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Babies up to 6 months of age should be exclusively breastfed because breast milk is the ideal food for them during this period. This is the opinion of all baby nutrition experts.
If breastfeeding is limited or impossible, you should feed your baby with adapted milk formula. After all, its composition is as close as mother’s milk.
The benefits of organic baby food
Today it is very common to use organic baby formula since all the ingredients of the mixture are organic and of high quality. Of course, these should be the relevant certificates of quality of international standards. Their presence indicates that the manufacture of baby food did not use synthetic substances and genetically modified organisms. This, after all, has a bad effect on the nutritional organization of both children and adults. Most agricultural enterprises use synthetic mineral fertilizers to improve soil fertility. However, for food to be recognized as organic, the land must meet certain requirements of the level of its contamination with harmful substances. Therefore, organic agriculture improves soil fertility by natural methods – side rites, compost, humus, or crop rotation.
To kill weeds, herbicides are applied to the soil in organic farming. Pesticides and insecticides are also used to control pests. In organic farming, weeds are controlled by weeding, mulching, and sowing antagonist plants, and pests are controlled by birds and bait plants. In conventional agriculture, seeds can be dressed with fungicides or insecticides. Organic farming, on the other hand, uses only un-etchable seeds.
Which formula should I choose, organic or non-organic?
First, baby food should be safe, and then the parents should decide which formula to choose. This affects the financial side of the family. Usually, the organic formula has a high price through high-quality ingredients (growing organic ingredients is costly). If the family cannot afford to buy organic baby formula, it is necessary to choose the best options among non-organic products.
Breastmilk substitutes from different brands tend to differ somewhat in nutritional value. Lines have been developed with a mandatory standard set of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins according to the age norm. Some manufacturers (not all companies) offer improved formulas that include probiotics and prebiotics – this enhances beneficial bacterial flora, establishing comfortable digestion and stimulating immunity. Also for the development of immunity, the brain, and vision additionally introduce nucleotides, DHA, lutein, and other components, making the mixture more similar to breast milk.
When and how do I start complementary foods?
When the child is six months old, he can be offered “adult food” – complimentary food, if the baby shows interest in it. But the introduction of complementary foods should in no case replace breastfeeding or feeding with adapted formula, these are two parallel processes. Therefore, it is not advisable to introduce complementary foods earlier than 6 months of age, because the digestive system, kidneys, and motor skills of the baby are still developing and there is a higher risk of choking on food. Introducing complementary foods at the recommended time promotes health and may play a role in preventing future overweight and obesity.
Infants should be offered complimentary foods 30-60 minutes after breastfeeding or formula. Babies should eat a variety of foods to get all the macronutrients and micronutrients. It is also desirable that complementary foods are made from organic ingredients, grown on their own, or bought in a store with the appropriate certificates.
Children’s iron reserves begin to be depleted after about six months from birth, so at this time it is recommended to introduce foods rich in iron: meat, poultry, eggs, fish, liver, legumes, and whole grains.
Depending on the type of complementary food and the texture you decide to start with (purée or chunks), foods can be boiled in water and blended into mashed potatoes or served in chunks according to safe serving rules (discuss them with your pediatrician). Multiple foods should not be mixed into a purée. Present each one separately, so your child learns to distinguish flavors.
All parents should follow the rules of safe food for babies because the components of children’s diets determine the formation of the baby’s immune system. You choose the future of your offspring. Good luck in this matter!