongue thrusting. Give a different combination of purees to your baby as it will help to develop the taste buds. Do not give these types of food to your baby during the first year of life.

  • Honey
  • Sugar
  • Foods that can be easily choked like peanuts, grapes, raisins or popcorn. You must provide all the essential nutrients, minerals, proteins, fiber, vitamins in your baby’s diet, which will promote health, improve the immune system of your baby.
 
Babies require essential nutrition as they are growing and developing. Including fruits and veggies like mangoes, apples, pears, bananas , sweet potatoes and spinach will be provide some nutrients which are essential. Also raagi is also a wholesome superfood which is extremely nutritious.
 
for proper growth and development, babies need essential nutrients like vitamins, calcium, fiber. try to feed nutritions rich food like fruits, vegetables, grains and millets. make your baby a healthy eater rather than a picky eater.
 
Calcium Helps build strong bones and teeth
Fat. Creates energy, helps the brain develop, keeps skin and hair healthy, and protects against infections.
Folate. Helps cells divide.
Iron. Builds blood cells, and helps the brain develop. Breastfed babies should receive iron supplements.
Protein and carbohydrates. They provide energy and fuel growth.
Zinc. Helps the cells grow and repair themselves
Your baby also needs vitamins such as:

  • Vitamin A - Keeps skin,vision, hair, and the immune system healthy.
  • Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - Helps the body turn food into energy.
  • Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - Helps the body turn food into energy, and protects cells from damage.
  • Vitamin B3 - Helps the body turn food into energy and use fats and protein.
  • Vitamin B6 - Keeps the brain and immune system healthy.
  • Vitamin B12 - Keeps nerve and blood cells healthy, and makes DNA -- the genetic material in every cell.
  • Vitamin C - Protects against infections, builds bones and muscles, and helps wounds heal.
  • Vitamin D - Helps the body absorb calcium from food, and keeps bones and teeth healthy. Breast-fed babies may need a D supplement.
  • Vitamin E - Protects cells from damage, and strengthens the immune system.
  • Vitamin K - Helps the blood to clot.

 

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