All4Baby » baby led weaning https://all4baby.co.za From Pregnancy to birth to baby and beyond. The place to find, chat, and share. Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:09:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=261 Introducing solids: Best first foods and foods to avoid https://all4baby.co.za/babies-6-12-months/health-hygiene-illness/1235/introducing-solids-best-first-foods-foods-avoid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=introducing-solids-best-first-foods-foods-avoid https://all4baby.co.za/babies-6-12-months/health-hygiene-illness/1235/introducing-solids-best-first-foods-foods-avoid/#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2014 08:40:51 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=1235 The first tastes that you introduce to your baby are more a learning experience than a nutritional necessity. What are the best first foods to give your baby? And, what foods should you avoid?

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There are many health professionals that suggest introducing solids to a baby that is younger than six months old.

Bumbles™ rather encourages moms to watch for the weaning window (which is usually between five and six months) and then gradually start to introduce solids. The reason for this is that your baby’s digestive system isn’t fully mature before this age and foreign proteins may increase the likelihood of food allergies.

The minimum age for introducing solids is 17 weeks

Bumbles™ Best First Foods

The “first tastes” that you introduce to your baby are more a learning experience than a nutritional necessity. It’s about getting baby exploring more than eating.

We like to offer foods that are easy to digest and low-allergenic such as steamed root vegetables like carrot, parsnip and sweet potato. These veggies are also naturally sweet and make a lovely smooth purée.

If your chosen weaning method is “Baby Led Weaning”, start by cutting small pieces that your baby can pick up using the “pincer action”, but is still soft enough that it will “melt” in his mouth.

Your baby’s first tastes are about exploring more than eating

Best first fruits include:

  • Apple (Pink Lady or Golden Delicious)
  • Banana
  • Pear
  • Papaya
  • Avocado
  • Mango
  • Peach

Best first veggies include:

  • Carrot
  • Butternut Squash
  • Gem Squash
  • Parsnip
  • Pumpkin
  • Peas
  • Sweet Potato

When introducing a new food, allow three to four days before bringing something new to their diet. This is so it’s easily identifiable should there be any allergic reaction or digestive discomfort.

Introducing Grains

You will hear a lot about baby rice. If you are going to buy a cereal of some kind, try choosing or starting with a gluten-free range.

Bumbles™ loves Quinoa (pronounced keen-wha). Quinoa is a seed that’s naturally high in complete protein. It is gentle on their little tummies and helps to replace the protein that otherwise gets “lost” when babies gradually start to drop milk feeds during weaning.

Quinoa is a complete protein and contains:

  • All nine essential amino acids.
  • Has a protein content of between 12 and 18%.
  • It is high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair. Lysine also helps boost the body’s calcium absorption, building strong bones.
  • Quinoa is also high in fibre and iron (50% more fibre than brown rice).
  • It is naturally gluten-free, making it easy for babies to digest but also has a low glycaemia index – meaning baby will digest it slowly and it will keep them feeling full for longer.

Quinoa also a natural source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B1, Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium and Copper.

Stick to gluten-free cereals

Foods To Avoid

1. Salt

Babies under one year should not have any salt as it can strain immature kidneys and cause dehydration. Also avoid smoked foods.

2. Sugar

Unless food is really tart, DON’T ADD SUGAR. Adding sugar is habit-forming and increases the risk of tooth decay.

3. Gluten

Foods containing gluten (such as wheat, oats, barley and rye) should not be introduced before six months. When buying baby cereals and rusks before six months, make sure that they are gluten-free.

4. Unpasteurised cheese

No Brie, Camembert or Blue Cheese before 12 months due to the risk of Listeria infection.

5. Eggs

Eggs should not be given before six months, afterwards though ensure yolk and white are cooked solid.

6. Shellfish

This should not be given until at least 12 months old due to the risk of food poisoning and potential allergy.

7. Nuts

Chopped and whole nuts are not recommended due to the risk of choking but also because of the risk of your baby developing an allergic reaction.

8. Honey

Honey should not be given before one year, as it contains a type of bacteria that can result in a potentially serious illness called “infant botulism”.

About the Author: For more information on informative weaning and introducing your baby onto solid foods, contact Bumbles™ Cookery Club.

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Toddler nutrition: Why your toddler should play with his food https://all4baby.co.za/toddlers-1-2-years/health-hygiene-illness-1-2-years/1050/toddler-nutrition-toddler-play-food/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=toddler-nutrition-toddler-play-food https://all4baby.co.za/toddlers-1-2-years/health-hygiene-illness-1-2-years/1050/toddler-nutrition-toddler-play-food/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2014 09:14:45 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=1050 The messier your toddler gets when eating, the more he or she is learning, a new study suggests.

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It’s a scenario most parents know all too well — a messy toddler in a highchair poking, smearing, and throwing food. But a new US study finds that the more your child plays with his or her food, the more he or she is learning.

Researchers at the University of Iowa studied how 16-month-old children learn words for non solid objects, from oatmeal to glue. Previous research has shown that toddlers learn more readily about solid objects because they can easily identify them due to their unchanging size and shape. But the oozy, gooey, runny stuff? Not so much, researchers said.

Word learning increases in high chair

Yet, according to the latest findings, that changes if you put toddlers in a setting they know well — a highchair. Word learning increases, because children at that age are “used to seeing non solid things in this context, when they’re eating,” says Larissa Samuelson, head researcher and associate professor in psychology. “And, if you expose them to these things when they’re in a highchair, they do better. They’re familiar with the setting and that helps them remember and use what they already know about non solids.”

Toddlers who interact with food are more likely to name them

In a new study published this week in the journal Developmental Science, Samuelson and her team exposed 72 toddlers to 14 non solid objects, mostly food and drinks such as applesauce, pudding, juice, and soup. They presented the items and gave them made-up words, such as “dax” or “kiv.” A minute later, they asked the children to identify the same food in different sizes or shapes.

The task required the youngsters to go beyond relying simply on shape and size and to explore what the substances were made of to make the correct identification and word choice.

Making the correct association through interaction

Not surprisingly, many children gleefully dove into this task by poking, prodding, touching, feeling, tasting, and throwing the non solids in order to understand what they were and make the correct association with the hypothetical names, the researchers said.

The toddlers who interacted the most with the foods were more likely to correctly identify them by their texture and name them, the study determined. For example, imagine you were a 16-month-old gazing at a cup of milk and a cup of glue. How would you tell the difference by simply looking?

Setting matters, too

The setting matters, too, it seems. Children in a highchair were more apt to identify and name the food than those in other venues, such as seated at a table, the researchers found.
“It turns out that being in a highchair makes it more likely you’ll get messy, because kids know they can get messy there,” Samuelson said.

Access the new study: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/desc.12147/abstract

(AFP Relaxnews)

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