Every baby needs breast milk till it reaches a specific age of about 6 months. Most of the medical agencies of different governments and also, the World Health Organization, recommend that every baby should be breastfed till he or she becomes at least 6 months of age. It has also been advised by many medical experts that breast milk should not be substituted with artificial or foreign sources of milk. This is because the baby’s digestive and respiratory system are very tender and delicate and are capable of deriving nutrition only from breast milk. The first six months are thus considered to be very critical in a baby’s growth. After 6 months, the body of the infant becomes ready to consume more complex foods. Most of the time, canned or processed baby food is offered to the baby. Many of us do not realize that this food is not exactly very healthy. One cannot comment firmly or prove the unhealthiness of this food, however, at the same time, the fact remains that a lot of artificial nutrition in the forms of refined and modified sugars, chemical starches, and even preservatives are not meant to be digested by your infant’s digestive system.
Health Benefits
Organic food, especially the homemade variety is the best option as an alternative to canned and preserved baby food. The best thing about feeding organic food to your baby is that it is easily digestible and does not cause any harm to the baby’s digestive system. Here are a few basic advantages of organic food to your baby:
- Nutritional Value: Canned baby food contains a generous amount of preservatives and chemicals that provide almost zero nutrition to the infant’s body. On the other hand, if an infant consumes organic food, then the nutrient content of the food is considerably concentrated and an additional advantage of fibrous matter and vitamins is also derived.
- Elimination of Unwanted Additives and Preservatives: One of the best features of organic baby food is that the unwanted additives are reduced and the digestive system of the baby is not overworked.
- Vitamins and Fibers: As it is freshly prepared, the vitamins and fibers that are present in the food and are required by the baby, are retained. In the process of canning and usage of preservatives, the vital nutrients, like, vitamins, proteins, and fibers are lost. The organic food that is prepared at home, contains generous quantities of these essential ingredients.
- Hygiene:Organic food that is prepared at home is hygienic. As it is made at home, the level and standard of hygiene can be maintained. Packed baby food is made with the help of different machines and has specific measures of ingredients, that sometimes would be disliked by your toddler. However when you are preparing the organic food for your toddler, you can always use the ingredients he/she likes. The preparation at home also adds to the freshness of the food.
Homemade food is the best source of organic food for your little one. Books and the Internet provide a large number of baby food recipes. Regional manufacturers also are able to sell a variety of such products, like, leafy vegetable extract or sprout baby food. Sometimes, baby food diet is also prescribed by doctors for a healthy growth.
One of the best features of this baby food is that it is loved, relished, and adored by all babies. A point to remember here, that infants do not have sufficiently strong molars. Even if they can bite food, they won’t be able to grind it properly, hence mash or break the food properly before feeding your baby.
