YES! – Superfoods for Babies

It is well-known that superfoods are beneficial in many ways (why else would they be called “super” in the first place?), and we have written about these benefits in several of our articles. However, what’s lesser known is whether or not it is safe to give superfoods to babies.

Parents, here’s good news for you – the answer is yes!

Not only is it safe for you incorporate superfoods into your baby’s diet, you should do so. As babies have small stomachs, it isn’t surprising that they do not eat much, and hence everything that they consume should be nutritious and beneficial to their rapidly growing bodies and minds.

Quinoa is one of such foods that pack a nutritious punch in every meal, and what’s best is that it is consumable by young infants (pediatricians recommend introducing it from 8 months onwards[1]). Introducing whole grains to your baby will stimulate oral development; according to pediatrician Susanna Block, “[quinoa’s] texture helps babies learn to use their mouths and tongues, which can really help them with speech.”[2] In addition, since babies’ brains develop rapidly during their first year, it helps immensely if they consume the iron and Vitamin B that’s packed in quinoa.[3]

In order to make quinoa easier for your baby to consume, you can choose to grind it into a powder manually or using a coffee grinder. Don’t be afraid to introduce some seasoning to your quinoa – your baby is likely to be able handle it, and will probably appreciate it way more than receiving it bland!  

References

[1] Wholesome Baby Food. (2016). Feeding your baby quinoa – tasty, nutritous quinoa baby food recipes. Momtastic [online]. Retrieved from <http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/quinoababyfoodrecipes.htm> [Accessed 27 March 2016].

[2] BabyCenter. (2016). Adventurous first foods for babies. BabyCenter [online]. Retrieved from <http://www.babycenter.com/0_adventurous-first-foods-for-babies_10320503.bc> [Accessed 27 March 2016].

[3] Kerns, M. (n.d.). Quinoa & B-12. SF Gate [online]. Retrieved from <http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/quinoa-b12-7650.html> [Accessed 27 March 2016].