Veggies For Babies

Well-cooked vegetables made into puree, juice and other soft cooked foods are most likely consumed by babies from 6 months to two years old as complementary foods.
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology maintains that after six months from birth, breast milk alone is not enough for the baby’s nutrient needs.

FNRI specialists were in this southern city recently to conduct a media forum on breastfeeding and the appropriate complementary foods to babies. The specialists recommend that six-month old babies can be introduced to a variety of foods, color, texture and taste of food and the widely recommended vegetables grown locally and always available anytime as well.

Mothers are advised to make their own baby foods as they are conducive to health and nutritious too. A mother knows what the baby is eating and is assured of quality and safe food that always encourage healthy eating habits to the family.

FNRI issued a complementary feeding guide for babies after six months such as rice gruel, oatmeal, mashed rootcrops, slice bread and biscuits, ripe bananas, papaya, mango and other soft fruits cut into small pieces.

Vegetables such as soft cooked squash, potatoes, kamote tops, kangkong tops, pechay and malunggay leaves can be mashed and given to the babies in small amount which can gradually increase as the babies grow older.

Other baby foods are pureed vegetables from the family pot such as squash from bulanglang, potatoes from linaga (boiled) and mongo from munggo guisado and mash vegetables mix with lugaw (congee).

However, FNRI advises mothers to give complementary foods one at a time depending on the baby’s age. Don’t start two new foods at the same time and allow three days before trying out a new one.

FNRI also advises mothers to offer bland foods only to babies without salt until age 1 year as baby’s kidneys cannot cope with salt. Even after the age of one year, add only a little amount of salt.

Add little or no sugar at all for too much sugar leads to tooth decay and makes the child develop sweet tooth. Yet, FNRI said the mother should not force the baby to eat and don’t worry, the baby will make up for it the next time. (PNA) /MP