You make your own baby food because you want your little one to receive the very best nutrition, using fresh and wholesome ingredients.
But did you know that there are five very simple ways to make your baby’s food even MORE nutritious?
If your baby eats very little – or if you’re having difficulties getting him to accept a wide variety of foods – why not try these tips, that will ensure that every bite counts!
Add wheat germ to his meals
Wheat germ is the most nutritious part of a grain of wheat and contains a amazing array of nutrients, including iron, protein, calcium and lots of vitamins.
It has such a subtle flavour that you can stir it into ANY of your baby’s purees (savoury or sweet), or use it as a topping for any of your little one’s meals.
We have more ideas for adding wheat germ to your baby’s food here…
Use blackstrap molasses
If you need to sweeten fruit purees or oatmeal – or purely as a means of boosting nutritional value – add blackstrap molasses.
It contains all the nutrients that are removed from sugar when it’s processed to make white sugar.
In addition to a range of minerals, blackstrap molasses contains calcium and is a particularly rich source of iron – good to know if your baby’s iron stores are low.
Learn more about blackstrap molasses here…
Add flax to your recipes
Flax is a wonderfully healthful seed – a great source of fibre, omega 3 fatty acids (the type found in fish), plus lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
For optimum nutrition, buy whole flax seeds, grind them yourself (you can do it in a spice grinder or even a regular food processor) and add them to just about ANY of your baby’s meals (just as we suggested with wheat germ).
Ideal from around 7 months of age, flax can loosen baby’s stools, so only offer a little (around 1/2 teaspoon) at first. As your baby grows, you can increase this to up to 2 to 3 teaspoons per day.
Learn more about introducing flax to your baby here…
Use the whole grain varieties of common foods
In place of white rice, use brown. It’s SO much better for your little one and we really recommend encouraging your little one to eat if from infancy… many people who’ve grown up eating white rice find it hard to make the switch later on.
Use whole grain pasta instead of pasta made with white flour. And ALWAYS choose brown/whole grain bread over white.
We have more information about the benefits of avoiding refined carbohydrates here…
Add a handful of cheese to baby’s savoury meals
As well as being a great way to make veggies more interesting (useful if you’re having trouble getting baby to eat them), cheese adds a nice boost of calcium to your little one’s meals.
We sometimes hear from parents who find that – as their babies approach their first birthday – their interest in milk starts to sharply decline. It then becomes important to include plenty of calcium-rich foods in baby’s diet.
We have lots more ideas here…
Give some of these ideas a try today and transform your baby’s meals from GOOD food to SUPER food!