Let’s face it – working parents constantly struggle with what to feed their toddler so that they do not miss out on any nutrients that are crucial for their child growth and overall development. This is when store-bought foods come into the picture. These baby food products are both – healthy and quick to make. This is true only if you know which healthy baby food product to pick.
Below we give you a few tips that can help you pick the right healthy baby food product for your little one. Just follow them, and you won’t find yourself stuck in a long aisle of baby food products.
Tip 1:
Iron is the King:
One of the primary nutrients that your toddler requires to cope with growth and development is iron. A deficiency of this in the healthy baby food product can affect the mental and physical growth of your toddler. So, buy cereals and oatmeal that are iron-fortified. Meats such as chicken and fishes are a rich source of iron. Thus, it is essential that you include them in your toddler’s diet too. Also, green leafy vegetables and roots support the growth and development of your toddler by offering adequate amounts of iron.
Tips 2:
Vegetables are good:
Most of the healthy baby food products, today, have a small portion of veggies incorporated in them. So, if you have been picking up foods that have added preservatives or sugar, STOP. Your toddler doesn’t need that. They need proper healthy food sans the preservative. If the cereals taste bland, you can always add fresh fruits and jaggery to it. But, the goodness of veggies should not be lost.
Tip 3:
Avoid packed/ canned juices:
Do this because
- It has poor nutritional content
- It increases the risk of tooth decay
- It increases the risk of diarrhoea, gas and bloating
- It increases the risk of exposure to bacteria in unpasteurized juices
This by no means renders canned and packed juices as healthy baby food products.
Apart from this do not forget to go through the food labels, don’t be overwhelmed with the attractive packages and attention-catching advertising. Also, although plastic bottles are convenient, we suggest opting for glass bottles as the chemical in plastic is not healthy for growing toddlers as compared to the glass ones.
With all these tips in mind, we hope that your next healthy baby food shopping for your little one will be hassle-free and less stressful.