Essential Nutrients for your Baby's Development

by Theresa Kiene

In a trendsetting city like Los Angeles, new Moms are offered limitless choices that include hybrid strollers, baby wipe warmers and baby-bling pacifiers. It's tough to keep it all straight - especially if you're like me, and all that nursing has turned your brain to mush. Fortunately, what your baby needs on the inside is pretty straightforward. The essentials for your budding baby are:

Fats

Yes. Fats. Of course, I mean the right kind of fats. Most infants receive 40 - 50 percent of calories through the fat in breast milk or formula. After one year your baby can drink whole cow's milk or soy milk. Don't introduce any low-fat foods until after two years of age. The healthiest fats are unsaturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, which are better absorbed by the body. You can find these fats in avocados, fish oil, peanuts, almonds, soy oil, safflower oil and olive oil. Saturated fats come mostly from meat, eggs and dairy. Never restrict fats in a child under two. You, on the other hand, have to keep track.

Protein

During periods of rapid growth, infancy, and adolescence, the body requires more protein. A one-year-old child requires about two cups of protein food per day. Good sources of protein are fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, meat, poultry and nuts. Vegetarian babies can eat food combinations of grains and beans or grains and diary.

Carbohydrates

A baby's main source of energy comes from carbohydrates. The best are complex carbohydrates that enter the bloodstream in a slow, steady pace (the opposite of sugars that are in candy and icings). Good sources of complex carbohydrates are beans and legumes, pasta, fresh fruit, potatoes and whole grains.

Vitamins

Choosing a variety of healthy foods will supply your baby with enough vitamins to keep their body working well. Our bodies need vitamins: A, C, D, E, K and a series of B vitamins: thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folacin, B6, and B12.

Minerals

Although a baby's body needs only a small amount of minerals, they are extremely important for good health. The most important minerals for babies are:

Iron

While babies are born with iron stored from their mother's blood, these reserves begin to deplete around six months. The body absorbs iron best from animal sources like meat, chicken and lamb. Vegetarian babies can select from iron-rich foods such as beans, fortified cereal, dried peaches and prunes, tofu and peas. Vitamin C taken in combination with one of these sources will help your baby's body absorb more of the iron. Spaghetti with meat (or lentils) and tomato sauce is a classic combination to get iron to the whole family.

Calcium

Mother always said, "Drink your milk", and she was right. The healthier your bones develop as a child, the stronger the bones will be in adult life. Can you say Osteoporosis? Breast milk or formula is all that is needed in the beginning to meet your baby's calcium needs, but later in life good sources of calcium are dairy, fortified orange juice, salmon, blackstrap molasses, legumes and tofu.

Zinc

This important trace mineral will help build a healthy immune system. Zinc rich foods include wheat germ, lentils, beans, peas, corn, soybeans and lean meats.

A balanced diet of a variety of foods will keep your little one growing strong. If you have concerns about your baby's food intake consult your pediatrician. Together you can design a food plan that's right for your whole family.