Nutritious foods for babies

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1. The importance of nutrition care for children

Children are not provided with enough nutrients for a long time can lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition is a condition in which a child's body is deficient in many essential nutrients for growth, especially basic micronutrients such as zinc, calcium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D, iodine, and iodine. selenium,... This causes children to slow growth in height, weight, slow cognitive development or face other serious consequences.
Therefore, parents need to pay attention to the nutritional care of their children to help them gain weight quickly and have good health. The principles to remember in cooking for children are:
Eat enough of the necessary nutrient groups: Starch helps provide energy (found in rice, noodles, potatoes, cereals,...), nutrients Protein helps build tissues and cells (found in fish, meat, eggs, milk, legumes), fats help replenish energy (high levels in vegetable oils, animal fats) and fiber helps clean the digestive tract, regulate blood sugar (green vegetables, fruits);

Enhance nutritious foods, processed in accordance with age; You can add fat to food for better absorption of vitamins D and E; Eat more snacks; Do not force children to eat.

2. Nutritious foods for babies

2.1 Vegetables, tubers and fruits Right from the time the baby starts to eat solid foods, parents should give them a variety of vegetables so that the children can get used to the taste of vegetables early and are easy to eat when they grow up. Vegetables, tubers and fruits are also colorful, making children's meals more interesting. In particular, vegetables, tubers and fruits contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and fiber, which help children grow healthy and fight many diseases.
Some good vegetables, tubers and fruits for babies are:
Spinach: Provides iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamins A and C - very good for the development of bones and brains of children; Sweet potatoes: Rich in vitamins B, C, E and microelements of calcium, potassium, iron, starch and fiber - good for the digestive system; Avocados: Contains monounsaturated fats that help reduce heart-damaging cholesterol; soluble fiber has the effect of preventing constipation; vitamin E helps prevent cancer; Banana: rich in potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium and iron; Carrots: High in beta-carotene. This is a substance that can be converted into vitamin A in the body, playing an important role in the development of children; Citrus fruits: Includes oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. This is a rich source of vitamin C, which helps boost the production of collagen found in muscles, bones and other body tissues. In addition, vitamin C also helps wounds heal quickly, supports the body to absorb iron from other foods; Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, peas,... provide a rich source of protein and iron for your baby.

2.2 Types of fish Parents can give their children fish from the time they start eating solid foods. Fish is a rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals. At the same time, the Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and mackerel are good for heart health and support your baby's brain development.
However, parents should also note that there are certain types of fish that children should not eat. It is shark, swordfish, ... because they have high levels of mercury, which can negatively affect a child's developing nervous system. Salmon, sardines, tuna, ... although good for children, they can also contain a low amount of mercury, so parents need to limit their children's portions, should only eat 1-2 times a week. .
2.3 Poultry and red meat Meat is an abundant source of protein and contains many healthy micronutrients such as iron, zinc,... Parents can feed their children poultry (chicken, duck) or red meat (pork, beef, goat,...) as soon as the baby eats solid foods from the age of 6 months. When preparing meat for children, make sure to cook and remove the bones.
2.4 Eggs Egg whites are mostly protein, while the yolks provide zinc, vitamins A, D, E and B12 for your baby. In addition, egg yolk also contains choline - a substance very important for the health and brain development of children.
2.5 Milk and milk products After a baby is introduced to solid foods, parents should continue to give breast milk or formula until the baby is at least 1 year old. After that, mothers can continue to breastfeed or give their babies cow's milk instead. Milk, especially yogurt, provides a lot of protein and calcium, helps strengthen bones and teeth, supports the digestive system of children against harmful bacteria in the intestinal tract.

3. Some nutritious food for babies

Here's how to prepare some nutritious food for your baby to help them gain weight and develop height according to the growth measurement:
3.1 Vegetable beef soup Prepare ingredients: 200g beef, 10g peas Orchid, 2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1/2 of amaranth, celery, bean sprouts, cooking oil and spices; Wash beef, cut into thin slices and then marinate with a little cooking oil and seasoning seeds to absorb the seasoning; Wash, peel and cut into bite-sized pieces the ingredients potatoes, carrots, and beets. At the same time, rinse the peas. Then, bring all the boiled vegetables with a little salt. With bean sprouts and hand lever - wash, salt and drain; Fry onions with cooking oil, when fragrant, add the beef and stir-fry until the meat is hunted, then add water and cook until soft. Next, add potatoes, carrots, beans, bean sprouts and celery, seasoning to taste. Turn off the stove when the water boils again; Ladle the beef and vegetable soup into a bowl, decorate it beautifully, and serve it with steamed rice. 3.2 Heart porridge with melon Prepare ingredients: 50g glutinous rice, 50g pork heart, 50g melon, cooking oil, seasonings to taste; Pork heart is washed, chopped and marinated with spices and then fried with cooking oil; Melon is peeled, washed and then diced; Wash glutinous rice, add a sufficient amount of water, cook glutinous rice porridge; When the porridge is cooked, add the pork heart and melon, stir until the porridge boils again and the melon is cooked; Ladle the porridge into a bowl and feed it to the child while it is still warm. 3.3 Sweet corn chicken soup Preparation of ingredients: 50g chicken (choose the white part), 30g sweet corn, 30g carrots, 200ml chicken broth, 1 quail egg, wood ear, shiitake, tapioca flour, green onions and Spice; Wash the chicken, then mince or shred it; Put the chicken in the broth, bring to a boil, then add the carrots and corn and cook for about 5-7 minutes. When carrots and corn are cooked, pour shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms into the pot, season to taste; When the water in the pot boils again, mix a little tapioca flour with filtered water and then pour it into the pot, stirring with your hands to thicken the water; Crack 1 quail egg into a bowl, add a little water, stir well and then pour into the pot, beat the egg in the soup pot; Put chicken soup in a bowl, decorate and wait for it to cool down before giving it to your baby.

3.5 Steamed carp with ginger Prepare ingredients: 300g of carp, 20g of ginger, cooking oil and spices; Carp are dissected, gutted, washed, and marinated with cooking oil and spices to taste; Ginger is washed, chopped; Steam the carp with ginger until cooked; Feed the baby both water and carp meat. Should be eaten with rice and green vegetables. 3.5 Pumpkin eel porridge Prepare ingredients: 200g field eel, 100g pumpkin, 50g plain rice, 30g lotus seed, ginger, spices; Rinse the eel with salt and vinegar to remove the slime. Eel can be boiled with boiling water and then gently stroked to remove the eel skin; Wash the rice, drain and then roast until fragrant. Wash lotus seeds, remove lotus heart. Pumpkin and lotus seeds should be boiled with 1 cup of water until soft; Boil the eel with ginger to remove the fishy smell. When the eel is cooked, separate the eel meat. Can stir-fry eel meat with a little onion and garlic; In another pot of water, put the eel bones in to boil. When the water boils, filter out the residue and eel bones, take only the water and then cook the rice into porridge. When the porridge is cooked, add fish sauce, salt, seasoning seeds to taste; Put the eel, pumpkin into the pot, wait for it to boil again, then turn off the heat; Let your baby eat pumpkin eel porridge while it is still warm. The nutritious foods for babies are very simple and easy to make. Parents should diversify foods and ways of processing so that children can eat enough, have good health, and develop comprehensively.

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.
Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiency causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption,... If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with 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.