5 best foods for babies

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Food for babies from 6 months old will be more diverse besides breast milk. So what is the best baby food? Please refer to the 5 best foods for babies to immediately add to the baby's weaning menu.
It is very beneficial if you try to introduce your baby early to a variety of foods with different tastes and textures. When children eat a variety of foods, they will absorb the necessary vitamins and minerals to help them grow. From 6 months old is the right time for you to start building a healthy eating habit for your baby.

1. Vegetables - The best food for babies

As soon as your baby starts eating solid foods, offer them a variety of vegetables. Introducing vegetables to children early will help them form a habit of eating vegetables and children can continue to eat vegetables as they get older. Veggies come in a variety of colors, textures, and textures that make baby's weaning more enjoyable.
Vegetables are one of the best foods for babies because they are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables play an important role in helping children grow, stay healthy and fight a number of diseases.
It is easier to introduce children to vegetables from an early age when they first start eating solid foods than to wait until the child is older because then the child may refuse to eat vegetables due to the specific taste of vegetables. Some vegetables are very good for children such as watercress, brussels sprouts, kale, ... but they have a rather strong taste that can make children not like the first time they taste it. Try again and be patient with your child because it can take up to 10 times to find out if your child likes the vegetable or not.
Vegetables are foods that babies need to practice as soon as they start weaning. Let your baby try mild-smelling vegetables first, like sweet potatoes or radishes, as they may like their sweetness. Then, continue to let your child try a variety of vegetables with different flavors so that they gradually get used to a variety of flavors.
You can also try combining bitter and sweet vegetables together to help your baby eat more. Then, gradually reduce the amount of sweet foods to help your baby get used to the bitter taste until he likes the vegetable.
When children have eaten vegetables, which are the best foods for babies, parents need to observe if the child prefers to pick up food to chew rather than to be fed with pureed or mashed food, let the child continue to pick their own food as they may prefer to have control over their own eating. Some suggested vegetable dishes for you to start with, such as steamed broccoli or soft cooked carrots.

2. Fish - The best food for babies

You can give your baby pureed fish from 6 months old. Fish is one of the best foods for babies because it is a rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, mackerel are also very good for the heart and contribute to supporting the brain development of children.
The thing to keep in mind when feeding your baby any type of fish is to make sure the fish is cooked, then the flesh of the fish will be opaque white and can be easily separated from the bones.
There are some types of fish that your baby should not eat, which is high in mercury such as shark, tuna, ... Eating these fish can affect a child's developing nervous system . These types of fish should be avoided until the child is a teenager.
Although oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines are the best foods for babies as young as 6 months old, they can also accumulate a certain amount of mercury if consumed in large quantities. Therefore, parents need to limit their children to eating fish only 1-2 times a week.
Most white fish are safe for children such as cod, pomfret, halibut, .... and parents can feed their children as much as they like. However, parents should be aware of fish such as sea bream, sea bass, halibut and rock trout, as they can all contain similar levels of mercury to oily fish. Therefore, it is also necessary to limit feeding children to only 1-2 times a week as recommended by the NHS to get a lot of nutrients and still be safe.
MORE: When can children eat fish?

3. Poultry and Red Meat - Best Food for Babies

Meats including poultry and livestock are excellent sources of protein and healthy nutrients like iron and zinc. In addition, vitamin D is also abundant in red meat. When a baby is 6 months old, the iron stores that he accumulated while in the womb begin to deplete. Therefore, children's meals at this time need more iron-rich foods.
Poultry and red meat are among the best foods for babies and are allowed when babies are 6 months old. Poultry like cooked, tender or minced chicken is a great addition to your child's meal.
In addition, similarly processed red meats such as pork, beef or lamb can also be offered to babies when starting solids. It should be noted that all types of meat should be cooked thoroughly, cooked until the broth is clear and before giving to children, need to remove the bones.

4. Legumes - The best food for babies

Legumes including kidney beans, butter beans (Lima beans), pinto beans, lentils, chickpeas, cat's-eye beans are among the best infant foods because they are a very good source of protein and iron. Although soybeans are not a legume, they are also an excellent source of protein and iron.
When your baby is already enjoying eating a variety of foods, parents should vary the feeding between 1-2 servings of protein-rich foods from different sources such as beans, milk, eggs, meat or fish per day.
Lentils or other cooked beans mixed with vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, ...) or fruits will help your baby absorb iron from beans better because vegetables contain vitamin C.
While legumes are the best food for babies and you can use canned beans, check the information printed on the box label to make sure they don't have added sugar or salt.
If using dried beans, carefully follow the cooking instructions, eg soaking before cooking to soften the beans. In particular, dried kidney beans or soybeans need to be cooked properly or they can cause illness in children.

5. Milk - The best food for babies

When your baby is first introduced to solid foods, he will only need to eat very small amounts, maybe just a few teaspoons or a small amount of food each day. Breast milk or formula is still the best food for babies at this time to help them get the other nutrients they need.
So, until your baby is 1 year old, continue to give regular breast milk or about 500ml of formula per day as your baby's main drink.
When the child is 1 year old, the child will eat 3 meals/day, possibly alternating 1-2 snacks. After that, you can continue to breastfeed or drink whole cow's milk. Skim milk is not recommended until the child is 2 years old because at this stage babies still need extra calories and vitamins from whole milk.
Vegetables, white fish, red meat, poultry and milk are the 5 best foods for babies from 6 months of age, when babies start solids to provide them with many other necessary nutrients.
For children to be healthy and develop well, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet in terms of quantity and quality balance. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, which adversely affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills.
The period of baby eating solid foods is an extremely important period to help children develop comprehensively. Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiencies, causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption, etc. If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with supportive products. The supplement contains lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your child. Take care of the baby and the whole family.
Reference source: babycentre.co.uk