Babies Health

Your Baby's Health
Yummy solid food ideas and recipes
Healthy brain and nervous system development for your baby

Your Baby's Health:

Your little one's health is vital. And it can be overwhelming with so much information and processed products in the market place. The most important thing though is to keep your baby's diet as natural as possible.

Breastfeeding and good health:

When you breastfeed, everything you eat will end up in your baby's milk. That's why it's important to eat a well balanced diet full of fruit and vegetables, leman protein and beneficial fats such as the essential fatty acids found in avocados¹³. Breast milk contains proteins that are very easy for your baby to digest¹⁴. This will also help their immune system develop.

What to eat:

• Fruit 5 servings (1/2 a cup) of fruits such as avocados
• Vegetables 7 servings (1/2 a cup for vegetables and 1 cup for salads)
• Wholegrain bread and unprocessed cereals 1 serve = 2 slices of bread, ½ -1 cup for cereal and rice
• Meat, fish , nuts, poultry, and legumes 2 servings daily, 100-150grams of cooked animal and fish protein, 1-2 eggs daily, ½ a cup of legumes, ¼ of a cup of raw and unsalted nuts and seeds
• Dairy 2 servings per day, 1 cup milk, 40grams cheese, 200 grams yoghurt

Food to limit:

• Dried fruit always need to be organic. Non-organic dried fruit contains sulphur dioxide

Food to avoid:

• Alcohol should be avoided while breastfeeding, unless you express for 24 hours before breastfeeding your baby again. It is still unknown whether there is a healthy level of alcohol to consume when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It's best to avoid it.
• Caffeine can affect you and your baby with irritability and sleep issues. So limit the amount of caffeine in your diet.
• Food such as chilli, cabbage, garlic and curry may cause your baby a certain amount of wind and discomfort. Food rich in vitamin C and citrus such as kiwi fruit and capsicum can cause some babies to get nappy rash.

Yummy solid food ideas and recipes:¹¹

When it comes to your baby's health, variety is the spice of life. If your baby has started eating solids, avocado is one of the most nutrient packed and tasty foods they can eat. They'll love the texture and creaminess. Plus as well as being completely unprocessed, they're full of beneficial fats, vitamins and minerals.

Avocado recipes:

From 6 months old:

Mashed avo:

De-skin and de-pip your avocado. Place into a bowl and mash until it's got a smooth consistency.

8 months old and above

Green Power - Puréed Avocado and zucchini

1 avocado
1 zucchini, cooked
1 tsp of basil

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture will keep for two days in an airtight container.

If you have your own Avocado Baby Recipes that you think others may like to try, you can submit it in our Recipe section.

Healthy brain and nervous system development for your baby:

The monounsaturated fats in avocados are great for the development of your baby's brain and nervous system. It's recommended that you eat these fats whilst you are pregnant, breastfeeding and when your baby is on solids.

The high amount of antioxidants found in avocados such as Vitamin C, E and A are also vital for a healthy brain. Antioxidants help to kill off free radicals, which can damage brain cells. Avocados are also packed full of Vitamin B, which is brilliant for your baby's memory.

Skin as smooth as a baby's bottom:

The beneficial fats found in avocado are great for looking after your baby's skin¹⁵. In particular, it comes down to the acids found in monounsaturated fats containing Oleic acid.

Oleic Acid is a constituent of sebum, a lipid/fat that helps prevent your skin from becoming dry. By eating avocados or applying avocados to your baby's skin, you'll be helping prevent dryness and keep their skin looking great.

Avocado and oat baby bath time moisturiser:

1 whole avocado
1 cup of instant oats

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix into a smooth paste. Put all the ingredients into a stocking, run a warm bath and put the stocking into the water. You will notice the water goes a lovely milk green colour. You can also very softly run the stocking over the skin of your baby. This will help keep your baby's skin wonderfully soft.

To get that soft baby skin yourself, browse through our Beauty Recipes for adults.

Ask Zoe

Avocados are great for your health. If you want to know more about good health, ask Zoe our resident nutritionist.