Your babies’ food journey is riddled with many ‘what if’s’ and ‘what not’. It is a stage of discovery both for you and your child. As much as we wish for it to be an easy breezy ride, we may encounter bumps and turns every now and then. A food allergy here, soya intolerance there, can well be alarming when encountered. We have to realize though that all these are to be expected and should be prepared for by every parent. True enough, a rush to the hospital or an emergency doctor’s visit because of these possible food reactions can be upsetting and discouraging to a new parent like you but when you are armed with proper knowledge, you can trudge your way in this path with your child in a happier and more positive outlook.
There is really no sure way to predict which food will cause alarm in your child’s health but there are food indicators that we can consider as possible hazards and we can familiarize ourselves with these for caution. Here is a list of what you should watch out for and in some cases totally avoids serving your child:
- Introducing dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurts and others should be done with careful examination. Babies may have lactose intolerance or Soya intolerance (for soya based fresh milk) that you are unaware of. When choosing dairy products it is always best to look for organic produces or organic based options in the market. One of the excellent choices in organic milk in the market is Holle Formula Organic Baby First Milk Stage 1 as starter infant milk that is safe and gives complete nutrition.
- Parents are advised to be cautious when introducing eggs to their babies. It is said to be the common culprit for salmonella and also causes allergies. Give only egg for babies one year and above. Make sure that it is well cooked; hardboiled egg is preferred for babies.
- Nuts are a healthy food choice however parents are also warned for possible allergic reaction a baby may have with nuts.
- When preparing baby food (especially when using non organic produce) do away with carrots, beets, celery, and spinach until at least when the baby is seven months old because of possible high nitrate content.
- Some fish species, including shark, king mackerel, tuna and swordfish, may have high mercury content and are not advised for babies. So avoiding these species in your dinner table is a wise move for parents. When doing your grocery choose instead fish meat that are low in mercury level. Fish is a generally a healthy meat that is a great source for iron.
- Chicken meat is advised to be introduced to babies at age nine months and up. This is typically the next meat inline after fish meat. In the succeeding months, pork and other meat can be slowly introduced. In preparing the meat, making sure that it is thoroughly cooked is important. The key is to make sure that it is finely chopped or puréed to a safe texture. Meats can enhance the absorption of nutrients and may be an excellent source of iron.
- Juices are another source of vitamins and liquid intake for babies however it also includes high sugar content that is why excessive amount of this drink can harm your babies’ health and can possibly cause diabetes and other illness.
These basic information on baby food do’s and don’ts will give you a heads up on what to be wary about and what to pile up on when it comes to baby food preparation. Knowing the possible red flags in some of these food will make you more confident in creating a healthy and balance diet for your child.
